Norwegian attacks stem from a new ideological hate
Norwegian attacks stem from a new ideological hate
By Abraham H. Foxman, Published: July 29
These ideas are no longer geographically isolated. The Oslo perpetrator in his manifesto quoted extensively from the writings of European and American bloggers — including Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller — who promote a conspiratorial anti-Muslim agenda under the pretext of fighting radical Islam. Because of the reach of the Internet, these ideas float freely across borders and are reinforced by like-minded bigots.
The savage acts of terrorism in Oslo last week shocked people of goodwill and conscience around the world. The deadliness of the attacks — 77 people, many of them youths, were killed during a calculated, merciless shooting rampage and a bombing near the government’s headquarters — and the cruelty behind them make it difficult to set aside emotion and consider their significance. Yet when studying the apparent motivations, as expressed by confessed perpetrator Anders Behring Breivik, a crucial point emerges.
Europe and the United States have been no strangers to violence motivated by anti-
Islamic sentiments over the past decade. Muslims have been assaulted and killed, their mosques and institutions damaged and destroyed. Yet the majority of the attacks have fallen into only a few categories:● Hate crimes typically motivated by culturally or religiously based anti-Islamic prejudice.
● Acts of retaliatory or reactionary violence.
● Violence by white supremacists, who usually hate the race and religion of the majority of Muslims.
For example, this month Texas executed a white supremacist, Mark Anthony Stroman, who in 2001 targeted and fatally shot convenience store clerks of perceived Middle Eastern appearance in ‘retaliation’ for the Sept. 11 attacks.
Hat tip: Curious Lurker
