For the first time, Queen Sonja of Norway visited the newest Norwegian Mosque, to learn more about the religion and the culture. It was opened in February, 2009. It is also the location of the Islamic Cultural Centre Norway. The Queen wore a more conservative outfit than usual, covering her hair with a scarf.
In the middle of her visit, she opened the exhibition: “Islamic Exhibition 2009.” It is designed to inform the Norwegian population of Islam, and, hopefully, minimize misunderstandings that can arise between the two cultures.
Aftenposten has a video of the event. In her speech, she praised the women at the center and the network they have created. She said it was impressive to meet so many resourceful and engaged women, and urged them to keep going.