Cameron declines to recognise IS atrocities as genocide

THE PRIME Minister has been accused of washing his hands of Christians in the Middle East after he refused to condemn the atrocities carried out by Islamic State (IS) as genocide. In a letter seen by The Tablet to Lord (David) Alton, who has spearheaded a campaign to persuade the Government to recognise the persecution of Christians and other minorities as genocidal, David Cameron said that the judicial system should determine whether the phrase was used.

The letter emerged as Catholic Labour MP Rob Flello called on Baroness (Elizabeth) Berridge,  chairwoman of the All-Party Group on Religious Freedom, to resign, claiming that she sabotaged an amendment to the Immigration Bill that would have compelled the Government to use the term genocide. Mr Flello said on Tuesday that he was deeply shocked that Monday’s debate about the amendment, tabled by Lord Alton, was “effectively sabotaged” by the Conservative peer’s speech and advanced lobbying. The amendment was defeated by 148 votes to 111. All against it were Conservative peers.

Baroness Berridge said that she could not support the amendment because it risked diluting the crime by politicising it. She told The Tablet she was disappointed by Mr Flello’s statement. “I was concerned that this amendment would not have the desired effect in practice.”

Mr Flello said her arguments constituted a betrayal, “almost certainly for party political reasons”, of everything the group stands for. “I recently stood down as an officer of the group because of concerns about the way it was run but I am staggered that the chair would so actively campaign against this amendment. Baroness Berridge’s position is untenable,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s letter to Lord Alton said the Foreign Office had recently reviewed the question of whether IS persecution of Christians amounted to genocide and determined that it did not. “I agree with their conclusion that there is no need to reconsider it at this time,” wrote Mr Cameron. John Pontifex, head of press and information for Aid to the Church in Need (UK), who in February met persecuted Christians in Syria and Lebanon, said Mr Cameron had washed his hands on the critical question of genocide and passed the buck.