§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last held discussions with the Egyptian authorities about the human rights of Christians in Egypt. [4126]
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§ Mr. BradshawOur Embassy in Egypt closely follows all cases of human rights concern. We raise human rights cases, regardless of ethnic or religious background, with the Egyptian authorities. We do this both bilaterally and through the EU.
We believe that it is important to improve relations between faiths in Egypt and that is why the promotion of interfaith dialogue remains a key focus of our efforts.
§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the infringement of the human rights of Christians in Egypt. [4127]
§ Mr. BradshawWe are, of course, interested in the human rights of all in Egypt regardless of their religious background. We maintain a regular dialogue with many Coptic Christians and we listen to their views and opinions. Not surprisingly we hear a range of different opinions, not least on the question of discrimination. While some Copts talk of persecution, others tell us there is no Government policy of discrimination against Christians, nor do they talk of persecution. Our embassy in Cairo assesses that there is no general policy of discrimination against Christians, a view shared by many leading Copts. We do, however, raise individual cases of concern.