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It looks like Islamophobia is spreading all over the world!!!

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArti ... ernational

Well actually I don't see anything wrong with this, if it really is the reason as citied in the article. Its mucn more sensible than not building it just because some people don't want it there.

As far as I can make out, it hasn't objected or disallowed the mosques to be built just that they don't agree from where the funding is comming from. If say for example an Emarati stepped in and donated the money and they still made up some excuse not to build it, then I guess we could call it another case of Islamphobia

There seems to be a lot of politics to unravell. What is a foreign minister doing involved in this kind of thing? If someone wants to build any type of building, it is normally a matter for the planning council.

Is the donor asking the Norwegian goverment to build a mosque on his behalf? Why else would the Norwegian government care where the money is comming from?

blueshift wrote:Why else would the Norwegian government care where the money is comming from?

Most countries do want to monitor large foreign donations. Americans can correct me if I am wrong, but I do believe non-American citizens are not allowed to donate to American political parties. Foreign donations might be a sensitive issue, because of the unwanted influence it might give. This also applies to large foreign donations to religious institutes. I dont know much about Norwegian tax laws, but in quite some countries and cases donations to religious institutes is exempted from tax, and so might even be used for laundring money.
I think the Norwegian government is in its right to monitor foreign donations and even deny them when they suspect something is wrong, distrust the source, or as in this case are missing reciprocacy.

Flying Dutchman wrote:

blueshift wrote:Why else would the Norwegian government care where the money is comming from?

Most countries do want to monitor large foreign donations. Americans can correct me if I am wrong, but I do believe non-American citizens are not allowed to donate to American political parties. Foreign donations might be a sensitive issue, because of the unwanted influence it might give. This also applies to large foreign donations to religious institutes. I dont know much about Norwegian tax laws, but in quite some countries and cases donations to religious institutes is exempted from tax, and so might even be used for laundring money.
I think the Norwegian government is in its right to monitor foreign donations and even deny them when they suspect something is wrong, distrust the source, or as in this case are missing reciprocacy.

Donating to a mosque is like donating to a church. They're houses of worship. Ain't nothing political about that.

Sure, Norway has the right to stop the donation, but that will unnecessarily deprive the Muslims in that area from having their own place of worship.

Instead, Norway can allow the funding to go on but with putting certain conditions on the building of the mosque and its activities. Later on, they can continue monitoring the activities of the mosque, and if they find any violations, they can easily shut them down!!!

Tom Jones wrote: but that will unnecessarily deprive the Muslims in that area from having their own place of worship.

This will not be the first mosque in town.

I'm with DDS and FD on this one - the Norwegians do allow mosques, and I think should have the right to vet foreign donations.

I've friends who've been to Norway and visited mosques there - the muslim community there is growing and gets on well with the wider community - with frequent functions held in mosques and community halls.

Cheers,
Shafique