Many are surprised to learn that the largest number of Christians who were killed for their faith didn’t happen during the Roman Empire, but rather during the past century. As explained here, Nigeria in West Africa experienced a horrific attack on Christians, schools and churches on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 2023.
Adding insult to injury, not only do most western media ignore the story, the Biden administration is turning a blind eye. By law, the US State Department is to keep a list of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) with particularly gross human rights violations against their own people. However, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken removed Nigeria from the list.
Concerned for fellow believers in Nigeria, I contacted our Congressman, Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA6), about the issue, and was pleased to both get a response and the knowledge he is using his position to try to help the situation. The text of his March 4, 2024 letter is below.
“As you may know, Nigeria has recently become the second deadliest country for genocides in the world. Since 2009, the country has seen over 150,000 religiously motivated civilian casualties, with over 52,000 of these victims being Christians. In the same period, 18,000 Christian churches and 2,200 Christian schools were set on fire.
“Despite the rising number of deliberate attacks on Christians, Secretary of State Antony Blinken removed Nigeria from the Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) list in 2021. Moreover, even amidst recommendations by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to include Nigeria on the CPC list and over 200 Christians killed across Nigeria in January alone, the U.S. Department of State neglected to do so.
“You may be pleased to know that I have co-sponsored H.Res. 82, which would require the Department of State to label Nigeria as a country of particular concern due to religious persecution. It would also designate a Special Envoy to the region to monitor the ongoing situation. This legislation, which recently passed the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, now awaits further action on the House Floor.”
–Rep. Ben Cline
The Bible tells us to “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” –Hebrews 13:3 (NIV).
In addition to prayer, we can help inform others, give to groups offering practical assistance, and yes, vote wisely in US elections. Our governments, whether good or bad, have global impacts that reach far beyond our shores.
–Scott Dreyer
