The Prime Minister has been urged not to turn a blind eye to nations that persecute Christians while axing foreign aid to countries that fail to improve gay rights.
The point was made in the House of Commons by Jeffrey Donaldson MP during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.
David Cameron responded: “I do think the Honourable Gentleman makes an important point and the way we judge our aid decisions is to look at human rights across the piece and that does mean how people are treating Christians and also the appalling behaviour that some African countries treat to people who are gay.”
Intolerance
Mr Donaldson also made reference to Christians facing intolerance in Britain – citing the case of a Christian café in Blackpool told to remove Bible verses or face prosecution.
Last Saturday, former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe said the Government should not ignore the persecution faced by Christians overseas.
Miss Widdecombe, patron of the Hedgehog Protection Society, warned that people are more concerned with the fate of hedgehogs than the persecution of Christians.
Hedgehog
Following Miss Widdecombe’s comments, Mr Donaldson asked the Prime Minister: “The Prime Minister has warned African countries that unless they improve gay rights he will cut their aid, yet in many African countries where we pour in millions of pounds of aid Christians face great persecution, destruction of churches, lives and property.
“Here in the UK if you display a Bible verse on the wall of a café you face prosecution. Was Ann Widdecombe right when she said that in the 21st century hedgehogs have more rights than Christians?”