A Barkingside pupil visited the House of Lords for tea, after receiving a personal invitation from Baron Alton of Liverpool.
During the two hour meeting, attended by bishops, nuns and priests, Hannah Chowdhry, a student at Kantor King Solomon High School, learnt about the severe persecution Christians face in Northen Nigeria, Syria and Iraq.
The ceremony was organised by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.
Hannah said: “It was really exciting to enter into the House of Lords, one of the most important political buildings in the UK.”
“Hearing the harrowing accounts of persecution across the middle-east was heartbreaking.
“In my capacity as a volunteer with the British Pakistani Christian Association, I am aware of the brutality minorities face in Pakistan but the scale of the problem elsewhere is a reminder that we live in a dark world.
“I will be praying for victims and for them all to live in a much-improved world.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here