logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2022
27m 9s

Conversion Norway-style

Bbc World Service
About this episode

In 2007 Christian and Muslim leaders in Norway controversially recognised for the first time in modern history, the right to convert between the two faiths without harassment or impediment. They also called for all missionary work to be conducted “without force or manipulation".

The “Joint declaration on the freedom of religion and the right to conversion” was welcomed as an important contribution to inter-faith dialogue in the Scandinavian nation. But it was also seen by some Muslims as recognizing the right to abandon Islam, which is considered apostasy and punishable as a criminal offense in many Muslim countries. It was similarly criticised by some of Norway’s evangelical churches, which saw it as disavowing their central missionary role.

Reporter Maddy Savage travels to Norway to hear the stories of some of those who’ve chosen to convert from one of the two faiths to the other; and to ask whether the joint declaration played any role in their life changing decisions.

Up next
Apr 2023
The Church's slave plantation: Part one
What are the consequences of the Church of England's historic slave plantations in Barbados today? Theologian Robert Beckford considers why and how the Church's missionary arm, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, got involved in the slavery business. He travels to Barb ... Show More
27m 8s
Apr 2023
The Church's slave plantation: Part one
What are the consequences of the Church of England's historic slave plantations in Barbados today? Theologian Robert Beckford considers why and how the Church's missionary arm, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, got involved in the slavery business. He travels to Barb ... Show More
27m 8s
Apr 2023
Sikhism’s lost song
In the heyday of the Sikh Empire, Kirtan - Sikh hymns - were performed using stringed instruments such as the sarangi, rabab and taus. The rich, complex tones these instruments create are said to evoke a deeper connection to Waheguru (God). But in the late 19th Century, these tra ... Show More
27m 9s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2014
Unbelievable? 7 Jul 2007 - Does the Koran justify terrorism?
Justin is joined by Ibrahim Mogra of the Muslim Council of Britain and Christan evangelist Jay Smith as they discuss what drives young muslim radicals to become terrorists. Jay says that the Koran needs to be re-interpreted to prevent these acts; Ibrahim argues that the Muslim co ... Show More
1h 12m
Jan 2021
EP 218: He Once Wanted To Ban Islam | Joram Van Klaveren
Joram Van Klaveren is a Dutch politician, he was formerly part of the Party for Freedom which advocated for the banning of the Quran and other anti-Muslim stances.  While writing a book against Islam, he came to understand the incorrect views he held against the faith and accepte ... Show More
1h 42m
May 2024
The Issue of Apostasy in Islam
One of the most common accusations leveled against Islam involves the freedom of religion. The problem, according to critics: Islam doesn’t have any.So what are these critics talking about? Like the issues of stoning and hand chopping, apostasy—the generic act of renouncing or le ... Show More
39m 38s
Feb 2023
Islam without Compromise with Moazzam Begg
The war on terror, a US-led strategy that saw deadly interventions in the Muslim world, has transformed a generation of Muslims. Some, like my guest today, unwittingly got caught up in this mindless campaign and 21 years after the events of 9/11, we still feel the aftereffects of ... Show More
1h 7m
Dec 2023
David M. Freidenreich, "Jewish Muslims: How Christians Imagined Islam as the Enemy" (U California Press, 2023)
Uncovering the hidden history of Islamophobia and its surprising connections to the long-standing hatred of Jews.Hatred of Jews and hatred of Muslims have been intertwined in Christian thought since the rise of Islam. In Jewish Muslims: How Christians Imagined Islam as the Enemy  ... Show More
57m 6s
Nov 2022
My Journey from the Far-Right to Islam with Joram van Klaveren
Joram van Klaveren understands the far right in Europe, this is because he was one of them. As a leading member of Geert Wilder’s Dutch Freedom Party and MP in parliament, he argued for a Netherlands without Islam. This was until he decided to write a book to attack Islam, and hi ... Show More
39m 5s
Feb 2021
Saudi Woman Risked Everything When She Converted from Islam to Christianity: Her Personal Story
She's a native of Saudi Arabia, raised in a conservative Muslim home. But Nouf, who prefers not to say her last name for security reasons, has lost nearly everything she holds dear, because she converted to Christianity. She lost custody of her two sons, her wealthy family has di ... Show More
30m 52s
Jun 2023
Violence Against Tribal Christians in Manipur, India
In May 2023, violent clashes between two communities erupted in India’s Manipur state, leaving entire villages burned and displacing tens of thousands. The ongoing conflict is between the state’s majority Hindu Meitei community and the Christian Kuki population and has seen the d ... Show More
15m 17s