John Cleese blasts world's silence on Easter massacre of Nigerian Christians by Islamist terrorists
At least 26 worshippers were killed and churches burned in three separate Easter attacks in northern Nigeria
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Monty Python" actor John Cleese warned this week that the world has failed to live up to the ideal of saying "Black lives matter" when it ignores anti-Christian terrorism in Nigeria.
Numerous news sources around the world, including The Associated Press, reported that according to local military and officials, at least 26 people were killed in three separate Easter attacks in northern Nigeria. This has caused multiple prominent commentators to not only criticize the terrorism rife in the region, but the silence of the international community that they argue is politically-motivated.
"It looks rather as though Black Lives Don't Matter," Cleese lamented on Tuesday, adding what appears to be a sarcastic critique of liberal media by writing, "Also, writing about it would damage the image of the murderers who killed these poor people."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}John Cleese speaks onstage during "An Hour with John Cleese: There Are Those Who Call Him...John!" session during the 2024 Dragon Con at Atlanta Marriott Marquis on Aug. 31, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Cleese had been responding to a post from the Chair of the DOJ Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and Senior Counsel at The Justice Department, Leo Terrell, who had asked, "Why isn’t the world talking about the massacre of Christians by Islamist terrorists??!!!!"
While Cleese is very much a liberal himself — condemning President Donald Trump and his allies frequently — he has been on an ongoing multi-week campaign blasting how liberalism has turned a blind eye toward radical Islam. He had recently made headlines for condemning a mass Muslim prayer that occurred in Trafalgar Square, a British military memorial.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}These gatherings follow a growing trend of mass Islamic prayers of up to thousands of people in iconic Western landmarks. While these are often organized with government permission, critics like Cleese argue these displays represent a cultural gesture of domination, occupying highly symbolic public spaces to signal a shift in national identity.
CHRISTIANS TARGETED IN SYSTEMATIC KIDNAPPING CAMPAIGN IN NIGERIA BY JIHADI HERDSMEN, EXPERTS SAY
People gather at the scene of the attack in Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Samson Omale/AP)
Cleese also made waves by tweeting, "The UK has always been based at the deepest level on Christian values, regardless of dogma. Despite the many mistakes made by churches, for centuries British people have been influenced by Christ's teaching. If these values are replaced by Islamic ones, this will not be Britain any more."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}John Cleese is one of many British public icons who were once liberal darlings, but have since spoken out against far-left dogma, similar to how "Harry Potter" author J. K. Rowling has since waged a long-term campaign against transgender ideology.
Another prominent example includes atheist commentator Richard Dawkins, the author of "The God Delusion," who has argued that Christianity is something of a bulwark for European civilization and has identified himself as a "cultural Christian."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}John Cleese poses for the 23rd annual German Comedy Awards at Studio in Koeln Muehlheim on Oct. 2, 2019, in Cologne, Germany. (TF-Images/Getty Images)