‘Unlikely’ terrorist

A decade after 9/11, Norway made headlines for unlikely reasons. Twin terror acts in premier’s summer office claiming nearly 100 lives, scores missing and dozens hospitalized. Anders Behring Breivik, the perpetrator, has created a new profile of terrorist for security agencies worldwide: blonde, European and Christian. The previous and widely stereotyped profile of terrorist defined him as bearded, black or wheatish and Muslim.

Terrorism has nothing to do with Christianity or Islam. What happened in Oslo the other day is an act as anti-Christian as the ones on World Trade Center were anti-Islam. Yet religions, however tolerant and peace-loving they may be, get the blame. Fundamentalists and opportunists have always exploited religion as the pawn. Religio-political movements are led by individuals with questionable credentials and flawed knowledge but expert in camouflaging their agenda as Islam or Christianity to earn credibility. The world has witnessed for decades such fanatics using religious feelings to attack political offices and kill innocent children to achieve their vested interests.

Neither Islam nor Christianity, if rightly understood, can lead anyone to such radical beliefs. Nationalist and racist ideologies surely do while religion is used to seek popular appeal or legitimacy. Osama bin Laden’s views were rooted in presence of American soldiers in Arab lands. Ayman al-Zawahiri had his grudges against Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak. Both exploited militant Islamist landscape of Afghanistan for recruitment and launch of terrorists worldwide, thus leading to stigmatization of the entire Muslim populace.

Anti-immigrant fervor in general and anti-Muslim in particular has been culminating increasing popularity of far-right political parties and Christian movement in the Europe, Netherlands, France, and Germany etc.

During the past two decades, surveys show rise of the far-right within the Nordic region in particular, where such political parties are named främlingsfientligt – literally meaning 'enemy of strangers'. Such parties seek restriction of refugees and asylum seekers in camps and denial to education for their children. In Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, such far-right extremist parties have entered the parliament as have in many other European countries. Islam and immigrants are being used as coat-hangers for the financial, social and cultural problems confronting these governments.

The worst attack on Oslo since the World War II rings alarm bells across the entire Christian west where ‘full-blooded’ rightwing nationalists are growing and religion is mis-used to justify all actions. Norway and other Western nations plead stringent counter-terror measures in the Muslim states but ten tons of ammonium nitrate could reach a high profile Oslo island like a pack of cigarettes. The challenge for the comity of nations is to revisit their respective national policies to address the need of young, angry and disconnected citizens who are more susceptible of exploitation by radical nationalists and political extremists. Norway has been the best model for a peace-promoting, multicultural country. Such a tragedy should invoke deep introspection and policy revision to stem the soaring unhealthy trend.

While it’s time to offer condolences to victims of global terrorism, the Oslo saga exposes shallowness of media analysts and bloggers posting comments in real time without accurate information about the subject they are dwelling on. The world’s most respected news and analysis websites and newspapers suspected al-Qeada or Mulla Cracker link with one of three ‘imaginary’ suspects having visited Waziristan outpost in Pakistan’s northwest. Such baseless and wisdom starved comments proved instant obituaries of analytical journalism. By acting to the contrary, media not only mis-lead the reader but also reinforced stereotypes and prejudices about Muslims and immigrants.