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Confronting Religious Persecution at the IRF Summit

Feb. 10Stories That Demand Action:

Last week I spoke on a panel at the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington, D.C.—a global gathering that brings together advocates, policymakers, and legal experts from around the world who are on the front lines of defending religious freedom. The Summit provides a rare forum to share firsthand experiences, expose ongoing...More

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Save Christians From Murder in Congo

Save Christians From Murder in...

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has once again become the site of unspeakable violence , with Christian communities being targeted by terrorists and militant forces. On February 15, over 70 Christians – primarily women, children, and the elderly – were added to the list of victims when they were abducted...More

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Nigerian Christians

President Trump has once again turned America’s attention to Nigeria, where Christians face relentless persecution and mass slaughter. Determined not to repeat the failures of previous Administrations – and demonstrating a willingness to heed the ACLJ’s recommendations – he once again designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), signaling that the United States will not stand by while believers are hunted for their faith in Jesus Christ.

To understand why this decisive action matters, we need only recall one of the most appalling chapters in recent Nigerian history. In 2014, 276 schoolgirls, mostly Christians, were taken from their dormitories in Chibok, Nigeria, by the ISIS-affiliated terrorist group Boko Haram. After the abduction, former First Lady Michelle Obama launched the hashtag campaign “#BringBackOurGirls” on Twitter (now X). Predictably, celebrities jumped on board, eager to virtue signal and associate with the First Lady. We were also told President Obama was taking steps to direct the U.S. government to do everything possible to bring the girls back.

Of course, we know how this ends. In typical Obama fashion, “everything” wasn’t actually done. While 57 girls escaped the evening of the kidnapping, it took 2 years before the next captive found freedom – escaping on her own and carrying her child to safety. Since then, only 100 more have been set free, and the fate of 82 girls remains unknown. Their families still wait for justice.

The ACLJ has watched Nigeria’s decline with mounting alarm for years. Our own ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow delivered testimony on March 11, 2015, before the Senate Committee on Appropriations and stated:

ISIS—the Islamic State—has unleashed an unparalleled assault on religious minorities, especially Christians, in its quest to establish a worldwide Islamic Caliphate. The heinous atrocities committed by ISIS against Christians from Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt, and now Nigeria is nothing short of genocide. ISIS is systematic in its slaughter and barbaric in its brutality.

What we are witnessing today in Nigeria is a direct result of not heeding Jay’s warning. The time has come to implement a long-term cohesive policy on protecting Christians in Nigeria. Take action with us and add your name to the petition: Stop the Genocide of Christians in Nigeria.

In January 2021, President Trump, determined not to continue the failures of Obama, designated Nigeria as a CPC in his first term – an action the ACLJ was instrumental in attaining. However, the Biden State Department, under Anthony Blinken, promptly removed the CPC designation on November 17, 2021, despite the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom calling for it to remain on the list due to “violence by militant Islamists and other non-state armed actors, as well as discrimination, arbitrary detentions, and capital blasphemy sentences by state authorities.” At the time we also demanded that the State Department reverse course.

The results have been nothing short of tragic. Boko Haram and other Islamic militant groups have waged a 15-year campaign of terror and genocide across Nigeria – largely unchallenged. This year alone, more than 7,000 Christians have been slaughtered in the name of radical Islam, adding to the staggering 120,000 believers who have lost their lives to jihadist violence since 2009 – while the Nigerian government stands idly by, refusing to act to end the bloodshed.

These atrocities and lack of action once again landed Nigeria on President Trump’s radar, and on October 31 he redesignated Nigeria as a CPC, redoing what should have never been undone under the Biden Administration. On Truth Social the President was clear:

This victory didn’t happen in a vacuum. Just days ago, we sent a powerful letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and held key meetings at the White House and with the Speaker of the House to expose the horrific persecution of Christians in Nigeria. We called on the Trump Administration to take bold action and restore Nigeria to the CPC list – which he did, and we thank him.

 But the President wasn’t done. He again posted on social media:

Designating Nigeria as a CPC creates new opportunities to press for concrete change: conditioning assistance on demonstrated progress in protecting religious minorities and using diplomatic channels to demand accountability from Nigerian officials, chief among them Muslim President Bola Tinubu, who fail to act. The CPC designation also keeps this crisis in the spotlight – where it belongs – forcing other governments and international institutions to respond.

The CPC label is an important tool – but it is only the beginning. Real change requires continued pressure, resources, and the political will to hold perpetrators and negligent officials accountable. The ACLJ will continue advocating in Washington, D.C., and in the U.N. to ensure that this moment becomes the turning point it must be.

Take action with us and add your name to the petition: Stop the Genocide of Christians in Nigeria.

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Signatures

Jordan Sekulow  //

Dec 29, 2025

On Christmas Day, President Trump ordered U.S. military strikes against the Islamic State-linked terrorist camps in northwest Nigeria, targeting extremists responsible for mass killings and terror attacks –

Keith Mauck  //

Dec 22, 2025

The video is stark – rows of dead bodies laid out on the ground; grief etched onto every mourner’s face. Then a pastor breaks the silence with words no minister should ever have to say : “I am tired of burying...

Jordan Sekulow  //

Nov 07, 2025

After years of sounding the alarm here at the ACLJ , there is real momentum in Washington, D.C., to stop the murder of Christians in Nigeria. Just days ago, President Donald Trump issued a powerful Truth...