US President Donald Trump's administration has been waging a propaganda war in Africa, targeting Christian Nigerians and Afrikaners. The president has threatened military action in Nigeria to defend Christians from alleged persecution, while also terminating the protection of South Sudanese immigrants who fear deportation.
Trump's narrative on this issue is part of a larger strategy to tap into white Christian nationalism, a far-right ideology that views racial and ethnic groups as having distinct territories. According to experts, Trump's approach feeds into his base's fears over immigration and demographic change while positioning the president as a defender of Christian values.
Critics argue that this narrative is misleading and riddled with fallacies. In reality, Christians in Nigeria have not been the exclusive target of violence, with much of the violence directed at Muslims who practice their faith differently. Research has shown that only about 50% of attacks on civilians in Nigeria targeted Christians because of their religion.
Meanwhile, Trump's decision to give Afrikaners priority for asylum is part of a similar narrative aimed at appealing to white Christian nationalists. However, Afrikaners do not see themselves as refugees and are more likely to view their own culture as distinct from white Christian culture in the US.
According to experts, this strategy allows Trump to justify limiting immigration of people who are not "white and Christian." This approach is rooted in a racist logic that prioritizes immigration policy based on perceived racial and ethnic identity. By signaling that immigration policy will prioritize "your own people," Trump is essentially preferencing conservative white Christians over those from other countries.
This narrative has been widely criticized as a form of xenophobia and Islamophobia, aimed at fueling fears among white Christian Americans about the impact of immigration on their country's demographics and culture.
Trump's narrative on this issue is part of a larger strategy to tap into white Christian nationalism, a far-right ideology that views racial and ethnic groups as having distinct territories. According to experts, Trump's approach feeds into his base's fears over immigration and demographic change while positioning the president as a defender of Christian values.
Critics argue that this narrative is misleading and riddled with fallacies. In reality, Christians in Nigeria have not been the exclusive target of violence, with much of the violence directed at Muslims who practice their faith differently. Research has shown that only about 50% of attacks on civilians in Nigeria targeted Christians because of their religion.
Meanwhile, Trump's decision to give Afrikaners priority for asylum is part of a similar narrative aimed at appealing to white Christian nationalists. However, Afrikaners do not see themselves as refugees and are more likely to view their own culture as distinct from white Christian culture in the US.
According to experts, this strategy allows Trump to justify limiting immigration of people who are not "white and Christian." This approach is rooted in a racist logic that prioritizes immigration policy based on perceived racial and ethnic identity. By signaling that immigration policy will prioritize "your own people," Trump is essentially preferencing conservative white Christians over those from other countries.
This narrative has been widely criticized as a form of xenophobia and Islamophobia, aimed at fueling fears among white Christian Americans about the impact of immigration on their country's demographics and culture.