A mixture of allies and typically colliding concepts and objectives shared the stage on the Worldwide Non secular Freedom Summit in Washington this week. Key Trump administration officers pledged to defund worldwide organizations and entities which might be now not efficient whereas arguing for holding the United Nations constitution, earlier than former Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered a touching message about spiritual pluralism from the Dalai Lama.
But essentially the most important improvement on the spiritual freedom entrance occurred far off stage, as President Trump dispatched a small cadre of U.S. troops to Nigeria to assist cease the slaughter of hundreds of Christians there. Whereas it’s unclear precisely when the navy officers arrived, their presence in Nigeria indicators a brand new step in Trump’s efforts to press the West African nation’s authorities to reply to mass slayings and abductions of Christians and average Muslims by Islamist extremists. On Christmas Day final yr the U.S. launched airstrikes in Nigeria, with its authorities’s consent, in opposition to a gaggle affiliated with the Islamic State.
Hours earlier than information broke of the U.S. troops’ presence in Nigeria, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz on Wednesday steered that the Trump administration would stay dedicated to stopping the slayings of Christians. And he thanked rapper Nicki Minaj for her surprising assist in elevating consciousness in regards to the massacres in Nigeria, which have been happening in document numbers for greater than a decade.
“I didn’t have Nicki Minaj, one of many world’s best rappers, on my dance card once I obtained sworn in as U.N. ambassador,” he instructed the summit. “I didn’t foresee that one.”
However Waltz has been exceedingly inspired by Minaj’s dedication to the problem and lauded her means to boost consciousness in regards to the atrocities happening in Nigeria. Extra Christians had been killed in Nigeria final yr than in the remainder of the world, based on a mid-January report by Open Doorways, a Netherlands-based Christian nonprofit that tracks world persecution. Of the 4,849 Christians killed for his or her religion worldwide, 3,490 had been in Nigeria, the group’s World Watch Listing 2026 discovered.
Christians make up practically half of Nigeria’s inhabitants of 200 million, however they’re the victims of the overwhelming majority of the assaults.
“[Minaj] is an individual that has 1 / 4 billion followers throughout all of her platforms – individuals who might not take into consideration and even notice the extent and the gravity of those points,” Waltz mentioned, noting that Minaj’s pastor is Nigerian, which helped her residence in on the problem.
Due to Minaj’s ardour, Waltz mentioned the 2 now have one thing in frequent, as he recalled serving to to rescue Nigerian women offered into ISIS slavery whereas he served as a Inexperienced Beret.
He credited Minaj’s involvement with serving to to supply “significant motion to guard these poor individuals which might be actually having their church buildings burned down, clergymen beheaded, individuals chased out of their properties as a result of they name Christ their Savior.”
After information broke of the U.S. troop presence in Nigeria, Christian leaders from the nation celebrated, heaping reward on Trump for motion after a long time of the worldwide group ignoring or diminishing the tragedy.
Dr. Isa El-Buba, a Nigerian Christian minister, thanked Trump for “listening to the voice and cry of the Nigerian individuals.”
“Genocide has been on for all these years, however proper now we are able to testify that we’re starting to see the change by way of the perspective and the conduct of the federal government of Nigeria and the terrorists,” he mentioned.
“We’re gathered right here not as a result of Nigeria is weak, however as a result of Nigeria is bleeding,” El-Buba continued. “What started as persecution of the Christian group has spilled over the killing of average, average Muslims … and the destruction of complete civilization that has taken place.”
Some longtime advocates for extra motion in Nigeria cited current studies that 80 Christians had been allowed to return residence after being kidnapped from three church buildings in northern Nigeria. However requires sustained motion from the Trump administration continued.
Sam Brownback, a former Kansas governor, senator, and ambassador for spiritual freedom throughout the first Trump administration, praised Trump for placing Nigeria “on discover” whereas calling for “long-term, sustainable change to guard Christians and average Muslims.”
Brownback famous that Trump, in his first time period, positioned Nigeria on the State Division watch checklist of “international locations of specific concern,” a major messaging step, however then did not maintain sufficient stress on the Nigerian authorities to deliver lasting reduction from the massacres and abductions. President Biden eliminated Nigeria from the CPC watchlist. In late October, Trump as soon as once more redesignated Nigeria as a CPC and vowed to do the whole lot in his energy, together with have the U.S. navy are available in “weapons blazin’,” to cease the violence.
After Biden’s election, Brownback mentioned, the “sheriff was gone” and all of the rats got here again out, so this time there should be techniques in place that shield Christians and average Muslim each within the Center-Belt space, the place Fulani herders, militant Islamicists who usually assault Christians, reside and function, and within the Northeast.
Particularly, Brownback referred to as for sanctions on politically delicate merchandise and steered “combined nuts” or “tree nuts,” an enormous Nigerian export.
“That’s politically delicate to them, and if it’s hit laborious, that’s a focused transfer,” he instructed RealClearPolitics in an interview. “The bombing was proper, and he obtained cooperation from the Nigerian [government], which is fairly superb, nevertheless it was as a result of I believe they actually don’t need us wanting on the Center Belt, which is the place the longer-term downside actually is.”
The Biden administration attributed the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria, which make up practically half the inhabitants, to not spiritual persecution however to a battle over sources exacerbated by local weather change. Open Doorways and different advocates ardently disagree about the primary motivation, though most teams concerned imagine the battle isn’t purely spiritual in nature but additionally includes conflicts over energy and management over land and sources – as a result of Christians personal many of the farming areas.
DeDe Laugesen, president of Save the Persecuted Christians, since 2018 has helped manage a coalition of 200 leaders comprising civil society organizations, religion leaders, and different advocates, to name for congressional motion and assist elevate the problem on the worldwide stage.
Laugesen helped deliver Rebecca Sharibu, whose daughter Leah was kidnapped from her small village in northern Nigeria, to the IRF Summit. Leah was compelled to marry a member of Boko Haram, a Muslim terrorist group, and is being compelled to stay within the camp and to bear his youngsters.
“We love Leah and we count on her to return again residence as quickly as doable,” she mentioned.
Earlier within the day, Enes Kanter Freedom, who’s exiled from Turkey for talking out in opposition to the federal government there and encountered resistance from the NBA for condemning Chinese language persecution of Uyghur Muslims, argued that the summit gives braveness and hope.
“It seems like a household,” he mentioned. “When you stroll in, you see individuals of all totally different colours, totally different religions, totally different ethnicity, totally different backgrounds, however we’re all right here for one easy purpose: to struggle in opposition to dictatorships and attempt to deliver freedom into this world.”
Studying the Dalai Lama’s letter to the estimated 1,500 spiritual, authorities and charitable leaders who attended the summit, Nancy Pelosi described the advantages of non secular pluralism the summit embodies and promotes.
“Though the world’s religions are numerous of their traditions and philosophies, they share the identical important message of affection, compassion, forgiveness, contentment and self-discipline,” the Dalai Lama mentioned within the assertion learn by Pelosi. “These values usually are not meant just for followers of a specific faith. They’re common and related to each human being.”
The chief of Tibetan Buddhism mentioned it’s “deeply regrettable” that faith has usually been the supply of division and battle.
“Within the twenty first century, humanity should transfer past previous divisions and study not solely to work collectively, however to reside collectively,” the Dalai Lama acknowledged. “Cooperation amongst totally different faiths and cultures is now not optionally available. It’s important to our shared future.”
Susan Crabtree is RealClearPolitics’ nationwide political correspondent.
