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