State television NRK broadcasts on anti-Semitism in Norway

Forces of evil are moving.

Today state television NRK broadcast  on anti-Semitism in Norway. The broadcast, which was approximately five minutes long, was put together by NRK journalist Tormod Strand and sent during prime time as part of the national news at 7 pm. There was an introduction on the state of affairs in Malmö, Sweden, a film clip from PA television showing people reciting anti-Semitic passages from the Koran and Hadiths, and interviews with Norwegian Jews and school-teachers.

See the NRK broadcast here.

In the interviews a Norwegian man – his face blackened out and his voice altered – told of how his child is bullied at school, merely for being Jewish. Several teachers were quoted on how schoolchildren openly voice their anti-Semitic attitudes and rebuke their teachers for talking about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. A number of people were quoted and interviewed in the program. Only one of them, a prominent Jewish leader, dared to appear under her own name. The others remained anonymous out of fear for reprisals.

So we have a  publisher shot for publishing a book by Salman Rusdhie, a prominent politician threatened on her life for speaking at a pro-Israel peace rally, anonymous Jews and anonymous teachers speaking about anti-Semitism, funnymen and journalists who censor themselves, and the anonymous bloggers of NIJ reporting on it all.

This will not do. A society cannot remain civilized when fear has it by the throat.

On March 16th the main opposition party hosts a rally in support of free-speech on Eidsvoll’s square, right in front of Parliament. Let us hope that many will show up for it.

Forces of good need to mobilize now.