When an interviewer asked an elderly couple vacationing in Spain if they’d open their doors to an illegal immigrant, the husband didn’t hesitate. “Why not?” he declared, beaming with virtue.
But the moment the interviewer called his bluff and brought out a Nigerian musician earning pennies on the street, the warm welcome instantly turned into a cold shoulder. The husband suddenly stammered about having no room on vacation, while his wife flatly cut in with a firm “No, no, no.”
That viral confrontation captures a dynamic researchers call the &#8220;abstract versus proximate&#8221; gap. It’s the ultimate &#8220;Not In My Backyard&#8221; syndrome: people love playing the humanitarian on paper, but panic when reality suddenly lands on their doorstep.
The translated exchange went like this:
<blockquote>
Interviewer: We’re asking people if they would take in an illegal immigrant.
Husband: Well, that would be a good system, sure, why not?
Interviewer: Could you see yourself, for example, taking in&#8230;?
Husband: Why not?
Interviewer: But, since the system can no longer absorb that level of immigration&#8230;
Husband: Well, I wouldn&#8217;t mind.
Interviewer: You wouldn&#8217;t mind?
Husband: I wouldn&#8217;t mind.
Interviewer: Look, I’m going to introduce you to a friend, okay? Sony. &#8230; Where are you from?
Sony: Nigeria.
Interviewer: From Nigeria. Okay, look, Sony here from Nigeria has been here for a very short time and is playing the guitar. &#8230; He earns in five minutes, five cents, ten cents — and with that, you can&#8217;t live. How much can you make a day with the guitar?
Sony: Well, from 20&#8230; It depends on the people; since it’s Christmas. You can make 30, 25 &#8230; enough to eat and live — that&#8217;s it; that&#8217;s what you have to do.
Interviewer: The problem is that Sony doesn&#8217;t have housing, so we&#8217;re asking people if they could take him into their home right now for a month.
Husband: In Andalusia?
Wife: With 30 euros, he’d have plenty to cover a place to sleep.
Interviewer: Since you so kindly said you&#8217;d be capable taking him in, you can do it, no?
Husband: Of course.
Interviewer: Would you take him now?
Husband: Where would I put him? We&#8217;re here on vacation.
Interviewer: It doesn’t have to be here. The important thing is that he has a roof over his head.
Wife: No, no, no,
Husband: I can&#8217;t.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Funniest thing I&#39;ve watched this week. 
Boomers in Spain get asked if they&#39;d accept a migrant into their home. They say yes. Chad offers them one. And instantly, they change their mind. <a href="https://t.co/2ruX39i0Mh">pic.twitter.com/2ruX39i0Mh</a>
&mdash; Casey Krol (@CaseyKrol) <a href="https://x.com/CaseyKrol/status/2092689982460657719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A landmark Science Advances <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5587019/">study</a> found this exact pattern, demonstrating that citizens overwhelmingly back refugee resettlement in principle, right up until the placement hits their own zip code. It stated:
<blockquote>
Our findings highlight a collective action problem: Participants are consistently less supportive of resettlement within their own communities than resettlement elsewhere in the country. This pattern holds across all measured demographic, political, and geographic subsamples within our data.
</blockquote>
In Spain, that tension has already boiled over into real-world chaos, from the anti-migrant<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/violent-clashes-erupt-between-far-right-groups-migrants-spanish-town-2025-07-13/"> riots</a> in Torre-Pacheco to <a href="https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/rage-in-spain-locals-protest-brutal-rape-linked-to-migrant-facility/">furious protests</a> outside reception centers in Alcalá de Henares.
Whether it&#8217;s taking an illegal immigrant into your spare room or sending millions to a terror-tainted agency, virtue signaling always crumbles when faced with the hard truth.

Refugees welcomed in Madrid

WATCH: Couple’s Priceless Meltdown Exposes The Left’s Immigrant Delusion

immigration

nigeria

spain

viral video

world

A Nigerian journalist imprisoned for reporting on Christian persecution says Americans must fight the rise of Islam in the United States if they want to preserve their freedom.
Luka Binniyat issued the warning while speaking about a five-year legal battle that saw him spend over 80 days in prison after officials took issue with a story he wrote on an attack on a Christian village by Islamic militants. Binniyat, from the religiously divided, mineral-rich Nigerian state of Kaduna, is haunted by the violence he has witnessed.
“You should not allow Islam to gain root in America. They’ll come there with values that are not your own, and even if they are a minority, they will eventually try to enforce their own religion, their own beliefs over the community,” the 60-year-old Binniyat told The Daily Wire in an interview. “In Nigeria — here in the Muslim-dominated areas — Christians do not have rights.”
The warning is personal for Binniyat, who has seen firsthand the violent implementation of Sharia law. Northern Nigeria is largely Islamic, and the southern part of the country is Christian. The middle, where Binniyat has spent most of his time reporting on, is divided. What he has witnessed, he told The Daily Wire, is genocide.
“When you select a group of people for extermination, based on their race, based on their belief, or based on their ideology, you select them for mass murder. That is what genocide is all about,” he said. “That is what we&#8217;re experiencing.”
In many of the attacks he has reported on, he said the “Muslim community is not touched” while “it is the Christian community that is attacked.”
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1162877" style="width: 942px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1162877" class="size-full wp-image-1162877" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-21-at-10.36.55-AM.png" alt="" width="932" height="881" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-21-at-10.36.55-AM.png 932w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-21-at-10.36.55-AM-300x284.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-21-at-10.36.55-AM-609x576.png 609w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-21-at-10.36.55-AM-768x726.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 932px) 100vw, 932px" />World Watch Monitor.</div>
Binniyat’s use of the term genocide got him into legal trouble in October 2021, when he <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/in-nigeria-police-decry-massacres-as-wicked-but-make-no-arrests-4075998?slsuccess=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> a story in The Epoch Times that quoted a local politician accusing an official of covering up attacks on Christians. The official accused Binniyat of defamation while the local politician denied making the comment.
In November 2021, officials charged him with using a computer to transmit knowingly false information &#8220;for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will, or needless anxiety to another.&#8221;
The resulting legal battle, which lasted until May 2026, saw Binniyat spend months in prison. He said he was kept in a small, insect-infested prison cell with dozens of other inmates where they were forced to poop in buckets and given food Binniyat described as “punishment.”
In October 2024, Binniyat’s defense filed a “no case submission,” which was approved by the Federal High Court in Kaduna in November 2025, but no written decision was issued until May 26, 2026. His defense throughout the case was assisted by the Alliance Defending Freedom International.
The decision found that there was “no evidence to prove the essential elements of the alleged offense” and said the evidence presented against Binniyat was “manifestly unreliable,” according to ADF International.
“Luka Binniyat did nothing more than accurately quote a Nigerian legislator&#8217;s own words. This ruling is a vindication for Luka, but it should also be a wake-up call: Accurate reporting on atrocities is not a crime, and journalists covering religious persecution deserve protection, not prosecution,&#8221; Sean Nelson, senior counsel for Global Religious Freedom at Alliance Defending Freedom, told The Daily Wire.
ADF International has another case pending before Nigeria’s Supreme Court looking to strike down its stringent blasphemy laws.
Binniyat’s case was <a href="https://www.uscirf.gov/religious-prisoners-conscience/forb-victims-database/luka-binniyat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">championed</a> by the United States Council on International Religious Freedom and other watchdog organizations, including the <a href="https://cpj.org/2021/11/nigerian-journalist-luka-binniyat-detained-over-complaint-by-kaduna-state-official/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Committee to Protect Journalists</a> and Reporters Without Borders.
“I&#8217;m walking as a free man today. Thank God for the pressure around the world that was put on the government,” he said.
Thousands of Christians across Nigeria are killed annually with many advocates faulting the government for not doing enough to crack down on the violence. The continuous state of violence led to the Trump administration labeling Nigeria as a country of particular concern in 2025, putting it under greater international scrutiny.
Several militant Islamic groups typically are behind the violence, including insurgent group Boko Haram, the largely nomadic Islamic Fulani herdsmen, and the Islamic State of West Africa.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1162889" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1162889" class="size-full wp-image-1162889" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-1234007408.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - The remaining wares of students of Bethel Baptist High School are seen inside the school premises as parent of abducted students wait for the return of their children whom were abducted by gunmen in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state, northwest Nigeria on July 14, 2021. - The girls are just two of the more than 100 Nigerian children snatched from Bethel Baptist High School nearly three weeks ago, herded by gunmen into the forests after a kidnapping raid on their dormitories.The July 5 attack in Nigeria's northwest Kaduna state was just the latest mass abduction at a school or college as kidnap gangs seeking quick ransoms zero in on soft target of young students. Armed kidnappings for ransom along highways, and from homes and businesses now make almost daily newspaper headlines in Africa's most populous country. (Photo by Kola Sulaimon / AFP) " width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-1234007408.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-1234007408-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-1234007408-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-1234007408-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />The scene outside a school where gunmen abducted children (KOLA SULAIMON/AFP via Getty Images.)</div>
While not describing himself as a typical “born-again” Christian, Binniyat said it is his mission to expose violence against Christians, even if it means writing reports critical of the government. His home state of Kaduna demonstrates a “clash of values” that could not be more different.
Binniyat said that the Muslims want to impose Sharia law on the whole middle Nigerian region over Christians who want to embrace Western values with traditional African practices sprinkled in. A Christian converting to Islam can be killed for that conviction and many of the Muslim children do not attend schooling.
“They believe in violence. They say it&#8217;s a religion of peace,” he said of Islam. “As far as we know, it is a religion of violence.”
There is one attack that he said haunts him to this day. He said he showed up on the scene and found the smoldering bodies that were burnt during an attack targeting a Christian wedding. He said he helped locals gather over 20 bodies and bury them in a mass grave.
“It is something that I don&#8217;t want to recall. You could smell the flesh of humans burning. We had to bring out bodies that were roasted like animals — children, women,” he said.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1162891" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1162891" class="size-full wp-image-1162891" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2159375313.jpg" alt="Injured men lay in a van as they arrive for treatment after a wave of suicide attacks in the North East of Nigeria, in Maiduguri on June 29, 2024. At least 18 people were killed and 19 seriously wounded in suicide attacks targeting a wedding, a hospital and a funeral in northeastern Nigeria on June 29, authorities said. The region has been scarred by more than a decade of violence by jihadist group Boko Haram, which did not immediately claim responsibility for the string of attacks. (Photo by Audu MARTE / AFP) " width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2159375313.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2159375313-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2159375313-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/GettyImages-2159375313-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Injured men lay in a van as they arrive for treatment after a wave of suicide attacks in Nigeria (AUDU MARTE/AFP via Getty Images.)</div>
With his legal battle over, Binniyat says he plans to continue writing on the plight of Christians, which he says has not improved during his journalism career. He said he would consider entering politics and push for policies that would provide more protection for Christians.
As someone who has seen the violence of a society dominated by militant Islam, Binniyat wants Americans to be careful.
“Americans should not take the liberty and the freedom which they are enjoying now for granted. If they allow Islam to establish a root in America, you are going to lose your country,” he said. “That is [why] I want the Americans to protect their religion, to protect their culture, and to assert their values on every immigrant that comes.”

Image (48)

He Was Jailed For Exposing Muslim Violence In Nigeria. Now, He’s Warning Americans To Fight Sharia.

alliance defending freedom

christian persecution

luka binniyat

sharia law

Nigerian forces freed at least 308 people held by jihadist kidnappers in the past week in what is being called the largest single-day rescue operation in the country’s history. 
The majority of the victims came from two groups. One hundred sixty-three of the victims were taken from the Woro community in Kwara State during a February 3 raid. In that same attack, the jihadists killed an additional 160 people in the village.
The victims <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nigeria-rescue-bandits-abductions-cd608d04349161aa1664714ba42af4b6">told</a> the Associated Press they believed they had been taken as punishment for refusing to accept the religious preachings of the jihadists. One woman, Hauwa Saliu, said her captors constantly asked the victims if they had accepted jihad yet.
“We prayed to God to help us go back home, but it never really crossed our minds that we were going to go back home,” she said.
Another victim, Amira Saliu, described how the women and children were held in a forest near a river. They were forced to put out fires and hide whenever they heard helicopters nearby. Saliu is a nurse. She said she had to help 10 women give birth with no medical equipment or sanitary gloves.
“I had no choice but to use my bare hands,” she told the outlet.
Mary Ishaya, 44, said the captives often went days without food and had to bury other captives who had died.
“I still cannot find the right words to describe what has happened to us. We saw death and suffering,” she said.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq told reporters at a news conference that 46 of the victims were being treated at a hospital.
“This is indeed a very sad situation. We’ve not yet come to terms with it. We’re still assessing the situation. As you can see, it’s just kids &#8230; children and women that are here today,” he said. “It’s truly a shame that this has happened.”
The rescue comes as Nigeria continues to face militant Islamic insurgency in the north. Christians make up roughly 45% of the country’s citizens. 
On Christmas Day, President Donald Trump, working with Nigeria’s government, authorized precision missile strikes on groups affiliated with the Islamic State in northern Nigeria. The stated purpose of the strikes was to protect the country’s Christians. In May, the United States followed with coordinated joint military action that reportedly resulted in the death of senior Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al Mainuki.
The same pattern of violence has been seen elsewhere in the country. On June 22, in Kawel village in Bokkos County, Plateau State, Fulani herdsmen killed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pastor-among-dozens-of-christians-slain-by-muslim-herdsmen">28 Christians</a>, including Rev. Markus Nyam, pastor of the Church of Christ in Nations. Resident Jesse Peter Dukut said villagers were trapped inside their homes as the gunmen moved through the community.
“We were inside our houses when the Fulani herdsmen invaded our village,” Dukut said. “If anyone came out of their houses, they were shot at sight. And a sound from any of the houses in the village attracts shooting from the terrorists.”
He said phone and telecom services had been cut so residents could not call for help. The attackers spoke in Fulani and Hausa and called out the names of Christian leaders. Dukut said they killed his uncle and brothers. He narrowly escaped being shot.
Church leaders in Bokkos confirmed Nyam’s death and said they received the news with deep sadness. According to Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List, 3,490 of the 4,849 Christians killed globally for their faith between October 2024 and September 2025 were Nigerian. That figure represents 72% of the worldwide total number of Christians killed for their faith.
Christian leaders in the region say the attacks by some Fulani herdsmen are driven by efforts to seize fertile farmland as desertification pushes herders south and are also shaped by radical Islamist ideology. 
A 2020 report from the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Belief stated that a radical faction has adopted tactics comparable to Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province and demonstrates a clear intent to target Christians and symbols of Christian identity.
The women and children freed this week spent six months in captivity after the February raid on Woro. Many are still receiving medical care. Nigerian officials continue to assess their condition as the country confronts the scale of the operation and the conditions the hostages endured.

TOPSHOT-ADDITION-NIGERIA-BLAST

Hundreds Of Women And Children Freed From Forced Jihad In Massive Hostage Rescue

boko haram

fulani herdsmen

hostage rescue

Nigerian Christian Pastor Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo isn’t afraid after the Islamic Fulani militia killed nine of his family members and sent him a letter saying he’s next. 
&#8220;A few days ago, Fulani herdsmen sent a threatening letter to me and to members of my church &#8230; Its message was terrifying. They vowed to attack me and kill me soon, just as they killed nine of my relatives,” Dachomo <a href="https://x.com/ezekieldachomo0/status/2078043834211074548">said</a> last week. &#8220;I know what it means to stand before grieving families whose only crime was refusing to deny Jesus Christ.&#8221;
Dachomo said he had conducted over 70 mass burials of Christians who were allegedly killed by the Islamist Fulani militia by the end of last year. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom <a href="https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-05/2026%20Nigeria%20-%20Fulani%20Militants%20Report.pdf">attributes</a> the attacks to &#8220;a violent religious ideology&#8221; that stems from &#8220;growing resource limitation and competition, population growth, and poverty.&#8221; President Donald Trump highlighted Dachomo presiding over the funeral of believers this week. 
At a funeral in March, Dachomo <a href="https://www.christiandaily.com/news/outspoken-pastor-in-nigeria-faces-new-death-threats">said</a>, “I respect Allah, I respect the people of Allah, but when I see dead bodies killed by the followers of Allah, what do you want me to say?” 
Pastor Dachomo told mourners, “I challenge Allah because his followers are killing my people. I would be stupid and cowardly to kill someone because he insults Jesus; Jesus is a supernatural being. He can defend himself.” After he made the comments, he said death threats increased after being fueled by accusations that he disrespected Islam. 
Dachomo added in an interview, “Why should I be afraid while I know my Bible and the quote of Psalms 139? It said I created you fearfully.” 
“They’re the ones afraid of me, not me being afraid,&#8221; he continued.
Dachomo said that while he’s been offered asylum, he’s not going anywhere because he wants to keep teaching God’s Word to the people of Nigeria. 
The Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa published a study earlier this month that found that the Fulani militia network is responsible for four times as many civilian deaths as other Islamic terror organizations. Judd Saul, founder of Christian nonprofit Equipping the Persecuted, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/nigerian-pastor-highlighted-trump-says-hes-next-after-militia-kills-his-relatives">told</a> Fox News, “Within the last week alone, over 40 Christians have been killed, and we have been warning that there are major attacks about to occur within the next few days.” 
The killings continue despite the Trump administration conducting a series of air strikes in Nigeria, targeting terrorist groups. A report from Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List revealed more Christians have been killed in Nigeria than in any other country in the last year. 72% of Christians killed last year were Nigerians. On Easter Sunday, Fulani militants <a href="https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-05/2026%20Nigeria%20-%20Fulani%20Militants%20Report.pdf">reportedly</a> killed five worshippers and abducted 31 others.

NIGERIA-US-RELIGION-POLITICS-MILITARY

Christian Pastor Issues Defiant Statement After Islamic Militants Kill His Family

Christians

Muslims

A pastor and dozens of Christians were killed in an overnight attack on a Nigerian village, the latest massacre in a region where targeted violence, land conflict, and terrorism have increasingly converged around Christian communities.
The assault began around 2 a.m. on June 22 in Kawel village in Bokkos County, Plateau State, where Fulani herdsmen killed 28 Christians, including Rev. Markus Nyam, pastor of the Church of Christ in Nations, according to <a href="https://www.christiandaily.com/news/fulani-terrorists-kill-28-christians-in-central-nigeria" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Christian Daily International</a>.
Resident Jesse Peter Dukut said villagers were trapped inside their homes as gunmen moved through the community.
“We were inside our houses when the Fulani herdsmen invaded our village,” Dukut said. “If anyone came out of their houses, they were shot at sight. And a sound from any of the houses in the village attracts shooting from the terrorists.”
Dukut said phone and telecom services had been cut, preventing residents from calling security agencies for help. He also said the attackers spoke in Fulani and Hausa and called out the names of Christian leaders, leading him to believe they were being guided during the attack.
“They killed my uncle and brothers,” he said. “I narrowly escaped being shot.”
Nyam was killed alongside members of his congregation. Church leaders in Bokkos later confirmed his death, saying they received the news “with deep sadness” and offering prayers for his family, friends, and community.
Premier Christian News <a href="https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/reverend-among-those-killed-in-latest-attack-on-christian-village-in-nigeria">reported</a> that the attack was part of a documented pattern of escalating anti-Christian violence across Nigeria’s Middle Belt. According to Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List, 3,490 of the 4,849 Christians killed globally for their faith between October 2024 and September 2025 were Nigerian, representing 72% of the worldwide total.
Christian leaders in the region say Fulani herdsmen attacks are driven by efforts to seize fertile farmland as desertification pushes herders south, while also being shaped by radical Islamist ideology.
The distinction matters. Most Fulani people do not hold extremist views, but a radical faction has adopted tactics comparable to Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, according to a 2020 report from the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief.
“They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity,” the report states.
Open Doors U.K. reported that at least 20 people were killed in the Kawel attack, including a church leader and a pregnant woman, and said police arrived only after daylight despite the attack beginning around 2 am. Bishop Ayuba Matawal, a church leader in Bokkos, said the late arrival of police “left the defenseless community entirely at the mercy of their assailants for the duration of the raid,” according to <a href="https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/20-killed-in-latest-devastating-attack-in-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Open Doors U.K</a>.
The attack also comes as violence has spread beyond Nigeria’s north. Christian Daily reported that a new jihadist terror group, Lakurawa, has emerged in the northwest with advanced weaponry and a radical Islamist agenda. The group is affiliated with Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, or JNIM, an Al-Qaeda-linked insurgency originating in Mali.
The massacre shows the brutality of Nigeria’s Middle Belt crisis, where religiously targeted violence and terrorism are no longer separate stories, and where Christian communities continue to bear a devastating share of the bloodshed.

NIGERIA-FULANI-CONFLICT

Pastor Among Dozens Of Christians Slain By Muslim Herdsmen

Nigeria’s Middle Belt faces renewed fears of a deepening Christian persecution crisis.

Africa

islam

Persecution

President Donald Trump announced early Saturday morning that American forces had eliminated a top ISIS official in Africa, a major blow to the radical Islamic terror group.
&#8220;Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield,&#8221; Trump wrote on Truth Social. &#8220;Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/qco7EDL923">pic.twitter.com/qco7EDL923</a>
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2055491592107049334?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished.&#8221;
The United States <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/06/16/2023-12870/designation-of-abdallah-makki-muslih-al-rufayi-and-abu-bakr-ibn-muhammad-ibn-ali-al-mainuki-as">named</a> Minuki a &#8220;specially designated global terrorist&#8221; in 2023. A Nigerian native, the Nigerian government says he was likely recently elevated to the number two leadership spot in ISIS. According to U.S. Africa Command, Minuki &#8220;provided strategic guidance to the ISIS global network on media and financial operations as well as the development and manufacturing of weapons, explosives, and drones.&#8221;
&#8220;Al-Minuki was the most active terrorist in the world and has a significant history of involvement in planning attacks and directing hostage taking,&#8221; AFRICOM added.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu confirmed the raid in a post on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Overnight, Nigeria and the United States recorded a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism.
Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a…
— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) <a href="https://twitter.com/officialABAT/status/2055542303721132368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives,&#8221; Tinubu wrote. &#8220;I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort.&#8221;
AFRICOM said other ISIS leaders were <a href="https://www.africom.mil/pressrelease/36568">killed</a> in the raid, while no American troops were harmed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Last night&#8217;s operation targeted a significant presence of ISIS fighters in Northeastern Nigeria eliminating multiple high value individuals including Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. <a href="https://t.co/lNj4AMSITH">pic.twitter.com/lNj4AMSITH</a>
— U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAfricaCommand/status/2055614134851424487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“This operation underscores the exceptional value of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership and was made possible through the cooperation and coordination of our forces in recent months,&#8221; Air Force General Dagvin Anderson, commander of U.S. Africa Command, said in a statement. &#8220;Make no mistake, our two nations will relentlessly pursue and neutralize terrorist threats and are committed to protecting our people and interests.”
Nigeria has battled a rise in radical Islamic terrorism in recent years, with groups like ISIS and Boko Haram targeting the country&#8217;s Christian population in particular. Boko Haram <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-killed-in-christian-communities-in-lead-up-to-easter?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dozens+Feared+Dead+After+Christians+Targeted+In+Holy+Week+Massacre">killed</a> as many as 27 Nigerian Christians during Holy Week this year.

Kashmiri Protesters hold ISIS flags while making gestures

Trump Reveals Strike On ‘The Most Active Terrorist In The World’

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As millions of Christians across the world celebrate Holy Week, believers in Nigeria have already been shaken by a Palm Sunday attack that reportedly left dozens dead. 
A group of gunmen opened fire on a crowd in the northern Nigerian Plateau State on Sunday evening as many people returned home from evening worship services. While the official death count is still being confirmed, <a href="https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/stories/Palm-Sunday-Attack-Shakes-Nigerian-Community/">local reports</a> have indicated that as many as 27 people could have been killed. 
Some witnesses have <a href="https://persecution.org/2026/03/30/dozens-killed-during-palm-sunday-attacks-in-nigeria/">blamed</a> the terrorist group Boko Haram for the attack while others said it was a group of Fulani militia, a largely Muslim group that has targeted Nigeria’s Christian communities. The attack took place in the majority Christian town of Angwan Rukuba.
&#8220;Here in Jos in Nigeria, we say that there is no Christian holiday or event left on the Christian calendar that has escaped an attack by radical Islamists or terrorists in Nigeria, whether it is Christmas, Easter or Good Friday, Palm Sunday, or Sunday services or whatever. We are trapped,” one local lawyer told Fox News after the attack. 
The attacks have led to calls for action from Congress, including Rep. Mark Harris, a Christian pastor and North Carolina Republican representative, who sent a letter on Thursday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 
Harris pointed to the Palm Sunday attack in Nigeria and violence <a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-christians-sectarian-attacks-suqaylabiyah-d3c66fd9713084c1fbab0c307c77bcf9">targeting</a> the Christian city of Suqaylabiyah in Syria over the weekend. 
“As Christian communities in both countries continue to be terrorized, displaced, and killed for their faith, this crisis requires the Department of State to ensure that both governments take decisive action to protect innocent Christians,” Harris wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio first obtained by The Daily Wire. “When Christians are targeted for worshiping, gathering, and living openly in their faith, the United States should speak with moral clarity and act with resolve — and under President Trump’s and your leadership, we have.”
Harris asked for clarity on if the State Department had taken any action related to the attacks and if any consequences will be imposed on the governments of Syria and Nigeria if they fail to take action over the violence. 
“This urgency is only heightened as Christians around the world observe Holy Week and remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Harris wrote. “At a time when believers should be free to gather in worship, far too many Christians in places like Nigeria and Syria are instead forced to worship in fear, grieve loved ones lost to violence, or wonder whether they will be targeted next simply for living out and practicing their faith.”
The State Department has routinely condemned Christian persecution around the world, recently labeling Nigeria as a country of particular concern for Christian persecution. President Donald Trump ordered strikes targeting Islamic terror groups on Christmas Day, and the country has hired lobbyists to convince the American government it is doing enough to protect Christians. 
“For too long, persecuted Christians around the world have watched the international community issue statements while their churches are burned, their families are slaughtered, and their future in their ancestral homelands disappear,” Harris said. “The United States must remain an unapologetic voice for those who are suffering for their faith and a forceful advocate for governments to uphold their responsibility to protect innocent life.”

NIGERIA-RELIGION-UNREST

Dozens Feared Dead After Christians Targeted In Holy Week Massacre

Islamic Jihad

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Eight years ago, 14-year-old Leah Sharibu was kidnapped from her school in northern Nigeria by Islamic militants and dragged into captivity. She remains in captivity to this day because she refuses to renounce her Christian faith. 
Last month, the anniversary of her kidnapping received little acknowledgement except from a number of persecution watchdog organizations. While many have forgotten her story, Sharibu’s absence is felt every day by her family, who have not heard from her since the day of the kidnapping in February 2018. 
Sharibu was kidnapped by the Islamic State-West Africa Province (ISWAP) alongside 104 other girls from the Government Girls Science and Technical School in Yobe State on February 19, 2018. While most of the other girls have since been released, Sharibu has not been let go because she refuses to convert to Islam.  
Ryan Brown, the CEO of persecution watchdog Open Doors, told The Daily Wire that Sharibu was the only Christian in the group of kidnapped girls and was singled out because of her faith. Open Doors keeps in regular contact with Sharibu’s family and helps them celebrate her birthday every year. 
“With so much going on in our world, it&#8217;s easy to forget these things. It&#8217;s easy to move on to the next headline,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But for those that had been personally touched by these things, they can&#8217;t move on.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1059647" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1059647" class="size-full wp-image-1059647" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-1143782650.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - Relatives of schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu abducted by Boko Haram Islamists hold cake to mark her 16th birthday and two years in captivity at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, on May 14, 2019. - Leah Sharibu was among over 100 schoolgirls abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School in Dapchi, northeast Nigeria on February 19, 2018. But while schoolmates had been freed, she was held back for refusing to denounce her religion. (Photo by KOLA SULAIMON / AFP)" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-1143782650.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-1143782650-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-1143782650-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-1143782650-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Sharibu&#8217;s family celebrates her birthday back in 2019. Credit: KOLA SULAIMON/AFP via Getty Images.</div>
Some reports suggest that Sharibu has been forced into marriages with her captors and had children, but those are difficult to confirm. Another woman kidnapped by Islamic militants who later escaped in 2024 confirmed that she encountered Sharibu during her time in captivity. 
Sharibu&#8217;s family says that the Nigerian government has done little to get her released, Brown told The Daily Wire.
“There have been Nigerian officials that have communicated and attempted to see Leah released and have said that they will do that, but the family has not been able to see any visible evidence that there&#8217;s been anything other than promises that were made. And so that has been a source of confusion and pain,” he said. 
The Islamic State-West Africa Province broke off from the militant Islamic group Boko Haram in 2015 and has since displaced or killed thousands in and around Nigeria, <a href="https://www.dni.gov/nctc/terrorist_groups/isis_west_africa.html">according</a> to American intelligence. The group has between 4,000 and 7,000 members and carries out military-style bombings, kidnappings, and targeted killings. 
Sharibu’s continued captivity is a brutal reminder of the reality many Christians face in Nigeria despite the government’s assurances that it protects Christians from violent attacks. 
Brown praised the Trump administration for <a href="https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/naming-nigeria-country-particular-concern-important-step-advance">designating</a> Nigeria as a country of particular concern over Christian persecution in November 2025. Shortly after, on Christmas Day, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-strikes-isis-targets-in-nigeria-on-christmas-day">ordered strikes</a> on ISIS targets in Nigeria, calling for the terrorists to stop “slaughtering of Christians.”
Brown said the problem of Christian persecution is real in Nigeria and that the government’s denial of the problem is inaccurate. He said there were examples of villages targeted by militants where all the churches were burned down, but the mosques were left standing. Even if there were arrests for violent acts, Brown said there were rarely prosecutions. 
“It&#8217;s difficult for any of us to know exactly what is going on there, but the end result is that whether it&#8217;s through omission or commission, there&#8217;s still a responsibility,” he said. “The Nigerian government needs to address those things, it needs to be able to respond to those types of situations.”
Facing increasing pressure from the Trump administration, Brown said that it looks like some of the militants behind killings of Christians over the summer might be prosecuted. 
“That is a huge step forward and one that we continue to advocate for and to ask the Nigerian government to not allow these individuals to act with impunity to make sure that there&#8217;s accountability for these acts of aggression,” he said. 
With growing pressure over its handling of Christian persecution, the Nigerian government has hired lobbyists to convince the American government that it is taking appropriate action to protect Christians. 
In December 2025, the DCI Group <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/1011620908/6278-Exhibit-AB-20251218-30">registered</a> with the Justice Department, notifying it that it was assisting the Nigerian government in “communicating its actions to protect Nigerian’s Christian communities and maintaining U.S support in countering West African jihadist groups and other destabilizing elements.”
Nigeria agreed to pay the consulting firm millions to resurrect its damaged image. So far, DCI has created pages called Secure Nigeria HQ across <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/6278-Informational-Materials-20260311-8.pdf">X</a>, <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/6278-Informational-Materials-20260311-7.pdf">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/6278-Informational-Materials-20260311-3.pdf">Facebook</a>, according to filings with the Justice Department. The social media profiles have not yet been made public. 
<div id="attachment_1059627" style="width: 1563px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1059627" class="size-full wp-image-1059627" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-2.52.23-PM.png" alt="" width="1553" height="1063" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-2.52.23-PM.png 1553w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-2.52.23-PM-300x205.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-2.52.23-PM-842x576.png 842w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-2.52.23-PM-768x526.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-12-at-2.52.23-PM-1536x1051.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1553px) 100vw, 1553px" />Justice Department filing.</div>
Despite the efforts of the Nigerian government, the number of religious killings and kidnappings paints a more troubled picture. Of the 3,302 religiously motivated kidnappings that took place in 2025, 2,293 took place in Nigeria, Brown told The Daily Wire. 
Brown called for Americans to remember Sharibu’s parents in their prayers. 
“Knowing that there are others around the world that have not forgotten her daughter, that have not forgotten over this period of eight years, that her daughter has likely experienced a hell on earth, and to know that there are others who remember and that are continuing to lift [her] up in prayer, there is just such incredible encouragement.”

NIGERIA-UNREST-ISLAMISTS-KIDNAPPING

Eight Years After Islamic Terrorists Raided Her School, One Christian Girl Remains In Captivity

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About 100 U.S. military personnel have arrived in Nigeria as Washington scales up an operation to target Islamist insurgents, a Nigerian defence spokesperson said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants in the northwest.
Nigeria denies discriminating against any religion, saying its security forces target armed groups that attack both Christians and Muslims.
The U.S. carried out strikes targeting Islamic State-linked militants in December, and a small U.S. military team has been operating on the ground to boost Nigeria&#8217;s intelligence capabilities.
In recent days, several planes carrying U.S. troops and equipment have headed to Nigeria&#8217;s northern states, according to flight tracking data reviewed by Reuters.
Major General Samaila Uba, spokesperson for Nigeria&#8217;s Defense Headquarters, said the troops would train and advise local forces, but not take part in combat.
Earlier this month, Nigeria&#8217;s military said it expected around 200 more U.S. troops.
Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare said Nigeria needed &#8220;massive support from the U.S. government&#8221; in terms of fighter jets and munitions, but declined to give numbers or a timeframe.
Nigeria&#8217;s 240 million people are evenly split between Christians mainly in the south and Muslims mainly in the north.
It acknowledges serious security problems, including from Islamist fighters, but denies that Christians face widespread or systematic persecution.
(Reporting by Jessica Donati, and MacDonald Dzirutwe in Lagos; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Kevin Liffey)

U.S. Troops

Nigeria Says 100 More U.S. Military Personnel Have Arrived To Tackle Islamists

Global Politics

Islamists

Christians in Syria saw the largest increase in persecution among any country in the world last year as regime change and terrorism threw the Islamic nation into chaos, according to the Christian organization Open Doors, which published its annual persecution watch list Wednesday morning.
The Open Doors <a href="https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/persecution/countries/">2026 World Watch List</a> revealed that Syria jumped up to No. 6 in overall Christian persecution, after coming in at No. 18 in last year’s list. Syria is now only behind North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, and Eritrea.
Open Doors CEO Ryan Brown told The Daily Wire that the recent political turmoil in Syria is the main contributing factor to the increase in persecution.
“With the fall of the Assad regime and as HTS [Hay&#8217;at Tahrir al-Sham] came into power, it created a lot of vacuums of control and authority,” Brown said. “The rule of law is weak in a number of areas, and in that, there’s just been a number of extremists that have just stepped into those voids.”
Brown pointed to multiple recent Islamic terror attacks targeting Syrian Christians, such as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jihadist-suicide-bomber-kills-20-wounds-dozens-more-at-orthodox-church" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suicide bombing</a> in June, when a terrorist opened fire on worshipers and then detonated a suicide vest, killing more than 20 Christians and wounding over 50 more. Christians in Syria are more likely to come under attack from Islamic terrorists who are fighting for control of certain areas in the unstable country, not from the government, which is now led by former HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa.
“The church is coming under attack especially in these areas where the government is not having a strong rule of law as part of this transition,” Brown added. “Traditionally, in some of these areas in Syria where the rule of law has not been strong, the tribalism becomes the ruling force and provides safety. Christian converts from Islam are typically rejected from these tribal infrastructures.”
It remains to be seen if al-Sharaa, a former terrorist leader, will tolerate Christians in Syria if he establishes a firm grip on the country. So far, the new Syrian leader has been actively seeking to take out Islamic terrorists that remain in Syria.
President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa at the White House as he seeks to broker peace in the Middle East. The meeting marked the first time a Syrian leader and former jihadist met with the President of the United States.
Brown said the 12-spot change in Syria&#8217;s ranking between 2025 and 2026 was the largest year-over-year move for any country on the persecution watch list in more than a decade.
Syria, Nigeria, Pakistan, Libya, and Iran round out the top 10 of countries where Christians experience the most persecution, meaning that eight out of the top 10 countries on the 2026 World Watch List are majority Muslim nations.
<h3>Nigeria Was The ‘Epicenter’ Of Violence Against Christians In 2025</h3>
More Christians in Nigeria, which came in at No. 7 on the list, were killed for their faith than in any other country. Open Doors reported that 3,490 Nigerian Christians were killed last year, which was an increase from the estimated 3,100 killed in 2024. For comparison, 1,359 Christians are estimated to have been killed for their faith in all other countries combined in 2025.
Brown told The Daily Wire that Nigeria didn’t rank No. 1 on the persecution list because Open Doors considers multiple factors, not just violence, when ranking countries.
“The World Watch List looks at danger, but looks at a number of other factors as well. Nigeria would be the deadliest place to be a Christian, not necessarily the most difficult because there are places in the country where Christians are able to freely worship,” Brown said. “But Nigeria continues to be an epicenter of violence in parts of the country, in parts of the middle belt as well as in the northern parts of the country.”
Recent violence against Christians in Nigeria <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-next-peace-push-focuses-on-nigeria-and-sudan-where-christians-are-killed-by-the-thousands?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%E2%80%99s+Next+Peace+Push+Focuses+On+Nigeria+And+Sudan%2C+Where+Christians+Are+Killed+By+The+Thousands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gained the attention</a> of President Trump, who has pressured the Nigerian government to do more to protect Christians and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-threatens-to-completely-wipe-out-the-islamic-terrorists-killing-nigerian-christians?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Threatens+To+%E2%80%98Completely+Wipe+Out+The+Islamic+Terrorists%E2%80%99+Killing+Nigerian+Christians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened</a> to take out terrorists in the country if they continue to target them.
<h3>Iran Increased Pressure On Christians During Internal Turmoil And Conflict With Israel And U.S.</h3>
Iran, which ranks No. 10 on the World Watch List, has ramped up its crackdown on Christians in the country as they are viewed as “enemies of the state” and “agents of the West,” Brown explained.
The Iranian regime has arrested numerous Christians in recent months as it seeks to keep control amid growing tensions. The regime believes that Christians are influenced by the West and, therefore, plotting the overthrow of the government, and recent events have likely made the regime’s crackdown on Christians even harsher. Iran was humiliated in 2025 in its war with Israel and then by the United States, when President Trump ordered the U.S. military to strike Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran is in the midst of massive demonstrations as protesters have taken to the streets, mainly over the regime’s failure to address an economic collapse. Trump has warned that he could take more action against Iran if it massacres protesters. One report indicates that the Iranian government has killed at least 12,000 demonstrators.
<h3>China Continues To Target Christianity</h3>
China dropped from No. 15 on the list in 2025 to No. 17 this year, but the communist country remains brutal toward Christians. In September, the Chinese government began to monitor the online activity of Christians, especially clergymen, more closely.
“This was in continuation to the churches they closed down the previous year — there’s been an increase in that — but now looking to clamp down on some of the online activity of Christians in the area, making it difficult for them to communicate or to worship,” Brown said.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-escalates-persecution-of-christians-with-more-shocking-arrests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> earlier this month that China arrested more prominent church leaders, detaining at least seven Christians affiliated with the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, a city in southwestern China.
Brown said that people in China also face persecution from their local communities when they convert to Christianity, adding that many converts lose out on job or school opportunities, while some get their water or electricity cut off.
See the full list, and read a detailed report on each country in this year&#8217;s list <a href="https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/persecution/countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Suicide Bombing Targets Church In Damascus, Leaving 20 Dead And Dozens Injured

2026 Watch List Reveals Biggest Increases In Christian Persecution Across The Globe

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We are at a critical moment in our shared history. A moment that calls for moral clarity and an unwavering commitment to justice. 
Christians around the globe are facing a genocide. And while President Donald Trump champions religious liberty in Syria after hosting the former al-Qaeda fighter-turned-president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and declares <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/11/trump-deserves-credit-for-focus-on-nigerian-christians/">Nigeria</a> a “country of particular concern” because of the slaughter of Christians, we cannot be naive.
Christian persecution is already here in America. Our nation is becoming a dangerous place for faithful believers to live.
We must stand up now for the persecuted not only as individuals but as a united front for our brothers and sisters around the world.
Policymakers, churches, and ordinary citizens have a moral responsibility to ensure our nation remains a beacon of hope and freedom for all, especially those persecuted for their faith.
I know something about persecution and the price of freedom. I grew up in Communist Romania, where the freedoms we now experience in America were stolen from its citizens. Speaking the truth meant imprisonment, torture, and even death. The government sought to control every thought, every word, every breath. That’s why I became a political refugee and found a new home in America in 1988.
A <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/new-poll-74-worry-americans-could-lose-our-freedoms-were-not-careful">2024 Cato Institute survey</a> found that nearly 74% of Americans worry that if we’re not careful, Americans could lose their God-given freedoms and liberties. An out-of-control regime can gradually build persecution against Christians, making small, incremental changes that could go unnoticed until it is too late. I know. I lived it.
In Communist Romania, Nicolae Ceaușescu’s regime controlled religious organizations by appointing loyal leaders, restricting activities, and nationalizing properties. Atheism was promoted through education and propaganda, portraying Christianity as outdated. Religious groups faced pressure to align with state policies, with non-compliance leading to imprisonment, job loss, or death.
The legacy of this persecution continues to shape the religious landscape in Romania today.
While the extent and nature of persecution differ significantly between Communist regimes and contemporary American society, there are parallels in the experiences of marginalization, pressure to conform, and struggles for expression. The challenges faced by Christians today often manifest initially in social and cultural pressures rather than outright physical persecution. And we are beginning to see signs of it here.
That’s why I’m joining the “<a href="https://www.washingtonpolicyinstitute.org/events/persecuted-and-prevailing-addressing-christian-persecution-in-the-modern-world/">Persecuted and Prevailing”</a> panel on December 4, 2025, at the Museum of the Bible to promote the truth, amplify our voices, and push for legislative action to support Christians.
As a human rights attorney in Communist Romania, I defended Christians, experiencing firsthand America’s crucial support. Congressmen Frank Wolf and Christopher Smith met with me often to discuss my cases, raising awareness among U.S. policymakers and the public about Romania’s dire situation. Their efforts drew media attention to the plight of Romanian Christians under the thumb of Communism, creating urgency for supporting persecuted believers.
Wolf’s actions shaped U.S. foreign policy to prioritize religious freedom, and the global impact included co-sponsoring the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/114/plaws/publ281/PLAW-114publ281.pdf">International Religious Freedom Act</a> (IRFA) of 1998, which established a framework to combat religious persecution worldwide and monitor and recommend policies. The Congressman also backed resolutions condemning persecution in Iran, Sudan, North Korea, and China, reinforcing human rights as a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy.
Now it’s our turn to carry the torch forward. Citizens who have the freedom to advocate for change must pressure policymakers to strengthen global religious liberty.
We are the voice for the persecuted who suffer in silence worldwide. If we fail to speak about oppression, like what I and many others endured in communist Romania, it will most certainly take root here. This generation needs to understand the fragile nature of freedom and the courage it takes to preserve it.
Using our voice and Constitutional rights to petition our government is the only way to protect our freedom and stand for truth. If we don’t use our voice today, we risk being silenced tomorrow.
When truth is distorted, freedom fades. Pray for discernment in a world clouded by lies. Live boldly, speak the truth in love, for true freedom flows from God’s presence, which has been with America since its founding. Remember, if God’s presence fades, so will our freedom.
* * *
<a href="https://www.virginiaprodanbooks.com/">Virginia Prodan</a> is an international human rights attorney, best-selling author of the memoir “<a href="https://virginiaprodanbooks.com/get-the-book-2/">Saving My Assassin</a>,” and host of the “<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/courageous-leadership-with-virginia-prodan/id1590554517">Courageous Leadership with Virginia Prodan</a>” podcast. She serves as an ambassador on the President’s Council for National Religious Broadcasters, a member of the Advisory Board of the American Christian Leaders for Israel, and an Allied Attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Revolution Flag and Crowd at Polling Place

I Escaped Communist Romania. I Recognize The Early Signs Of Religious Persecution.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

communism

congress

faith

murder

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Sudan

U.S. House of Representatives

Genocide doesn’t begin with weapons, it starts with words.
I saw it firsthand in Rwanda back in the 1990s.
“Are you Tutsi, Hutu, or Twa?” asked the teacher. A confused little girl was being reprimanded for not lining up properly. The question didn’t just divide a room, it foreshadowed a genocide.
The girl’s family had never spoken of tribes, they simply believed in letting children be children. That day, however, tribalism entered her life. Soon after, her parents were killed in the 1994 Rwandan genocide that claimed nearly a million lives.
What I witnessed in Rwanda decades ago echoes in today’s digital age.
Today’s tribalism hides in plain sight and it doesn’t carry machetes, it carries hashtags. Tribalism thrives in echo chambers, where social media turns strangers into enemies. It grows through cancel culture, where conversations are replaced by condemnation. It sharpens its edge with purity tests, where one mistake erases forgiveness. These aren’t harmless trends, they’re cracks that can split nations. “Othering” people puts everyone at risk.
Division begins quietly, with whispers. It ends violently, with annihilation.
<h3>Warning Signs Are Flashing Again</h3>
Before the Holocaust, the Jews were first singled out by prejudice, then by propaganda, followed by policy, and finally punishment. 
In Cambodia, intellectuals were targeted. 
In Bosnia, ethnic lines became death sentences. 
In Rwanda, ethnic identity was weaponized.
But persecution isn’t just a history lesson. History’s warnings aren’t relics, they are roadmaps. And right now, those same patterns are resurfacing. Across the globe, from Nigeria to North Korea, Christians are being targeted for practicing their faith. In the first century, Christians were burned alive to light Rome’s streets; now, in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Sudan, and beyond, believers are killed en masse for the same confession of faith.
The numbers are sobering: Persecution is no longer a fringe issue. Today, more than 380 million Christians worldwide endure high levels of persecution, according to  <a href="https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/">Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List</a>. In Nigeria alone, <a href="https://ewtn.co.uk/article-56000-killed-in-nigerias-ethnic-and-religious-violence-christians-disproportionately-affected/">16,769 Christians</a> have been killed in the last four years, a tragic pattern that has persisted since 2009.
Genocide never begins with weapons; it starts with whispers, quiet laws, subtle exclusions. If we fail to remember, fail to speak, fail to act, history will not just repeat; it will escalate. And that’s precisely why I’ll be joining other faith leaders to address the growing threat to Christians at the <a href="https://www.washingtonpolicyinstitute.org/events/persecuted-and-prevailing-addressing-christian-persecution-in-the-modern-world/">Persecuted and Prevailing</a> panel at the Museum of the Bible on December 4.
The suffering of Christians, or any group, must never be reduced to a talking point. Persecution is not a partisan issue, it’s a human dignity issue. Freedom is fragile, and its defense must unite us beyond party lines.
We must teach the next generation that ignorance breeds indifference and persecution isn’t political. It’s about human dignity, justice, and the value of life.
As Hebrews 13:3 reminds us: “Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.” That wisdom feels urgent today. Silence enables suffering, and ignoring persecution normalizes it.
<h3>Why I Speak Out</h3>
I speak not from theory, but from experience.
As a student in 1992, I lived in Russia as it staggered out of 70 years of enforced conformity under Communism. Freedom had returned, but trust was broken. Conversations carried a quiet grief, as an entire generation awoke to the truth that their God-given right to worship and think critically had been stolen. The devastation wasn’t only economic, it was spiritual and psychological.
That moment taught me that when lies become law and truth becomes treason, society unravels. Division doesn’t erupt overnight, it is cultivated through propaganda, fear, and silence. The lessons from Soviet Russia warn us that when words are weaponized, freedom dies long before the first shot is fired.
Years later, on the 10th anniversary of Rwanda’s genocide, I stood in villages still scarred by tribalism and visited prisons filled with remorseful men and women who’d been swept into the blindness of division. I met families led by children because their parents had been slaughtered. I worked to reunite Sudan’s “Lost Boys” with any family they had left after walking hundreds of miles to escape war. I remember their faces. I carry their stories. But my children and their entire generation don’t. They scroll headlines and hear fragments, but they don’t feel the weight of what I saw. That’s why I speak, and why we all should. If we don’t, history will whisper its warnings into an empty room.
<h3>The Choice Ahead</h3>
To Gen Z, educators, and parents, I say this: You hold the pen that writes tomorrow’s story. Will it be a tale of courage or complacency? Will we raise a generation that can spot propaganda, or one that repeats history’s mistakes?
Persecution anywhere is a threat to freedom everywhere. Our classrooms should teach more than dates and facts, they should teach empathy, vigilance, and responsibility. This is not about scoring political points or comparing pain. It’s about defending the dignity of every human life.
When we ignore any kind of persecution, we erode the foundation of freedom itself. History is not just a record of the past — it’s a warning for the future. Silence is not neutral — it’s surrender. And the cost of indifference is always paid in human lives.
The choice is ours. The time is now.
* * *
<a href="https://kerryhasenbalg.com/">Kerry Hasenbalg</a> is a writer, speaker, and tireless advocate for faith, freedom, and human dignity. As the founder of <a href="https://www.becomingfoundation.org/">The Becoming Foundation</a> and former Executive Director of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, Kerry has shaped global child welfare policy and worked in post-conflict regions to advance healing and justice. Follow her on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kerryhasenbalg/">Instagram</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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