The rap star is receiving commendation for utilizing her platform to bring attention to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
Prior to Minaj’s planned address at the United Nations alongside U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, human rights attorney Knox Thames extended gratitude to the rapper for the awareness she and other public figures, like , have generated regarding this matter.
Thames remarked on the celebrities, stating, “The difficulties in Nigeria have persisted for decades and have mostly gone unnoticed. Therefore, I appreciate these unexpected supporters drawing attention to this.”
Thames, who previously served as a State Department special advisor for religious minorities under former President George W. Bush, former President Barack Obama and President , indicated that in Nigeria, “the number of fatalities is simply too vast to disregard.” While refraining from explicitly classifying the events in Nigeria as genocide, he affirmed that it is an issue demanding immediate attention.
Thames explained, “The inquiry into whether ‘a Christian genocide is occurring?’ constitutes a legal query. Genocide is delineated by international law, a subject that academics will dispute. Yet, what remains indisputable is that over the past two decades, thousands of Christians have been killed, and the casualty figure is simply too high to overlook.”
In late October, Trump declared Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” referencing the extensive slayings of Christians within the West African country.
“Christianity in Nigeria faces an existential threat. Thousands of Christians are being murdered. Radical Islamists bear responsibility for this widespread killing,” Trump posted on on October 31. He added, “The United States cannot remain passive while such heinous acts transpire in Nigeria and various other nations. We are prepared, eager, and capable of protecting our significant Christian population worldwide!”
Subsequent to this announcement, Minaj conveyed that the president’s declaration instilled in her “a profound sense of thankfulness.”
“Upon reading this, I felt a profound sense of gratitude. We reside in a nation where the freedom to worship God is afforded to us. No community should ever endure persecution for exercising their faith. We need not hold identical beliefs to foster mutual respect,” .
On Tuesday, Minaj is scheduled to speak before the United Nations regarding the persecution faced by Nigerian Christians.
Waltz, who identified himself as an admirer of the rapper, stated on X, “I am thankful she is utilizing her extensive platform to illuminate the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria, and I anticipate joining her as we deliberate on the measures the President and his administration are implementing to halt the persecution of our Christian brethren.”
Minaj responded, “Ambassador, I am immensely thankful to be granted an opportunity of this significance. I do not underestimate its value. It holds more meaning than you can imagine. The Barbz and I will never yield in the face of injustice. Our influence has been bestowed upon us by God. There must be a grander objective.”
Morgan Phillips of Digital contributed to the compilation of this report.