Norway: Progress Party and Muslims
The Norwegian Progress Party (FRP) doesn't want to discriminate against people, said a Norwegian-Indian party member during a debate. Still he met with strong opposition from other people in the hall.
What should Muslims expect from the Progress party in case they come to power? Will Norwegian Muslims be better off with the FRP in government? And should Norwegian Muslims vote for the party? These were some of the issues which were discussed during the debate "Islam and Liberal Society" in Oslo last week, organized by the Liberal Laboratory Foundation.
Feelings ran quite high at times in the hall and people could feel the strong disagreement between several of the debaters in the panel and others in the hall.
Norwegian-Indian Ombir Upadhyay, representing the party in Stovner, thinks his party in government will give Norwegian Muslims an opportunity to leave the victim role and for once and for all enter Norwegian society.
"Our focus is on freedom from collective thought, and away from the train of thought that Norwegian Muslims are miserable and should be pampered. We will make an effort with integration policies which will ensure that this group gets an increased feeling of belonging and connection to Norway," he said.
Head of the Anti-racist Center, Kari Helene Partapuoli, claimed that such a feeling of belonging is sharply challenged by FRP policies in practice.
"At the same time that the party expressed a wish for equal treatment, they want to withdraw discrimination laws. In a Norway led by the Progress Party, it will be easier for employers to sack girls who wear hijab and for Muslims in general it will be harder to show their religion in the public sphere."
Exp-FRP member, liberal, blogger and freedom of speech activist Heidi Nordby Lunde thought Muslims, FRP members and the party's voters shouldn't be seen as a monolithic block, but rather focus on individuals. Nordby Lunde isn't afraid of cooperation between the two big non-socialist parties.
"I think the Conservative Party will have a dampening effect on the Progress Party when it comes to immigration, like the Labor Party had on the Socialist Left Party in the current coalition," she said.
Attenposten journalist Usman Rana thinks that Norway will become even more unattractive for immigration if Siv Jensen and Co. came to power.
"FRP aren't as liberal when it comes to Islam and immigration, although the party often mention the USA and the Republicans as their main inspiration. Remember that the integration culture in the USA is completely different than in Norway, where people are much more open towards outside forces. Here the FRP follows a strict assimilation policy rather than going for true integration," he said.
At several occasions the debate completely lost focus.
The hall began to discuss everything from Gaza to one of the panelists' religious connections. Upadhyay managed to get several of the audience against him when he answered a question about crime statistics and the riots in Oslo during the anti-Israel demonstration by saying that 'young Muslims are taught to hate the society they live in."
"I can't understand how you can say something like that, something so objectionable," was Usman Rana's immediate response.
Iffit Qureshi raised a surly finger at Upadhyay and appeared quite affected by the statement. Several times the moderator had to ask her to keep to a calmer tone.
"What you had said now is so extremely offensive that it's absolutely indescribable . It looks like you and your party have sweeping confusion when it comes to Islam, Norwegian Muslims, integration and general politics," she said.
Source: Utrop (Norwegian)
The Norwegian Progress Party (FRP) doesn't want to discriminate against people, said a Norwegian-Indian party member during a debate. Still he met with strong opposition from other people in the hall.
What should Muslims expect from the Progress party in case they come to power? Will Norwegian Muslims be better off with the FRP in government? And should Norwegian Muslims vote for the party? These were some of the issues which were discussed during the debate "Islam and Liberal Society" in Oslo last week, organized by the Liberal Laboratory Foundation.
Feelings ran quite high at times in the hall and people could feel the strong disagreement between several of the debaters in the panel and others in the hall.
Norwegian-Indian Ombir Upadhyay, representing the party in Stovner, thinks his party in government will give Norwegian Muslims an opportunity to leave the victim role and for once and for all enter Norwegian society.
"Our focus is on freedom from collective thought, and away from the train of thought that Norwegian Muslims are miserable and should be pampered. We will make an effort with integration policies which will ensure that this group gets an increased feeling of belonging and connection to Norway," he said.
Head of the Anti-racist Center, Kari Helene Partapuoli, claimed that such a feeling of belonging is sharply challenged by FRP policies in practice.
"At the same time that the party expressed a wish for equal treatment, they want to withdraw discrimination laws. In a Norway led by the Progress Party, it will be easier for employers to sack girls who wear hijab and for Muslims in general it will be harder to show their religion in the public sphere."
Exp-FRP member, liberal, blogger and freedom of speech activist Heidi Nordby Lunde thought Muslims, FRP members and the party's voters shouldn't be seen as a monolithic block, but rather focus on individuals. Nordby Lunde isn't afraid of cooperation between the two big non-socialist parties.
"I think the Conservative Party will have a dampening effect on the Progress Party when it comes to immigration, like the Labor Party had on the Socialist Left Party in the current coalition," she said.
Attenposten journalist Usman Rana thinks that Norway will become even more unattractive for immigration if Siv Jensen and Co. came to power.
"FRP aren't as liberal when it comes to Islam and immigration, although the party often mention the USA and the Republicans as their main inspiration. Remember that the integration culture in the USA is completely different than in Norway, where people are much more open towards outside forces. Here the FRP follows a strict assimilation policy rather than going for true integration," he said.
At several occasions the debate completely lost focus.
The hall began to discuss everything from Gaza to one of the panelists' religious connections. Upadhyay managed to get several of the audience against him when he answered a question about crime statistics and the riots in Oslo during the anti-Israel demonstration by saying that 'young Muslims are taught to hate the society they live in."
"I can't understand how you can say something like that, something so objectionable," was Usman Rana's immediate response.
Iffit Qureshi raised a surly finger at Upadhyay and appeared quite affected by the statement. Several times the moderator had to ask her to keep to a calmer tone.
"What you had said now is so extremely offensive that it's absolutely indescribable . It looks like you and your party have sweeping confusion when it comes to Islam, Norwegian Muslims, integration and general politics," she said.
Source: Utrop (Norwegian)
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