If you’d told me at the beginning of the year that rap sensation Nicki Minaj would deliver a speech in front of the United Nations, speaking up for persecuted Christians in Nigeria, I would’ve laughed in your face. This wasn’t something I had on my 2025 Bingo card. And yet...she did it.
Minaj spoke at the United Nations headquarters on Tuesday and sat down with U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz. She thanked Waltz for inviting her to discuss the persecution of Christians in Nigeria after she praised President Donald Trump earlier this month for standing up and taking the "mass slaughter" of Christians in Nigeria seriously.
“It is an honor to stand on this stage with you and the other distinguished speakers here today to shine a spotlight on the deadly threat facing thousands of Christians in Nigeria,” Minaj declared during her speech. “I would like to thank President Trump for prioritizing this issue, for leading on the global stage, and for calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria, combat extremism, and stop violence against those who simply want to exercise their natural right to freedom of religion or belief.”
The rap star then explained that she felt a "deep sense of gratitude" that Americans can "live in a country where we can freely and safely worship God, regardless of one's creed, background, or politics." To say my chin hit the floor when I read the "Anaconda" singer's comments would be an understatement. You just don’t hear mainstream artists praise the U.S., let alone Christianity, anymore. The fact that Minaj spoke so freely genuinely blows my mind.
“No group should ever face persecution for practicing their religion — like I recently stated on social media,” Minaj continued. “And we don’t have to share the same beliefs to respect each other. We’re way beyond thinking, expecting, or assuming the person next to you must have the exact same beliefs. We’re beyond that.”
This odd turn of events traces back to a Truth Social post on Halloween from President Trump. He designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and warned that Christianity faced “an existential threat in Nigeria.” Sadly, I’ve heard far less about the horrors Christians endure in that region from popular Christian leaders and pastors here in America than I have from Minaj and the president, which is honestly shameful.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” Trump wrote in his post. “Radical Islamists are killing thousands of Christians. They’re responsible for this mass slaughter. I hereby make Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN’ — but that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, suffer slaughter like what’s happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), we must act!”
Minaj responded to the president's post by saying it gave her “a deep sense of gratitude” to live in America, where people can practice their religion freely. “Thank you to The President & his team for taking this seriously,” the rapper added.
Nigerian government officials, including Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, deny that any genocide against Christians is happening in the country. Nigerian Senator Orji Uzor Kalu gave a starkly different account, insisting Trump “told the truth” about the heavy persecution Christians face in Nigeria.
“If it’s a lie, then the answer is that it’s not a lie because he said the truth,” Kalu stated. “Radical groups are killing Nigerians, whether they are Christians or Muslims.”
I think we need to reclaim the kind of mindset that shaped medieval Europe during the Crusades. Not a call for violence, obviously, but a refusal to let Christians be ruthlessly slaughtered and mistreated by radical Islamists without any response. Something has to happen. If we can resolve this peacefully, wonderful. If it requires force, then that’s the reality. That still doesn’t mean we need to send boots on the ground.
Either way, pray for those in Nigeria to remain faithful to Christ despite the danger surrounding them.
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