Delivers remarks on religious freedom and human rights in Nigeria at International Christian Concern’s Annual Policy Day
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today delivered remarks at International Christian Concern’s (ICC) ‘Annual Policy Day’ on the topic of religious persecution in Nigeria. There, he described the horrific reality for thousands who have fallen victims to the war crimes of terrorist group Boko Haram, and the United States’ efforts to support religious liberty in Nigeria and to put an end to Boko Haram’s influence.
Sen. Cruz highlighted the story of Leah Sharibu, a 15-year-old Christian who is held captive by Boko Haram for refusing to renounce her faith, “For anyone watching this at home, you want to know what this battle is about? That’s what this battle is about. It is about evil and oppression trying to murder those whose faith differs from their own.”
He also spoke to his legislative efforts in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 to secure a provision requiring the Department of Defense to report terrorist groups, like Boko Haram, usage of human shields in order to address and modify defense techniques towards these challenges.
“We must take further action to ensure that the United States and our allies are prepared to counter Boko Haram,” Sen. Cruz said. “And second, to have the tools necessary to sanction its members and supporters. In this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, I am grateful that I was able to secure the passage of an amendment that I co-sponsored with Senator Donnelly that requires a report on the use of human shields by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram. This report includes a description of the lessons learned from the U.S. and its allies and partners in addressing the use of human shields, as well as a specific plan and action to incorporate those lessons learned into the Department of Defense operating guidelines, relevant capabilities, and techniques to address this challenge.
“Our brave soldiers, and sailors, and airmen, and marines, they go to extraordinary lengths to avoid civilian casualties during an operation, to only target the enemy. It is critically important they have reliable tools to target the Boko Haram terrorists and other terrorists across the globe and at the same time, save innocent lives.”
Sen. Cruz’s full remarks may be viewed here and below.
“Thank you very much, good morning. Welcome to Washington, and thank you for International Christian Concern’s leadership, for highlighting religious persecution. Thank you for shining a light. Light is powerful. And that’s what each and every man and woman here is doing today.
“Recent studies have found that Christians are the most widely persecuted religious group in the world. Christians suffer at the hands of both state and non-state actors. Their persecutors range from Islamic to Communist, and from religious extremists, to extreme atheists.
“According to a report by The Center for the Study of Global Christianity, between the years 2005 and 2015, 900,000 Christians were killed for their faith. That is roughly 90,000 men, women, and children each and every year.
“But as you know, certain parts of the world are much worse than others. Nigeria is a place in particular, where Christians—and indeed, peaceful people of all religions—are in great danger.
“All of you recall the infamous kidnapping of 276 Chibok schoolgirls from Borno State, Nigeria. The Islamic extremist group, Boko Haram, bragged about their horrific achievement. That was in 2014.
“In an exchange, 82 Chibok girls were released in May of 2017 after three years of captivity. As of this last winter, it is estimated that 13 girls are presumed dead and 112 are still missing.
“Imagine for a second, if a radical Islamist group had kidnapped nearly 300 American girls. Imagine if over 100 of our daughters were still missing today. Imagine the outrage, the heartbreak. That’s the reality in Nigeria today.
“The 2014 kidnapping was not an isolated incident: it is a tactic that the terrorist group uses to instill fear in society and to recruit children for their campaign.
“This past February, Boko Haram again captured over 100 girls from their school in Dapchi, in northeast Nigeria. Fortunately, all but one of the kidnapped schoolgirls from Dapchi have been freed – all except Leah Sharibu, a 15-year-old Christian. Her friends who returned said that Leah refused to renounce her Christian faith when threatened by Boko Haram.
“I ask everyone here to imagine. I suspect most, if not everyone here who are people of faith, I can tell you I’ve never had a terrorist group demand that I renounce my faith upon pain of torture and death. That’s the reality Leah’s facing right now.
“It reminds me of yet another instance. Meriam Ibrahim: a mother who was imprisoned in the Sudan for the crime of being a Christian. In the face of her captors, Meriam likewise refused to renounce Jesus. She was told, if she would only renounce Jesus she would be freed. But she refused. A young mother, she gave birth to a little girl while in leg irons in that prison, with her toddler son beside her. She was sentenced to 100 lashes and then hanged by the neck until death. All for the crime of refusing to renounce Jesus. But, there’s hope.
“Christians across the world lifted Meriam up in prayer. Christians across the world shine light and attention on her plight. And finally, Sudan could not stand that heat and light anymore, and praise God, they released Meriam.
“I’ve had the incredible privilege of meeting Meriam Ibrahim. She’s a young woman, not very tall. And I asked her, ‘When you were in that jail cell with your babies, how did you not abandon hope? How did you keep going?’ She just looked at me and smiled, she said, ‘Jesus was with me.’
“Leah Sharibu, likewise said, quote, she ‘would rather live free in captivity, than live in freedom as a captive.’ For anyone watching this at home, you want to know what this battle is about? That’s what this battle is about. It is about evil and oppression trying to murder those whose faith differs from their own.
“It is my sincere hope, that like Meriam Ibrahim, that I one day have the opportunity to meet Leah Sharibu.
“Thousands have fallen victims to the war crimes of Boko Haram. This terrorist group deliberately and systematically targets civilians, it targets schools, it targets religious institutions.
“The State Department depicts just how dire the situation is in Nigeria. Their 2017 International Religious Freedom report details 900 churches Boko Haram has targeted since their insurgency began. 900 churches.
“Moreover, Boko Haram’s targeting and coercive use of civilians in their terrorist activities also extends to hiding behind them as human shields. One of those craven and cowardly acts we see replicated by terrorists across the globe. This tactic puts more innocent lives at risk, as they take young girls and young boys in innocence, and use them to protect their ongoing terror activities.
“Part of Boko Haram’s barbaric and inhumane behavior includes not just kidnapping and murdering innocent people, but specifically exploiting children: using them as suicide bombers, robbing them of their future.
“As the father of two young girls, I think there is a special place in hell for those who hurt little kids. A lot of other crimes of passion you can understand someone in a bar fight, going after someone or someone else, you can understand that. That’s human nature. But the depraved evil that targets little girls and little boys, that kidnaps and tortures and murders them, there’s no ambiguity. It’s unmitigated evil.
“In 2016, the New York Times reported: ‘As it torments West Africa, Boko Haram is increasingly turning to children to carry out its crimes. One of every five suicide bombers deployed by Boko Haram in the past two years has been a child. One out of five, usually a girl, according to a report released Tuesday by UNICEF. Boko Haram used 44 children in suicide attacks last year, compared with only four in 2014, the report found. The youngest bomber so far was thought to be eight years old.’ An eight-year-old girl sent to die as an instrument of murder.
“In the first half of 2017, Boko Haram had already used four times as many children as suicide bombers in northeast Nigeria than it did in all of 2016. PBS reported: ‘Eighty-three children were used as ‘human bombs’ since the start of 2017. Fifty-five were girls, and 27 were boys, UNICEF said. In one instance, a baby was also strapped to a girl.’ A baby, was also strapped to a girl.
“Many captives are forced into early marriage and sexual slavery, while boys typically are forced to become child soldiers. And while persecution is mostly committed by non-state actors, it is enabled by governments that insufficiently protect religious minorities, and look the other way when instead they need help.
“That makes it all the more important that all of us support religious liberty in governments around the world, that we work to end the persecution and oppression of Christians and people of all faiths, and that we safeguard this liberty with great vigilance on our shores.
“And at the same time, we must take further action to ensure first that the United States and our allies are prepared to counter Boko Haram, and second, to have the tools necessary to sanction its members and supporters.
“In this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, I am grateful that I was able to secure the passage of an amendment that I co-sponsored with Senator Donnelly that requires a report on the use of human shields by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram. This report includes a description of the lessons learned from the U.S. and its allies and partners in addressing the use of human shields, as well as a specific plan and action to incorporate those lessons learned into the Department of Defense operating guidelines, relevant capabilities, and techniques to address this challenge.
“Our brave soldiers, and sailors, and airmen, and marines, they go to extraordinary lengths to avoid civilian casualties during an operation, to only target the enemy. It is critically important they have reliable tools to target the Boko Haram terrorists and other terrorists across the globe and at the same time, save innocent lives.
“I want to close the way I started, by thanking you. Thanking each of you. At times, when you’re facing great evil. When you’re facing terrorists committing unspeakable acts – you can feel powerless. You can feel like, ‘What can I do to stop it?’ Well, you’re doing it right now. There is power in shining a light. And I tell you today, that light is stronger than darkness, and truth is stronger than lies. And so, I commend you for standing and shining a light and speaking the truth. As the scripture tells us, the truth shall set us free.”