KUALA TERENGGANU, Nov 5 — When Donald Trump threatened to attack Nigeria under the pretext of defending Christians, Dr. Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi saw through the façade. To him, this was not about faith — it was about power, profit, and political survival.
In a statement on Facebook, the Terengganu leader said Trump’s sudden outburst reflects a deeper strategy: rallying his Christian voter base while paving the way for America’s renewed hunt for oil, gas, and rare earth minerals across Africa.
“There was no trigger for this threat. It appeared out of nowhere, and that’s exactly why we must question it,” Dr. Khalil said. “It’s a mask — a way to disguise waning U.S. influence behind a moral excuse.”
He linked Trump’s worldview to the Christian Zionist lobby, a political force that fuses faith with nationalism and shapes much of Washington’s policy on Israel and the Muslim world.
But times are changing, Dr. Khalil noted. The Palestinian resistance under Al-Aqsa Flood has forced many Americans — including Trump’s once-loyal supporters — to question the blind loyalty to Israel. Even conservative icons like Tucker Carlson have broken ranks.
Dr. Khalil then turned the moral lens back on Trump: if he truly cared for Christians, why did he not condemn Israel’s bombing of Gaza churches or the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Christian journalist?
He warned that Trump’s rhetoric is part of a new colonial narrative, one seeking to reclaim Africa under the cover of humanitarianism.
“This is not a crusade — it’s a campaign for control. And history has seen this playbook before,” he said.
Dr. Khalil ended his statement by urging global leaders to seek justice and truth, rather than weaponizing religion for political conquest.