In an interview with ARISE News on Monday night, Mohammed stated that although the 1998 International Freedom of Religious Act gives the US the legal right to put pressure on nations that do not respect religious freedom, it does not give the US the authority to declare war or use force in response to such issues.
The United States passed the International Freedom of Religions Act in 1998. With regard to religion, religious worship, and religious customs, that legislation gives the United States the authority to put pressure on any nation that is acting improperly.
Nigeria was previously listed under the Act in 2001 and 2002, but the matter was settled peacefully via discussion, the former envoy remembered.
“The fact that President Trump has vowed to punish Nigeria with war, attacks, or invasion is concerning in his statements thus far. Mohammed remarked, “This has never happened before.”
Mohammed pointed out that the IFRA was not meant to support threats of war, but rather to encourage justice and accountability in how countries address religious issues.
In order to ensure that you treat everyone fairly, they want you to be honest. They will also put pressure on you and your nation to perform once you fail.
He emphasized that the legislation was not intended to excuse violence, but rather to promote justice and progress.
“The Act does not grant the United States the authority to declare war on a country due to religious breaches. There is more to Trump than meets the eye, as seen by what he has done or promised to do. In due course, we might learn the reasons.
His comments coincide with increased international focus on the purported persecution of Christians in Nigeria and Trump’s recent threat of military action.
The U.S. president threatened to “go in guns blazing” if the Nigerian government did not halt the alleged murders of Christians in a post on his Truth Social account on Saturday.
“The USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria and may very well go into that now-disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities if the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians,” Trump wrote.
The Nigerian president responded to the escalating controversy over the weekend by refuting any allegations of a “Christian genocide” and reiterating that the nation is still a democracy dedicated to equality and religious freedom for all of its residents.
