US Congress Introduced Law on Christian Persecution in Nigeria
The bill is intended to commit the US government to increased pressure on Nigeria and to review measures against religious violence.
On February 10, several US congressmen introduced a bill that provides for regular State Department reports on religious freedom in Nigeria, particularly regarding persecution measures and cooperation with the Nigerian government. This was reported by Catholic Vote. The report should, among other things, assess the extent to which Nigeria complies with international standards for protecting religious freedom and what steps are being taken to combat violence against Christians and other religious groups. The background is ongoing attacks by extremist groups like Boko Haram as well as repeated kidnappings and raids on churches and communities.
The initiators of the legislation emphasized that the international community must respond more strongly to the situation. Nigeria was recently classified by the US as a country of particular concern regarding religious freedom issues. The new initiative aims to increase political pressure while simultaneously expanding support for victims of religious violence.
Previously, UOJ reported that armed men kidnapped ten believers during prayer in Nigeria.
