MORE SHOULD BE DONE TO PROTECT PRESENT DAY CHRISTIANS SAY BARONESS WARSI

by Benson Agoha

* Baroness Warsi: Islamofobia is the driver of radicalisation.

Christians are being driven from their homes and facing hostilities from around the globe, so need to be protected says UK's first Minister for Faith.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, a Senior Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who was at the Council on Foreign Relations where she gave her opinion on the plight of Christians and religious minorities said "One in 10 Christians live in a minority situation and large numbers of those who live in a minority situation around the world are persecuted."

When asked why she feels troubled by the plight of Christians, she said it troubles her so much to see Christians communities in places where the Christian religion was born, being forced to abandon and move away, even though they still represent the custodians of the Christian tradition, speak the original language of the christian religion and helped to develope the cultures of the communities.

Baroness Warsi's said people are surprised that a British born Muslim of Pakistani origin is championing the cause of Christians and is often asked `why'?

She said it cannot be right that I am concerned with the plight of minorities around the UK and not be concerned with that of minorities around the world so "..as Ministers it is either we do this properly or we don't do it at all."

The Minister of State said `To be a Muslim you must first be a Christian because Chrstianity predates Islam'. She said those kind of question go a long way to show the extent of people's `religious illitracy'.

She said it is important to take away whatever empowers or gives vent to radicalisation of muslims in order to stem terrorism and that Europe should boost up its religious identity.

The Minister said in a move to be all inclusive, a lot of religious identities have been dumped down and new pluralistic terms and identities have been invented. Baroness Warsi said that in multicultural societies, a strong sense of identity leads to better relationships.

She said young British children don't necessarily do things because their parents are faithfuls of a particular religion and so does not see why the dump down should continue.

But when asked whether she feels that the USA should also do the same, she said she was not sure about making similar recommendation for the them.

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* Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Senior Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is UK’s first Minister for Faith and first Woman Muslim Minister.