Rapper Nicki Minaj marked a rare appearance by a pop star on a diplomatic stage on Tuesday, when she addressed the United Nations to raise awareness of what she described as the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The Trinidad and Tobago-born artist spoke at a panel organized by the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, titled Combating Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria. She appeared alongside U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz and several faith leaders.
“I must say, I am very nervous,” Ms. Minaj said before delivering her four-minute speech, calling the moment “an honor.”
Defense of Trump’s Stance
Ms. Minaj publicly aligned herself with the controversial position taken by President Donald Trump, who recently threatened Nigeria with cuts to U.S. aid and potential military intervention over the violence.
“I would like to thank President 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,” Ms. Minaj said.
She added that she was grateful to live in a country where citizens can “freely and safely worship God, regardless of one’s creed, background, or politics.”
The Crisis in Nigeria
The rapper went on to describe what she called the targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria, asserting they are “being 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.”
On November 3, the U.S. State Department designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, which mandates an annual review of countries where governments engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom.
Complexity of the Violence
Violence in Nigeria is a complex and multifaceted problem. While reports from international groups like Genocide Watch indicate that over 200 Christian villagers were killed by armed jihadists in Benue State in June, analysts note that the conflict involves more than just religious targeting.
Experts cite drivers of widespread violence such as corruption, insufficient weaponry for security forces, failure to prosecute attackers, and porous borders that facilitate the flow of arms.
Nigerian conflict researcher and human rights lawyer Bulama Bukarti stated: “These attacks are indiscriminate: They attack state institutions, they target Nigerians in their places of worship, they target Nigerians in civilian locations. In essence, it is a war against Nigeria.”
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Research and Analytics, Gimba Kakanda, pushed back against claims of systemic persecution, asserting that foreign actors often mischaracterize the country’s domestic conflicts, ignoring complexities and manipulating ethnic and resource-based tensions to advance sectarian agendas.
Source: The New York Times
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