Religious leaders from across the UK including in England, Wales and
Scotland call to hold Iran accountable for human rights abuses
Over 50 bishops in the UK joined the Rt Rev. and Rt. Hon. Dr. Rowan
Williams to condemn the human rights abuses, particularly the plight of
religious minorities in Iran.
The Statement reads
“Today, we announce the initiative by Dr Rowan Williams and supported
by more than 50 bishops in UK along with 78 US church leaders which
highlights the plight of the Iranian people and the religious minorities
in Iran, particularly the Christians, calling on the international
community to act to defend their rights in face of government harassment
and persecution”, the Rt Rev. John Pritchard, former Bishop of Oxford,
one of the signatories, said.
The statement states “The regime has been condemned no less than 64
times by various United Nations bodies and criticised by international
human rights organisations for its appalling human rights record. While
the majority of the victims of the regime’s abuses are Shiite Muslims,
members of religious minorities, including Christians, Jews, members of
the Sunni branch of Islam, and people of other faiths, have been
targeted over their personal religious beliefs.”
It further highlights the Iranian regime’s misuse of the religion of
Islam to impose a theocracy on millions of Iranians and takes note of
the Iranian people’s demand for genuine change in their country
demonstrated by a nationwide uprising that has being going on since
December last year.
The statement by Dr. Rowan Williams supported by bishops in England,
Wales and Scotland including the Archbishop of Wales, the Most Reverend
John Davies, the former Archbishop of Wales, the Rt Rev. Dr. Barry
Morgan; Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness & the Primus of the
Scottish Episcopal Church, the Most Reverend Mark Strange; Lord Bishop
of Durham, the Rt Rev. Paul Butler; Lord Bishop of Gloucester, the Rt
Rev. Rachel Treweek; Lord Bishop of Ely, the Rt Rev. Stephen Conway;
Lord Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt Rev. Donald Allister; Lord Bishop of
Coventry, the Rt Rev. Dr Christopher Cocksworth; Lord Bishop of
Worcester, the Rt Rev. Dr. John Inge; Lord Bishop Leeds, the Rt Rev.
Nick Bains; Lord Bishop of St. Albans, the Rt Rev. Gregory Clayton
Smith; Lord Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev. Christopher Richard James
Foster; Lord Bishop of Chester, the Rt Rev. Peter Forster; Lord Bishop
of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell; Bishop of Sodor and Man,
the Rt Rev. Peter Eagles; Bishop of Sheffield, the Rt Rev. Dr. Pete
Wilcox; Bishop of Guildford, the Rt Rev. Andrew Watson; Bishop of
Stepney, the Rt Rev. Adrian Newman; Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Rev.
Richard Frith; Assistant Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev. David Stancliffe;
Former Lord Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Rev. Nick Holtam; Bishop of
Wakefield, the Rt Rev. Tony Robinson; Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Rev. Dr.
Helen-Ann Hartley; Bishop of Southampton, Rt Rev. Dr Jonathan Frost;
Bishop of Barking, the Rt Rev. Peter Hill; Bishop of Kirkstall, the Rt
Rev. Paul Slater; Bishop of Stafford, the Rt Rev. Geoff Annas; Bishop of
Stockport, the Rt Rev. Libby Lane; Bishop of Birkenhead, the Rt Rev.
Keith Sinclair; Former Bishop of Sodor & Man, the Rt Rev. Robert
Paterson; Bishop of Lewes, the Rt Rev. Richard Jackson; Bishop of
Bedford, the Rt Rev. Richard Atkison, OBE; Bishop of Buckingham, the Rt
Rev. Dr. Alan Wilson; Bishop of Shrewsbury, the Rt Revd Mark Rylands;
Bishop of Doncaster, the Rt Rev. Peter Burrows; Bishop of Beverley, Rt.
Hon. Glyn Webster; Bishop of Dover, the Rt Revd Trevor Willmott; Bishop
of Hertford, the Rt Rev. Dr. Michael Beasley; Bishop of Llandaff, the Rt
Rev. June Osborne; Bishop of Monmouth, Rt Rev. Richard Pain; Bishop of
St Davids, the Rt Rev. Joanna Penberthy; Bishop of Beverley, the Rt Rev.
Glyn Webster; Bishop of Wolverhampton, the Rt Rev. Clive Gregory;
Bishop of Burnley, the Rt Rev. Philip North; Bishop of Willesden, the Rt
Rev. Pete Broadbent; Bishop of Edmonton, the Rt Rev. Rob Wickham;
Bishop of Kensington, the Rt Rev. Dr Graham Tomlin; Bishop of Islington,
the Rt Rev. Ric Thorpe urges the international community to pay
attention to call for freedom and human rights in Iran that will be
echoed in the major international gathering scheduled to take place in
Paris on June 30.
The statement says: “This demand will be manifested again at the international ‘
Free Iran’ grand gathering
that will be held on June 30, in Paris to promote freedom and human
rights in Iran with the presence of religious, political, and social
dignitaries from all over the world.”
The Rt Rev. John Pritchard, added, “In our statement, we call on all
countries to take into consideration the deplorable situation of human
rights in Iran, particularly the painful situation of religious
minorities, in navigating their relations with Iran. We urge them to
base any improvement of relations with Iran on a cessation of oppression
of minorities and on a halt to executions in Iran.”
Editors note:
The statement in defense of religious minorities in Iran is enclosed for your attention.