THE religious diversity in South Asia is being undermined by violations of freedom of religion and belief (FoRB), the Bishop of Newcastle, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, has said.

She was speaking in the House of Lords on Monday evening, in a short debate called by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, about how the UK was protecting FoRB in South Asia.

“A denial of FoRB is often a warning sign for challenges and human-rights troubles to come,” Dr Hartley said. “The UK must, therefore, continue to reaffirm its commitment to FoRB, particularly concerning regions where increasing threats to this foundational right are present. South Asia is home to a rich mosaic of religions. However, the religious diversity in this region is being undermined.”

She drew attention to the situation in Pakistan, where blasphemy laws were being misused, “often resulting in mob violence and extrajudicial killings”. Ahmadi Muslims were a “major target” for prosecutions.

She also spoke about Sri Lanka, where minority-religious groups were being targeted by state authorities. “Government policies reflect the Buddhist nationalist movements present within the country through the limitation of the ability to freely worship by creating discriminatory registration processes for places of worship.” The Prevention of Terrorism Act was also being used to arrest, detain, and torture Muslims and Tamils, she said.

Dr Hartley went on to say that FoRB was “a global responsibility”, and that the appointment of a special envoy was “a matter of urgency” (News, 4 October)

The former Bishop of Oxford Lord Harries also spoke in the debate about the Dalits in India, “the former untouchables, a great number of whom are Christians or Buddhists”.

Dalits were vulnerable to being trafficked and forced into slavery, and were also discriminated against in the area of employment.

Christian Dalit villages had, in recent years, been “attacked by mobs”, and there had been “great difficulty bringing charges against the perpetrators, followed by long delays in bringing them to trial”.

He asked: “Will the Government press the Indian government to overhaul the criminal-justice system so that Dalits and religious minorities can have proper access to justice? At the moment, it is failing minority communities very badly.”

Baroness Chapman, responding to the debate for the Government, said: “The Government regularly raise the importance of religious tolerance and freedom of religion or belief, including at the highest levels. . . Through our programmes, we are directly supporting communities and affected populations and addressing drivers.”