Washington D.C., Aug 21, 2013 / 16:37 pm
Several U.S. religious liberty groups are renewing calls for the federal government to officially recognize Nigerian Islamic extremist group Boko Haram as a terrorist organization for its violent attacks against Christians.
"Those who continue to wantonly kill Christians solely because of their faith should not be tolerated when available steps can be taken to curb this kind of genocidal terror," Benjamin Bull, chief counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom, said Aug. 20.
"Boko Haram is eminently qualified to be designated as a foreign terrorist organization. We encourage the State Department to make that designation sooner rather than later so that fewer people will lose their lives needlessly."
Alliance Defending Freedom, based in Washington, D.C., co-authored a July 25 report and formal petition on Boko Haram with the Virginia-based Jubilee Campaign, which defends the rights and freedoms of religious minorities overseas. The report and petition were sent to Secretary of State John Kerry.