Aid to the Church in Need 2011 Westminster Mass and Event
Former Government minister, Catholic convert, novelist and television personality Ann Widdecombe was the keynote speaker at the Westminster Event
22 October 2011 10:30
Westminster Cathedral
Ambrosden Avenue
London
SW1P 1QW
The Middle East – a Spring or Autumn for Christians?
with talks, eye-witness reports and a discussion forum
Watch and listen to the talks from the Event here!
Talks and news from our Westminster Event
Watch and listen to Ann Widdecombe's speech now!
Watch
Listen
Have you got the Flash player installed and javascript enabled ? If not, you cannot access this audio file!
Afternoon speeches
Monsignor Robert Stern of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA)
Have you got the Flash player installed and javascript enabled ? If not, you cannot access this audio file!
John Pontifex, Aid to the Church in Need's Head of Press and Information
Have you got the Flash player installed and javascript enabled ? If not, you cannot access this audio file!
Neville Kyrke-Smith, UK Director of Aid to the Church in Need
Have you got the Flash player installed and javascript enabled ? If not, you cannot access this audio file!
Phone casts live from Westminster
Press Coverage – Friday 21st October, 6.15pm
Daily Telegraph: Defend persecuted Christians, not just gays, ministers told
Daily Mail Online: Ann Widdecombe is right: Christianity in Britain today is under severe persecution
Catholic Herald: Widdecombe tells Cameron: Christians deserve same protection as gay people
Daily Mail Online: Kelvin Mackenzie – Thank Godfor Ann Widdecombe (second article in column)
Daily Express: Ann Widdecombe fights to save Christians from abuse
Scottish Catholic Observer: UK Government accused of ignoring persecution of Christians
Latest news – Friday 21st October, 9.30am
In her keynote speech at the Westminster Event, Ann Widdecombe will accuse the government of double standards for threatening to cut aid to countries which persecute gays while turning a blind eye to persecution against Christians.
The former Conservative minister will contrast the UK Government's pro-LGBT overseas aid policy with a more cautious stance on state-sponsored violence and intimidation against Christians.
Miss Widdecombe will say: "David Cameron's government have threatened to cut the overseas aid budget for countries which persecute homosexuals.
"Fair enough. But what about Christians? When do we qualify for such protection or don't we?"
Miss Widdecombe says the UK's overseas aid budget should "take into account" an individual country's track record on religious freedom. Read more...