Refugee Crisis and Religious Organisations The approach of Religious Organisations in Norway to the Refugee crisis Muhammet Fetullah Oran Supervisor Gunnar Harald Heiene, Dr. Theol. This Master’s Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the MA degree at MF Norwegian School of Theology, 2018, Spring AVH5035, Master’s Thesis (60ECTS) Master in Religion, Society and Global Issues Word count: 31815 1 2 Abstract This study explores the attitudes of the religious organizations approach towards the refugee crisis which started in 2015 and still continues. The study includes information regarding how religious institutions and leaders help the refugees with conducting activities, charities and fundraising events. About the refugee families visiting the organisations and being invited by the members of the church and the mosque. Also shows the systematic pattern in their approach and practice in dealing with the issues. Moreover, during these procedures the obstacles that the religious organisations faced and personal opinions of the interviewees have ben explained. Within given information about the importance of motivation while approaching the refugees and the importance of cooperation to bring awareness among the people. Correspondingly examines whether in a strong welfare system like in Norway, if the involvement of the religious organisations towards the migration crisis matter or not. Touches to the point, that if the religion of the incoming refugees matter in order to the religious organisation to help them. Which did show that the religion is not a matter of issue in order to approach them. A qualitative research method was used for collecting data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for the interviewees to express themselves in a comfortable way. Interviews are the main sources of information which took place among six interviewees, which are members of Christian and Muslim religious organizations. The similarities between this people are their status within the religious organisations. The result shows the work done since the crisis started until these days. 3 Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 3 Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgment ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Abbreviation ............................................................................................................................................ 7 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................... 8 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Personal Interest ................................................................................................................... 12 1.2 Research Question ................................................................................................................ 13 1.3 Literature Review .................................................................................................................. 13 1.4 Outline of Thesis .................................................................................................................... 15 2 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 17 2.1 Interviews .............................................................................................................................. 18 2.2 Analysis .................................................................................................................................. 20 2.3 Rationale of interviewees choice .......................................................................................... 20 2.4 Limitations ............................................................................................................................. 21 2.5 Ethical Considerations ........................................................................................................... 22 3 Background .................................................................................................................................... 23 3.1 Why this job? ......................................................................................................................... 27 3.2 Ordinary week in the Church & Mosque ............................................................................... 30 4 Cases: Religious Organisations in Norway ..................................................................................... 33 4.1 Tonsen Church ....................................................................................................................... 33 4.2 Islamic Cultural Centre Norway (ICC Mosque) ...................................................................... 34 4.3 Ahmadiyya Mosque ............................................................................................................... 35 4.4 Rabita Mosque (Det Islamske Forbund) ................................................................................ 36 4.5 Sinsen Church ........................................................................................................................ 37 4.6 Tanum Church ....................................................................................................................... 39 5 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................................. 41 5.1 Activities and Support for Refugees ...................................................................................... 41 5.1.1 Activities ........................................................................................................................ 41 5.1.2 Charity ........................................................................................................................... 47 5.1.3 Involving the members .................................................................................................. 52 5.2 Perception of Civic Duty, Obstacles and Motivation ............................................................. 53 5.2.1 Opinions ......................................................................................................................... 53 4 5.2.2 Motivation ..................................................................................................................... 59 5.2.3 Obstacles ....................................................................................................................... 64 5.3 Strategy and Priorities ........................................................................................................... 66 5.3.1 Cooperation ................................................................................................................... 66 5.3.2 Sensitivity ...................................................................................................................... 69 5.3.3 Religious Background: A Matter of Issue ...................................................................... 71 6 Results ........................................................................................................................................... 75 7 Discussion ...................................................................................................................................... 80 8 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 86 Appendix: Interview Guide .................................................................................................................... 88 Questions asked towards the Church ............................................................................................... 88 Questions asked towards the Mosque .............................................................................................. 90 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................... 92 5 Acknowledgment I want to thank everybody supporting me in my concentrated work on this thesis. In this frame, I am grateful to Dr. Gunnar Harald Heiene for providing me an excellent supervision. His inspiring feedbacks and guiding advices in moments when I felt lost were an essential part of completion of my research. My special thanks also go to all my classmates in Religion Society and Global issues 2015- 2017 and friendly staff of MF. I got a lot of inspiration from the quality time which we shared together both during the class discussions, lunchtimes and social moments. I also want to express my gratitude to Øyvind Ådnøy Remmen, who is the minister of Tonsen church; Arshad Jamil, who is the chairman for Islamic Cultural Centre Norway (ICC mosque); Shahid Kahoon, Imam of the Ahmadiyya mosque; Basim Ghozlan, the chairman for Rabita mosque; Kjersti Langås Hvalen, the minister of Sinsen church; Sigrid Flaata, Senior Adviser, Section for Diakonia and