Mahmood Moskén, Malmö
The building was completed in 2016 and this mosque serves the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Malmö. It is one of the most ambitious mosques ever built in Sweden. The Muslim Times has the best collection of articles on the theme of interfaith tolerance
Source: Weekly Blitz
By Robert Spencer
“Imagine how amazing it would be that more people could encounter the love of Allah…”
“Imagine how amazing it would be that more people could encounter the love of Allah…”
…
“Church committee votes yes to Islam: ‘Great for more to encounter the love of Allah,’” translated from “Kyrkomötet röstade ja till islam: ‘Fantastiskt att fler får möta Allahs kärlek,’” Fria Tider, December 8, 2018 (thanks to Denny):
Domestic. During the Church of Sweden’s meeting in November, the Sweden Democrats’ critical initiative on dropping calls to prayer was voted down, reports the Christian newspaper The Day. Among the arguments of the other participants was the opportunity for more people to meet the “love of Allah.”
The Church committee is the highest decision-making body of the Swedish Church.
Prior to the November meeting, the Sweden Democrats, who had 24 mandates, had suggested that the Church of Sweden should have a critical attitude towards the Islamic prayer call.
However, the motion was voted down by a large majority.
206 voted against and 26 for.
Among those who argued against the motion was Artemis Lumarker from Open Church, a nomination group within the Swedish Church.
“Imagine how amazing it would be that more people could encounter the love of Allah and God, and what we get out of the meeting with each other,” he said, according to the Day, and also claimed that SD is trying to “dehumanize” other people….
Social Democrat Isak Öhrlund explained, on the other hand, that the Church should be “a progressive and open force” in society, writes the Day, and therefore one cannot be critical of prayer calls.
Suggested Reading
Pew Research Center: 66% in France Have a Positive View of Islam
Australia senate appoints first Muslim woman amid race row
Europeans’ Attitude Towards the Muslims: The Glass is More than Half Full
Populism in Europe rooted in Islamophobia
Integrating Europe’s Muslims – Javier Solana
75% Reject Islamophobia in Australia
How Islam Taught Medieval Christian Europe Religious and Political Tolerance
Assimilating the 44 Million Muslims in Europe; A Collection of Articles
Building the Case for Loving Co-existence of All Religions in Europe
Insights to Tackle Islamophobia in Europe
Today is the Anniversary of Goethe – Was He a Muslim?
The Muslim Times’ Editor’s comment:
We want to thank the Church of Sweden for their generosity and interfaith tolerance.
The Church of Sweden (Swedish: Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with 6.0 million baptised members at year end 2017 it is the largest Christian denominationin Sweden.
It is the largest Lutheran denomination in Europe and the third-largest in the world after the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.[2] A member of the Porvoo Communion, the Church professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity. It is composed of thirteen dioceses, divided into parishes.[3] It is an open national church which, working with a democratic organisation and through the ministry of the church, covers the whole nation. The Primate of the Church of Sweden is the Archbishop of Uppsala — currently Antje Jackelén, Sweden’s first female archbishop. Today, the Church of Sweden is an Evangelical Lutheran church.[4]
As we are in Europe I do not object to Church bells. In exchange I hope the ‘old inhabitants’ do not object to the Muslim call to prayers. In Zurich one journalist ‘arranged’ a call to prayers from a Swiss church and then checked the reactions from passers-bye. Actually the reactions were mostly positive, some even saying ‘this is more beautiful than just the bells’ !!!
One day they will realise the importance of call to Islamic prayer?
and the beauty …
The decision to ban the call to prayer is unfortunate. What’s worse is the fact that humanity is progressing by leaps and bounds, and toleration for others beliefs is quickly going downhill. True peace can not be achieved unless people learn to coexist harmoniously.
The fact that a decision to ban the call to prayer is even being made is shocking. Clearly, this is unfair. Everyone has the right to worship how they want to, and this argument creates more negativity in the community, and even more hatred towards the Islamic religion, more than it already has faced. It is quite unfortunate that people are not able to live in unity and cannot respect the beliefs of others. If Church bells are not banned than why is the call to prayer being questioned? The mission for creating world peace will remain impossible unless all religions are respected, equally.
One day they will realise the importance of Islamic prayer