Nicki Minaj, the Pope, and Donald Trump.  It sounds like the lead-in to a joke. But recently the rapper, the Pontiff, and the President addressed persecution in Nigeria. It's not surprising for the Pope to speak about religious persecution, as when he lamented the kidnapping of students  in Nigeria and Cameroon. Nicki Minaj, on the other hand…  Her commentary  and resharing of President Trump's social media announcement naming Nigeria a "country of particular concern"  for se

U.S. President Donald Trump’s Oct. 31 designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC) for the reported killing of Christians made global headlines. Trump declared that the United States would stand with “our CHERISHED Christians” around the world, threatening to halt all aid to Nigeria and even claiming the U.S. might take unilateral military action to “wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” if the Nigerian government

Sacred Sites as Educational Tools to Foster Diverse, Interfaith Relationships Indonesia is a country of nations. The sprawling archipelago of some 14,000 islands stretches from Sumatra in Asia to New Guinea in Oceania. Hosting 280 million people speaking more than 700 languages, diversity is the one commonality across the many peoples who call themselves Indonesians. Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit Jakarta for the first time. What brought me to Indonesia wa

A recent United Nations  report  documented Russia’s targeting of civilian populations in Ukraine with drone attacks and concluded they constituted crimes against humanity. During this almost daily onslaught, religious places are also attacked. In recent days, Russian  airstrikes  killed innocent civilians and damaged a church in the Donetsk region.   In stark contrast, the United States observed October 27 as “International Religious Freedom Day,” commemorating the day in 19

It was my privilege to collaborate with the McCain Institute in advising and co-editing this comprehensive report on religious persecution in China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. In addition to writing the introduction, I worked alongside many distinguished colleagues whose chapters provide rigorous analysis of this “Axis of Upheaval” and their systematic repression of individuals for their religious beliefs. Most importantly, every chapter includes recommendations for U.S.

So enjoyed my visit to Baylor University to speak about my book Ending Persecution. Many thanks to Dean Charles Ramsey for initiating, retired diplomat Joanne Cummings for being such a thoughtful and experienced conversant, and the Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society for hosting. Baylor is a special place, with my wife and many relatives attending, and Baylor University Press publishing my first book.

“We believe the church is an untapped powerhouse that could help end religious persecution.” By Randel Everett and Knox Thames Religious persecution impacts every faith somewhere in the world. Be it China’s broad oppression of Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists and Christians, or Boko Haram attacking churches and killing congregants, religious persecution is a daily reality for millions of people. The problem is enormous. What can we do from Dallas? On October 20 and 21, a u

To earn the ability to share about ultimate questions, we must first demonstrate care about immediate concerns. A pandemic of persecution victimizes Christians around the world . But from my 20 years of work advocating for religious freedom globally, I know they are not alone. A community of suffering includes Christians and their non-Christian neighbors also oppressed for their beliefs. While we must not forget our own, Christians are also invited to pray and advocate for a

Author photo On a recent drive from Knoxville to Richmond on I-75, I was surprised by the meager signage pointing travelers to a...

As the UN General Assembly kicks off, check out my interview on the “Just Liberty” podcast about how advocates of religious freedom...

It is a perilous moment for the international religious freedom movement. Over the past few decades, an array of advocacy networks have...

The mixed history of religious site reminds us that pluralism is always possible As a recent survey by the Pew Research Center...

Lawlessness and feckless governments in Latin America are failing to protect religious believers of all types The recent discovery of the...

Grateful to return to The Bulletin podcast to discuss the recent violence against the Druze in Syria—and what it signals for Christians...

Grateful to rejoin The Bulletin  podcast to explore how artificial intelligence is being weaponized for harm, as AI is fast becoming the...

Policymakers often underestimate religious leaders’ abilities to foster durable peace in conflict zones. But USIP saw their potential....

I appreciated the opportunity to speak before the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission) about...

Northern European Opportunities to Lead on Religious Freedom The Hanseatic League , a loose confederation of city-states around the...

Translating a shared value into shared action   Ten years ago, on June 15, 2015, something remarkable happened. For arguably the first...

A new report on Uyghur forced labor demonstrates how the Chinese Communist Party continues to adapt and find new ways to persecute. I...