Norway: Muslims put freedom of speech on the agenda

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Six years after the cartoon controversy exploded and led to threats, killings and destruction in the wake of the Danish Mohammed cartoons, debate started again after the American movie Muslim innocence and new Muhammad caricatures in a French satire magazine emerged.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: Nettavisen | Norway
By Trond Lepperod | October 24, 2012

Representatives of all the major world religions are coming to Furuset to discuss religion and expression on Thursday.
 
It is a topic of Ahmadiyya congregation put on the agenda Thursday when they invite representatives of all the major religon to his mosque on Furuset.

Six years after the cartoon controversy exploded and led to threats, killings and destruction in the wake of the Danish Mohammed cartoons, debate started again after the American movie Muslim innocence and new Muhammad caricatures in a French satire magazine emerged.

The question about the limits of freedom of expression and respect for religious taboos have again been burning policy.

With this conference, we hope to shed light on what is free speech and openness towards other religions, says Ahmadiyaa mosque spokesman, Fazal A. Anas told the online newspaper.

The meeting will be open to all.

Lectures Initiated 

The conference will be held on Thursday night and preceded by speeches from all the invited guests:

A spokesperson for, respectively, Catholics, Jews, Christians, Hindus and sikene come and speak, while the Norwegian convert Truls Bølstad will hold lecture on behalf of the Muslims .

He is a veteran of the Norwegian Ahmadiyya congregation.

- All shall begin with a forerag about his religious notion of free speech, says Anas.

From the Norwegian church come Oslo Dean Olav Dag Hauge.

For the first time

Anas says it is the first time Ahmadiyya congregation is hosting such a multi-faith meeting in the mosque on Furuset.

Ahmadiyya Muslims themselves are a persecuted group in many countries and is not recognized by the mainstream Muslims.

In view of representations of Muhammad in film, photos or drawings, they insist that this is contrary to the Koran.

There must be freedom of expression, but it must not be at the expense of respect for others, said Imam Shahid Mahmood Kahloon when Nettavisen visited the mosque earlier this month.


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