Abdul Wahid Pedersen
Encyclopedia
Abdul Wahid Pedersen is a Danish
Imam
.
, became a free-thinker at the age of 16 and was a follower of Hinduism
for four years before eventually deciding on Islam
.
He is co-founder and principal of three private schools for children of Muslim parents in Denmark. He is also co-founder and long-time vice chairman of Islamic Christian Study Center in Copenhagen.
He spearheaded relief projects in numerous countries worldwide. E.g. the establishing of a school in the Kunar
province of Afghanistan
during the Taliban regime which accepted girls as well.
Pedersen is co-founder of Danish Muslim Aid and presently Secretary General of same organization. DM-Aid has, among other things, rebuilt more than 500 homes for earthquake stricken people in the Kashmir
area of Pakistan
during the winter 2005 - 2006.
He is one of the European representatives of the Global Network of Religions for Children and is a board member of the Swedish Islamic Academy.
He has translated a number of books on Islam into Danish. In 1997 he was the first imam to start holding Friday sermons in Danish.
and connections to the Islamic African Relief Agency
In May 2007 he caused controversy when he said that polygamy
is acceptable if the first wife agrees and if there is good reason for it, such as lack of children.
.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
.
Background
Pedersen embraced Islam in 1982 after a long search through different world religions. He was brought up as a ChristianChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, became a free-thinker at the age of 16 and was a follower of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
for four years before eventually deciding on Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Career
Pedersen is Vice President of Muslims in Dialogue, a Danish Muslim multi-ethnic organization promoting Islam into the Danish society.He is co-founder and principal of three private schools for children of Muslim parents in Denmark. He is also co-founder and long-time vice chairman of Islamic Christian Study Center in Copenhagen.
He spearheaded relief projects in numerous countries worldwide. E.g. the establishing of a school in the Kunar
Kunar Province
Kunar is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. It is one of the four "N2KL" provinces...
province of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
during the Taliban regime which accepted girls as well.
Pedersen is co-founder of Danish Muslim Aid and presently Secretary General of same organization. DM-Aid has, among other things, rebuilt more than 500 homes for earthquake stricken people in the Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
area of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
during the winter 2005 - 2006.
He is one of the European representatives of the Global Network of Religions for Children and is a board member of the Swedish Islamic Academy.
He has translated a number of books on Islam into Danish. In 1997 he was the first imam to start holding Friday sermons in Danish.
Controversies
Pedersen founded the Independent Scandinavian Relief Agency (ISRA) in 1988 and served as its Secretary General). ISRA was closed down in late 2004 due to allegations of supporting terrorismTerrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and connections to the Islamic African Relief Agency
In May 2007 he caused controversy when he said that polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
is acceptable if the first wife agrees and if there is good reason for it, such as lack of children.
Drug trade
In December 1983 Pedersen was sentenced to one year and four months in prison for buying and selling 5 kg of hashishHashish
Hashish is a cannabis preparation composed of compressed stalked resin glands, called trichomes, collected from the unfertilized buds of the cannabis plant. It contains the same active ingredients but in higher concentrations than unsifted buds or leaves...
.