Baroness Cox contributes to a question for short debate at the House of Lords: Christians: Persecution

Qustion for Short Debate, House of Lords, March 2024
Asked by

Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support persecuted Christians around the world.


"My Lords, I thank all those who have put down their names to speak tonight on this important but unfortunately largely ignored issue of the global persecution of Christians. I also thank the Minister for being here to respond. " Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee

Contribution by Baroness Cox

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for initiating this debate on such an important subject and introducing it so powerfully. I will focus on a detailed account of such persecution in two countries which I have visited many times and where I have had the painful privilege of meeting those directly suffering persecution. I will focus first on Nigeria. I am very pleased that it has already been highlighted in this debate because the situation there needs as much attention as possible.

There are almost 103 million Christians in Nigeria, which is almost half the country’s total population of 222 million. In the Muslim-majority north of the country, the proportion of Christians is much lower. This is traditionally where most of the persecution of Christians has happened. It continues to this day and continues to spread south. Such persecution is largely inflicted by Nigerian Islamist Muslims. I emphasise that the majority of Muslims in Nigeria are peaceable Islamic civilians. I make a distinction between “Islamic” and “Islamist”. Islam refers to those widespread and largely peaceful Muslim beliefs. Islamism refers to radical ideology, including movements such as Islamic State West Africa Province which are often associated with violence and persecution.

The current threat posed by North Korea

The current threat posed by North Korea

Taken from a House of Lords debate and contribution by Baroness Cox, 14th December 2023

The full text available through this link

My Lords, like other noble Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Swire, for enabling us to have this debate and to discuss the current threats to peace, security and human rights posed by North Korea. I have been in North Korea three times, as my noble friend Lord Alton mentioned. I will never forget one occasion when I went for a walk in Pyongyang and I heard the footsteps of my minder following me. After about 10 minutes, the footsteps accelerated. He caught up with me and he said, out of breath, “I can’t keep up with you. You are going to have to walk alone”, which was wonderful. I walked through Pyongyang without a minder, and it was poignant how many people wanted to come up to speak to me and how they shared with great openness their deep concerns. It was a very special occasion.

Baroness Cox visits Washington DC

 

Baroness Cox is curently visiting Washington DC and would like to say thank you for everyone she has been able to meet and share news and views with and for all the kind comments on social media.

Plced here are some of the many comments of encouragement found on social media and news outlets -

Armenia Mission to United Nations ' An honour to welcome Baroness Caroline Cox at the Mission of Armenia to the UN. Thankful for a candid exchange of thoughts on Nagorno-Karabakh and the imperative of international action to ensure the right of return for the forcibly displaced people.'

To the people of the Republic of Artsakh, for whom I have profound affection and deep respect

Thank you to ARTSAKH PRESS

STEPANAKERT, JUNE 5, ARTSAKHPRESS: The letter is presented below:

''To the people of the Republic of Artsakh, for whom I have profound affection and deep respect.

'I write to you today because 120,000 innocent civilians face an existential crisis. Conditions are now present for genocide against the Armenian Christians of Artsakh.

Your people have suffered, and continue to suffer, the most serious international crimes. I have personally witnessed the results of massacres, atrocities and forced displacement.

Yet the world has chosen to turn a deaf ear to your suffering. Even your closest international allies have either not paid attention to, or ignored, the warning signs of genocide.

During this darkest hour, I stand in solidarity with the Armenians of Artsakh. I have great confidence in your ability to overcome this crisis with courage, fortitude, sacrifice and love – not only will you survive but you will create beauty from the ashes of destruction.

I am told that I have visited the Republic of Artsakh 88 times since 1990. I have been privileged to experience the love of your history and your rich culture of music, dance and art – all within the context of the breathtaking beauty of your land’s rugged mountains, thick forests, fertile valleys and crystal rivers. I have been blessed to meet a host of wonderful people, many the direct descendants of victims of the Great Genocide in Anatolia, or themselves victims of anti Armenian pogroms in Sumgait and Baku, and ethnic-religious cleansing in Artsakh.

I am struck by the unanimity with which they share a simple common goal: it is to live in peace, dignity and security in their own historic land. This longing continues to fill my heart. I always carry with me the memory of a young woman I met in a hospital in Martakert in 1992, after I had visited the village of Maragha, which had just been subjected to a massacre inflicted by Azerbaijan.

Blockade of the Lachin Pass

By Golden - This PNG graphic was created
with Medibang. See Credit below.

Blockade of the Lachin Pass

Trying to catch up with Caroline these days is at times a challenge for me, I have been providing parliamentary reserach and opinion / advice for over seven years and this website now in its fith year on voluntary basis. 

Have included this below from House of Commons Library Parliamentary research team published 18th Jan 2023. Link at the end for the full report. Have done my best. (AH)

Closure of the Lachin Corridor and the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh

The Lachin C orridor is the only transport link between Armenia and the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Under the terms of the November 2020 ceasefire agreement, Russian peacekeepers patrol the corridor, while Azerbaijan is obliged to guarantee safe passage, in both directions, for civilians, vehicles and cargo.

In early December 2022 the Azerbaijani Ministry of Ecology made a statement suggesting that natural resources were being illegally mined in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and asked Russian peacekeepers to monitor the situation. Azerbaijani civilians blocked the Lachin Corridor in a protest which lasted for several hours until an agreement was reached between the Commander of Russia’s peacekeeping forces in the region and the Azerbaijani government to allow Azerbaijani officials to carry out inspections at the mines in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijani officials reportedly visited the mines on 10 December but were denied access by Armenia. In protest, on 12 December a group of Azerbaijani’s claiming to be environmental activists once again bypassed Russian checkpoints and set up tents on the main road effectively blocking the Lachin Corridor.