Norway: Jewish leader demands investigation of Muslim antisemitism

Norway: Jewish leader demands investigation of Muslim antisemitism

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* Norway: Muslim activist demands complete rejection of antisemitism


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The Holocaust Center in Oslo will investigate Jew-hatred in Norway, but the center didn't plan to investigate the attitudes of Norwegian Muslims, as a group, when it comes to Jew-hatred.

This has become an topical issue with the recent news reports of Jew-hatred among students of Muslim background.

"Antisemitism among Norwegian Muslims should be part of the study," says the head of the Mosaic Faith-Society in Norway, Anne Sender.

"I can see no other solution when the world looks as it does, and we have the facts and the experiences essentially from the European reality, and in any case, with last week's revelations," she says.

The Holocaust Center will now consider whether they'll investigate what Norwegian Muslims think about Jews.


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Education minister Kristin Halvorsen (SV) already took the initiative to set up a work-group to attempt to fight racism and antisemitism in Norwegian schools.

"I've spoken with many teachers who think it's important to tackle the problems that turn up with harassment, racism and antisemitism in Norweigan schools. Therefore we're inviting representatives from the schools, police and various faith-communities to participate in the work-group," said the education minister, who also added that they'll work on attitude-creating work.

Following NRK's report on Jew-hatred in Norwegian schools, the minister put the issue on her agenda. On Wednesday she met with representatives from the Mosaic Faith-Society.

Chairman Anne Sender is positive about the work-group.

"I think something concrete can come out of it," Sender told Norwegian news agency NTB.

She thinks that it's all about what type of society one wants and that everything regarding racism and antisemitism should be taken seriously. She says that now that it's dealt with at a national level, the chances for sucess are better.

Sender has on several occasions linked antisemitic attitudes to Muslim communities, and said that this is exactly where the problem lies.

Kristin Halvorsen doesn't agree with that conclusions.

"It's not a Muslim problem, but a Norwegian problem," she says.

The minister also emphasized the importance of differentiating between antisemitism and Israel's politics.

Sources: NRK, VG (Norwegian)