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Egypt: Religious Freedom

Question for Foreign and Commonwealth Office

UIN 7132, tabled on 23 January 2020

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the Government in Egypt in providing for the security and well-being of (a) Coptic Christians and (b) other religious minorities in that country.

Answered on

30 January 2020

We regularly raise with the Egyptian authorities the human rights of religious minorities, and make the case for them to be accorded the necessary protections under Egyptian law. We welcome President Sisi's consistent calls for peaceful coexistence and the Government of Egypt's expression of support for the rights of all minorities and for religious tolerance. The UK has always been clear that the rights of minorities, wherever they exist, should be protected in line with international standards. During my visit to Cairo last September, I met Pope Tawadros II, whose Coptic Orthodox Church plays such an important part in Egyptian society.

As part of our UK-funded projects and programmes in Egypt we are providing counter-terrorism assistance to the Egyptian authorities and counter-IED training for the Egyptian security forces. We are committed to supporting the Egyptian Government's fight against terrorist groups, including those who seek to target minority groups such as Coptic Christians.

Answered by

Foreign and Commonwealth Office