Frank Gaffney with Dede Laugesen, Nadine Menza & Charmaine Heading

Dede Laugesen (Save the Persecuted Christians), Charmaine Hedding (The Shai Fund), and Nadine Maenza (IRF Secretariat)

In this episode, Frank Gaffney speaks with three frontline advocates—Dede Laugesen, Nadine Maenza, and Charmaine Hedding—about how President Trump should apply his newly announced, tougher approach on Nigeria’s Islamist violence against Christians to his November 10 meeting with Syria’s president, Ahmed al-Sharaa. We discuss concrete steps that hold abusers accountable and create real disincentives for continued persecution.

Nigeria remains one of the deadliest places in the world to be a Christian. Advocacy groups report thousands killed this year alone—one estimate cites 7,000+ Christians in 2025—with attacks spreading beyond the north into the Middle Belt and south; Nigeria consistently ranks among the worst globally for faith-motivated killings. We outline targeted policy measures the U.S. can take now.

We also preview the White House visit by Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa—the first by a Syrian head of state—and the administration’s moves around that meeting (including sanctions changes). We examine why U.S. engagement should be conditioned on verifiable human-rights improvements and protections for vulnerable communities.