"What we see in Africa today is a kind of silent genocide or silent, brutal, savage war that is occurring in the shadows and all too often ignored by the international community... [J]ihadist groups are in a position to take over not one, not two, but several countries in Africa.... It's very dangerous for the national security of the United States.... Christians are going to be targeted and destroyed." — Alberto Miguel Fernandez, geopolitical analyst and former U.S. diplomat, Fox News, August 7, 2025, Mozambique.

The Islamic State (ISIS) released a newsletter praising its "mujahideen" [jihadists] for targeting and slaughtering the Christians of Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mozambique mentioned above, and urging followers to replicate these attacks in Europe.... It praises the massacres and beheadings of Christians inside churches, and attacks on Christian communities, all of which left "pools of blood." It calls on its followers to offer Christians three choices: "If they refuse Islam and the jizyah tax, the third option is murder." — MEMRI, August 8, 2025, Democratic Republic of Congo.

"Our conquering ancestors ruled with swords, advancing legions and leading the way, until they terrorized the nations of their time, who came to them willingly or unwillingly, surrendering and submissive. This is the truth, and anything beyond it is false." — ISIS newsletter, reported by MEMRI, August 8, 2025, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The "hearts still ache for revenge against the Christians of Europe. The call is still open to the heroes of Islam to attack them again and invade them in their own backyards and implement the divine rulings against them as their brothers did in Africa, and Allah will surely support those who support Him." — ISIS newsletter, reported by MEMRI, August 8, 2025, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Below are some of the more notable incidents of the ongoing genocide being carried out against Christians in Nigeria....

"The herdsmen chased and shot at farmers as if they were animals." — morningstarnews.org, September 1, 2025, Nigeria.

"The culmination of the efforts to stop the [church's] construction took place on Sunday, July 27, 2025. The construction committee was subjected to a mass lynching by government officials and residents...." — Rev. Puput Yuniatmoko, persecution.org, August 8, 2025, Indonesia.

"While the language of the draft agreement [between Azerbaijan and Armenia] is general in nature, it mentions combating intolerance, racism, and violent extremism. Absent from the list of vices to be countered was religious persecution and ethnic cleansing — longstanding practices of the totalitarian Azerbaijan regime." — persecution.org, August 14, 2025, Azerbaijan.

"During detention, we were forced to drink water from Lotas [vessels typically used in toilets]. One person would open their mouth while another poured water through the same vessel." — Zakria John, morningstarnews.org, August 20, 2025, Pakistan.

"Nabeel Masih, a 25-year-old Christian from Lahore, died... after years of neglect, abuse, and lack of crucial medical care. At 16....Masih was accused by a man named Akhtar Ali of posting a blasphemous image on Facebook....Police had the image removed to prevent unrest, erasing the only evidence that could prove whether Masih had posted it. " — morningstarnews.org, August 20, 2025, Pakistan.

Russia could theoretically be driven out of Ukrainian lands it occupies, including the Crimean Peninsula. But there is no guarantee that such an outcome would cure Russia's affliction with defensive expansionism and its thirst for revanchist response.

And that refers us back to the Florentine clerk: Do not wound a deadly enemy and let him live! Either kill him or turn him into a friend.

It is to Trump's credit that, unknowingly perhaps, he has pondered both options, with a tilt towards the latter.