Is violence ever justified? The dilemma of Nigeria’s Christians with Hassan John and Roger Bolton

More Christians are killed in Nigeria than in any other country in the world. According to the charity Open Doors almost nine in ten of the more than 5,600 Christians murdered worldwide during 2022 were in Nigeria. A report by the British Parliament, Nigeria: Unfolding Genocide? Three Years On, was released this week, and highlights the massacres. ‘When will the world wake up to the persecution of Nigerian Christians?’, asked a lone headline in the The Spectator magazine. Few other news outlets paid attention.

This week, Unbelievable host Roger Bolton speaks to Archdeacon Hassan John, an Anglican minister from Jos in northern Nigeria who has lived through much of the violence. A former journalist, he is now a church leader and campaigner for religious liberty, who tries to bring reconciliation between Christians and Muslims in the region. Hassan recalls harrowing tales of near-miss encounters with Islamic extremists and on-going anti-Christian violence which continues to tear apart communities. He also discusses how he and other Christians attempt to work with Muslim in their communities to prevent the violence.

The Unbelievable conversation will help listeners understand the complexity of the situation of Nigeria and beyond, as well as asking some of the bigger questions facing Christians being persecuted for their faith worldwide. Is it ever acceptable for Christians to respond to persecution with violence? How can Christians ever practice forgiveness and love for enemies who have killed or harmed their family and friends? And, more broadly, why does the Western media ignore the story in places like Nigeria?

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