Nicki Minaj took the stage at an unlikely setting this week. The “Beez in the Trap” artist was introduced by United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz at a special event in New York on Nov. 18, “Combatting Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria,” where she spoke out in defense of religious freedom.
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“Today, faith is under attack in way too many places in Nigeria. Christians are being targeted, 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,” she said.
Nicki went on to state that people don’t have to agree to show one another respect and ended her four-minute speech by thanking the President for prioritizing religious freedom in the country.
“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,” she said.
In early November, the United States State Department listed Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for what it described as “violations of religious freedom and persecution of Christians.” President Trump has threatened to respond by sending American troops into the region and cutting aid sent to the country.
Nicki shared a screenshot of a Nov. 1 Truth Social post from Trump about his concerns about Christians being killed in Nigeria, writing, “Reading this gave me a deep sense of gratitude.”
Some online are praising Nicki for using her platform to shed light on the importance of religious freedom.
“Love her even more now,” wrote someone in the comments of a clip of Minaj’s UN speech on TikTok.
But some experts have said that the circumstances in the region are much more complex. They stress that while violence is happening in the country whose population is split almost evenly between Christians and Muslims, anyone, regardless of their faith, can be a target of kidnapping and killing by gangs who extort families for ransom money.
“These attacks are indiscriminate: They attack state institutions, they target Nigerians in their places of worship, they target Nigerians in civilian locations,” Nigerian conflict researcher and human rights lawyer Bulama Bukarti told PBS. “In essence, it is a war against Nigeria.”
Others on social media find it curious that Minaj is making the treatment of Christians in Nigeria her cause when she’s been radio silent about the treatment of marginalized groups in America.
“This woman won’t utter a single word against the injustice her own LGBTQ and immigrant fans are facing under this very administration that she’s representing this year,” said TikToker @blackbeltbabe. “But you want me to believe that she’s suddenly concerned about Christian Nigerians, many of whom have asked the U.S. to stop meddling in their affairs.”
Another TikToker had their own theory on why Nicki Minaj is speaking out now, writing, “Is she in the files…?.??????”
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