Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va. are calling out attacks on Christians abroad and asking the Trump administration to prioritize defending them.
The two legislators introduced a congressional resolution last week denouncing the persecution of Christians around the world.
The document specifically condemns “the persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority countries” and encourages “the president to prioritize the protection of persecuted Christians in United States foreign policy.”
It cites Open Doors’ World Watch List 2025, which found that more than 380,000,000 Christians across the globe suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination as a result of their Christian faith. It then provides specific examples of targeted attacks, including the killing of at least 50 Christians on Palm Sunday in Nigeria this year and mob violence against Christians in Pakistan.
The resolution “encourages the president to use all diplomatic tools available, including trade and national security discussions and negotiations, to advance the protection of persecuted Christians worldwide and within Muslim-majority countries.” It emphasizes that Christians can be helped through the stabilization of the Middle East, something Moore noted in a statement about the document.
“Unfortunately, decades of U.S. foreign policy blunders have exacerbated this crisis, with ethno-religious cleansing accelerating in Iraq after our failure to stabilize the country following the 2003 invasion. We as lawmakers cannot continue to sit idly by. I urge my colleagues to join me in condemning the persecution of Christians across the globe,” he said.
The West Virginia congressman also referenced the attack at Mar Elias Church in Syria when discussing why he introduced the resolution.
“During a divine liturgy in Damascus last month, an Islamic jihadist opened fire on worshippers and detonated an explosive device—killing at least 30 and wounding dozens more. These examples illustrate the violence and death Christians face on a daily basis,” Moore noted.
Hawley said that Christians are obligated to condemn the crimes perpetrated against their brothers and sisters around the world.
“Our country was founded on religious liberty. We cannot sit on the sidelines as Christians around the world are being persecuted for declaring Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We must condemn these heinous crimes,” the Missouri senator said.
“Year after year, the number of Christians murdered by extremists in Nigeria has numbered in the thousands. Millions more have been displaced. We cannot allow this to continue. I urge my colleagues to join me in condemning the persecution of Christians around the world by supporting this resolution,” Hawley said.
In recent years, Moore and Hawley have both been open about the importance of their Christian faith. In May, the West Virginia congressman, who is a Catholic, introduced a House resolution to celebrate the election of the first American pope. Hawley is a Protestant and has written at length about America’s Christian heritage.
The bill is endorsed by ADF International; Heritage Action for America, an independent partner organization affiliated with The Heritage Foundation; the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; and CatholicVote, among others.