A strange story posted by Norwegian blogger, Hanne Tolg, which she describes as “pretty bizarre” is that a Christmas program being performed by an elementary school in Skien, Norway, will now include verses from the Koran, Islam’s main religious text.

Though Europe is very liberal in its beliefs and traditions, and most do not attend church, Christmas is still a huge celebration and acknowledged as a Christian holiday. Homes and streets are typically decorated with Christmas themes and it is traditionally one of the big celebrations of the year.

According to Bruce Bawer of Gatestone Institute who helped break this story in the English-speaking world, other national holidays in Norway also coincide with Christian celebrations such as Pentecost and Ascension Day.

But it appears that efforts are now underway to add an Islamic element to the Christian, Christmas celebration in Norway. According to Tolg, this year’s program at Stigeråsen School will include two verses from the Koran.

Christmas is certainly not a holy day for Islam, so why would any school, as Tolg explains, want to confuse kids into believing that, “that Allah and the Koran have something to do with Christmas?”

The mainline media ignored the story, but when Tolg posted her blog on an alternate news site, it immediately went viral and swept across Norway. To say that Norwegians were shocked by what was happening is an understatement.

Similar to North America, many Norwegians turn to alternate news sites for unbiased information.

This finally forced VG, one of the largest newspapers in Norway, to investigate the report. Much to its embarrassment, VG confirmed it was true, but spun the story as an effort to be more inclusive.

The verses cited from the Koran will be about Christ, as Islam’s religious book does speak about Christ. According to Islamic teaching, Mohammad wrote the Koran between 609 and 632 AD, five hundred years after the New Testament was written.

Oddly, there are more references to Christ in the Koran than even Mohammad. Though the Koran looks upon Christ as a healing prophet and even records some miracles that Jesus did, the Koran does not consider Jesus the Son of God.

This of course is the foundational message of Christmas:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God.…¹⁴ And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-2, 14 NASV)

Neither does the Koran believe that Jesus died on a cross for the sins of the world that also contradicts another main message of the New Testament. But curiously, the Koran does believe Jesus never died, but was taken to heaven by Allah. Again, this is in stark contrast with Mohammad who did die.

Sources:

• Julespill med koranvers på barneskole i Skien: The Document
• Beginning of the Islamization of Christmas? Norway school includes Koran verses in Christmas program: CBN
• Christmas in an Islamized Europe: Gatestone Institute