Mahmoud Farahmand discovers 30-year illegal mosque membership

Norwegian Member of Parliament Mahmoud Farahmand of the Conservative Party has discovered he was illegally registered as a member of the Islamic Federation, also known as the Rabita Mosque in Oslo, for 30 years.

Farahmand, who describes himself as a secular Muslim, stated he never joined the organization or provided his personal identification number. The mosque confirmed his registration dates back to 1995. Due to this unauthorized membership, the mosque received at least 17,611 NOK in state funding based on his status. Under current regulations, religious and belief-based communities receive 1,611 NOK in state grants per registered member.

Rabita's manager, Imen Hasnaoui, apologized for the incident and stated the mosque would repay the improperly obtained funds. Farahmand noted that he was 16 years old when the registration occurred, which violates the law requiring individuals over 15 to register themselves. He is now calling for legislative changes to modernize and improve transparency and control within the system.