Webinar | A U.S. Resolution for Nigeria

Will Congress Resolve to Hold Nigeria Accountable for Widespread Religious-Based Violence and Oppression?

Human rights activists are mobilizing Americans to urge their representatives to support an important resolution for Nigeria. H.Res.82 sponsored by human rights champion Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, is expected to come up soon for a vote in Congress.

If passed, the resolution would express the sense of Congress on “the need to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom” in direct opposition to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

In January, Blinken went against the advice of the bipartisan, independent U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to name Nigeria among those countries worthy of sanctions and other punitive measures for its failure to reign in religious-based violence according to the mandate of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRF Act) of 1998.

A growing coalition of religious rights advocates in and out of government hopes the House will take up and pass H.Res.82 before Congress breaks in June, but opposition in Congress and other considerations may derail it.

In this STPC webinarour experts explain why Nigeria should be designated as a CPC, what hurdles stand in the way of the resolution, and what ordinary Americans can do to help get it passed.

MODERATOR:

- Frank Gaffney, President and CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians; Founder and Executive Chairman of the Center for Security Policy; Host of Securing America with Frank Gaffney on Real America’s Voice Network

PANELISTS:

- Eric Ueland, Visiting Fellow, The Heritage Foundation; former Acting Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights; Served in the Trump White House as Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs) – Topic: “What is USIRF’s response to Sec. Blinken’s failure to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, and how would that designation help the victims?”

- Doug Burton, Editor, Truth Nigeria (TruthNigeria.com), award-winning investigative reporter and former staffer at The Washington Times; leading expert on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria; former staffer at U.S. State Department in Iraq) – Topic: “What have TruthNigeria’s investigators revealed about religious and ethnic-based violence and oppression in Nigeria? What’s driving the violence and who are the victims?

- Rev. Ihyula Remigius, Catholic Diocese of Makurdi Director of the Foundation of Justice and Peace in Benue State; acts as a first responder for reporting on attacks in Benue) – Topic: “A case study: Tracking Violence in Benue”

- Dr. Gloria Puldu, President, The Leah Foundation) – Topic: “Nigerians want and need Americans to speak for thousands of voiceless victims”

- Hon. Robert Destro, Former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor; Professor of Law at Columbus School of Law; Founder of the Interdisciplinary Program in Law & Religion at Catholic University) – Topic: “How ordinary people can urge their congressional representatives to support H. Res. 82”