Nicki Minaj shocked fans by accepting a role working with the Trump administration to ‘spotlight’ the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
She is due to join the US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, for a speech at the UN later today.
Earlier this month, Donald Trump claimed that Nigeria is ‘allowing the killing of Christians’ and threatened military action.
He claimed that Islamist extremist groups were killing Christians ‘in very large numbers’ but the Nigerian President Bola Tinubu insisted people ‘across faiths’ were targeted.
Waltz wrote on X: ‘[Minaj] is not only arguably the greatest female recording artist, but also a principled individual who refuses to remain silent in the face of injustice.’
He continued: ‘I’m grateful she’s leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria, and I look forward to standing with her as we discuss the steps the President and his administration are taking to end the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters.’
According to the BBC, groups monitoring the violence say there is no evidence to suggest Christians are being killed at a higher rate than Muslims.
It’s unclear exactly what Minaj’s new role will look like, beyond being a celebrity endorsement of the claims.
Minaj replied: ‘Ambassador, I am so grateful to be entrusted with an opportunity of this magnitude. I do not take it for granted. It means more than you know.
‘The Barbz [a nickname for her fans] and I will never stand down in the face of injustice. We’ve been given our influence by God. There must be a bigger purpose.’
Some fans, however, have not met her announcement with enthusiasm, accusing her of endorsing right-wing rhetoric and becoming ‘the new Candace Owens’.
JolinaJasmine wrote on X: ‘“I will never stand in the face of injustice” while siding with Trump is crazy. Pack it up. Take your hypocrisy elsewhere.’
‘Moved over to the right all bc she got called out a few years ago for spreading COVID vaccine conspiracies about balls,’ said nolaboy96.
‘Is this an album rollout for her?’ joked Dansnewgen as Holmennswift asked: ‘Is there nobody else more qualified?’
Booboothephool added: ‘In what way do you think the barbz were destined to help manufacture a foreign conflict over religious bull that largely doesn’t support or care for their gay asses? Everything u’ve done was for that?’
‘Influence from God? Come on. This isn’t a divine mission, it’s PR cosplay,’ said Itsselenamaris. ‘The “Barbz vs injustice” act is getting tired power doesn’t equal purpose, and fan armies aren’t a moral compass.’
Her replies were also flooded with positive messages, particularly from other Christians who thanked her for ‘using her platform’.
‘Hey Nicki, that’s incredible – your strength and loyalty inspire us all!’ wrote YanaSn0w1.
Stan account ChrisOnikaTingz said: ‘So proud of you, my Queen. Your courage to speak on real issues especially the suffering of Christians around the world means more than words can say. God bless you for standing with the persecuted and not being afraid to shine light where others stay silent.’
‘You’re making us Barbz so immensely proud of you each and every day!!!!!’ said thebalticbarb.
‘This is no different than Kim K meeting Trump for prison reform. Yall forgave that … I don’t want to hear it,’ replied Shortkingvibez.
Minaj previously spoke out about the situation in Nigeria, stating that ‘no group should ever be persecuted for practising their religion.’
She added: ‘We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other. Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror and it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice.’
Texas Senator Ted Cruz claimed that since 2009 ‘over 50,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred, and over 18,000 churches and 2,000 Christian schools have been destroyed.’
However, the Nigerian government branded this a ‘hoax’ and called it a ‘misrepresentation of our complex security reality, which affects citizens of all faiths.’
Daniel Bwala, a special adviser to the Nigerian President, told PBS: ‘As a responsible government, we refuse to approach the fight against terrorism from a profiling point of view. That’s why we discourage the idea that it is a target — targeted Christian — it’s a hoax. It’s a hoax.’
He added he hoped the relationship with America would ‘strengthen’ their ability to tackle terrorism.
Metro has reached out to Nicki Minaj’s team for comment.
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