Shahbaz Bhatti, photo via assistnews.net

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Minorities to visit UK

Congressman Frank Wolf, a Republican politician from Virginia's 10th Congressional District and the principal architect of the International Freedom Act of the USA, will visit the UK soon along with Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan Federal Minister for Minorities, to review a decade of American foreign policy and activity focused on the promotion of religious freedom around the world, reports Dan Wooding and Sheraz Khurram Khan, special to ASSIST News Service.

Congressman Frank Wolf will speak exclusively to delegates at Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s (CSW) London conference on October 10th, 2009 at Emmanuel Centre, 9–23 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 3DW.

The US human rights champion will be joined by the recently elected Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs in Pakistan, Shahbaz Bhatti who was recently quoted by the AFP news agency while receiving an award from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, as being ready to “pay the price” of his life for religious freedom.

This comment follows his landmark promise to review, revisit and amend Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, “currently being used as a tool to target non-Muslims,” said the CSW news release.

The Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs will expand on this position at the conference while sharing the inspiration behind his work as founder of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA., it said, adding that he one-day conference will also feature a first-hand eyewitness account of human rights abuses in Burma.

The news release went on to say that the delegates will enjoy the dulcet tones of BBC 2’s Young Chorister of the Year for 2008, Alice Halstead, a CSW supporter, who will perform music from her repertoire, as well as the London gospel choir, The Tribe of Judah (TOJ).

This cultural medley will continue as delegates hear from Patrice Naiambana, an Edinburgh Fringe winning Shakespearian actor, who will perform a dramatic monologue on the theme of justice in Africa, said the CSW news release.

Speaking ahead of the conference, CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas, said, “We are very honored to welcome both Congressman Wolf and Minister Bhatti whose example in the sphere of political engagement is an inspiration to us all and a challenge to renew our efforts to promote religious freedom around the world.”

“The conference promises to be a moving and informative day.”

CSW is a human rights organization which specializes in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.

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TAGS: United Kingdom Frank Wolf Shahbaz Bhatti American foreign policy religious freedom persecution

[10/01/2009]

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