Comedian and talk show host Bill Maher ignited debate on Friday’s episode of Real Time with Bill Maher after suggesting that global media has largely ignored reports of widespread violence against Christians in Nigeria because “Jews aren’t involved.”
During a panel discussion with South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, Maher argued that alleged mass killings of Christians by Islamist extremist groups have received little international attention compared to other global conflicts.
“Well, because the Jews aren’t involved. That’s why. It’s the Christians and the Muslims. Who cares?” Maher remarked, after Mace noted that coverage of the violence in Africa is scarce in mainstream outlets.
Citing figures that claim over 100,000 Christians killed since 2009 and 18,000 churches burned, Maher asserted that extremist groups like Boko Haram are carrying out what he called a “genocide attempt.” He went further, comparing it to ongoing conflicts elsewhere:
“This is so much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza. They are literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country. Where are the kids protesting this?”
Only a handful of U.S. lawmakers have raised the issue this year. In March, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), chair of the Subcommittee on Africa, held a hearing calling the violence a form of “religious cleansing” and urged Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action.
However, the Nigerian government has rejected claims of a targeted genocide against Christians. In a statement Sunday, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation called the allegations “despicable,” “baseless,” and “divisive.”
Minister Mohammed Idris emphasized that while terrorist groups have carried out brutal attacks, they are not exclusively targeting one faith:
“Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is a gross misrepresentation of reality. These criminals target all who reject their murderous ideology, regardless of faith.”
Idris warned that oversimplifying Nigeria’s complex security issues risks fueling further division:
“Muslims, Christians, and even those with no religion have suffered. We must not let extremists exploit religion to divide us.”
As Maher’s comments stir discussion, the debate continues over how international media frames religious violence and whether certain crises receive more attention than others.
