|PIC1|The head of the Asian Christian Fellowship told MPs today that Christians in the UK are facing increasing persecution.

In a consultation on the persecution of Christians in the UK today, Canon Yaqub Masih claimed that Christians are facing discrimination by employers, in the public sector and in local and central government on occasions where they feel the need, in conscience, to share their faith or live it out in the workplace.

The consultation was hosted by MPs at the House of Commons today and has been put together by the Asian Christian Fellowship. It comes days after The Telegraph published the results of a poll in which one in five Christians said they had faced opposition at work because of their beliefs, while more than half surveyed said they had suffered some form of persecution for being a Christian.

Speaking ahead of the consultation, Mr Masih said he wanted Christians to “stand for Christ and Christian values” in multi-cultural, multi-faith Britain and to raise their concerns to the Government about discrimination against Christians.

“Christians in this country are being sidelined and discriminated and even some pastors have been threatened and beaten, because of preaching the Gospel,” he said.

“I believe it is time for Christians to raise our voices and stand up for our rights and values, which are being sacrificed in the name of political correctness.”

MPs joining the consultation included Dominic Grieve, Paul Goodman, Gary Streeter and Paul Rowen.

Also taking part were the Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, and religious liberties barrister Paul Diamond, who represented British Airways employee Nadia Eweida in her legal bid to wear a cross necklace whilst at work.

Andrea Minichiello-Williams, Director of the Christian Legal Centre, presented a number of legal cases over discrimination taken on by the organisation in recent years, while Professor Peter Wagner from the US gave an address on the extent to which growing secularism has impacted freedom of speech and association for Christians there.