US-based Trinidadian rapper and singer Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, popularly known as Nicki Minaj, addressed the United Nations on Tuesday and called for urgent measures to protect Christians in Nigeria facing alleged deadly attacks. He stressed that his work consists of defending human rights and religious freedom, not taking sides.
Below is the full text of his speech:
Hello everyone. I must say that I am very nervous. So, then, please.
Well, thank you, Ambassador Waltz, for this invitation. It is an honor to be on this stage with you and the other distinguished speakers here today, to highlight the deadly threat facing thousands of Christians in Nigeria. I would like to thank President Trump for prioritizing this issue and for his leadership on the world stage, and for calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria, combat extremism, and end violence against those who simply want to exercise their natural right to freedom of religion or belief.
I am here as a proud New Yorker with a deep sense of gratitude to live in a country where we can worship God freely and safely, regardless of one’s creed, background, or politics. No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion, as I recently said on social media. And we don’t have to share the same beliefs in order to respect each other.
We are far beyond thinking, hoping, or assuming that the person sitting next to you has exactly the same beliefs. We are beyond that. That’s ridiculous.
But that shouldn’t make a person feel less safe than anyone else in any room. Music has taken me all over the world. I have seen how people, regardless of their language, culture or religion, come to life when they hear a song that touches their soul.
Religious freedom means that we can all sing our faith, regardless of who we are, where we live, and what we believe. But today faith is under attack in too many places. In Nigeria, Christians are being attacked, driven from their homes and killed.
Churches have been burned, families have been destroyed, and entire communities live in constant fear, simply because of the way they pray. Unfortunately, this problem is not only growing in Nigeria, but also in many other countries around the world, and requires urgent measures. And I want to be clear. Protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides or dividing people. It’s about uniting humanity. Nigeria is a beautiful nation with deep religious traditions and many beautiful bars that I can’t wait to see.
When a church, mosque or place of worship is destroyed, everyone’s heart should break a little. And the foundations of the United Nations, with its core mandate of ensuring peace and security, should shake. I am joined here today by the peacebuilders, the religious leaders, those who saw the violence, saw the rise of intolerance, saw clearly the threats before us and decided not to look the other way.
I am inspired by their work to build interfaith bonds, see humanity beyond the lines that could divide us, and fight for the safety and freedom of all those who pray. I look forward to our discussion today and hope that it fosters deeper solidarity so that we urgently work together to ensure that all people can enjoy the right to believe, to worship and to live in peace. Barbs, I know you’re somewhere listening.
I love you very much. You have been the defining light in my life and career for so long. I appreciate you and I want to make it very clear once again that this is not about taking sides.
It’s about standing up to injustice. This is what I have always stood for throughout my career, and I will continue to stand for it. For the rest of my life, I will care if someone somewhere is being persecuted for their beliefs.
Thank you.
READ ALSO TOP STORIES OF Newslodge