Tragedy struck the West African nation of Burkina Faso earlier this month when a gunman killed 14 people worshiping in a Christian church.
The attack took place in Hantoukoura, a village in the Est area, a region particularly susceptible to terrorist attacks over the last year. The Independent reported, “An Islamist insurgency has ignited ethnic and religious tensions in Burkina Faso, rendering large parts of the country ungovernable, especially in northern areas bordering restive Mali.”
Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Christian Kabore tweeted, “I condemn the barbaric attack against the Protestant Church of Hantoukoura in the department of Foutouri, which left 14 dead and several wounded. I offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded.” Sadly, this kind of violence is nothing new: Terrorists have been terrorizing Burkina Faso for several years, attacking law enforcement, innocent civilians, and often targeting religious groups.
Je condamne l’attaque barbare contre l’Église protestante de Hantoukoura dans le département de Foutouri qui a fait 14 morts et plusieurs blessés.
Je présente mes condoléances les plus attristées aux familles éplorées et souhaite prompt rétablissement aux blessés. RK— Roch KABORE (@rochkaborepf) December 1, 2019
The persecution of Christians around the globe, but especially in Africa and the Middle East, is nearing “genocide” levels, according to a 2019 report commissioned by the U.K. government. The report estimated that 1 in 3 people suffer from religious persecution, and Christians were the most persecuted group. It found that in the near future, Christians could be “wiped out” from the Middle East, and Christianity itself could disappear altogether in some countries.
This state of affairs is stunning and sad.
Whether we appreciate it or not, the First Amendment ensures that all Americans can thrive within a system that allows religion to flourish freely. The assurance that our government will never force a citizen to believe in religion, force them to disavow their religion, or establish a religion for the entire country, is what encourages many religions to thrive. Statistics show that many groups of religious people are happier than nonreligious people, and thus, religious freedom benefits society as a whole.
It is with these beliefs firmly in hand that the United States should do more to help persecuted Christians around the globe. The recent attack on Christians in Burkina Faso sparked a conversation on social media about how and why America doesn’t do more to spread awareness and stop the persecution.
Christians are often a vulnerable minority (e.g. in areas of the Middle East, Asia and Africa). Those of us who live in majority Christian countries have to make the protection of Christians a much higher policy priority. I honestly don’t know why we don’t do this naturally. https://t.co/AQJJmhZcak
— Eric Weinstein (@EricRWeinstein) December 2, 2019
Nathan Wineinger of 21Wilberforce, an organization that aids persecuted people of faith, told me in an email:
As a global superpower that thrives economically because of its freedom, it is imperative that the U.S. leads the way in helping people persecuted for their faith around the globe.
Americans must make more of an effort to stay informed about religious persecution in Africa and the Middle East, spread awareness of persecuted believers, and encourage lawmakers and private organizations to do their part in curbing this epidemic. The U.S. has the means to help the less fortunate in countries that would seek to wipe out entire groups of people for their faith. Now, we just need to find the courage and will to do so.
Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner‘s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
