We Must Learn from Norway

The simmering tensions that led to the Norwegian tragedy affect Canada, too.

Kudos to Norwegians for their sense and sensibility in the aftermath of an evil attack on their beautiful country, touted to be one of the most peaceful places in Europe. There is no denying that this was a heinous attack on humanity. If this had been an Islamist attack, I hope Norwegians would have dealt with it in the same way.

Meanwhile, back in North America, those to the left and right are trying to find a political plug for Anders Behring Breivik’s acts of violence in order to push their own agendas. Many people – Muslims and non-Muslims alike – are calling him a Christian fundamentalist, despite the fact that they have no evidence to show that he was one. It almost seems to be a competition to see whose terrorist is better than whose.

Not clear on all the details of the attack? Want to know what the experts are saying? Click here.

However, what we seem to have bypassed in all this discussion is the cause and effect of a tragedy like this one. As a result of our experience with 9/11, we know that studying the background and going to the root cause is of utmost importance when dealing with an ideology of hate. From reading his disturbing manifesto, we know that Breivik was holding a grudge against what he considered a rape of Europe. While we should unequivocally be condemning him for taking lives, we would be naïve to disregard his rants as those of a madman.

Europe is a simmering cauldron of problems stemming from immigration and settlement issues, and if any good can come out of this massive human tragedy it would be to ensure that these concerns are discussed, debated, dissected, and dealt with by western governments and immigrant communities, which are facing many challenges.

Norway has been on my mind for another reason. I’ve just finished reading But the Greatest of These is Freedoms, by Norwegian author Hege Storhaug, and, as I read this troubling but thought-provoking book, I came to understand some of the serious social problems in Norway, and was able to relate them directly to Canada.

When the attack first happened, “experts” and analysts jumped to the wrong conclusions. Find out more here.

Storhaug’s book, a major bestseller and award-winner in Norway, paints a vivid picture of Europe in peril. Storhaug is not a fear-monger (something that she and I have both been accused of), but someone with strong credentials. She is one of Europe’s leading experts on immigration and integration and, since 2002, has served as director of Human Rights Service, Norway’s first think tank on policy proposals relating to European immigration.