Ibn Rushd faces funding withdrawal from Folkbildningsrådet in Sweden

Ibn Rushd, Sweden’s smallest study association with over 6,000 members, faces state funding withdrawal from the Folkbildningsrådet, which cited the organization’s inability to manage and develop its operations in line with the government’s objectives. Inger Ashing, chair of the Folkbildningsrådet, stated that significant demands are placed on study associations and there’s difficulty in maintaining high-quality operations when the organization is too small.

Ibn Rushd has faced scrutiny for linking to websites promoting views that condemn homosexuality and permit corporal punishment under certain circumstances. The association announced that it joins other Swedish Muslim organizations that have been defunded or shut down, calling the decision a severe blow to Muslim adult education in Sweden and detrimental to Swedish democracy.

Several municipalities and regions have previously halted support for Ibn Rushd following a Folkbildningsrådet review conducted last December, which led to a demand for the repayment of 146,900 SEK in government grants. In June, the cultural committee in Region Skåne decided to deny funding for 2024 due to links to sources deemed “homophobic, misogynistic, and anti-democratic.”

Founded in 2001 through an initiative by the Islamic Federation in Sweden, Ibn Rushd primarily focuses on Arabic language and Islamic studies. Since 2008, it has received governmental funding amounting to approximately 29 million SEK in 2022, with a projected 25 million SEK for 2024, in addition to local support from municipalities and regions.