Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM
Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2358-C

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC - Two of Nigeria's most important religious leaders, Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, and Rev. Dr. John Onaiyekan, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Abuja and president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, will be on Capitol Hill to discuss the challenges they face in addressing Nigeria's recurring inter-religious and ethnic violence. They will discuss the causes of sectarian violence, the ongoing dynamics between the Muslim and Christian communities, and ways forward for Nigeria. Also, as co-chairs of the government-sponsored Nigeria Inter Religious Council (NIREC), they play a prominent civic role in addressing some of the major problems facing their country today. Over 12,000 people have died in sectarian violence in Nigeria since 1999, and inter-religious tension remains high in large parts of the country.

Sponsored by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

RSVP:  Tom Carter, USCIRF Communications Director at tcarter@uscirf.gov, (202) 523-3257.