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There is a lot of focus on muslim anti-Semitism right now, and rightly so. As NRK’s Tormod Strand has disclosed, muslim children have brought anti-Semitism back into the Norwegian schools. Yet Kristin Halvorsen of the Socialist Left has a point when she says anti-Semitism is not a “muslim-problem” but a “Norwegian problem”.
Anti-Semitism in Norway goes back to long before there were any muslims here. In the first Norwegian constitution of 1814 it was specified that neither Jews nor Jesuits were to be allowed access to the realm. When Jews finally were allowed into the country, they were met with suspicion. When Jews were fleeing Nazi-Germany, Norway allowed only some very few to seek refuge here. When Norway was occupied by Nazi-Germany, Norwegian collaborators identified and rounded up Norwegian Jews and sent around 700 of them to their deaths in the concentration camps.
In contemporary Norway we see an enormous attention being directed at Israel. Academics, humanitarian organizations, trade unions and politicians wage a seemingness endless war against the state of Israel. There is constantly some Norwegian raising some sort of debate on whether or not it is a good idea to somehow punish or condemn Israel. Israel is a very Norwegian obsession.
It is telling that when Manfred Gerstenfeld of the JCPA edited a “Behind the Humanitarian Mask” a book on anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism in the Nordic countries, he was misquoted and demonized throughout the Scandinavian peninsula. The campaign against this unfortunate academic, who has sought only to provide insight, was not engineered by Norwegian muslims, but by central players in the Norwegian academia, media and politics.
Anti-semitic muslims constitute a very visible part of the problem of anti-Semitism in Norway. But the larger part is to be found within the Norwegian mainstream; the media-men and the politicos.
As a young boy Arfan Q. Bhatti was diagnosed as suffering from an anti-social personality disorder. As a young man he ventured into a life of crime which reached its high mark when he opened fire on the Oslo synagogue in 2006. Mr.Bhatti has previously said that he supports the death penalty against homosexuals and expressed doubts that the Holocaust ever occurred. Now Arfan Q. Bhatti reports that he has found God and wants to become the poster-boy of Norwegian muslims.
Unauthorized translation from NRK:
Bhatti said he had become a reformed muslim and that he felt himself badly treated by Norwegian journalists.
– Man is full of flaws, I have made som mistakes myself, but I have been drawn to Islam anew. The press has continued stigmatizing me because they refer to me as previously terror-accused and formerly sentenced for violence. They do not allow people to forget, says Bhatti.
…
Bhatti has previously said that he doubts whether the Holocaust occurred. He was asked about this on Friday.
– I am not that good in history, so I do not know. The history books say yes, so I have to relate to that, he answered.
…
– From being known as one of Norway’s most dangerous men he now wants the role as Islam’s face in Norway. He has taken a religious perspective and this is what we need to challenge him on, says Skup-leader Håkon Haugsbø.
Safed-Tzfat, keeping the Spanish-speaking world up to date:
La estación nacional noruega de televisión, la NRK, ha entrevistado a unos maestros de la escuela primaria y secundaria de ciudades donde la inmigración es muy fuerte (y mayoritariamente musulmana). Ningún maestro ha hablado con la cara descubierta por temor a las represalias. Todos por lo tanto han permanecido en el anonimato.
1 Enseñante, una mujer:
“Hay un odio contra los judíos notorio. Todo, desde los chistes de muertos, incluso amenazas claras”. Dicen que en el Corán se dice que han nacido para matar judíos, y que todos los musulmanes odian a los judíos. “Los judíos deberán ser sacrificados si vienen a esta escuela”, afirman algunos alumnos. Otros alaban a Hitler. Lo peor de este odio del judío es que se ha vuelto bastante legítimo entre los grupos de estudiantes de origen musulmán.2 Enseñante, un hombre:
“Compruebo el odio hacia los judíos especialmente durante la educación cívica. Los estudiantes, suelen decir: los judíos lo controlan todo. Todo Occidente está controlado por los judíos. Muchos también dicen admirar a Hitler porque mató a los judíos. Los ataques contra las Torres Gemelas de Nueva York, el 11 de septiembre 2001, fue obra de los judíos”. “En mi clase, si alguien apoya el terrorismo, siempre hay algún alumnos que protesta. Pero si alguien está en contra de los judíos nadie protesta”
3 Enseñante, una mujer:
“Varios estudiantes se rieron cuando les hablé del Holocausto. Un niño se levantó y me ordenó dejar de hablar de los judíos y del Holocausto. La mayoría de estos niños nacieron y se criaron en Noruega. Creo que es escandaloso que puedan crecer en Noruega con esas actitudes”.
When people like Safed-Tzfat sit up nights and translate, maybe that is an indication of how what is going on here in Oslo East right now is not an isolated happening, but something that hooks in to events elsewhere?
 Klassekampen article claiming NRK's broadacst exaggerates the problem of anti-Semitism in the schools Often you will not read an entire article. Often you will merely glance at the heading and first paragraphs. Journalists know this, and structure their articles so you read the most important parts first. Except for when the journalist does not have a story, in which case he does not tell you until at the end of the article.
Today communist daily Klassekampen publishes an article alleging that NRK journalist Tormod Strand has exaggerated the situation concerning anti-Semitism in Norwegian schools. This is how it is structured:
The headline runs “Improper of Dagsrevyen (daily news, state channel NRK)”.
The first paragraph states the case upon which the article builds: “Teacher Frode Heien would have been happy to stand forth openly in the Dagsrevyen broadcast about anti-Semitism, where one of the points of the story was that teachers are afraid to stand forth out of fear for muslim students”.
The next paragraphs elaborate on teacher Frode Heien’s version of affairs; he believes NRK’s Tormod Strand has twisted the facts to fit the story, he feels that Tormod Strand attempted to maneuver him into saying things which would fit Strand’s own version of things, and finally, Heien explains how he believes he is quoted in the broadcast as the anonymous teacher no.4, saying that “damn Jew” has become a curse in Norwegian classrooms.
The last section of the article deals with Tormod Strand’s answers to Heien’s allegations, where Strand says that Heien was one of the many teachers he had spoken with but not one of those upon which he built his program upon.
Accordingly, since Strand’s program was not based on his conversations with Heien, and Heien was definitely not the unidentified teacher no.4 quoted as saying that “damn Jew” has become a commonplace insult in Norwegian schools, Heien’s view of Strand’s program is insufficiently relevant to warrant an article. Because the journalist knows this but still wants to get his point across, he hides behind Heien’s allegation. This way he tells the whole story and does nothing wrong, but in such a way as to provide the reader with the impression that Heien actually has a case.
In order to understand what Klassekampen and other newspapers is doing, read up on Cracked – 6 subtle ways the News Media disguises bullshit as fact.
 Aftenposten: "Beat Palestinian children during interrogations" On March 15th Norway’s second largest newspaper Aftenposten published an editorial on the importance of combatting anti-Semitism. As Document.no points out, Aftenposten can start by examining its own journalists.
John J.Mearsheimer og Stephen M.Walt write about the media (in “The Israel Lobby” p.169): “A key part of preserving postive public attitudes
toward Israel is to ensure that the mainstream media’s coverage of Israel and the Middle East consistently favors Israel and does not call US support into question in any way… pro-Israel groups could count on media support not only from national columnists but also from the editors of some of the country’s most widely read newspapers“.
As the example below suggests, the situation in Norway is very similar to the one described by Mearsheimer and Walt.
Lars Akerhaug, a Palestine-activist
Lars Akerhaug is a Norwegian left-winger committed to the struggle against Israel and the USA. Akerhaug has served as International Liaison in the far left political party Rød Valgallianse (later Rødt) and has written extensively in publications such as Revolution and Rødt. He was a founding member of the Committee for a Free Iraq which raised funds (VG) for the insurgents’ fight against the coalition forces. As Mr.Akerhaug said at the time: ”It is right and fair to attack American targets and the Iraqi Quisling-police“. In 2001 Mr.Akerhaug was the leader of the Palestine Committee, after which he sat on its board from 2003 to 2004. He is still an active member of the Palestine Committe.
According to a source Mr.Akerhaug was also involved when the Palestine Committee invited two Hamas-members to visit Norway in 2006 – read about the visit in Dagsavisen (Norwegian). During that same year he reported to have studied Arabic in Cario in Egypt, after which he returned to Norway and freelanced for Verdens Gang until 2009.
It was at this point that Lars Akerhaug was employed by Aftenposten.
Covers Israel for Aftenposten
It is still unclear exactly why Aftenposten chose to provide exactly Lars Akerhaug, with his extremist leanings, with a position. What we do know is that Mr.Akerhaug is given free reign to write about what appears to be his favorite topic – Israel.
Only the last week he has scribbled the following: (March 9th) The third intifada is coming – religious strife may lead to new Palestinian rebellion, (March 11th) Israeli mistake behind USA-rage, apologizes to USA after mistaken declaration (March 10th) New battles in Jerusalem – Israel cuts of West Bank, (March 12th), Beat Palestinian children during interrogations (March 16th), Israel pours gasoline on fire, diplomatic relations between Israel and USA at all-time low (March 16th) and last, but not least Jewish extremists warn against marrying Leonardo Dicaprio (March 16th).
“Candidly speaking – growing hostility”
During FM Jonas Gahr Støre’s visit to Israel in January, an op-ed in the Jerusalem Post concluded:
In addition, despite repeated denials by government apologists that anti-Semitism in Norway had escalated, even the viciously anti-Israel daily Aftenposten this month carried an editorial deploring the escalation of anti-Semitism which was forcing Jews to emigrate. It attributed the increased hatred to the anti-Semitic Muslim immigrants and the impact of the hostile anti-Israel environment. The editorial concluded that the hatred represented a tragedy not only for Jews, but for Norwegian society as a whole.
This critical voice was one of many never to reach the Norwegian population, far less Aftenposten’s readers. Yet how it could it be otherwise, in a newspaper which employs journalists like Akerhaug? Many Norwegians who thought JP was a bit harsh at the time will be more understanding once they learn of Lars Akerhaug. Little by little, a pattern is beginning to develop. It is when observing this pattern that we must allow ourselves to question whether political activists like Lars Akerhaug have the objectivity to report objectively and truthfully.
Or outrightly conclude like Mearsheimer and Walt do above, that the media is heavily influenced by the lobby.
 Journalist and Palestine-activist Lars Akerhaug covers Israel for Aftenposten Aftenposten journalist Lars Akerhaug is a committed left-wing politician and Palestine-activist. In spite of this Aftenposten often assigns him to cover Israel. In the article “Builds Norwegian settlements with Norwegian savings” Mr.Akerhaug covers the Norwegian Pension Fund, also called the “oil fund”, and how it is in part invested in Israel.
The Norwegian Pension Fund is estimated to hold values corresponding to 1% of the world’s total stock, which tells us less than we would like to believe. The screenshot below, also from Mr.Akerhaug’s article in Aftenposten, shows us where the Pension Fund is invested, with the green circles showing the volume of investement. The green circle in Israel is far smaller than those in the USA and Europe, so why is it scrutinized so carefully?
 From Aftenposten: a map showing where the Norwegian Pension Fund is invested
Mohyeldeen Mohammed achieved some measure of fame when he as a key note speaker at a muslim rally warned of a 9/11 on Norwegian soil if transgressions against muslims did not cease. It was later revealed that Mr.Mohammed also supported that homosexuals be killed. Shortly after giving his speech Mohammed returned to his religious studies at a university in Saudi-Arabia.
NRK now reports that Mohyeldeen Mohammed has been temporarily suspended from his university, which does not allow its students to engage in politics. His passport has also been seized. According to NRK Mr.Mohammed has expressed fear that he Norwegian authorities are trying to have Saudi-Arabian authorities arrest him.
This site predicts that Mr.Mohammed will be back in Norway within a few years, at the most.
 Anniken Huitfelt in Dagbladet, April 17th 2009 Following NRK journalist Tormod Strand’s program on anti-Semitism in Norwegian schools, the media is all over the issue. But this is not new. Anti-Semitism in the schools was a big issue almost exactly one year ago as well. The news is that even the problem was known, it has been allowed to fester.
Anti-Semitism in the schools anno 2009
Following the anti-Jewish riots in January, several newspapers discovered that anti-Semitism had crept back into Norwegian schools. Morgenbladet published one article, and there was also this anguished letter from a fourteen-year old in Oslo East. The screenshot above is from another – “Jew, an insult” from Dagbladet on April 17th 2009 – with the picture showing Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Labor) in a classroom. At the time Ms.Huitfeldt promoted the Government’s Action Plan for furthering equality and prevent ethnic discrimination. Dagbladet presents the Action Plan thus:
The new Action Plan is to further equality and precent ethnic discrimination. In practice this means a massive attitude-shaping work in kindergardens, schools and extra-curricular milieus all over the country. The Directorate of Education is to develop a five-year program for an inclusive learning- and development milieu.
Obviously the massive attitude-shaping work did not lead to the desired results. Given, that is, that fighting anti-Semitism was a key priority of the plan.
Action Plan focuses on Islamophobia, not anti-Semitism
As it happens the Action Plan does not give priority to anti-Semitism as such. Instead we see that priority is given to combating Islamophobia. The Action Plan uses the word “Jew” only twice: on page six, in a descriptive context where Jews are identified as being one of the Norwegian minorities, most of whom belong to the Jewish congregations in Trondheim and Oslo, on page 67 where the Action Plan mentions that it is normal to find content on the internet which is racist towards, among other, Jews, muslims and Same (Norwegian minority – also known as Laplanders). The Action Plan uses the word “anti-Semitism” once, on page 67 in the sentence: “In the report it is also pointed to different manifestations of anti-Semitism in Norway”. The word “muslim” is mentioned four times, all on page 67:
The integration barometer for 2005 shows that Norwegians’ relationships with muslims are characterized by uncertainty and skepticism. ECRI’s fourth annual report points out how civilian civic organizations agree that islamophobia in Norway has shown an increase since the third report. Political as well as more general debate is characterized by repeated associations between muslims on the one hand and terrorism and violence on the other, as well as generalizations and stereotypes in terms of special cultural traits in people with muslim backgrounds.
Contrast this with the paltry mention of anti-Semitism:
In the report it is also pointed at different manifestations of anti-Semitism in Norway. It is emphasized that on the internet it is common to find racist contents targeting among other Jews, muslims and Same.
What now?
Concluding, we have the following: the anti-Jewish riots of January 2009, followed by the discovery of anti-Semitism in Norwegian schools, to which Government responds by implementing an Action Plan which focuses on Islamophobia, after which anti-Semitism is allowed to fester until it again is brought to attention by NRK’s Tormod Strand. What now, do we wait another year and then do the same again?
How is it that when a fourteen-year old can identify anti-Semitism one full year ago, the problem is left to grow, and then treated as news again?
 Aftenposten op-ed "The Norwegian Jew disappears" Norway is one of those societies which has great difficulties in providing Jews with circumstances in which they can thrive. The author of the op-ed in Aftenposten above raises an interesting question: If Jews cannot live in Norway, does not that prove the necessity of a Jewish state where they can live in safety?
Well put.
 Syversen of the Christian Democrats Hans Olav Syversen of the Christian Democrats is asking that the authorities take anti-Semitism seriously. Mr.Syversen has a good track record of doing so himself, although there are those who say that he is too much of a gentleman to be a match for the brawlers he faces. Unauthorized translation from Dagsavisen article “Christian Democrats want specific action plan against anti-Semitism”.
– The last days there have again been stories showing that we have large problems with anti-Semitic attitudes in the Norwegian schools, says Hans Olav Syversen (KrF) i en pressemelding.
He says that the Christian Democrats requested that the government put together an action-plan against anti-Semitism already for a year ago.
– It is unfortunate that we have not seen any such initiative from the government, says Syversen.
The action plan ought, according to the Christian Democrats, to among other deal with measures targeting bullying of Jewish students, more emphasis on knowledge of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust in the training of teachers and measures aiming to improve communications between Jews and muslims in Norway.
In addition they want stronger reactions on hate-crime against Jews, including that occurring on the internet.
 Communist daily Klassekampen Communist daily Klassekampen has little love for Israel but is pitching in against anti-Semitism – in its own way. Unauthorized translation from “We need to clean house“, with General Secretary Shoaib Sultan of the Islamic Council
- We need to know more, says Sultan to Klassekampen.
- Concrete measures demand a better mapping of the conditions. It is important that such a process also includes mapping of all kinds of harassment against minorities, including muslims, says Sultan who earlier this week also declared his support to the Mosaic Religious Community’s proposal of ascertaining hatred against Jewish students.
- What concrete measures can the Islamic Council carry out yourselves?
- We can first and foremost carry out attitudinal work, by trying to create arenas for dialogue with youths, to counteract bad and un-islamic attitudes in general and Jew-baiting especially. But attitudinal work is a continuous process which needs to be intensified, and therefore will largely depend on resources – which unfortunately is scarce with the Islamic Council of Norway.
- Last winter one saw aggressive muslim youths protesting against Israel’s warfare in Gaza – Islamic Council cannot have been completely unknowing of how there among some muslims exists a bad feeling for Israel and Jews?
- The statements which were made during the broadcast on NRK were much harsher than anything we have seen before.
Sultan does not do a very good job here: he asks for funds to carry out attitudinal work – for muslims as well as for Jews. And regarding the riots in January of 2009 – we have not seen anything harsher than that since the war.
 Bookshop sells Saudi-sponsored anti-Semitism Sara Azmeh Rasmussen says to Vårt Land (above) that she recently purchased a vehemently anti-Semitic book at a bookstore in Oslo. The bookstore in question is located in the same building as a mosque and the Islamic Council. The book is allegedly subsidized by Saudi-Arabia, and goes for NOK 55.
She is startled over the book which is in Arabic and, according to what Azmeh Rasmussen has learned, is subsidized by Saudi-Arabia. Azmeh Rasmussen translates the title of the book to: Jewish transgressor – and their country Israel. According to Azmeh Rasmussen the contents are as bad as Hitler’s anti-Semitism.
The ancient lies about a Jewish world-conspiracy are spread. By opening the book virtually at random Azmeh Rasmussen found a paragraph where the Jews are mocked as unreliable, traitorous, greedy and slippery and that Jew-hatred has its explanation in these Jewish attributes. The like is set side by side with verses from the Koran and religious texts, written by a learned man.
The building with the mosque and the bookstore also houses Islamic Council. On Dagsnytt 18 on Monday evening General Secretary Shoaib Sultan denied having any responsibility for the bookstore and the mosque. But Sara Azmeh Rasmussen does not believe that the Islamic Council can close its eyes to the litterature which everyone passes on their way to the council offices. The book is still on sale, for NOK 55.
Ms.Rasmussen, who on May 1st created an uproar when she celebrated her freedom by burning her hijab, says her native country of Syria is deeply anti-Semitic and that she is ashamed to admit that she herself was steeped in anti-Semitism. Now she says that Norwegian muslims must stand together in the fight against anti-Semitism.
It is important to remember that although overt muslim anti-Semitism is easy to identify and distance oneself from, it is not the only brand of anti-Semitism on the market. There are many ethnic Norwegians who have cultivated more subtle forms of anti-Semitism for a long, long time.
This keeps happening. Blogs in foreign languages hook up. The reason is not that people necessarily are all that interested in Norway, or that NIJ is such a fantastic blog people just cannot stay away, but rather that people all across the world are starting to recognize the international obsession with Israel for what it is. Excerpt from Against anti-Semitism:
Comme nous renseigne le blog francophone Philosémitisme, le blog “Spain, Israel and the Jews” est le dernier en date d’une série de blogs qui ont vu le jour récemment et qui s’inspirent des principes proclamés par le site influent et incontournable “Norway, Israel and the Jews“
Visit Against anti-Semitism.
DagenMagazinet reports that Education Minister Kristin Halvorsen has taken the initiative to establish a working committee to combat racism and anti-Semitism in Norwegian schools. In the screenshot above – from Dagenmagazinet- we see leader of the Mosaic Religious Community Anne Sender and Education Minister Kristin Halvorsen grinning happily at each other.
Let us hope that this working committee works better than the action plan of last year, which was promoted with exactly the same kind of opitimism in the face of exactly the same problem of anti-Semitism in Norwegian schools (primarily Oslo East).
Decades of one-sided information has made many prominent Norwegians incapable of recognizing their desire to punish Israel for what is is – a malign obsession. Even as anti-Semitism is being uncloaked, Bernt G. Apeland is only to happy to step up to bat, speaking of investigating Norwegian Jews for war-crimes. Perhaps one of these days Mr.Apeland will travel down to France and explain to French Jews what a great friend of European Jewry he is.
From Juif.org:
Maintenant c’est la Croix-Rouge norvégienne qui suggère qu’on mène une enquête sur plusieurs citoyens norvégiens, suédois et danois qui ont servi comme soldats dans les forces israéliennes.
“Les Israéliens ont régulièrement été accusés d’être responsables de violations contre les Palestiniens dans les territoires occupés. Si Israël ne mène pas des enquêtes sur ces actions, les autorités norvégiennes devraient étudier la situation, et éventuellement engager des enquêtes et des poursuites”, a déclaré le directeur de la communication de la Croix-Rouge Bernt G. Apeland à la chaîne de télévision nationale norvégienne NRK.
Enquêter et punir. C’est toujours la même rengaine!
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