A DECLARATION aimed at preventing “the political exploitation of religion where it leads to discrimination” was issued last month after a conference in the House of Commons.

The conference, convened on 26 March by the campaign Ban the Political Use of Religion (BPUR), was sponsored by the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for Freedom of Religion or Belief.

The declaration — the Westminster Declaration on Preventing the Political Abuse of Religion — was endorsed by all participating senior officials, parliamentarians, religious leaders, and representatives of international entities from around the world, BPUR said.

The initiative “focuses on preventing the political exploitation of religion where it leads to discrimination, exclusion, or restriction of rights, affirming that protecting equality and safeguarding the integrity of faith are mutually reinforcing goals”, the statement read.

The declaration says: “Freedom of religion or belief must be guaranteed for all individuals without discrimination”; “equality before the law and equal protection of rights is essential for stable societies”; and “public authority should not use religion to restrict rights or create inequality.”

It urges governments, parliaments, and international partners to create clear international standards to prohibit “political abuses of religion that undermine human equality”, “religious discrimination in rights and duties”, “religious exclusion in public law and governance”, and “restrictions on freedom of religion or belief arising from political manipulation of faith”.

BPUR described the declaration as “non-confrontational and inclusive”. It did not target any specific religion or country, and did not seek to regulate belief, the BPUR statement said.

“In certain contexts, the political exploitation of religion has contributed to discrimination, exclusion, instability and conflict, undermining equal human rights and weakening social cohesion.”

During the conference, BPUR awarded the International Award for Confronting the Political Abuse of Religion to the chairman of Orascom Investment Holding, Naguib Sawiris, and to the president of the National Human Rights Council of Morocco, Amina Bouayach.