{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":" Break the Silence, Stop the Slaughter in Nigeria","description":"According to the United States Institute of Peace, Nigeria, \u201cas Africa\u2019s most populous country, largest economy, and biggest democracy,\u201d is a \u201cbellwether for the continent.\u201d  In fact, by 2050, Nigeria will likely have the fourth largest population in the world, behind India, China, and the United States. According to former Representative Frank Wolf, as \u201cgoes Nigeria so goes western Africa.\u201d The persecution of religious minorities anywhere is a terrible thing, but Nigeria\u2019s growing status in the world makes the ongoing persecution of Christians there even more troubling. For years now, Boko Haram and Muslim Fulani militants have killed, raped, kidnapped, and sought to cleanse parts of northern Nigeria of its Christian population. All the while, the government of Nigeria has embraced a policy of indifference, if not complicity, in what is rightly called \u201cgenocide\u201d by observers both inside and outside the country. Still, tragically, what the world continues to hear about Nigeria hasn\u2019t been enough for alarm to become action. That makes the \u201cNigeria\u2019s Silent Slaughter\u201d campaign, a project of the International Committee on Nigeria, so very important. The International Committee\u2019s report, \u201cGenocide in Nigeria\u201d is the most comprehensive account available of the atrocities there. Please, if only to better pray for your brothers and sisters in Nigeria, read it. It\u2019s available at SilentSlaughterNigeria.com. While you are on that site, click on the interactive Calendar, which tracks the number of Nigerian Christians killed, injured, or abducted day by day over the last 10 months. Seeing the numbers listed, day after day, visually transforms these tragedies from isolated headlines to ongoing and systemic persecution. For instance, on 4 July 2020, five Nigerian Christians were killed and another six were abducted. That was, relatively-speaking, a good day for Nigerian Christians. One week later, 29 were killed and 90 were driven from their homes. But worst day in July was the 19th, when 44 were killed, 31 were injured, and 1 person was abducted. Though the extent of violence directed at Nigerian Christians can seem unreal, it is, to borrow a line from the movie \u201cArmageddon,\u201d \u201c\u2026as real as it gets.\u201d The resources available at silentslaughterNigeria.com should convince anyone of that words like \u201cgenocide\u201d or \u201ccrimes against humanity\u201d are not being used for mere effect, but are, rather, the only appropriate terms that can be used. Even more, I pray these resources convince all of us to stand up for our Nigerian brothers and sisters. First, direct your friends, family members and pastors to the interactive calendar at silentslaughterNigeria.com. We\u2019ll also link to it at BreakPoint.org. From this calendar pray for the Christians at risk there. Second, let your elected leaders know that what is going on in Nigeria is very much \u201cour problem.\u201d At minimum, countries like the United States must be willing to admit refugees from genocidal violence. This is something that the Trump administration has promised, but now refuses to consider. On the contrary. As WORLD Magazine\u2019s Mindy Belz has pointed out, the flow of refugees, including Christian ones which both the President and vice-President vowed to help, has come to an almost complete halt. Another thing we need to do is stand for religious freedom. The plight of our brothers and sisters in Nigeria is not the only reason, but all the reason we need, for American Christians to care about religious freedom in our country. You see, we have the capacity to care for the persecuted around the world and the ability to pressure to countries that persecute religious minorities. As Stephen Enada, Director of the International Committee on Nigeria told me on today\u2019s BreakPoint Podcast, its precisely our commitment to religious freedom that gives the United States a distinct \u201cedge\u201d over other nations.  You can hear my conversation with Stephen Enada at breakpoint.org. Born in Nigeria himself, Stephen offers a full picture of what I\u2019ve introduced by this commentary. And finally Each Wednesday morning between now and the day after the election, at 10:30 eastern time, we are praying for our nation, for the revival of the church, and for the most vulnerable among us, which includes the persecuted Christians of Nigeria. This week, we will be led by Pastor Garland Hunt. Please join us. You can register at BreakPoint.org. Again come to BreakPoint.org As the International Committee on Nigeria says, Break the silence. Stop the slaughter. ","author_name":"Breakpoint","author_url":"https:\/\/breakpoint.org","html":"