Helsinki city council is deciding whether to green light plans for a large mosque complex in the Finnish capital which have led to fierce political debate.

The new grand mosque could pose a security threat for two reasons, according to Tarja Mankkinen, the interior minister responsible for Finland’s anti-radicalisation policy. The first reason is that funding for the mosque could come from countries that are state sponsors of terrorism. Bahrain has been identified as a funder; Bahrain has long projected itself to the outside world as a country devoted to combating terrorism. including terror financing. Still, it is not reportedly doing anything effective to curb Islamic State activity; quite the contrary. Bahrain dismisses jihadist activity as problem of:

“misguided” youth who have been “led astray.” There is no acknowledgement that books printed and distributed by the Bahraini Army itself have promoted the takfiri thought that underpins IS and other extremist groups.

The second reason presented for why the mosque could be a security risk involves the nonsensical pandering to Muslims we see so often, based upon the belief that they are easily provoked and therefore the onus is on everyone else to keep them settled. This idea is as insulting to Muslims as it is damaging to Western society. Mankkinen stated that “any anti-Muslim backlash could also ‘increase the breeding ground for the violent extremism motivated by religion.'” Apparently her idea is that if the mosque isn’t built, Muslims will be enraged and become jihadis.

Funding from states that fund jihad needs to be stopped and mosques need to be monitored, given their role in the radicalization process.

“Finnish minister says new ‘grand mosque’ plans could pose ‘security risk'”, by Bethan McKernan, Independent, May 3, 2017: