Iraqi Christians abandoned by UK: France, Germany offer them Assylum

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h1 style="border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: center !important;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/17/iraqi-christians-abandoned-by-cameron-over-immigration-fears-says-church-of-england_n_5685332.html?1408267017&utm_hp_ref=uk" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">CAMERON'S SILENCE</span></a></div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/17/iraqi-christians-abandoned-by-cameron-over-immigration-fears-says-church-of-england_n_5685332.html?1408267017&utm_hp_ref=uk" style="border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: small;">Iraqi Christians Abandoned By UK Over Immigration Fears, Says Church Of England</span></a></div> </span></h1> <div class="splash_hdr_spacer" id="splash_hdr_spacer" style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"> <div class="relative" id="headline_image_container" style="border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/17/iraqi-christians-abandoned-by-cameron-over-immigration-fears-says-church-of-england_n_5685332.html?1408267017&utm_hp_ref=uk" id="entry_id_5682201" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><img class="quickread_link" height="346" id="headline_image" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1969594/thumbs/r-CHRISTIANS-IRAQ-huge.jpg" style="border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="900" /></span></a></div> </div> <br /> <div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/17/iraqi-christians-abandoned-by-cameron-over-immigration-fears-says-church-of-england_n_5685332.html?1408267017&utm_hp_ref=uk" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-weight: bold; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;">France, Germany Offer Asylum To Iraqi Christians.. But Not Britain.. </span></a></div> <span id="sub_headline_preview" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-weight: bold; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;"><div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/17/iraqi-christians-abandoned-by-cameron-over-immigration-fears-says-church-of-england_n_5685332.html?1408267017&utm_hp_ref=uk" style="border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Archbishop Of Canterbury Backs Letter Calling For Action..</a> </div> <span style="border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/17/iraqi-christians-abandoned-by-cameron-over-immigration-fears-says-church-of-england_n_5685332.html?1408267017&utm_hp_ref=uk" style="border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">'We Have No Coherent Approach To Islamist Extremism'</a></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Church of England has slammed the Government for abandoning Christians in the Middle East, citing fears that any offers of asylum would cost the Tories points against Ukip and the anti-immigration movement.</span></div> </span></span><br /> <div class="content" id="mainentrycontent" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 20px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In a strongly-worded attack on David Cameron's handling of the crisis in Iraq - backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury - the Bishop of Leeds said "many" senior clergy were seriously concerned.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Rt Rev Nicholas Baines has written to the Prime Minister questioning whether there is any long-term strategy and criticising a "growing silence" over the fate of the plight of persecuted Christians. In particular he raised questions about ministers' failure to respond to calls - including through parliamentary questions - to set out what arrangements would be made to offer asylum in the UK.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img alt="christians iraq" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1969594/thumbs/o-CHRISTIANS-IRAQ-570.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span></div> <center style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Iraqi Christian children, who fled with their families the violence in Iraq's largest Christian town of Qaraqosh, pose in a room of Ainkawa's Saint Joseph church</strong></div> </center> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Despite appalling persecution, they seem to have fallen from consciousness, and I wonder why," he said. "Does your government have a coherent response to the plight of these huge numbers of Christians whose plight appears to be less regarded than that of others? Or are we simply reacting to the loudest media voice at any particular time?"</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Decrying the lack of response to repeated appeals for asylum provision to be made for Christians, and other minorities, he said that in contrast to France and Germany there had "so far been only silence from the UK Government".</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And he expressed fears over the future of the Government's "commitment to religious freedom". The cleric said he recognised "the complexity and interconnectedness of the challenges" but joined criticism of an apparent failure to respond effectively to the advance of Islamic State fighters.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"It appears that, in common with the United States and other partners, the UK is responding to events in a reactive way, and it is difficult to discern the strategic intentions behind this approach," he wrote in the letter, which he issued to newspapers and published on his website.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Please can you tell me what is the overall strategy that holds together the UK Government's response to both the humanitarian situation and what IS is actually doing in Syria and Iraq?</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Behind this question is the serious concern that we do not seem to have a coherent or comprehensive approach to Islamist extremism as it is developing across the globe.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Islamic State, Boko Haram and other groups represent particular manifestations of a global phenomenon, and it is not clear what our broader global strategy is - particularly insofar as the military, political, economic and humanitarian demands interconnect."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Church internationally should be "a primary partner in addressing this complexity", he told him. The bishop welcomed the "notable and admirable" focus on the plight of the minority Yazidi community, who have been at the centre of an international aid operation as they flee IS massacres.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"However, there has been increasing silence about the plight of tens of thousands of Christians who have been displaced, driven from cities and homelands, and who face a bleak future," he went on.</span></div> <ul class="listicle" id="listicle" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none; margin: 0px !important; min-width: 570px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li class="slide_4088468 image slide" id="slide_4088468" style="border: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none inside none !important; margin: 68px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><header class="no-number" style="border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 3px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 560px;"></header><div class="title" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="listicle-content" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 5px 0px 7px !important; min-height: 165px; padding: 0px 0px 5px !important; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="image-image" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/362970/slide_362970_4088468_free.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0px -6px !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span><span class="credits" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; bottom: -23px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</span></span></div> <div class="caption" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Refugees, fleeing from Mosul, and Christians attend a concert at the yard of Saint-Joseph Church in Ankawa suburb of Arbil, Iraq</span></div> </li> <li class="slide_4088469 image slide" id="slide_4088469" style="border: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none inside none !important; margin: 68px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><header class="no-number" style="border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 3px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 560px;"></header><div class="title" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="listicle-content" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 5px 0px 7px !important; min-height: 165px; padding: 0px 0px 5px !important; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="image-image" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/362970/slide_362970_4088469_free.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0px -6px !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span><span class="credits" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; bottom: -23px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</span></span></div> <div class="caption" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Kurdistan Regional Government holds a concert with the participation of different music groups to give refugees, fleeing from Mosul and taking shelter at Saint-Joseph Church</span></div> </li> <li class="slide_4088470 image slide" id="slide_4088470" style="border: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none inside none !important; margin: 68px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><header class="no-number" style="border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 3px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 560px;"></header><div class="title" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="listicle-content" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 5px 0px 7px !important; min-height: 165px; padding: 0px 0px 5px !important; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="image-image" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/362970/slide_362970_4088470_free.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0px -6px !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span><span class="credits" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; bottom: -23px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</span></span></div> <div class="caption" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Iraqi Christians, fled from Iraq due to the Islamic State, abbreviated as IS,-led armed groups' attack, receive aid showing their passports during an organization held by Chaldean Catholic Church in Beirut</span></div> </li> <li class="slide_4088471 image slide" id="slide_4088471" style="border: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none inside none !important; margin: 68px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><header class="no-number" style="border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 3px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 560px;"></header><div class="title" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="listicle-content" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 5px 0px 7px !important; min-height: 165px; padding: 0px 0px 5px !important; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="image-image" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/362970/slide_362970_4088471_free.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0px -6px !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span><span class="credits" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; bottom: -23px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</span></span></div> <div class="caption" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Iraqi Christians, fled from Iraq due to the Islamic State, abbreviated as IS,-led armed groups' attack, receive aid showing their passports</span></div> </li> <li class="slide_4088472 image slide" id="slide_4088472" style="border: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none inside none !important; margin: 68px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><header class="no-number" style="border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 3px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 560px;"></header><div class="title" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="listicle-content" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 5px 0px 7px !important; min-height: 165px; padding: 0px 0px 5px !important; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="image-image" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/362970/slide_362970_4088472_free.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0px -6px !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span><span class="credits" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; bottom: -23px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</span></span></div> <div class="caption" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Iraqi Christians, fled from Iraq due to the Islamic State, abbreviated as IS,-led armed groups' attack, receive aid showing their passports</span></div> </li> <li class="slide_4088473 image slide" id="slide_4088473" style="border: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none inside none !important; margin: 68px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><header class="no-number" style="border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 3px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 560px;"></header><div class="title" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="listicle-content" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 5px 0px 7px !important; min-height: 165px; padding: 0px 0px 5px !important; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="image-image" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/362970/slide_362970_4088473_free.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0px -6px !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span><span class="credits" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; bottom: -23px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</span></span></div> <div class="caption" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Iraqi Christians, fled from Iraq due to the Islamic State, abbreviated as IS,-led armed groups' attack, receive aid showing their passports</span></div> </li> <li class="slide_4088474 image slide" id="slide_4088474" style="border: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none inside none !important; margin: 68px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><header class="no-number" style="border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 3px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 560px;"></header><div class="title" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="listicle-content" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 5px 0px 7px !important; min-height: 165px; padding: 0px 0px 5px !important; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="image-image" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/362970/slide_362970_4088474_free.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0px -6px !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span><span class="credits" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; bottom: -23px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</span></span></div> <div class="caption" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Iraqi Christians, fled from Iraq due to the Islamic State, abbreviated as IS,-led armed groups' attack, receive aid showing their passports during an organization held by Chaldean Catholic Church in Beirut, Lebanon</span></div> </li> <li class="slide_4088475 image slide" id="slide_4088475" style="border: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none inside none !important; margin: 68px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><header class="no-number" style="border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 3px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 560px;"></header><div class="title" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="listicle-content" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 5px 0px 7px !important; min-height: 165px; padding: 0px 0px 5px !important; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="image-image" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/362970/slide_362970_4088475_free.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0px -6px !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span><span class="credits" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; bottom: -23px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</span></span></div> <div class="caption" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Iraqi Christians, fled from Iraq due to the Islamic State, abbreviated as IS,-led armed groups' attack, receive aid showing their passports during an organization held by Chaldean Catholic Church in Beirut, Lebanon</span></div> </li> <li class="slide_4088476 image slide last" id="slide_4088476" style="border: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none inside none !important; margin: 68px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><header class="no-number" style="border-top-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: 3px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 560px;"></header><div class="title" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; max-width: 900px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="listicle-content" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 5px 0px 7px !important; min-height: 165px; padding: 0px 0px 5px !important; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img class="image-image" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/362970/slide_362970_4088476_free.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0px -6px !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span><span class="credits" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; bottom: -23px; box-sizing: border-box; left: 0px; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Pacific Press via Getty Images</span></span></div> <div class="caption" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A Kurdish Christian family from Qaraqosh sleeps in the room that they have been allocated at Bazar International Shopping Mall in Erbil City center.</span></div> </li> </ul> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">House of Lords questions on the subject tabled by the Bishop of Coventry remain unanswered, he said, "something that causes me and colleagues some concern".</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Underlying these concerns is the need for reassurance that a commitment to religious freedom will remain a priority for the Government, given the departure of ministers who championed this. Will the Foreign Secretary's Human Rights Advisory Panel continue under the new Foreign Secretary?</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Is this not the time to appoint an Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom - which would demonstrate the Government's serious commitment to developing an overarching strategy (backed by expertise) against Islamist extremism and violence?"</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Bishop of Manchester, the Right Rev David Walker, said the Government had a "moral obligation that it is repeatedly failing to rise to". He told BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme that he believed the failure to offer asylum could be down to political sensitivities over immigration.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"There is always a concern around anything that could play into the debate around immigration," he said. "But the numbers that would come here are so small that effectively they are not going to disrupt British society in any noticeable or meaningful way. In fact they would be good assets to our society."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If the Government failed to act then Parliament should be recalled to debate the issue, he suggested. "But the issues are fairly clear. The Government needs to act."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A social media campaign to draw attention to the plight of Christians in Iraqi has seen many high-profile religious leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, change their Twitter profile pictures to a snap of the Arabic 'N', which symbolises 'Christian', and using the hashtag #WeAreN. It has been daubed on houses by militants to identify where Christians lived in captured cities, but <a href="http://www.christiantoday.com/article/wearen.thousands.unite.to.support.persecuted.christians.in.iraq/39026.htm" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Christians worldwide have expressed a desire to "reclaim" the symbol.</a></span></div> </div> <div> <footer style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><section class="also-on" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> </h3> </section></footer></div> <span style="border: 0px; font-weight: bold; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="border: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></span><br /> <div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="content" id="mainentrycontent" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 20px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <ul class="listicle" id="listicle" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none; margin: 0px !important; min-width: 570px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li class="slide_4088476 image slide last" id="slide_4088476" style="border: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; list-style: none inside none !important; margin: 68px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="caption" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A Kurdish Christian family from Qaraqosh sleeps in the room that they have been allocated at Bazar International Shopping Mall in Erbil City center.</span></div> </li> </ul> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">House of Lords questions on the subject tabled by the Bishop of Coventry remain unanswered, he said, "something that causes me and colleagues some concern".</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Underlying these concerns is the need for reassurance that a commitment to religious freedom will remain a priority for the Government, given the departure of ministers who championed this. Will the Foreign Secretary's Human Rights Advisory Panel continue under the new Foreign Secretary?</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Is this not the time to appoint an Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom - which would demonstrate the Government's serious commitment to developing an overarching strategy (backed by expertise) against Islamist extremism and violence?"</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Bishop of Manchester, the Right Rev David Walker, said the Government had a "moral obligation that it is repeatedly failing to rise to". He told BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme that he believed the failure to offer asylum could be down to political sensitivities over immigration.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"There is always a concern around anything that could play into the debate around immigration," he said. "But the numbers that would come here are so small that effectively they are not going to disrupt British society in any noticeable or meaningful way. In fact they would be good assets to our society."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If the Government failed to act then Parliament should be recalled to debate the issue, he suggested. "But the issues are fairly clear. The Government needs to act."</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A social media campaign to draw attention to the plight of Christians in Iraqi has seen many high-profile religious leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, change their Twitter profile pictures to a snap of the Arabic 'N', which symbolises 'Christian', and using the hashtag #WeAreN. It has been daubed on houses by militants to identify where Christians lived in captured cities, but <a href="http://www.christiantoday.com/article/wearen.thousands.unite.to.support.persecuted.christians.in.iraq/39026.htm" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Christians worldwide have expressed a desire to "reclaim" the symbol.</a></span></div> </div> <div> <footer style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><section class="also-on" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><h3 style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="video_box_title" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; direction: ltr; 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Iraqi Christians abandoned by UK: France, Germany offer them Assylum

CAMERON'S SILENCE Iraqi Christians Abandoned By UK Over Immigration Fears, Says Church Of England France, Germany Offer A...

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New e-passport takes off Friday

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="story-featured-image" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: 15px; width: 368px;"> <img alt="President Goodluck Jonathan" class="attachment-bigstoryimage" height="225" scale="0" src="http://www.punchng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/President-Goodluck-Jonathan1-360x225.jpg" style="border: none; float: left; margin-right: 10px; padding: 4px;" width="360" /><div class="featured-image-caption" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 5px; padding: 5px 10px 0px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">President Goodluck Jonathan<br /><small style="font-weight: normal;"><em>| credits: File copy</em></small></span></div> </div> <div id="nrelate_flyout_placeholder"> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday inaugurated Nigeria’s new 64-page e-passport with a call on Nigerians to protect the image of the country by shunning uncomplimentary statements and actions.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Jonathan launched the traveling document shortly before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He and Vice President Namadi Sambo later took turns to be captured in order to be issued with the new traveling document. The new passport takes effect from August 1 (tomorrow).</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Jonathan said Nigerians must be ready to work hard in order to improve the image of the country.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The President said, “The issue of the image of the country is what we will all work for, people in government, the media and the civil society.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“I always say that when people continue to paint their country with all kinds of colours, that is the way they will associate those colours with your green passport.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“I want a situation that whenever you travel to another country and you raise your green passport, people will appreciate you and not when you raise your green passport, people will begin to think that that green passport signified some suspicious character.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“We are not helping ourselves when we paint ourselves the colours that we are not supposed to bear.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“I wish to continue to appeal to all Nigerians that we must all collectively learn how we do our things, statements that we make, to paint brighter colours for our green passport.”</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The President said the pages of the traveling document had to be increased from 32 to 64 to cater for frequent travellers who change their passport almost every other month because of limited pages for visa.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He urged officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service to protect the integrity of the passport by ensuring that it would be difficult for anybody to fake it.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Jonathan also asked officials who man the nation’s airports to ensure that they conduct themselves in a manner that would portray the country well before visitors.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He added, “I always sympathise with those who travel almost on a weekly basis, changing passport every month, at least we have moved a step forward. The key thing is for us to have a robust relationship with key countries so that some of these frequent travellers may not need visas and that will really help us more.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“One thing one must know today is that it is not the issue of 64-page passport that is key to Nigerians but the security. If our passport could be easily faked by criminals, then we will have problems.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“One thing again is that how can Nigerians get passport easily especially those living outside this country?”</span></div> <div> <br /></div> </div> </div>

New e-passport takes off Friday

President Goodluck Jonathan | credits: File copy President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday inaugurated Nigeria’s new 64-page e-passpor...

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