Archbishops from Iraq, Syria refused visas to attend cathedral consecration in London + PETITION

HRH Prince Charles at consecration service

Last week, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, St George's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, St John's Wood Synagogue and the Imam Khoei Islamic Centre in London were among hundreds of public buildings illuminated in blood-red light in an act of solidarity with those around the world suffering persecution because of their faith. During the day many schools, churches and community centres around the country held prayer vigils, and many people wore a red item of clothing. On the following day, Aid to the Church in Need released their 2016 Religious Freedom in the World report which assesses the situation of different faith communities in each of the world's 196 countries. Later that the report was presented to HRH Prince Charles, who went on the attend the consecration of the new St Thomas Cathedral Syriac Orthodox Church in west London.

HM the Queen sent a personal message, while Prince Charles was the guest of honour and addressed the congregation. The service was attended by senior UK church leaders including the Bishop of London, while the UK Prime Minister, Rt Hon Theresa May, sent a letter to be read out to the congregation in which she spoke of how "the appalling violence that has afflicted so many areas of the Middle East reminds us how fortunate we are to live in a country where different religious beliefs are not only tolerated, but welcomed".

Yet that welcome did not extend to either Nicodemus Daoud Sharaf, Archbishop of Mosul or to Timothius Mousa Shamani, Archbishop of St Matthew's (which covers the Nineveh valley in northern Iraq) who were refused UK visas to attend the cathedral's consecration in London. The UK also refused to grant a visa to Archbishop Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh, the Archbishop of Homs and Hama in Syria. In his case the British Embassy told him that they would not waver from their policy of not granting visas to anyone in Syria.

The diocese of each of these three archbishops has been taken over by Islamic State (IS) with Christians executed, enslaved, or forced to accept 'dhimmitude' and pay fines. Churches there have been either destroyed or converted into mosques. The Archbishop of Mosul was in fact the last senior churchman to leave Mosul in July 2014 when IS seized it. His cathedral is now a mosque.

Yet despite this, both these very senior church leaders whose church members are experiencing genocide were denied visas to attend the consecration of the UK's first Syriac Orthodox cathedral, which provides spiritual care for some of their flock who have managed to obtain refuge in the UK.

The Archbishop of Mosul and the Archbishop of St Matthew's were refused UK visas because the immigration authorities said they did not have enough money to support themselves in the UK and that they might not leave the UK.

Both archbishops have pressing pastoral responsibilities as previously Christian areas held by IS are liberated. They also have long-term visas for several other western countries including the US and the EU's Schengen zone, while the Archbishop of Mosul also has a permanent visa for Australia.

Archbishop Athanasius Toma Dawood, head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the UK asked: "Why do they treat Christians like this?"

Dr Martin Parsons, head of research at the Barnabas Fund, which has helped more than 8,000 Christians escape persecution at the hands of IS, said: "It's unbelievable that these persecuted Christians who come from the cradle of Christianity are being told there is no room at the inn, when the UK is offering a welcome to Islamists who persecute Christians."

Dr Parsons points out in an editorial on the charity's website: "In fact they are not the first persecuted Christian leaders to be refused visas for pastoral visits to the UK, nor is this problem confined to Orthodox Christians. Earlier this year we had hoped that Majeed Rashid Kurdi, an evangelical pastor from Iraq whom Barnabas Fund's Operation Safe Havens programme had rescued from Iraq, would join us for our recent UK speaking tour. Yet he too was refused a UK visa, even though his family is now permanently resident in the Czech Republic. A month ago we also reported two separate cases of Protestant pastors from Zimbabwe who had been severely persecuted by the Mugabe regime, and who were also denied visas to attend speaking engagements in the UK.

At the same time he said radical Islamist leaders are being told they can have visas - even though they represent organisations or movements that incite violence and persecution against Christians."

In July this year visas were granted for a tour of UK mosques by two Pakistani Islamic leaders who have been prominent campaigners to 'honour' the murder of anyone opposed to Pakistan's blasphemy laws and who also called for the immediate killing of Christians accused of blasphemy, such as Asia Bibi.

Dr Parsons said: "... there is clearly a serious systemic problem when Islamist leaders who advocate persecution of Christians are given the green light telling them that their applications for UK visas will be looked on favourably, while visas for short pastoral visits to the UK are denied to senior Christian leaders, such as the Archbishop of Mosul, whose congregations are facing genocide. This is an urgent issue that Home Office ministers need to grasp and remedy.

Read also: ICN 24 November 2016 UK marks #Red Wednesday www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=31407

and ICN 25 November 2016 HRH Prince Charles receives ACN religious freedom report, attends consecration of Syrian Orthodox Cathedral www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=31417

Sign a petition protesting at the ban here: www.citizengo.org/en/sc/39399-persecuted-christian-bishops-denied-entry-uk?m=5&tcid=30308459