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Religious Freedom & PersecutionWriting for The Washington Stand, Arnold counts more than 130 Christians killed in three attacks in one week, and argues that America’s level of commitment to religious freedom abroad matters to those who face persecution.
About This Story
This is an FFN summary of a commentary published October 29, 2026 by Joshua Arnold, senior writer at The Washington Stand, which is supported by the Family Research Council.
Arnold writes that the past week was one of the deadliest for Christians worldwide in recent memory, with gunmen killing more than a hundred in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Jordan. He says the news reminds American Christians of the daily needs of believers abroad, and that it raises the stakes of Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections. All three attacks, he notes, came the weekend before International Religious Freedom Day, October 27.
Friday
Northeastern Nigeria
- Gunmen attacked a Christian community, firing on people as they fled into a river.
- At least 62 people were killed and 52 wounded, and thousands fled their homes.
- Arnold says Islamist militants have killed tens of thousands of Christians in Nigeria over the past decade.
Friday
Hmoud village, east of the Dead Sea
- Three unnamed terrorists opened fire on Christians gathered for a funeral outside St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church.
- Jordanian authorities have suspects in custody.
- Arnold calls it the only one of the three attacks where government authorities have acted to protect Christians.
Saturday
Oromia state
- Ethiopian Orthodox Christians suffered a series of attacks in which more than 60 people were killed, including five children, and 20 houses were burned.
- A survivor described an ambush in which attackers surrounded victims on all sides.
- A local official blamed a rebel coalition, Alliance for Survival, which includes the Oromo Liberation Army.
A Disputed Account in Ethiopia
Arnold reports that the Christian Emergency Alliance said surviving witnesses claim regional authorities collaborated with Islamist militias in the massacre. That is a claim by witnesses relayed by the group. Arnold’s piece also records the local official’s different attribution. Neither account is independently verified here.
Common Ground
Arnold says international religious freedom finds supporters in both parties, citing a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that passed the Senate unanimously on September 30.
The Difference
He argues the parties differ in how strongly they commit. In his view, what matters to persecuted Christians is whether governments and militant groups believe America will act, not only watch and warn.
The Ministerial
Arnold notes the Trump administration hosted the first Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in 2018, and that it has been held annually since, but that hosting passed to nonprofits after the Biden administration declined to continue it in 2021.
The Policy Shift
He argues the Biden administration rejected a foreign policy centered on religious freedom in favor of one emphasizing LGBT issues and abortion. He cites former USCIRF Commissioner Nina Shea, who described the shift as moving away from even calling it religious freedom.
Additional Context
How the Record Has Been Debated
Arnold’s account of the Biden administration’s record is one side of a long-running debate. Reporting from the time shows both criticism and defense. The USCIRF analysis cited below also found that designations have rarely produced policy change under any administration.
Critics’ Points
- USCIRF and rights advocates criticized the administration’s late-2021 removal of Nigeria from the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list, and Nina Shea called it a failure to carry out responsibilities under the 1998 Act.
- Commentators faulted the 2021 religious freedom report for pulling punches on some countries, including Nigeria.
- Later reporting noted the Trump administration returned Nigeria to the CPC list.
Defenders’ Points
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged in 2021 that the administration would protect and defend religious freedom worldwide.
- The 2021 State Department report sharply criticized China, Russia and North Korea, and the 2021 CPC list included Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
- USCIRF Vice Chair Nury Turkel praised the administration’s use of targeted sanctions and other tools, and a White House official in 2021 looked ahead to a UK-hosted ministerial.
A 2024 USCIRF analysis found that, across 164 CPC designations over the years, only one binding agreement and three new sanctions followed, concluding that the mechanism is better at condemning violations than changing policy.
The Faith Dimension
Hope in the Face of Persecution
Arnold closes with Scripture. He cites Paul’s words in Romans 8:36 about being regarded as sheep to be slaughtered, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 on the hope of resurrection, writing that survivors in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Jordan are likely consoled by those promises. He adds that this hope should also motivate action now, and argues that believers who can vote may use their vote to help suffering Christians abroad. That conclusion is the author’s own view and is not an endorsement by FFN of any candidate or party.
Source: “130 Christians Slaughtered in 3 Different Countries” by Joshua Arnold, The Washington Stand, October 29, 2026. Additional context drawn from published reporting by The Christian Post, CNA/EWTN News, Christianity Today and The Washington Times. This page is an FFN summary, not a reproduction of the original.
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