Muslim umbrella organization established

General Secretary Mehtab Afsar in Islamic Council Norway.Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

New Muslim umbrella organization established

Mosques and Muslim organizations are dissatisfied with Islamic Council Norway and Methab Afsar have now formed a new Norwegian Muslim umbrella organization.

The new organization was founded Monday this week. The purpose is to work with religious dialogue, writes Vårt Land.

 Later the newspaper is informed that the founders have been associated with Islamic Council Norway (IRN).

 Several mosques and organizations, which together represent up to 35,000 members, have talked about signing out of IRN. This corresponds to almost half of the organization’s total membership.

 After our country experiences, the new organization will not be a competitor for IRN in all other sub categories and work areas.

Religious dialogue

 Instead, one will concentrate on being active in religious dialogue, a work that many believe has been neglected under the leadership of Secretary General Mehtab Afsar.

 Early in March, IRN employed a staff member who carries the comprehensive Nikab garment, a move that has been hardly criticized, both internally and politically. Later, the Secretary-General of Intermediate Council, Berit Hagen Agøy, criticized the IRN for the nikab appointment.

 – Have they considered what effect this has on the dialogue with the big community? She asked at a meeting of the Co-operation Council for Belief and Life-Society (STL).

 According to Vårt Land, the Secretary-General of the Islamic Council has not been willing to be interviewed.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today