Why listen to the fundamentalists?

Something has happened in the last few weeks. While journalists have been beheaded by ISIS in the most horrific way, women and children raped and murdered, our homegrown islamists have admitted that they do support sharia and ISIS and that they do want a global islamic state. The suspicion, the claims that there are actually someone who want this even in the Western world, they were correct. It wasn’t just a bad accusation.

Screenshot from an IS-supporter in Norway

The IS-terrorist who beheaded an American journalist is probably British, and the wife of a Swedish IS-jihadist have made clear her dream is to be the first woman to behead a Westerner. Shocked? There is every reason to be. But surprised? Not if you have read the biographies of ex-Islamists like Maajid Nawaz fra UK, or Ahmed Akkari from Denmark. They are in every detail telling how extremists are using the freedom of the Western world to to spread totalitarian and dangerous ideology, inside Western countries.

This summer we experienced a possible terror threat against Norway. We were told that Islamist terrorists from Syria could strike the country, as I told about in a former post. That obviously didn’t happen, but now the message is: the threat is permanent. It could happen any time.

I know, this is the situation in so many countries. Not only threats, but actual terrorism that in some parts of the world makes life a disaster. And war, just look at the Middle East. No country, no people deserves this situation. At the same time I find it very hard to understand why Norway and the other Scandinavian countries are now so affiliated with terrorism. Why we let that happen so to speak.

This small, secular and peaceful country have produced suicidebombers, one of the al-Shabaab terrorists killing about 70 people in Westgate Mall in Kenya last October, and 50-60 jihadists who have joined the barbaric fighting in Syria and Iraq. I know ISIS fighters come from all over the world, but we are only 5 million people and and our way of life used to be so totally far from all of this.

What makes this grow even in Western democracies? 40 years ago there was no Muslims in Norway. Now we have 220.000 (2013) and 129 mosques and muslim congregations (2009). Why do I mention this? Not because I believe every muslim is a potential terrorist, no, definitely not. On the contrary, many have come to Norway to find refuge from oppression, to find more democracy. But some forces brainwash people to be extremists, and some of these forces are definitely here, doing their dirty work from within.

As a society Norway have done little to reveal what they are, and to stop them. At least not the politicians or the media, with very few exceptions. We are a bit like Rotherham; some topics are not to be mentioned, some criticism is not uttered, except by those defined as the exstremist right. And who wants to be in the extremist right? We also have to take into consideration that we have given asylum to many people we don’t know the identity to, actually 9 out of 10 upon arrival, and obviously some who didn’t go to the West to celebrate democracy.

But there are voices that are warning, very competent voices. Not the least the ex-Islamists, people who have done the transition from what I would call «normal» muslim, to extremist, and back to normal again. Renouncing Islamism, but not necessarily Islam. I have mentioned two of them before, Ahmed Akkari from Denmark, who was once involved in igniting the muslim world against the Danish cartoons. And Maajid Nawaz from UK. If only half is true of what they say in their biographies about how islamists are using mosques and Western schools and universities to recruit to extremism, you get shudders. And I have no reason to not belive. Last week we actually also saw the leader of one of the Danish mosques mentioned by Akkari who confirmed he support ISIS.

We have in fact got many such confirmations that extremism exists among us lately. A few days ago Norwegian media actually started writing about a 23-year old who was one of the terrorists at the Westgate in Kenya last year. They start to look into this case almost one year after it happened, and how he was radicalized. Good. At last.

Screenshot from Aftenposten 10.09.2014

One extremist in Norway just told in detail how he supported ISIS and jihad. That was a shock for all those who couldn’t believe such views could exist here. A protest was arranged in Oslo, with a 19 year old muslim girl up front. Just a few days later it was revealed that she was Shia, and maybe had all sorts of reasons to protest against the Sunni ISIS. She denies that she see Khomeini as a hero now, but even she confirms that she wants Sharia in Norway and an Islamic state. What is the reaction of the Norwegian media of a girl who writes on Facebook that “Do not love the one who doesn’t love Allah”? She is on all the major frontpages, as a symbol to be celebrated.

There are not done much research about the attitudes of Muslims and other immigrations to equality, democracy and extremism in Norway. One expert believe that probably thousands in Norway support Sharia and want this country to become an Islamic state. Attitudes easily confirmed by a Canadian news commentator that was present in Oslo at the ISIS-protest, and was surprised to find what we natives would find extremist views.

So all this is not easy to digest, especially because we normally want to believe the best about others, and that we all share similar views more or less on humanity, democracy and eqaulity. Yesterday we saw one of the so called moderates, a convert who have not always been that moderate, suddenly ask for a revolution within the muslim community: to make a clear separation between Islam the religion and Islam as politics. And to withdraw govenmental funding for any organization who don’t support human rights in word and action. That as a clear message to some of the mosques. She even renounced her former support for the Norwegian niqab-girls: “They take on one of the most provocative garments among both Muslims and most Norwegians, and maintains the role of victim when they are met with strong reactions. To get the “evidence” that society attack Islam.”

So now I am kind of optimistic. Light is shed on a few of the dark corners. At least it is a start. It is still not ok to criticize those who wants to transform this country in the most backward way, because it could hurt muslims in general. I will say it is the opposite. It is time we shed light on development that is undemining values that took centuries to build. Values that many have fled to take part in and be protected by. Hopefully this is changing now. Meanwhile I recommend all to read Nawaz and Akkari. According to them the difference between the nonviolent and the violent Islamist is just the violence, since the goal is the same: a global Caliphate. And how some foreign islamists are given asylum in the West, where they run organizations that are banned in their homeland. And recruiting.

Akkari tells in detail how islamists in Denmark use mosques and muslim schools to spread their fundamentalistic doctrines. Nawaz about how he and other islamists used the universities to recruit: “All the major universities had recruitment drives: Oxford and Cambridge, Exeter, Durham, Everywhere. We were fast taking over,” writes . Nawaz was later imprisoned in Egypt because of the his affiliation with Hizb al-Tahrir. Many Muslim countries have banned the group, but not UK, and last week I saw they have established a group in Sweden, and call it a political party! Yes, some go to the West to use the democratic system to abolish the same democratic system. It is time we begin to think through who needs our protection, and who certainly do not. To stop clasping our hands in surprise when yet another young person have transformed  into a deadly jhadist. And to start listening to those who warn against fundamentalism and actually shows us how they work, right under our nose.