MPs deplore Soviet curbs on Christians

An all-party motion deploring restrictions on Christians in the Soviet Union has been tabled in the House of Commons by Mr Alan Beith, Liberal MP for Berwick upon Tweed. The motion calls on the Soviet government to end discrimination, detention and other forms of harassment.
Mr Beith said: "Although harassment of Jews in the Soviet Union has received widespread publicity, the harassment of Christians has not — partly because in the case of Christians the issue of emigration does not arise.
"The practising Christians, including Baptists, Adventists and Roman Catholics, as well as members of the more accepted Russian Orthodox Church, usually have no desire to leave their country and are quite ready to abide by its laws except where they prevent them from practising their religion.
"The Soviet authorities, however. place restrictions on their right to meet, to register places of worship, to teach their faith to their children and to distribute religious literature.
"Moreover their prospects of employment and advancement arc severely curtailed. We have tabled this motion to make it clear that the plight of these people is not forgotten in the West, and we appeal to the Soviet Union to accept freedom of religion."
Signatories to the motion include Mr. Cledwyn Hughes and Mr Edmund Marshall of the Labour Party, Mr Patrick Cormack and Mr Hugh Dykes, who are both ConservatiVes, and David Steel of the Liberals.