Norway vows to defend our shared values – European nations should follow.

“A united Norway refuses to let itself be threatened into silence. The cries on Utøya turned into dark silence, but it turned into flowers in the streets.

“We have taken our country back.”

Eskil Pedersen, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party youth organization.

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The failure of European leaders to to uphold our values against the radical Islamophobic right.   For the past two years, European leaders have been appeasing the radical right and their “political parties” in their nations. This appeasement is for votes and takes the form of  laws, like the burka ban, based almost exclusively on Islamophobic stereotypes and misguided “woman’s rights.”  This appeasement also included flippant statements from Angela Merkel (who has a track record of flippant statements) that “multiculturalism has failed.” There has been real persecution of Roma people by the French and Italian governments, and includes calls for violence by “political leaders.”  At the same time we have so-called “anti-Islam political parties” that have been allowed to play “kingmakers” in at least two European nations. We have many Breivik-minded extremists sitting in the European Parliament.  Last, but certainly not least, we also have counter-terrorism frameworks in national, European and American intelligence and security agencies that use Islamophobic criteria to “uncover” the  “jihadists” and “radicalized groups and individuals.”

Gee – Islam is the new “Soviet communism” and Muslims are the new “Red Brigades” – and it’s a nice way to recreate the transatlantic unity of the Cold War with the United States “after September 11, 2001.”  This focus on Muslim communities and policies crafted on Islamophobia gives legitimacy to the likes of Anders Behring Breivik. Our collective call should be for tolerant, pluralistic societies and defense of human rights for all, regardless of religious faith. In fact, protecting the human rights of European Muslims should have been the first priority of European leaders, not treating them as a “criminal class“ with no human rights.

The Norwegians will stand fast! First, Western civilization and people have learned bloody lessons from its own historical experiences. Learning these lessons is part of our common heritage. Western civilization does not embrace the notion of limiting the liberties of hated and feared religious and ethnic groups. “Speaking blasphemy” is no longer a criminal offense. Burning witches and heretic trials are ancient relics that are viewed as barbarity.  Western civilization moved away from this after the centuries of religious persecution of especially the Jews, culminating in the Holocaust by Nazi Germany.  Western civilization is now about tolerance and inclusion of all who live in peaceful, Western democracies, including Muslims and Islam, as well as Jews, Gays, Humanists, Atheists, Leftists and Feminists.

Norway is now defending Western civilization. Norway could prove to be an example of how mount a peaceful response to the challenge from the radical Islamophobic right, which has now spawned horrible and brutal acts against the Norwegian people.  Norway is not even a European Union member State, yet it is demonstrating to the rest of the world genuine European values that many EU Member States have ignored in favor of appeasement of the radical right. But Norway is a NATO member, and preamble of the North Atlantic Treaty is very much a rally-call for the Western world in the fight against the radical right:

They are determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilisation of their peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law.

This means the defense of our shared values of tolerance and pluralistic societies and national identities, which has no room for hate and bigotry. Norway is standing fast and denying the terrorist his xenophobic message.  Norway could be the one beacon for human rights where the Netherlands is now faltering – and a NEW mood of tolerance and inclusion is now happening in Norway :

A new mood of unity and inclusion has taken hold in Norway during the week following last Friday’s terrorist attacks by a Norwegian bomber and gunman. Non-ethnic Norwegians … on their way to lay down flowers at a memorial, have said they feel more a part of society than ever before.

Norway is defending our shared values where European nations, like the Netherlands, have utterly failed and even continue to appease the radical right and accommodate its vehement Islamophobia.

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A little reminder for European leaders:

World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it. [The Schuman Deceleration, May 9, 1950].

European leaders must work to safeguard peace! First of all, you are either with us, those that represent genuine European values, or you are with the terrorist and his Islamophobic ilk, who are anti-democratic, anti-freedom and seek to undermine the human rights. This attack is an open challenge of everything that Europe has built after World War Two to put behind centuries of conflicts and violence based on religion and power games. Religious conflict is – now – what people like Anders Behring Breivik and his radical Islamophobic ilk promote and seek.

We will NOT return to the Crusades! We will NOT return to the 11th century!

We will NOT take to ethnic cleansing!  We will NOT bring back religious persecution!

We will certainly NOT return to gas and ovens, mass murder and mass graves for anyone!

Tolerance is a prerequisite to live in a democratic, peaceful and free society! We need to rally around the Western world in defense of our values, our shared values, which enable all of us to live as democratic, free and peaceful people. We must protect the individual liberty and human rights of Muslims to practice Islam to the full extent that Muslims wish to practice their Islamic faith. What is also true is that Muslims that live in our nations are also citizens. In the EU, Muslim citizens of Member States are also citizens  of the European Union, so the European Union has an obligation to its Muslim citizens! By protecting the individual liberty and human rights of Muslims, we are protecting individual liberty and human rights for the rest of us non-Muslims.

We must take back our nations and our politics from the merchants of hate and division. For the sake of safeguarding peace we must defend European values, our common values, of open, tolerant, inclusive, multicultural societies that are grounded upon human rights and peaceful co existence! The message from Norway and echoed by all of us: They want us to be scared – and we refuse to not only be scared – we will fight to preserve our shared values!

Tolerance, human rights, inclusive society and world peace WILL triumph!

See articles:

Norway massacre: ‘We were hit by evil’ says Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg

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Norway PM Jens Stoltenberg a hero in the making

Norway attacks: Anders Behring Breivik will join history’s human monsters

Labour may draw sympathy votes

First funeral after Oslo massacre

Post-slaughter, Norway clings to peaceful, inclusive values

Spain: Norway killings need “European response”

Norway urged to answer act of terror with tolerance