Michael Waltz, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, and American rapper Nicki Minaj discussed Nigeria’s persistent security concerns at a UN event on worldwide religious freedom on Tuesday evening.
The event’s title was “Combatting Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria.”
Both Waltz and Minaj highlighted attacks on Christian communities and linked them to larger concerns about religious liberty.
In his remarks, Waltz referred to the killings in Nigeria as “genocide wearing the mask of chaos.”
He said, “In the Middle Belt and in the North, churches burn, mothers bury their children for the crime of singing Amazing Grace, and pastors have been beheaded for preaching the sermon on the mount. Entire villages wake up to gunfire because they dare to commit the crime, the crime of calling Jesus their Lord. People go to jail under blasphemy laws for simply wearing a cross.
“This is not random violence. This is genocide wearing the mask of chaos.”
He also mentioned recent kidnappings as part of the pattern of insecurity.
“It just happened yesterday; 25 little girls were ripped out of their school.”
He cited worldwide reports on religious violence, pointing out that Nigeria accounts for a sizable proportion of global attacks on Christians.
According to the non-governmental organization Open Doors, Nigeria accounts for 80% of all violence against Christians worldwide.
The envoy praised President Donald Trump’s recent denunciation of the deaths in Nigeria.
“Yet in the face of this evil, one leader has refused to look away. President Trump has made the persecuted church his priority like no other president before him in American history.
“He was the first US president to convene world leaders right here at the United Nations in 2019 to draw attention, draw the world’s attention to what is happening. He created the Religious Liberty Commission to fight for believers everywhere.
“And while Nigeria’s Christians cried out, he answered, and he has answered loudly. He has reminded the world that protecting Christians is not about politics. It is a moral duty,” Waltz said.
He characterized Trump’s participation as inspiring, stating, “We need voices that pierce the silence that we’ve heard from the international community, that humanize these statistics that we keep hearing, and that demand accountability.”
Minaj, speaking at the same conference, saw the Nigerian conflict as part of a larger worldwide issue harming religious freedom.
She said, “In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes, and killed. Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart, and entire communities live in fear constantly, simply because of how they pray.”
She emphasized that similar challenges exist elsewhere, noting, “Sadly, this problem is not only a growing problem in Nigeria but also in so many other countries across the world, and it demands urgent action.”
The American rapper thanked Trump “for prioritizing this issue and for his leadership on the global stage in calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria, to combat extremism, and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to exercise their natural right to freedom of religion or belief.”
She hoped that Tuesday’s event would “encourage deepened solidarity for us to urgently work together to ensure every person can enjoy the right to believe, worship, and live in peace.”
The event comes after Trump said there was an ongoing “Christian genocide” in Nigeria and declared it a “Country of Particular Concern.”
The federal government has categorically disputed charges of religiously inspired violence, claiming that insecurity in the country derives from criminal activity unconnected to faith. Despite Nigeria’s position, US officials have continued to express worry.
