Skip to main content.
Related sites:
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
Web religionnewsblog.com
Home | Site Menu | About RNB | RNB Store | Cult FAQ | Cult Experts | Apologetics Index | Cult Information Search Engine
Christianity, Islam, Religious Tolerance:

Norway: Christians, Muslims defend right to convert

AP, via the Jerusalem Post, USA
Aug. 22, 2007
www.jpost.com
  • Article Tools  • Share This Story

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 19119 • Posted: Friday August 24, 2007  

Click here... More articles on this topic: Christianity, Islam, Religious Tolerance

OSLO, Norway — Two important Christian and Muslim groups signed a joint declaration Wednesday supporting the right to convert between religions without fear of harassment as a basic religious freedom.

The Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relation and the Islamic Council of Norway, which have met regularly since 1993, said they believe this is the world’s first such joint declaration by national religious organizations.

“As far as we know, this is the first time that a church and representative national Muslim organization have jointly acknowledged the right to convert,” said Olav Fykse Tveit, secretary general of church council. “By issuing this declaration we hope to contribute to the international process on this important matter.”

About 85 percent of Norway’s 4.7 million people are members of the state Lutheran Church of Norway. There are about 72,000 registered Muslims.

“We reject and want to work against violence, discrimination and harassment due to a person wanting to convert or having converted from one religion to another,” said the declaration, signed by Tveit and Shoaib M. Sutlan, secretary general of the Islamic Council.

Sultan said conversion between Islam and Christianity was uncommon in Norway, “but it is still important to establish this important principle.”

Under many interpretations of Sharia, or strict Islamic law, conversion from Islam is forbidden, and can have serious consequences.

Technorati Tags: , ,

Religion News Blog RSS feed Subscribe: Religion News Blog RSS feed  |  Religion News Blog RSS feed Subscribe by topic: Christianity, Islam, Religious Tolerance
more cult news articlemore religion news More articles about Christianity, Islam, Religious Tolerance

Like this story?

Today's Most Popular Articles

Doctor Says...

Share this

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:




Article and Site Tools

» PermaLink to: Norway: Christians, Muslims defend right to convert
   Need a shorter link? You can remove everything after the final /
» More news articles + news archive on Christianity, Islam, Religious Tolerance
» More religion and cult news

Subscribe (RSS / Email) [What is RSS?]
» RSS News Feed - All Topics: Religion News Blog RSS Feed
» RSS News Feed - Single Topic: Christianity, Islam, Religious Tolerance
» Headlines by Email: Daily Religion News Blog Headlines

More Article Tools
• Bookmark / Tag: Del.icio.us
• Bookmark / Tag: Furl
Save this article
Email this article
Print this article [Temporarily out of order]

More Information
Books about Christianity
Relevant books (and other goodies)

About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.