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Category: Norway

  • Norway attacks reinforce need for united stand against intolerance

    Norway attacks reinforce need for united stand against intolerance

    ISTANBUL, Turkey: The horrific and tragic incident that happened in Norway reminds us again of the importance of combating religious intolerance and promoting cultural understanding.

    Anti-Islam and anti-Muslim attitudes and activities, known as Islamophobia, are increasingly finding place in the agenda of ultra-right wing political parties and civil societies in the West in their anti-immigrant and anti-multiculturalism policies, as was evident in the manifesto of the Norway killer. Their views are being promoted under the banner of freedom of expression while claiming that Muslims do not respect that right.

    A few days before the Norway attack, on July 15 in Istanbul, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United States agreed to a united stand on “[c]ombating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence, and violence against persons based on religion or belief” through the implementation of UN Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18.

    The meeting – co-chaired by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and myself, with the attendance of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs together with the foreign ministers and officials of OIC member states and Western countries, as well as international organizations – reaffirmed the commitment of the participants to the effective implementation of the measures set in the resolution.

    This was a major step towards strengthening the foundations of tolerance and respect for religious diversity as well as enhancing the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms around the world.

    The OIC, which was the initiator of Resolution 16/18, worked in close cooperation in the drafting process with the United States and the European Union in bringing about a breakthrough on 21 March.

    The 2011 HRC resolution is a genuine effort to usher in an era of understanding on the issue of religious intolerance. It gives the widest margin of freedom of expression, and reiterates the rejection of discrimination, incitement and stereotyping used by the other or against the symbols of the followers of religions.

    The OIC has never sought to limit freedom of expression, give Islam preferential treatment, curtail creativity or allow discrimination against religious minorities in Muslim countries.

    The Islamic faith is based on tolerance and acceptance of other religions. It does not condone discrimination of human beings on the basis of caste, creed, color or faith. It falls on all the OIC member states as a sacred duty to protect the lives and property of their non-Muslim citizens and to treat them without discrimination of any form. Those elements who seek to harm or threaten minority citizens must be subjected to law. Our strong stand condemning violence perpetrated against non-Muslims whether in Iraq, Egypt or Pakistan has been consistent.

    No one has the right to insult another for their beliefs or to incite hatred and prejudice. That kind of behavior is irresponsible and uncivilized.

    We also cannot overlook the fact that the world is diverse. The Western perception on certain issues would differ from those held by others. We need to be sensitive and appreciative of this reality, more so when it comes to criticizing or expressing views on issues related to religion and culture.

    The publication of offensive cartoons of the Prophet six years ago that sparked outrage across the Muslim world, the publicity around the film Fitna and the more recent Qur’an burnings represent incidents of incitement to hatred that fuel an atmosphere of dangerous mutual suspicion. Freedom of expression has to be exercised with responsibility. At the same time, violent reactions to provocations are also irresponsible and uncivilized and we condemn them unequivocally.

    It is not enough to pass resolutions and laws against religious incitement. We should also be diligent in launching more initiatives and measures towards better intercultural dialogue and understanding at all levels – the political, social, business, media, academic and religious.

    Resolution 16/18 includes an eight-point approach that calls for various measures to foster tolerance, including developing collaborative networks to build mutual understanding and constructive action, creating appropriate mechanisms within the government to identify and address potential areas of tension between members of religious communities, and raising awareness at the local, national and international levels on the effects of negative religious stereotyping and incitement to religious hatred.

    The implementation of the 2011 HRC Resolution 16/18 would take us a long way in making our world a more peaceful and harmonious place to live in.

    ###

    * Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is the Secretary General of the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (formerly Organization of the Islamic Conference), an international organization consisting of 57 member states. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

    Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 16 August 2011, www.commongroundnews.org

    BM

    via Norway attacks reinforce need for united stand against intolerance : Bikya Masr | Independent news for the world.

  • After Norway, Turks in Germany on thin ice

    After Norway, Turks in Germany on thin ice

    Barçın Yinanç – barcin.yinanc@hurriyet.com.tr
    ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
    Turks in Germany have been the target of attacks in the past but if it happens again, they might not remain idle, says Professor Faruk Şen. He argues that a deepening economic crisis could increase hostility to Turks by the fall. There is also a risk that Turkish youth would react to such attack, Şen says: ‘Just one spark could be all it might takes’
    8216turks in germany will not remain idle if attacks occur8217 2011 08 05 l
    After having lived in Germany for nearly 40 years, Faruk Şen has resettled in Istanbul. Şen told the Daily News at the headquarters of the think tank he heads that he makes frequent visits to Germany. DAILY NEWS photos, Emrah GÜREL

    The deepening economic crisis in Europe could make Turks in Germany the target of a new wave of attacks, which may not go unreciprocated this time, according to an expert on Turkish-German relations.

    Professor Faruk Şen, the head of the German Foundation of Education and Scientific Research, spoke with the Hürriyet Daily News following a deadly, racially charged attack in Norway, which coincided with the 50th year since the first large wave of Turkish immigration to Germany. In the last decade or so of these five decades, Turks in Germany have increasingly become the target of racist attacks, some of which have been deadly. Just one incident could trigger broader conflict, Şen told the Daily News in an interview.

    Following the attacks in Norway you issued a statement saying that Turks in Europe could become the target of attacks as well. But won’t the Norway incident serve as a wakeup call, making the police more vigilant and society more conscious, reducing the risk of new attacks?

    In Europe there is a phenomenon that I call “new racism.” It is more dangerous than the racism of the past. Islamophobia and Turkophobia have now reached the elites.

    In the 1990s Turks were attacked by skinheads who had not even finished primary school, people without any future, with low IQ levels. But with the economic crisis in the 2000s, hostility against Turks has reached higher classes in the society. German Central Banker Thilo Sarrazin made racist remarks against Turks last year. He was thrown out of the Central Bank only three months later. But he is still a member of the German Social Democratic Party.

    When Arab kids in France rioted six years ago following statements of then-Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, I said similar things would not happen in Germany because the situation with the Turks there was different. But now the unemployment rate among Turks has reached 30 percent. One spark could be enough.

    There are signs that by September or October, the economic situation could get worse and I fear this could trigger new attacks against Turks. This fear is shared by a lot of Turkish nongovernmental organizations active in Germany. Even the interior minister of Bavaria said he expected similar events to take place in his state.

    So if there are new attacks in Germany, the youth of the Turkish community will react, rather than remain silent?

    I don’t want to exaggerate. But there is a risk. One incident can trigger the youth to react. Turkish youth criticized both Turkey and Germany for not showing enough sensitivity to the Solingen incident [where five Turkish women died in a fire started by Germans in 1993]. In the past, when Turkish youth went to nightclubs in Germany, they posed as Italians. But after the Solingen incident, they claimed their own [Turkish] identity. Also, some among the new generation make a lot of money, wear the most expensive shoes and go to the most expensive places. They are more demanding and aware of their rights. They don’t want to be excluded. Their parents were not like them. They remained silent.

    And this recently empowered Turkish community is now facing a new racism that has gone main stream?

    Racism exists even among elites. As they feel the negative effects of the economic crisis, they now fear their job can be taken by successful Turks. There is racism even among academics, who fear the competition from academics of Turkish origin. Until recently there were no professors of Turkish origin in [Germany’s] universities.

    So while Germans are complaining about Turks’ lack of integration, they also fear the well-integrated Turks. Isn’t this a contradiction?

    Yes, but there are not only winners among Turks there are also losers. Twenty-two percent of the Turks live under the poverty line. Crime rates among Turkish youth are higher than among German youth.

    How do you assess the situation now that 50 years has passed since the immigration agreement was signed between Turkey and Germany?

    It is like a glass that is half full and half empty. On the one hand we have the winners. We have 144,000 Turkish entrepreneurs in Europe. The number of academics is on the rise. But on the other hand we have the losers in the ghettos.

    In your statement following the Norway incident you made a call on the government. What is your expectation from Turkey?

    Turkey has become very sensitive as far as its foreign policy is concerned. Turkey takes sides when something happens in Libya or Syria. I believe Turkey should be a party when it comes to the problems of Turks in Germany. It should be more sensitive and ask the German government to protect the Turkish community. Turkish ambassadors in European countries should meet and discuss measures in case Turks in Europe become targets of attacks.

    But every time the Turkish prime minister goes to Germany, his messages spark crisis.

    Following the death of nine Turks in a fire in Ludwighafen in 2008, we called on German Chancellor Merkel to gather the representatives of the Turks and talk about measures. She did not listen to us. Then Turkish PM came to address the Turks in the city. If you don’t protect your citizens, because at least 1 million of the nearly 3 million Turks have German citizenship, then it is normal for the Turkish PM to come and speak out. I endorse the messages he gave in Germany.

    WHO IS FARUK SEN?

    A major figure in the field of Turkish-German relations, Professor Faruk Şen established himself in Germany in the 1970s and returned to Turkey nearly a year ago. After studying management and working at Bamberg and Essen universities, Şen established the Foundation of Turkey Research Center in Bonn in 1985 and has focused since then on Turkish communities in Europe. He is currently the director of the board of the German Foundation of Education and Scientific Research and works actively for the establishment of a Turkish-German university. Professor Şen has written several books and articles on economics, social sciences and immigration in three languages, including English.

  • Breivik’s Balkan obsession

    Breivik’s Balkan obsession

    AN UNPLEASANT little surprise. Anders Behring Breivik, the man who has confessed to the Friday attacks in Norway that killed at least 96 people, makes a glancing reference to me in the “manifesto” he apparently put on the internet hours before he began his killing. Discussing a key event in the history of Serbia and Kosovo, in 1690, Mr Breivik refers to me (mistakenly) as a historian, and says that I “refuted” a specific claim made by Noel Malcolm in one of my book reviews. In fact I questioned the claim; “refute” is too categorical.

    A look through Mr Breivik’s 1,500-page 2083: A European Declaration of Independence, which he published under the pseudonym “Andrew Berwick”, shows that he had a strange obsession with the Balkans. A word search for “Kosovo” comes up with 143 matches, “Serb” yields 341 matches, “Bosnia” 343 and “Albania” 208. (“Srebrenica”—the site of a Bosnian Serb massacre of some 8,000 Bosniaks in 1995—does not appear in the document.)

    The document is best described as a kind of “Mein Kampf” for our times, in which Jews are replaced by Muslims as the enemy which must be fought and expunged from Europe. Drawing on the crudest of warmongering Serbian propaganda from the 1990s, the document describes Muslim Albanians and Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) as an evil jihad-waging enemy. Needless to say, its history is convoluted and misinformed.

    In one section Mr Breivik says he would like to meet Radovan Karadžić, the wartime leader of the Bosnian Serbs who is currently on trial at the UN’s war crimes tribunal in The Hague. “But isn’t Radovan Karadžić a mass murderer and a racist?!” he asks. “As far as my studies show he is neither.”

    The document goes on to claim that for decades Muslims in “Bosnian Serbia” andAlbanians waged deliberate demographic warfare, or “indirect genocide”, against the Serbs. This echoes an infamous draft  memorandum by the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, which was leaked in 1986 and widely regarded as a key influence on Serbian nationalists at the time.

    The section goes on to display the extent of Mr Breivik’s delusions. Mr Karadžić, he says, “offered the Muslims in Bosnian Serbia the chance to convert or leave the country”. He continues:

    …he even went as far as offering the Muslims certain enclaves. When they refused he wanted to deport them by force. When this was made impossible by NATO he gave the order to fight the people who refused which was his sovereign right and responsibility as one of the primary leaders of Serb forces. This was never about ethnicity but about ridding the country of the genocidal hate ideology known as Islam. I do condemn any atrocities committed against Croats and vice versa but for his efforts to rid Serbia of Islam he will always be considered and remembered as an honourable Crusader and a European war hero. As for the NATO war criminals, the Western European category A traitors who gave the green light, they are nothing less than war criminals.

    Mr Breivik also has harsh words for Albanians. Their families, he says, “procreate at large scales [sic] trying to conquer territories demographically and later through bloodshed.” Although Albanians are among the most secular Muslims in the world, and fanatically pro-American at that, Mr Breivik chooses to highlight alleged links to al-Qaeda.

    In the coming “war” that Mr Breivik foresees, he discusses the deportation of Muslims from Europe and appears to endorse the physical annihilation of any Albanians and Bosniaks that resist. As they have lived here for “several centuries”, he says, “they will not accept being deported from Europe and will fight for their survival. A more long term and brutal military strategy must therefore be applied.”

    As Europe is cleansed of Muslims, Albania is designated by Mr Breivik as the official “transit zone for the Balkans”. After that, the local map is to be completely redrawn. Once all Muslims have been deported from Europe, Kosovo will be “reunified with Serbia once again.”

    Bosnia, too, is to disappear from the map, in a manner that recalls the failed attempts of the 1990s to divide it between Serbia and Croatia. Mr Breivik refers to the country as “the Serbian/Croatian territory currently known as Bosnia Herzegovina.” It will be divided into a “Serbian (60-70%) and Croatian (30-40%) part… after historical ethnic lines. All Muslim individuals (Bosniaks and Albanians) will be deported to the nearest transit area (Albania) awaiting deportation from Europe.”

    His geography gets a little wonky when it comes to the country he refers to as “the Greek/Croatian/Serbian territory currently known as Albania”: Albania shares no border with Croatia. He suggests dividing the country such that Greece and Montenegro get 20% each, with the rest left for Christian Albanians. “All Muslim Albanians will be deported to central Anatolia.” The resulting “rather large” unpopulated areas in Albania could be offered as a “permanent home (territory) to several Christian minorities” coming from the Middle East.

    Seeing himself as a modern-day crusader, Mr Breivik presumably hoped that by murdering so many fellow Norwegians he would provoke a new world war in which the Balkans would be one of the central fronts. His document contains details of various medals to be awarded. The “Liberation of the Balkans Service” medal is to be given “for assisting to drive out Islam from occupied territory belonging to Serbia and Croatia (Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina).” There are similar prizes for Macedonia and Albania.

    Interestingly, Mr Breivik claims that it was Norway’s “involvement in the attacks on Serbia” (the NATO bombing of the country during the Kosovo war) that led him to want to “move on with the assault”. He writes:

    It was completely unacceptable how the US and Western European regimes bombed our Serbian brothers. All they wanted was to drive Islam out by deporting the Albanian Muslims back to Albania. When the Albanians refused, they really didn’t have any choice but to use military force. By disallowing the Serbians the right for self-determination over their sovereign territory they indirectly dug a grave for Europe. A future where several Mini-Pakistan’s would eventually will be created in every Western European capital. This is unacceptable, completely unacceptable.

    Finally, Mr Breivik discusses the creation of a so-called military order, to which he says he belongs. The initial contact was through Serbian “cultural conservatives”—presumably extreme nationalists—on the internet. He met others from all over Europe, but notes:

    I had the privilege of meeting one of the greatest living war heroes of Europe at the time, a Serbian crusader and war hero who had killed many Muslims in battle. Due to EU persecution for alleged crimes against Muslims he was living at one point in Liberia. I visited him in Monrovia once, just before the founding session in London, 2002.

    www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches, Jul 25th 2011

  • In Norway, a trigger for discourse

    In Norway, a trigger for discourse

    There was a deafening silence at the dinner party in Istanbul’s trendy Cihanger district last Friday night. The half dozen guests abruptly stopped talking when a new guest arrived and announced what had happened in Norway. The first question asked hinted at the fear that filled the room: “Was it a Muslim?”

    Geert Wilders: Academics studying Islamic radicalization warn that the success of the extreme right in Europe is a bad sign of things to come Robin Utrecht/Pool/AP
    Geert Wilders: Academics studying Islamic radicalization warn that the success of the extreme right in Europe is a bad sign of things to come Robin Utrecht/Pool/AP

    Geert Wilders: Academics studying Islamic radicalization warn that the success of the extreme right in Europe is a bad sign of things to come

    Robin Utrecht/Pool/AP

    At the time, the answer was still unknown. But, according to the messenger, this was what all the newspaper reports were saying: A bomb had gone off in the heart of Oslo and, said the “experts,” the likely culprits were Islamic extremists. “But is there any proof?” another guest asked. There was none, of course, and this fact ignited an intense debate over media responsibility, Islamophobia and the future of Islam in Europe.

    A day later, when it emerged that the suspect in the attack was a not a Muslim, my Turkish friends and colleagues breathed a collective sigh of relief. But solace turned to anger at the Western media for initially speculating on jihadist motivations for attacking Norway. That their speculation was wrong is little consolation to Muslims in Turkey. The damage is done, they say. The dark heart of the West is revealed: If there’s a violent attack, the West seems reflexively prepared to blame it on those crazy Muslims.

    Linking acts of terrorism with Islam has become trope to the 21st-century journalistic tragedians. But there’s a larger narrative. The emerging portrait of Anders Behring Breivik, the man in custody for carrying out both the bombing and the shooting rampage at a youth camp, reveals a man deeply immersed in hate. Writings found at his home and posted on the Internet are a profile of a violent psyche awaiting a trigger to act.

    Those triggers are plentiful in Europe these days. The alarming pace at which Islamic and Christian right-wing verbal clashes have escalated has set the stage for the violent fringe to justify their murderous outbursts. And the rhetoric has reached dizzying heights. Geert Wilders, the Dutch politician recently acquitted on charges of inciting hatred, is warning that a “tsunami of Islamification” is threatening the Netherlands. One of his party’s key demands – one that Mr. Breivik has voiced – is an end to immigration, particularly Islamic immigration. He goes so far as to propose that Dutch Muslims who don’t “assimilate” be stripped of their citizenship and thrown out of the country.

    European Muslims have confessed their growing frustration with politicians such as Mr. Wilders, as well as their fears that the confrontational atmosphere will lead to more violence. Academics studying Islamic radicalization also warn that the success of the extreme right in Europe is a bad sign of things to come.

    “It’s a self-propelled spiral into confrontation and violence,” Markha Valenta, a researcher in history at the University of Amsterdam, told me. “Study after study shows that violent extremism – Christian or Islamic – begins with words and the environment words create. In Europe, the discourse between Muslims and non-Muslims has shifted into a dark place. We need to quickly reverse that trend or face the consequences.”

    Norway’s response to Friday’s events is a first step. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg’s promise to use the aftermath as motivation to promote “more democracy, more openness, and more humanity” sends the right message: Extremists can’t hijack the discourse. Muslims will have to play their part: It’s incumbent on them to reach out to Europe’s moderate majority, share in their suffering, and confront the violent fringe with a united front.

    Adnan Khan is a writer and photographer based in Islamabad.

    via In Norway, a trigger for discourse – The Globe and Mail.

  • Norwegian FM, Crown Prince visit Oslo mosque

    Norwegian FM, Crown Prince visit Oslo mosque

    Norway prince

    Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Stoere, and Crown Prince, Haakon Magnus, have visited an Oslo mosque in a sign of national unity. Muslims in Norway say they share the pain of their Christian compatriots after the massacre.

    It was allegedly carried out by anti-Islamic extremist Anders Behring Breivik. He gunned down people at an island youth camp and bombed an Oslo government building killing a total of 76 people. Norway’s Muslim leaders noted that Breivik’s violent call for Europe to shun Muslims could actually bring Muslims and Christians closer together.

    Jehangir Bahadur, President of Oslo Mosque, said, “We have taken this initiative because of the incident on Friday. The people of the nation are in mourning. It is a difficult time and we wish to project a message of hope, warmth, generosity and peace.”

    Jonas Gahr Stoere, Norwegian Foreign Minister, said, “20 to 30 years ago we would never have had these gatherings in our country. Norway is a nation in change and historians tell us that only change is continuous. How shall we together meet fear and worry when some turn to hate when met with the change? I believe we find the hope in meeting these challenges on safe, common ground.”

    CCTV

     

  • UK : Anders Behring Breivik was in contact with the EDL

    UK : Anders Behring Breivik was in contact with the EDL

    Hope not hateSearchlight Press Release | Tuesday, 26 July 2011

    Anders Behring Breivik was in contact with the EDL, supported their aims and was involved in the Norwegian Defence League, Searchlight can reveal.

    Only months before he went on his murderous killing spree he exchanged several messages with EDL supporters using his internet pseudonym Sigurd Jorsalfare, the name of the 12th century King of Norway who led one of the Crusades.

    In one message on the EDL forum, dated 9 March 2011, he wrote:

    “Hello. To you all good English men and women, just wanted to say that you’re a blessing to all in Europe, in these dark times all of Europe are looking to you in surch of inspiration, courage and even hope that we might turn this evil trend with islamisation all across our continent. Well, just wanted to say keep up the good work it’s good to see others that care about their country and heritage. All the best to you all Sigurd”

    Asked by EDL supporters if he was active in the Norwegian Defence League, Breivik replied:

    “I was but, the site has been put down now. There was to be a demo in Oslo on the 26 of February but after the police security service put us on the “danger-list” the the internet site was sadly shut down.”

    He went on to describe his hatred of society in Norway and specifically picked out the Norwegian Labour Party for his criticism.

    “The biggest problem in norway is that there is no real free press, there is a left-wing angle on all the political topics so most people are going around like idiots. And offcourse with our norwegian labour party beeing in power for most of the last 50 years dont help. but i i think there is an awakening now atleast i hope so. Do some of you know the truth about what happened to the ndl, there was some clames that neo-nazis had hijacked the organisation, but on the ndl site i cant really say i noticed anything like that. So may guess is that there were some kind of police pressure to stop the movement. Anyone here heard anything?”

    In another posting he attacked the British society and expressed his interest in joining an EDL demonstration:

    “i’ve seen with my own eyes what has happened to england, i was in bradford some years ago, me and a friend walked down to the football stadium of bradford, real “nice” neighborhood, same thing in the suburbs of london. well thinking about taking a little trip over the sea and join you in a demo. would be nice with a norwegian flag alongside with union jack or the english flag, that is if a norwegian would be welcome offcourse?”

    This message appears to confirm the rumour that Breivik once lived in the UK. His father was a diplomat and is believed to have been based in London for some time.

    Breivik was told by EDL supporters that he would be most welcome, to which he replied:

    “I hoped so:) it’s our common struggle against the islamofacists.”

    EDL supporters were keen to have his support. An EDL forum member, username ‘Concerned’, replied: ‘Bravo sigurd admire your views and courage. no surrender and welcome.”

    Breivik then went quiet. A few days later he shut down his facebook site, went offline and began the final countdown to his killing spree.

    Friends

    Breivik was Facebook friends with dozens of EDL supporters and even some BNP members.

    Norwegian Defence League

    Anders Behring Breivik was a supporter of the Norwegian Defence League and was known to Ronny Alte, from Tensberg, who created a NDL Facebook group with some friends. The group gathered more than 500 members, including convicted nazis and exiled Russians belonging to the banned Slavic Union.

    One of the Russians is Vjoteslav Datsik, who walked into an Oslo police station in 2010 and applied for political asylum while waving a handgun. Datsik is in custody awaiting extradition to Russia, where he is wanted by the police after absconding from a mental hospital.

    The group’s reputation was tarnished publically after the involvement of these nazis was revealed, but despite claiming they had been expelled Alte had difficulty explaining why his group still included Datsik, as well as the convicted nazi bank robber Werner Holm and violent nazis such as Johnny “Light” Olsen”, Morten Andre Serensen and Dariusz Arnesen, all previously connected with the now defunct Norwegian ‘Blood and Honour’ network.

    Ronny Alte, who knew Breivik under the name Sigurd Jorsalfare, remains one of the administrators of the Norwegian Defence League sites.

    In his internet exchanges with the EDL, Breivik makes it clear that he did not believe that there was any nazi involvement in the NDL despite the clear evidence to the contrary.

    British links to the NDL

    The English Defence League has close links with the NDL. The NDL facebook site is administered by Jeff Marsh, a leading EDL organiser and football hooligan. Marsh was once given a two-year prison sentence for stabbing two Manchester United fans.

    In April 2011 the NDL held a demonstration in Oslo. Speaking at the event was Tower Hamlets-based EDL activist Darren Lee Marsh. Marsh has been a steward on EDL demos and is close to the EDL youth leader Joel Titus. He also claims to be a member of UKIP. Marsh’s facebook friends include several EDL organisers, including Jack Smith (the London EDL organiser), Paul Prodromou (aka Pitt) (the Essex EDL organiser), and Guramit Singh, who was the EDL’s press officer until recently.

    Shared ideology

    In addition to their contact, Breivik and the EDL both share the same ideology and worldview. There are numerous references in Breivik’s 1,500 page book and internet postings to Fjordman, a Norwegian anti-Muslim blogger and writer. Fjordman is a strong supporter of the EDL and an acquaintance of Alan Lake, the Christian Fundamentalist who helped set up and funded the EDL.

    Breivik is also influenced by other anti-Muslim bloggers and websites, several of which openly back the EDL. These bloggers and websites push the idea that Western Europe is under threat from Islam and that unless drastic action is taken we will be taken over by militant Islam.

    EDL and violence

    The EDL claim to be a peaceful organisation but its actions and views of its supporters prove otherwise. Here is a selection of comments made by leading EDL supporters in recent weeks:

    Dave Davis: “Ratkoa Mladic is our friend. He killed 8,000 Muslims.”

    Bill Baker: “know [sic] we need to kill or be killed and no mercy for anyone once it kicks off. Die or leave is the only choice they should have.”

    Bill Baker: “If our Government won’t act against Islam and terrorism then we must arm and protect ourselves.”

    North West Infidels: “East Belfast is up in flames, our loyalist brothers certainly know how to riot. Imagine [if] we could that against militant Islam.”

    Roger Firth: “Something has to happen mate (and I don’t give a shit if the old bill are clocking this). For too long we have let ourselves be penned, while this scum do as they please, patriots being arrested, well today was the final straw, time to get violent.”

    Hope Not Hate