Religious or philosophical communities that accept the contribution of states that do not respect the right to freedom of religion or belief must be able to decline a grant. The government is now submitting a draft law for consultation.
It is proposed that a state administrator can decide to refuse a grant
"Financing of religious communities in Norway from foreign countries that do not respect the right to freedom of religion and belief may question important democratic values on which our society is based, such as mutual respect, tolerance, individual freedom of religion and expression, and free choice" - says Minister Kjell Ingolf Ropstad.
The Consultation Memorandum proposes that a state administrator may decide to refuse a grant if a religious or philosophical community receives one or more contributions totaling NOK 35 or more in one calendar year from a state that does not respect the right to religious freedom and opinions.
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The specification of this legal provision is currently being sent for consultation
It was when the Storting was considering a new law on religious communities last year that an amendment was introduced to the law that refuses to subsidize religious or philosophical communities that receive money from states that do not respect freedom of religion or belief. It is the substantiation of this legal provision that is currently being sent for consultation. It is important that the system is predictable and legally secure. Criteria for judging which states do not respect freedom of religion or belief must be objective, transparent and easy to administer. Emphasis should be placed on whether the state has acceded to the UN Convention on Civil and Political Rights, with Art. 18 of the Convention. The article talks about the right to freedom of religion or belief, whether the state is threatened with the death penalty, corporal punishment or imprisonment for apostasy or conversion to another religion, or whether the state has the death penalty for blasphemy.
However, the new legal provision will not prohibit receiving foreign scholarships.
"Religious and philosophical communities have the right to raise money for business, and subsidies can only be refused if the public receives subsidies from countries that do not respect the right to religious and philosophical freedom," says Ropstad.
If you do not agree with the government's assessments, you can normally make a complaint to the Department of Children and Family Affairs.
The application will now be sent for public consultation by October 15, 2021.
