Washington: A compelling photo exhibit highlighting the struggles of persecuted Christians in Nigeria and Iraq came alive on Tuesday with a discussion led by Father Atta Barkindo of Nigeria and Father Karam Shamasha of Iraq. The event, titled “Seeing the Persecuted and Displaced: Experts Tell Their Stories,” was held at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine and will remain open until February 8, 2026. The discussion aimed to contextualize the images and the human stories behind them, emphasizing resilience, dignity, and faith under pressure.
The exhibit features the “forgotten faces” of Christians who have endured violence, displacement, and systemic persecution. Stephen Rasche, a theology professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville and senior fellow at the Religious Freedom Institute, curated the images, aiming to reveal “the spark of human dignity” in the faces of Iraqi and Nigerian Christians. Rasche, a longtime advocate for persecuted communities, also played a role in founding the Catholic University in Erbil in 2014 and has served as a representative to the Vatican on refugee and migration issues.
Father Barkindo elaborated on the challenges facing Nigerian Christians, highlighting a two-tiered problem: systemic government policies and violent attacks on communities. He traced the roots of northern Nigeria’s religious tensions to the dismantling of historical Islamic caliphates by British colonial authorities, which left deep-seated grievances.
“The ideology was well established, and it has fueled the physical violence we see today,” Barkindo explained. He also noted that state negligence and the failure to address security threats over decades have exacerbated the crisis, allowing violence to escalate unchecked.
As director of The Kukah Centre, Barkindo described grassroots initiatives aimed at peacebuilding and early-warning security measures across Nigeria’s 36 states. By training civilians in mediation, intelligence collection, and conflict prevention, the center has intervened in 23 states so far and seeks to extend coverage nationwide ahead of next year’s elections.
Father Shamasha recounted the persecution faced by Christians in Iraq, dating back to the early 2000s. He described how seminaries were repeatedly closed and how communities were displaced under ISIS, ultimately leading to the establishment of the Catholic University of Erbil. Shamasha emphasized that the university, supported by the Knights of Columbus, was designed not merely for survival but to allow young Christians to live with dignity and become future leaders.
“Thanks to God, we are still here,” Shamasha said. “We are fighting to remain not just numbers in these countries, but to be full members of society who can shine and give light to everyone around us.”
The discussion underscored the global significance of witnessing and advocacy. Barkindo expressed his gratitude for the American audience’s attentiveness, noting that international awareness provides vulnerable Christians with a sense of hope and refuge. The exhibit and accompanying dialogue aim to foster understanding, encourage solidarity, and inspire concrete action in defense of religious freedom worldwide.
The photo exhibit and talks provide a rare opportunity to humanize the statistics of persecution, giving the faces and stories behind the headlines the attention they deserve.