Conspiracy theories about 9/11 are very popular among Muslims in Norway, according to Aftenposten: Students back imam claims.

Many Muslims in Norway support the controversial claims of some Oslo imams who doubt that Muslims were behind the terrorist attacks on the US in 2001. Among them are some students who don’t believe Osama bin Laden gave the order to attack.

Junaid Tariq, age 23, said he’s heard that bin Laden’s terrorist network al-Qaida was behind the attacks. “But I don’t know, and really don’t believe that bin-Laden gave the order,” Tariq told newspaper Aftenposten on Friday. “At any rate, I don’t think it was Muslims who did it.”

That’s because Islam advocates peace, Tariq said, and Muslims are taught not to take human life. “Those who were behind the airline attacks shouldn’t call themselves Muslims,” said Tariq’s friend, Rehan Maajid, age 32.

“It could have been al-Qaida, but it’s difficult to say,” Maajid continued. “There are still lots of holes in the stories around what happened. I think al-Qaida exists, but Muslims shall not take a life. Islam is the religion of peace, and if you take a prisoner, you’re supposed to treat them like an equal.”

Masoom Zubair, leader for a Pakistani youth organization, says many Muslims feel unjustly suspect when terrorist attacks occur, something they neither have been involved with nor support.

The leader of the Muslim student organization in Norway, Awais Mushtaq, shares the doubts of imam Zulqarnain Sakandar Madni that it was al-Qaida who was behind the attack on the World Trade Center, contending there are only “indications,” no hard evidence.