DagenMagazinet
For Vebjørn Selbekk “freedom of expression” is more than just words, as is “courage”. After publishing an article on the cartoon-war in 2006, he became embroiled in it himself, receiving only luke-warm support from the Norwegian intelligensia and political establishment as he stood up for his editorial right to publish news-stories on relevant contemporary affairs. From the sound of his editorial in today’s Dagenmagazinet, it does not appear that Mr.Selbekk is hugely impressed by Bishop Tor B. Jørgensen’s attempts at engineering a “Bishop’s Boycott”.
Unauthorized translation:
The Bishop of Sør-Hålogaland Tor B. Jørgensen has put his thinking-hat on, the newspaper Nordland tells us. But it is not a difficult theological issue or the question of how the Church is to spread the gospel that the Bishop is struggling with.
No, Jørgensen is considering whether to support a boycott of Israeli goods. Together with the other Bishops Jørgensen has recently been to Israel and the Palestinian territories. It is especially the situation of the Palestinian Christians which upset the Bishop.
- A boycott of Israel is a measure in accordance with the non-violent line, says Jørgensen to the newspaper.
Regardless of what Jørgensen says, going in for a boycott of Israel is an extreme stance in the political realities of today’s Norway. Even the extremely Israel-critical party the Socialist Left has now in practice abandoned the boycott-policy.
In 2006 Kristin Halvorsen had to apologize to the Norwegian people for having endorsed such a move. Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre had tutored her on what a Norwegian minister may and may not do.
And it was the Socialist Left’s Minister of Higher Education Tora Aasland who last year had to educate the board at NTNU in Trondheim on how an academic boycott of Israel is not something which may or shall be introduced by and public Norwegian institution.
In today’s situation we actually have to move far out on the utmost left-wing in Norwegian politics, all the way to the revolutionary party Rødt (Red) in order to find someone who stands for such a policy.
So in Norway we have Bishops who side with Mads “Eyes of Gaza” Gilbert, Erik “from Marxism to Islam” Fosse, and their holocaust-distortionist friends. Being Norwegian is no honor these days, that’s for sure. If it were not for the likes of Vebjørn Selbekk, it would be downright shamefull.
Make sure to visit Tundra Tabloids for more on the Bishops.
