Swedish government aims at ban foreign funding religious groups

That is reported by Dagen. It is not the first time that the government tightens its control on religious communities. Earlier this month, it announced that religious communities must register themselves to be able to receive funds. By this compulsory registration, the Swedish authorities want to ensure that only communities that correspond to the “democratic conditions” are funded. According to the Minister of Integration and Migration, Anders Ygeman, several religious groups receive “significant financial transfers” in Sweden.

Ygeman argues that financial transfers can lead to “demands on how congregations should work, how they should interpret their religion and position.” The Swedish authorities say that by forbidding foreign funding to religious communities, these actors have less power to dictate how denominations should work.

“Violent extremism and anti-democratic attitudes have no place in Sweden”, Jeanette Gustafsdotter says. She is the Minister of Culture. According to Gustafsdotter, foreign actors trying to influence religious courses can lead to extreme and violence-glorifying directions.

No total ban

Currently, the Swedish authorities are considering a ban and discussing how the legislation should be formulated. They still have to decide, for example, whether the ban should apply to financial contributions from all countries, Dagen writes.

Furthermore, Ygeman, Integration and Migration minister, says he does not aim at forbidding all foreign funding. Instead, he wants regulation of them.

According to Ygeman, there is also a form of legitimate financing of religious communities from abroad. “We know that Swedish congregations, including the Church of Sweden, also work internationally. On the other hand, we want to exclude the extremist contributors who also try to control preachers and the content of sermons.” The ban should not only apply to Muslims but to all religious communities.