A letter signed by religious freedom groups and a former member of Congress urges the Trump administration to take action on the massacre of Christians in Nigeria. The letter pleads for the administration to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) as President Trump did during his first presidential term.
According to the letter, dated October 15, the Nigerian government is “directly violating religious freedom by enforcing Islamic blasphemy laws that carry the death penalty and harsh prison sentences against citizens of various religions. It also demonstrably tolerates relentless aggression uniquely against Christian farming families by militant Fulani Muslim herders, who appear intent on forcibly Islamizing the Middle Belt.”
The letter goes on to detail Fulani Muslim herders “massacring families, burning homes and harvests, and driving millions of Christians from their ancestral lands.”
Signatories expressed their concern that the Trump administration is “considering listing Nigeria on the IRF Act’s ‘Special Watch List’ instead of designating it as a CPC.” They explained that if this is the case, “this may stem from a misconception that CPC designation would require the United States to isolate or sanction Nigeria.”
Those signing the letter include former member of U.S. Congress Frank Wolf, Focus on the Family President and CEO Jim Daly, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, National Religious Broadcasters President and CEO Troy Miller, Concerned Women for America President and CEO Penny Nance, The Heritage Foundation Vice President of Domestic Policy and The Joseph C. and Elizabeth A. Anderlik Fellow Roger Severino, and others.
Several U.S. Senators have also sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging him to take action on the “continued unchecked acts of violence and terrorism against religious minorities perpetrated by nonstate actors in Nigeria.” Senators behind the letter include Ted Budd, Pete Ricketts, Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, and James Lankford.
