John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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683. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the recent events at the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Rabwah, Pakistan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41018/16]

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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684. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to an armed raid conducted by Pakistani police on the administrative offices at the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Rabwah, Pakistan on 5 December 2016 (details supplied); if he will protest to the Pakistan Government regarding this state-sanctioned sectarian violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41129/16]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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707. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the armed raid conducted by Pakistani police on the administrative offices at the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Rabwah, Pakistan on 5 December 2016 and that according to media reports the police caused needless damage to property and arrested four persons; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that the Ahmadiyya have suffered decades of repression by state and federal governments in Pakistan; his views on this latest raid; and if he will raise the issue with his Pakistani counterpart. [1620/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 683, 684 and 707 together.

I am aware of a raid at the headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Rabwah, Pakistan. Ireland’s Embassy in Ankara, which is accredited to Pakistan, is monitoring this situation.

Ireland strongly condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who the victims are. We attach great importance to combatting all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief and incitement to religious hatred. We firmly believe in tolerance, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.

Ireland has repeatedly voiced its commitment to defending the right to freedom of religion or belief, including in my address to the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2016, during a UN Security Council debate on the victims of attacks and abuses on ethnic or religious grounds in the Middle East in March 2015 and during my meetings with the former UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, in September 2014 and May 2015.

Ireland has consistently pressed for effective action to counter the persecution of minorities in relevant international fora, including at the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Ireland presented statements addressing the importance of freedom of religion or belief at Interactive Dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Professor Heiner Bielefeldt, at the 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council in March 2016 and most recently, at the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in October 2016. Ireland was also active in the successful negotiation of EU-led resolutions on Freedom of Religion or Belief at both of these sessions

Ireland also works within and alongside the EU to address the persecution of religious minorities, notably with the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion or Belief which were adopted during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2013. Furthermore Ireland pressed for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief to be included in the EU Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy 2015-2019, which was adopted by the EU Foreign Affairs Council in July 2015.

Ireland will continue to raise this matter where and when it can, stressing the responsibility of governments to protect all citizens and minorities, irrespective of their religion or belief.