A pattern of Islamist violence

On the night on June 13 in Yelwata, Nigeria, up to 200 Christians were massacred by Islamic extremists, their homes torched, and their community shattered. This horrific event, reported by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, marks yet another chapter in the relentless persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Then on June 22, the Saint Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus, Syria, became another scene of unimaginable horror. A suicide bomber, linked to Muslim terrorists of the Islamic State (ISIS), detonated an explosive vest during Sunday Mass, killing at least 25 Christian worshippers and wounding dozens. The attacker opened fire before blowing up himself, leaving pews splintered and so many lives shattered. This massacre is also a chilling chapter in the systemic persecution of Christians, this time in the Middle East, where radical Islamic groups exploit instability, and Muslim-majority governments often fail to protect vulnerable minorities.

These attacks should compel Christians and non-Christians to speak for the vulnerable, raise awareness in the West about this ongoing tragedy, and call for a unified global effort to suppress militant Islamic attacks that target Christians with brutal precision.

The Yelwata massacre is not an isolated incident in Nigeria but part of a disturbing pattern. Since 2009, Boko Haram—alongside other groups like the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and radicalized Fulani herdsmen—has orchestrated a decades-long campaign of terror. According to the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), over 52,000 Christians have been murdered in Nigeria since 2009, with 8,000 killed in 2023 alone. Churches are razed—18,000 since 2009—schools are destroyed, and millions are displaced. Christian women and girls face abduction, sexual violence, and forced marriages.

The Nigerian government’s inaction, and at times alleged military complicity, has emboldened these militants, leaving Christians vulnerable and voiceless. The brutality of these attacks is unimaginable.

Why do these atrocities persist?

Nigeria’s complex dynamics—ethnic tensions, land disputes, and climate-driven migration—play a role, but the religious ideology driving these attacks cannot be ignored. Boko Haram and its allies aim to establish an Islamic caliphate, viewing Christians as obstacles to their vision. The government’s failure to prosecute perpetrators, coupled with reports of military collusion in the massacres, exacerbates the violence.

In Syria, the Saint Elias attack bears the hallmarks of ISIS’s brutal campaign against Christians. The group’s history reveals a strategy to eradicate Middle Eastern religious minorities, with specific emphasis on Christians. The Syrian government, now led by former terrorist Ahmed al-Sharaa, affirms that ISIS orchestrated the attack. Yet, the government’s Islamic roots and inability to secure Christian communities raise doubts about its commitment. This massacre underscores a painful truth: The violent efforts of radical Islamic groups thrive in the absence of robust protection.

The result is decimated Christian populations across the Arab world while the world simply watches. In Syria, the Christian population has plummeted from more than 1.5 million before 2011 to less than 500,000 today. In Iraq, once home to 1.5 million Christians, fewer than 250,000 remain. Egypt’s Copts, about 10% of the population, endure repeated attacks, such as the 2017 Palm Sunday bombings that killed 45. In Libya in 2015, 15 Copts were massacred and videoed by Muslims delighted to show the world how they applied Allah’s punishments against people whose only crime was devotion to Christ.

As in Nigeria, governments in the Middle East, whether due to incapacity or ideological bias, have consistently failed to shield Christians from radical Islamic violence. In Islam, a Muslim is never to be equated with a non-Muslim, let alone a Christian. The life of a non-Muslim is of less worth than a Muslim believer. This is why Muslim terrorists know there is a religious difficulty for a Muslim government to defend a Christian against a Muslim attacker.

The human toll is devastating, and the cultural loss is profound.

The international community must act to halt this genocide. Global powers should pressure Muslim governments to prioritize minority protection, and, where possible, tie aid and sanctions relief to concrete security measures. International coalitions should intensify efforts to dismantle jihadist networks.

For Christians in the West, this is a call to prayer and action. For all people of conscience, it is a plea to stand against injustice. The massacre of 200 Christians in Yelwata is not just Nigeria’s tragedy, and the murders at Saint Elias are not just Syria’s tragedy. They are humanity’s tragedy. Let us break the silence and work together to end this persecution, working until no more lives are lost to the horrors of militant Islamist and jihadi violence.