Music recording superstar Nicki Minaj delivered a speech at U.N. headquarters on Tuesday to speak out for justice for Christians in Nigeria. Minaj thanked President Trump for his attention to the issue and expressed her desire to call attention to the situation where Christians are undergoing severe persecution.
Thousands of Christians have reportedly been killed by radical Islamic terrorists who target Christian villages and worship services within the country. Trump recently characterized Nigeria as a country of “particular concern” due to the ongoing persecution.
At the U.N. on Tuesday, Minaj thanked Trump for bringing attention to the issue and for “his leadership on the global stage in calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria and to combat extremism and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to express their natural right to freedom of religion or belief.”
“Religious freedom means we all can sing our faith regardless of who we are, where we live, and what we believe. But today, faith is under attack in way too many places,” Minaj said.
Prior to delivering her speech, Minaj had publicly praised the Trump administration in a post on X in which she shared a post from President Trump describing the “existential threat” faced by Christians in Nigeria and calling for action. Trump stated he was asking members of Congress to look into the issue and said his administration would not stand by and allow atrocities to be committed against Christians around the world.
“Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion. We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other.” Minaj said. “Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror & it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice. Thank you to The President & his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer.”
On November 16, it was announced that Minaj would join U.N. ambassador Mike Waltz in addressing the U.N. on the topic. Waltz expressed his admiration for Minaj taking a public stand and for her willingness to work with the administration.
In a post on X, Waltz described Minaj as “not only arguably the greatest female recording artist, but also a principled individual who refuses to remain silent in the face of injustice.”
“I’m grateful she’s leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria, and I look forward to standing with her as we discuss the steps the President and his administration are taking to end the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters.”