Nicki Minaj is set to speak at a UN event alongside Ambassador Mike Waltz on November 18th. Why her announced appearance on Nigeria is already polarizing.
Nicki Minaj will speak at an event alongside US envoy to the United Nations Mike Waltz about the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The event will take place on November 18th.
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The rapper, who has attracted attention several times in recent weeks for her vocal support of US President Trump, confirmed her role as a spokesperson alongside Waltz. According to Time, their participation was organized by Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz, who will also be present.
“It means more to me than you know”
“Mr. Ambassador, I am very grateful to have been given such a great responsibility,” Minaj wrote on
Waltz: Minaj is “arguably the greatest female artist”
Waltz previously called the 42-year-old “arguably the greatest female artist” and a “principled person” who refuses to “be silent in the face of injustice.”
“I am grateful that she is using her massive platform to raise awareness of atrocities against Christians in Nigeria,” he added. “And I look forward to joining her in discussing the actions the President and his administration are taking to end the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters.”
Minaj: “I thank the president and his team for taking this seriously”
Minaj is considered a supporter of Trump and supported his statements denouncing the alleged persecution of Christian minorities in the West African country. In early November, she responded to Trump’s comments that Christianity in Nigeria was facing “an existential threat.” “When I read this, I felt deep gratitude. We live in a country where we can worship God freely. No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion,” she wrote. “We don’t have to share the same faith to respect one another. Many countries around the world are affected by this horror, and it is dangerous to pretend we don’t notice it. I thank the President and his team for taking this seriously. God bless all persecuted Christians. Let us remember to mention them in our prayers.”
Nigeria’s 220 million inhabitants are roughly equally divided between Christians and Muslims. Trump had previously announced that he would add Nigeria to the list of Countries of Particular Concern. Countries such as China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan are on this list.
Trump threatens Nigeria with military intervention
Trump even threatened military action against the country: “If the Nigerian government continues to allow the murder of Christians, the United States will immediately end all aid and support to Nigeria and may invade this now-disgraced country by force of arms to completely eradicate the Islamist terrorists who are committing these terrible atrocities,” the president wrote on Truth Social, according to Billboard.
Experts speak of regional rather than religious conflicts
Information about the extent of Christian persecution in Nigeria is controversial. Trump’s rhetoric is probably triggered by reports from the “United States Commission on International Religious Freedom” and other organizations.
As Lennart Oestergaard, country coordinator of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation office in Nigeria, explained, it is undisputed that numerous Christian civilians have been killed by violence in Nigeria for years. What is crucial, however, is that this also applies to many Muslims. “The main cause is not religious persecution, but the widespread insecurity in the country. Nigeria is characterized by many different conflicts – and religion usually does not play a central role,” argued Oestergaard.
Weak state control
The conflict between sedentary Christian farmers and nomadic Muslim shepherds in central Nigeria, which is often portrayed as religious, is essentially a dispute over arable and pasture land. Gang crime and kidnappings also dominated everyday life in many parts of the country – a result of weak state control, a lack of law enforcement and deep economic tensions.
“Neither the Nigerian government nor any serious group systematically and intentionally aims to target any particular religion,” Information Minister Idris Muhammed recently told The Associated Press.