Nadine Maenza is nearing the end of a two-year term as chair of United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and a four-year term as a commissioner. USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan government agency that monitors religious freedom worldwide and…
Christian leaders in Africa and Britain, in their Easter messages, call for peace, forgiveness and love
In African countries including Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Mali and South Africa, the weeks preceding Easter were marked by lamentation, sorrow, tears and blood as terror attacks and counter attacks by government forces — along with natural disasters — killed…
With pending return of Benin Bronzes, the Smithsonian approaches a more modern ethical standard
Since becoming king of the Benin kingdom in southern Nigeria, Eheneden Erediauwa has embarked on a vigorous campaign to retrieve many of the kingdom’s artworks, lost or looted from the royal palace over the past century and a half, and…
Nowhere near the war zone, Africans feel the heat of the Russia-Ukraine war in their pocketbooks
As the war in Ukraine continues to rage on — leading to loss of lives and a refugee crisis in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Moldova and other countries — even the African continent, thousands of kilometers away, is feeling the…
Fate of children removed from Christian orphanage in Nigeria two years ago still unknown
Update: Soon after this article was published March 4, news arrived that Richard Solomon Musa Tarfa had that day been convicted in a Nigerian court on a charge of forgery. His law firm was awaiting additional court documents but said…
Did hosting the Africa Cup of Nations competition help to heal the wounds of the Cameroonian crisis?
In a tweet she shared last year after a virtual meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, described football (soccer in America) as a “humble ball that knows no borders, opens dialogue and…
Nigerian State government shuts down Baptist school over hijab conflict
A Baptist school in Ijagbo, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, has been shut down by the state government after a breakdown of law and order in the school. The decision to close Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo, was announced Feb….
The struggle to rotate presidential power between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria
In Nigeria, two things matter to many voters about those seeking presidential office: the ethnic background of the aspirants and the religion they profess. In fact, in the calculation of some, the latter is more important than the former. Ahead…
A conversation with Lynn Tramonte: Immigrants are our neighbors, and they deserve respect
Lynn Tramonte is both committed and consistent when it comes to advocacy for immigrants. The author, writing coach and nonprofit leader is motivated by her own concern for the plight of the world’s refugees and immigrants. And regardless of who’s…
Another year, more conflict in Africa; where’s the off ramp?
In what may feel like a repeat of last year, large parts of Africa kicked off 2022 facing violence, political unrest, poverty and hunger. Demonstrations in Sudan and a crackdown on protesters by security forces made headlines in local and…
These Afghan immigrants know firsthand what it’s like to arrive in America, and they want to make life better for the new arrivals
One of the unforgettable images of 2021 is Afghan citizens clinging to a moving plane at the Kabul airport in a desperate bid to escape from the country after the fall of Afghanistan’s government to Taliban fighters. Some of the…
This agency already has resettled 600 Afghan refugees in Houston
In the last several months, the United States has welcomed more than 74,000 Afghans who fled their country after the Taliban seized power in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal of troops from the country. One of the organizations that…