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President Donald Trump moved decisively this week by declaring Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” a long-overdue recognition that religious freedom must be defended wherever it is under siege. For conservatives who believe America should stand for the persecuted, this is not politics — it is a moral imperative to protect fellow Christians facing daily terror.
The designation under the International Religious Freedom Act gives the United States real leverage, including the potential for targeted sanctions and restrictions on non-humanitarian aid if abuses continue. This is not mere symbolism; it restores tools that were stripped away when the designation was lifted in 2023 and sends a clear message that the U.S. will not look the other way.
Conservative lawmakers have been sounding the alarm for months, and their pressure forced this administration’s hand — Senators like Ted Cruz and a coalition of Republicans urged swift action and even drafted legislation to hold complicit officials accountable. These are representatives fighting for religious liberty abroad the same way we defend freedom at home, and their pushback against diplomatic soft-peddling is exactly the kind of bold leadership conservatives applaud.
The tragedy on the ground is brutal and cannot be sugarcoated: mass killings in villages like those in Benue State and other middle-belt regions have left hundreds dead and thousands displaced in recent months. While exact counts vary, a pattern of slaughter, church burnings, and forced displacement has plagued Christian communities for years — a reality that demands American attention, not excuses from global elites.
Nigeria’s government predictably pushed back, insisting there is no targeted campaign against Christians and pointing to broader security challenges that affect Muslims as well. That objection deserves scrutiny, but it cannot be an excuse for inaction when credible reports and eyewitness accounts chronicle brutal, faith-driven attacks; we must hold governments to account when they fail to protect vulnerable minorities.
Religious leaders, think tanks, and human-rights advocates have urged the U.S. to use every diplomatic and economic lever to pressure Abuja to protect its Christian citizens, and rightly so — international pressure has real teeth when America leads from conviction. If the Biden years taught us anything, it is that weakness encourages violence; conservatives should back this administration when it chooses strength on principle rather than appeasement.
This is a moment for patriotic Americans to stand tall in defense of persecuted believers everywhere: words without consequence are empty, and silence is complicity. As President Trump said plainly, something must be done — and conservatives will be watching to ensure that means concrete action, not hollow gestures, to protect the innocent and uphold the cause of religious liberty.
