In Yesterday’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office Questions, Chris asked: “Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Bolton town hall will be lit up in red tomorrow to mark Red Wednesday, an Aid to the Church in Need initiative to highlight religious persecution in Iraq, in Syria, and around the world. Will the Minister join me in supporting Red Wednesday to raise awareness of those who are suffering injustice and risking their lives for their faith?”
Speaker John Bercow said: “I am sure the hon. Gentleman will be pleased to hear that the Palace of Westminster will be lit up in red as well.”
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs added: “I shall be more than delighted to join you, Mr Speaker, in welcoming and supporting that initiative.
“We should not forget that the diverse make-up of Iraq, which I mentioned before, is part of its history, but so, unfortunately, is sectarian violence. After al-Qaeda was flushed out, the answer to allowing best representation in Baghdad in fact allowed Daesh to gain popularity and to dominate Fallujah, Mosul, Ramadi and other places. We must not revisit that by failing to ensure that there is full representation across the piece in Baghdad.”