The former Bishop of Rochester, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali addressed a packed audience for a debate on Freedom of Belief and the Persecution of Christians on Wednesday (30 January 2013).
The event was hosted by Rehman in Parliament and included residents and representatives from local Churches and religious groups in Gillingham and Rainham along with national and international charities.
Bishop Michael spoke about how the traditions of freedom and tolerance are under threat around the world. He also said that many countries are forgetting their past and heritage but they have no alternative moral view to replace them with, which represents a threat to religious tolerance.
Rehman commented: "I was pleased to welcome Bishop Michael to Parliament to speak on this important subject and it was great to see so many residents from the constituency. Some estimate that religious freedom is threatened in 130 out of 193 countries in the world, where Christians are the victims in 80% of cases. Bishop Michael has written extensively on this subject and others and reminded us about the importance of tolerance."