Christian persecution in the Middle East should provoke the same outrage as the Nazis' treatment of Jews during the Second World War, a Conservative MP has urged.

Fiona Bruce (Congleton) told MPs that Christianity is the most persecuted faith in the world and the problems in the Middle East should result in people crying out with the same abhorrence and horror as atrocities such as Kristallnacht, in which Nazi-instigated violence against Jews saw synagogues burned and businesses destroyed in 1938.

And Ms Bruce said Middle Eastern Christians had suffered from a "domino effect of violence" that began in Iraq, spread to Syria and "overshadows" Egypt to leave the "survival of the church in jeopardy", which could end its presence in its ancient heartland as followers reportedly leave in their droves.

Political instability and militant Islamism are causing problems for the religion, according to Ms Bruce.

And she also cited former Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks who suggested the current problems in the region for Christians amount to the "religious equivalent of ethnic cleansing".

The Tory said examples of persecution included the effective criminalisation of the act of sharing the Lord's Supper after four Iranian Christians were sentenced to 80 lashes each for drinking communion wine during a service, contrary to rules preventing the drinking of alcohol.

She added the situation has not improved for Christians in Iran despite encouraging words from the recently-elected president Hassan Rouhani.

Anti-Christian oppression is more severe in Saudi Arabia than anywhere else in the region but "precious little" is heard about it with non-Muslim places of worship forbidden and conversion from Islam is punishable by death, Ms Bruce said.

Fellow Tory Sir Tony Baldry said the Foreign Office should consider appointing a special envoy for freedom of religion, while other MPs noted their concerns for Christian freedoms in the region.

After hearing an estimated 130 countries persecute Christians and every hour a Christian is tortured and murdered, Ms Bruce told MPs: "We should be crying out with the same abhorrence and horror as we have towards the terrible atrocities against the Jews of Kristallnacht and at other times in Germany at the time of the Second World War."

Christianity's global presence on five continents may soon be lost as it becomes the "prime victim" of the emergence of theocratic states where minority faith groups have no place, Ms Bruce said Aid to the Church in Need's 2011 report noted.

She said: "This particular report I have referred to talks about how in and around the Middle East region virtually every country with regard to the persecution of Christians reported suffering of either high, high to extreme or extreme suffering and extreme evidence of persecution.

"That includes Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan across to Pakistan. In virtually every one it has got worse since their last report in 2011, except Iraq and there only because there was such large scale attacks in the period of 2009 to 2010."

Ms Bruce added: "More than one comment has been made to me that to address this particular issue, the persecution of Christians, could be seen as promoting some sort of colonial or neo-colonial attitudes.

"May I respectfully say I really do think we must get over that. We must find a way round that. It must not inhibit us from acting. Millions of people's lives and livelihoods are at stake here."

Conservative David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) said 80% of all discrimination is against Christians, while Democratic Unionist Jim Shannon (Strangford) added: "One person has said the global war on Christians remains the greatest story never told fully in the early 21st century and I believe that to be the truth as well."

Also speaking in the Westminster Hall debate on the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, shadow Foreign Office minister Ian Lucas said: "We all know this is an extraordinary time in the Middle East and the issue of the persecution of Christians in the Middle East is an aspect which has, I think, moved up the political agenda... and this is a time when this has become, if anything, an issue of even greater importance.

"And I think that the reason it has become an issue of even greater importance is because of the extraordinary state of flux that exists in the political world in the Middle East as we speak."

He called on the Foreign Office to remind the governments of the countries signed up to Universal Declaration of Human Rights to abide by their commitments.

Mr Lucas said: "The irony in all of this is many of the signatories of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 are the countries that we've referred to. Egypt, Iran, Syria - all countries that have signed up."

The Labour MP added that the Government had carried out positive work in the last three years in the region.

Replying for the Government, Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said: "The Government believes all religious faiths or not should be deeply concerned about this issue. It touches upon a fundamental human right - the freedom to choose what to believe, how to practise that and whether to change beliefs.

"Such a right should be a precious part of any society. That's why the Government utterly condemns all incidences of violence and discrimination against individuals or groups because of their faith or belief, regardless of the belief concerned."

Mr Swire said promoting human rights, including religious freedom, is an important part of Foreign Office policy.

He added that it was right to highlight the persecution faced by Christians but also of all persecuted minorities.

On Syria, Mr Swire said life remained extremely difficult for Christians and other minorities.

He said: "We have serious concerns about rising sectarian tension and believe that President Assad is deliberately attempting to stir up such tensions in his efforts to hold on to power."