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Malmö mosque owned by group with Qaddafi ties

Published: 28 Feb 11 15:23 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/32318/20110228/

Malmö’s Islamic Center won't likely be affected by recent UN sanctions issued against Muammar Qaddafi, despite the Center being owned by a Libyan organisation founded by the embattled Libyan president.

Since 2008, the Islamic Center in Malmö has been owned by the Libya-based World Islamic Call Society, a group founded by Qaddafi.

Following the recent violence in Libya, the United Nations has ordered sanctions against the Libyan leader and people close to him.

But the Islamic Center’s president Bejzat Becirov anticipated that this would not affect operations in Malmö, saying that the mosque has not been subject to any form of pressure from Libya.

“The organization is autonomous from the government in Tripoli,” Becirov told the TT news agency.

The Libyan organisation assumed ownership of the buildings in Malmö after the Islamic Center experienced financial difficulties.

The Center's facilities were purchased in July 2008 for just less than 33.3 million kronor ($5.3 million).

"We tried to get help from the city of Malmö,” said Becirov.

“In the end, this was the only thing left. Otherwise, the banks would have taken the land.”

Professor Jan Hjärpe, an Islamologist at Lund University, describes the World Islamic Call Society as a charity that Qaddafi started in the 1970s to gain a little goodwill in the Muslim world, where he was then regarded as a "heretic".

“It's too early to say what impact the recent events in Libya might have on the mosque in Malmö. It all depends on what the developments will be in Libya," Hjärpe told TT.

He added, however, that he thinks the World Islamic Call Society will remain the same, regardless of the regime in Tripoli.

"Anything else would send the 'wrong' signals," he said.

The UN sanctions against Libyan assets abroad only concerns actual individuals.

At the top of the list is Qaddafi, who is followed by members of the regime who are still loyal to him.

As a result, the ownership of the mosque isn't covered by the sanctions, according to foreign ministry spokesperson Kent Öberg.

“If someone reports it as a sanctions crime, then the police would investigate it in the usual manner,” Öberg told TT.

TT/The Local/kh (news@thelocal.se)

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16:31 February 28, 2011 by SarahPalin
That mosque will stay as it is, too many people will die by the religion of peace if anyone in the media has the guts to say it should be seized, shuttered etc

True?
16:32 February 28, 2011 by Querist
Perhaps it's the ideal place for Qaddafi to seek exile. Malmo is a separate country within a country anyway.

.discuss.

.
16:39 February 28, 2011 by HeilNizar
Allah Akbar!
16:42 February 28, 2011 by Rishonim
I don't see any reason why the mosque should suffer. He (mad-dog) provided financial support to a house of worship which was in dire financial needs.
17:50 February 28, 2011 by vb74
What a joke! Absolute insanity.
17:52 February 28, 2011 by Njal
The mosque should be appropriated, then sold with proceeds to go towards repatriating the inevitable arab infux that is about to hit Sweden.
19:02 February 28, 2011 by buschmann
If you tear down the minnerets and dome, perhaps it could make a nice fornsed center.
20:12 February 28, 2011 by Ravioli
I was under the impression that the mosque was funded by the hard-working Muslim community in Malmö. My bad.
21:40 February 28, 2011 by Keith #5083
Well at least Anni-Frid Reuss wasn't funding this one!

Oh, Njal, and if we start appropriating religious buildings that were built with 'dodgy money', well...I mean.....!
22:30 February 28, 2011 by Njal
@Keith #5803

That's fine by me Keith, if you want to tear down all the religious builings that ever were, I will not lose any sleep I promise.
23:17 February 28, 2011 by Nemesis
It is an asset of Gadhafi. It should be seized immidiately and sold to the highest bidder, for whatever use they wish to put it to.
00:08 March 1, 2011 by jackx123
why not call the building pan-am and let it suffer the same fate
01:45 March 1, 2011 by mkvgtired
"The organization is autonomous from the government in Tripoli". Well i guess because the leader of this Mosque says this is the case it must be true. No more investigation necessary.

@jackx123, I am surprised so many organizations with ties to known terrorists are allowed to do business in the West. If you think this is bad you should see who the UK allows to operate inside their borders.
02:17 March 1, 2011 by Keith #5083
@Njal

It would probably be fine with me,also,Njal. However, I have some sensitivity to the fact that not all are as enlightened and many require the ritual of formalised religions. I am sure that in 'that many' are a high number for whom the building is simply symbolic, their religion is in the love they show to others - and not simply those of their own religion.

I guess that those who are like this will wish to distance themselves from this particular Mosque, after all it's symbolism is somewhat tainted.
02:51 March 1, 2011 by ghaziusman
unfortunately for most of you, That piece of land cannot be describe as Qazafi's property, by the law it cant be seized, but if it can *which I dont think it can* it cant be resale or reshape until the problem resolve.
08:25 March 1, 2011 by Keith #5083
#ghaziusman

I'm quite sure that in Sweden there would neither be desire nor need to 'seize' this mosque and it's lands.

That is why Sweden is such a target for immigrants to settle here.

Of course, the same freedoms don't apply in Libya - or for that matter across the vast majority of the muslim world.

Well, not YET! But it seems that the young populations of many middle east nations are now revolting against repression by tyrant, government or Immam.

.
08:53 March 1, 2011 by lux.veritas
Up until a few weeks ago, there was hardly a word about Gadaffi. Business was done, corporations got rich, back-hand payments were made, taxes were avoided, workers were screwed and profits were good at the cost of the land and working peoples in the linear insanomics.

Now it's Gadaffi this, Gadaffi that and every whitish north western hemisphere puppet government of the bancorporation wants to invade and plunder it. Excuses are made to pump up oil prices to screw further the money debt legal fraud wage plebs at the bottom. MSM crud for the reasoning mind, F***YallDeceivers, wake up the brainwashed or hypnotized. Why do you think the Libyan people don't want EU, NATO, UN, IMF, World Bank self-styled elite clubs, because they will bleed it dry and kill off the people with medical, food, finance, organisational aid. Once again the morons go on playing the religious ping pong ball back and forth for the easily confused sheeple that are unable to reason. The self-styled insane elite owners of the bancorporation-state partnership ruining central Africa now want the north. Every time a farmer in India commits suicide because of Monsanto poison, every time an indigenous person dies of cancer from oil corporation/ mining poisoned tribal lands, every time someone's child or parent is slaughtered for the elite profits anywhere in the world brings the northern hemisphere sheeple closer to the same scenario through wealth transfer and state legalised crime. The UK, US, Sweden and many other's state has carried out experimentation, poisoned and or worse on its people until recently and some continue, using the taxes of the people whilst fed a dose of lies about reality. CAN WE NOT SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING UNDER OUR VERY NOSES? Those in the halls of power; be it political puppets, top brass, bancorporation and hiding self-styled elite are completely insane.

A man may fight for the person standing next to him, but if ordered is likely to kill his own people and if not mercenaries are brought in.

I care not for fools with insults, GET INFORMED. The truth does not set you free it demands a change inside as a first step. It is not just Libya and the Middle East, people are angry all over the world, they are fed up with being shafted.
08:53 March 1, 2011 by jackx123
it clearly stated in the quran to kill the unfaithful - so why interfere now when the west did not do anything in the past in their own countries. after all God will sort them out. "Carry on regardless (John Cleese)"
09:55 March 1, 2011 by Keith #5083
#lux veritas

bad hair day today?
16:52 March 1, 2011 by Njal
@Keith #5803

Lux veritas might put it bluntly, but I think he's probably right on this one. Libya is one of the few countries left in the world that do not yet have a central reserve bank. Oh, and then there's 2% of the world's oil supply there too.

Knowing that our governments are not really the ones in power I thought would be self-evident to everyone (not being critical of you), by now.

It's also a fair bet that the reasons we're given by mainstream media, for the cause of any given event, are not the real reasons (i.e. accurate/objective reporting does not exist from these sources, the local is proof of this fact).

I spoke with an American marine a coulple days ago, and he acually believed it would be a good idea to send in the marines to Libya (dumb B@stard, as if America can afford it), he truly believed it would help the situation to kill a few more Libyans.

Misinformation is everywhere.
18:03 March 1, 2011 by Keith #5083
#Njal

misinformation has always been everywhere, it is part of the human condition. Where we stand dictates our perception. Wouldn't you agree?

It seems to me,however, that we best serve those who would abuse their power by the constant re-iteration of misinformation that heightens fear. This has been the historical modus operandi of most major religions and extreme dictators/tyrants.

Ergo, the symbolism of the mosque in question is no longer that of devout and peaceful worshippers, but rather of tyrannical manipulation.

Yet, as Gandhi observed, throughout history all tyrants fall, all. Never before have the masses had the tool of immediate and global communication available to them. Simply ranting recitals of fear, however, become counter-productive.

These last days have clearly shown that positive action can achieve amazing transformations. Don't you feel that to talk of Multi-corps. govs, big Pharma, big oil, etc.etc. as ruling all, is to empower the tail of the dog?
19:36 March 1, 2011 by Njal
@ Keith #5083

Yes I do agree with what you say. I've noticed if you bombard people with the truth enough times it 'de-sensitizes' them to it. Couple that with all the other forms of control, (gmo foods,govt sanctioned flouride consumption, 'chemical dumbing down' of the population to borrow a phrase), and you end up with a malleable, disinterested populace.

Personally, if you're iterested, I'm a little frightened myself of the way things are going globally, and feel very strongly that we are all headed towards the NWO alluded to by many independant media sources, (or Bush Sr. himself).

I try to do my bit by not joining the army, not voting (I truly don't think it makes an ounce of difference if you do), and talking to people I know about these issues, and not beleiving the lies of main-stream media. But i often wonder also as to whether or not we're at the 11th hour, and not enough of us are taking any notice (re: American marine).

One fellow I like to watch is Maxwell Igan. An Aussie I think, who appears to have very informative documentaries about the world we live in, and how we're controlled. But I still find myself wondering if it's to little too late.

If this NWO is going to take over our world I feel that it will be very soon, perhaps this year.

Sorry mods for off topic discussion, but felt it had to be said.
00:58 March 2, 2011 by Keith #5083
#Njal

I am not quite as pessimistic, but then I have 23 years experience of my wife trying to establish a NWO with me - and it still hasn't worked :)

"….minds resort to conspiracy theory because it is the ultimate refuge of the powerless. If you cannot change your own life, it must be that some greater force controls the world." Roger Cohen

In this sense lux veritas is correct,#17, ".... it demands a change inside as a first step." or as Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi said it "whichever the route love's caravan shall take, that path shall be the path of my faith."

Maybe this Mosque, despite it's roots, subscribes to this reality, for even out of the lion's mouth can come forth sweetness.
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