Pentecostalists attract Muslim asylum seekers

"The Pentecostal Church has created a controversial revival movement among Muslim asylum seekers in the greater Oslo area. In the past six years 16,000 refugees have visited the white wooden church in Sandvika, a suburb in B�rum just west of the capital. Some asylum center leaders say the church is tricking their visitors."



"Coffee, cakes, Iranian pop music, a little proselytizing and a special bus - these are the ingredients behind the church's popular meetings with asylum seekers.

Since 1998 over 16,000 asylum seekers have attended the church's Thursday meetings. About 70 percent of these visitors have been Muslims. The revivalist campaign has also resulted in 80 former Muslims letting themselves be baptized.

"We are not so naive that we baptize someone who has hopes that this could help their asylum application. We could have taken in many more, but we are restrictive," said Robert Leine, who leads the church's meetings.

A group of Iranian asylum seekers say that boredom is the main reason that any form of entertainment appeals. Earlier, some Iranians tried baptism as a route into Norway, but claim that the UDI now know about this.

A 26-year-old Iranian said a switch to Christianity would mean liquidation if he eventually returned to Iran, and none of the group said that they felt the church tried to convert them."


Well well, Norway is an attractive country.
Here�s one way to be able to stay, perhaps?
What happens if they change their mind, and convert back?
I guess they could say something like "now it�s too late",
and that they would be killed now if they returned to where they came from...
Hmmm...I�m not sure what to say about this...

EDIT: Forgot the link. Here:
Pentecostalists attract Muslim asylum seekers

[edit on 2004/8/29 by Hellmutt]