The Research Directorate was unable to ascertain the degree of YMCA involvement in demonstrations and sectarian violence in Nigeria. No reported deaths among its membership were found in sources consulted. Efforts to contact Nigerian representatives of the National Council of YMCAs of Nigeria by email and phone were unsuccessful.

The YMCA is mentioned twice among sources consulted by the Research Directorate in relation to Christian/Muslim conflict. First, following the February 2000 Kaduna riots in Northern Nigeria, Today Newspaper reported, "several Churches in Tudun Wada and Unguwar Sanusi [in Kaduna, North Local Government] were burnt. The Secretariat of Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) were also burnt [sic]" (Feb. 27-Mar. 4 2000).

Second, the Abuja Mirror reported in March 2000:

The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) has called on Nigerians to live in peace and harmony in order to forestall a future occurrence of acrimony, destruction of lives and property, and intolerance among the various religious and ethnic groups in Nigeria.

According to Mr. Sola Afuye, deputy national general secretary of the national council of the YMCA, while speaking exclusively to Abuja Mirror, "I do not feel good about the religious crisis as a citizen of this country. We in the YMCA pray that Nigerians would learn to accommodate one another and live in peace and harmony.

Mr. Afuye revealed that the national executive committee of the YMCA's meeting in March will likely deliberate on the crisis with a view to helping victims with relief materials.

...The association, he said, is open to Muslims, Christians, and people from other religious bodies. "In countries where other faiths are dominant, sometimes as many as 90% of the members are Hindus Buddhist or Moslems (15-21 Mar. 2000).

YMCA Affiliations

According to the Secretary General of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), C.O. Williams, the YMCA is affiliated with CAN. He described its membership and that of the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) as comprising

... the Roman Catholic Church, the Christian Council of Nigeria and others. The Christian Council of Nigeria consists of the main-line churches - the old accredited Protestant churches, Methodist, Anglican, Baptist, Salvation Army, Presbyterian and so on - and some affiliated organizations such as the YMCA, YWCA and the Boys' Brigade (Canada 25 Apr. 1996).

Among source materials consulted, the Research Directorate found no evidence that this affiliation has since been changed. Please see NGA35038.E and NGA34952 of 22 September 2000 for detailed information on CAN and on Christian-Muslim conflict in Nigeria.

The CCN, seemingly now called the Christian Council of Churches (CCC), (Vanguard 13 Feb. 2001; Christianity Today 11 Jun. 2001) "... traces its origins back to 1929 [and]... is one of the founding members of CAN... which was set up in 1976 (World Council of Churches 9-14 Jan. 1996). CAN is referred to as a Christian "umbrella group" (Christianity Today 7 Feb. 2000; Worthy News 2000; Ecumenical News International 21 Jan. 1999; Canada 25 April 1996). It comprises, according to the World Council of Churches, "[the CCN,] the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, two Pentecostal Fellowships, the OAIC-Nigeria Region and TEKAN/EKWA Fellowship (World Council of Churches 9-14 Jan. 1996). According to reports, the CCC remained affiliated with CAN as late as June 2001 (Christianity Today 11 Jun. 2001).

CAN is actively challenging the introduction of Islamic Law at the national and regional levels (Christianity Today 4 Sept. 2000; ibid. 7 February 2000). A Christianity Today report described CAN as "a leader in the anti-Shari'ah movement" (11 June 2001). Weekly Trust reported that, according to a Muslim leader, CAN sought to "destabilize Sharia in Nigeria and counter Islamic religious propagation by portraying the religion as a religion of intolerance and violence.... These incidents... point clearly to calculated and planned strategies to destabilise..." (Weekly Trust 7 Dec. 2001). Further, in an article published in the newspaper Vanguard, University of Lagos professor and founder of the National Association for Religious and Ethnic Tolerance, C.S. Momoh writes, "... I can say without fear of any contradiction that CAN (Northern zone) and [Jama'atu Nasril Islam, a Muslim umbrella party] are the two main vehicles of religious bigotry and intolerance in Nigeria (23 Sep. 2001).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Abuja Mirror. 15-21 March 2000. "YMCA Reacts on Sharia." http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~n.today/mnew154.htm [Accessed 14 January 2002]

Canada Standing Committee On Foreign Affairs and International Trade. 25 April 1996. "Evidence (Christian Association of Nigeria)." http://www.parl.gc.ca/committees352/fore/evidence/13_96-04-25/fore13_blk101.html [Accessed 16 January 2002].

Christianity Today. 11 June 2001. "Nigeria Officials Press Northern Governors to Scale Back Islamic Law." http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/124/44.0.html [Accessed 17 January 2002].

_____. 4 September 2000. "Churches Challenge Islamic Law." http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/010/21.38.html [Accessed 17 January 2002].

_____. 7 February 2000. "Nigeria's Churches Consider Legal Challenge to Islamic Laws." http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/0020/20.28.html [Accessed 17 January 2002].

Ecumenical News International. 21 January 1999. "Corrupt Public Officials in Nigeria Face Expulsion from Churches." http://lists.essential.org/shell-nigeria-action/msg00128.html [Accessed 17 January 2002].

Today Newspaper [Abuja]. 27 February- 4 March 2000. "2,500 Lives Lost." http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~n.today/today152.htm [Accessed 14 January 2002].

Vanguard [Lagos]. 23 September 2001. Prof. C.S. Momoh."Vehicles of Religious and Ethnic Intolerance in Nigeria." http://www.vanguardngr.com/news/articles/2001/September/23092001/n8230901.htm [Accessed 14 January 2002].

_____. 13 February 2001. "Women March in Protest Against Legalisation of Abortion." http://allafrica.com/stories/200102130209.html [Accessed 17 January 2002].

Weekly Trust [Kaduna]. 7 December 2001. Musa Umar Kazaure. "Group Wants CAN Probed." http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200112060692.html [Accessed 17 January 2002]

World Council of Churches. 9-14 January 1996. "Consultation with African Instituted Churches." http://www.pctii.org/wcc/Nigeria%20Jan%2096.html [Accessed 17 January 2002].

Worthy News. 2000. Obed Minchakpu. "Nigerian Churches will Challenge Islamic Law." www.worthynews.com/news-features/compass-nigeria-sharia.html [Accessed 17 January 2002].

New African (2000-2001)

West Africa (2000-2001)

IRB Databases

LEXIS/NEXIS

World News Connection

Internet sites including

Allafrica.com

Amnesty International Online

Daily Times (Lagos)

The Guardian (Lagos)

Human Rights Watch

Nigeria World (Lagos)

Nigeria.com

The Post Express (Lagos)

West African Review

Search engines

Altavista.com

Allafrica.com

Google.com

MetaCrawler.com

Yahoo.com