Sindre Bangstad, Anders Breivik and the Rise Of

The Journal of Political Criminology, ISSN: 2059-9595 Volume 1 Number 1, December 2015, pp.47-48 Sindre Bangstad, Anders Breivik and the explanatory factor’ in explaining Breivik’s attack. Rise of Islamophobia, London: Zed Books Methodologically speaking, this book is firmly rooted 2014. 304pp. £16.99, pbk, Ebook. ISBN 978-1- within the social sciences and the author utilises an 7836-000-76 impressive array of secondary sources from a On July 22nd 2011, right-wing terrorist Anders number of disciplines including political science, Behring Breivik blew up a government building in social anthropology, law, and media studies. Oslo killing 8 people, before massacring a further 69 Critical of terrorism studies scholars who ‘were more on Utøya Island. The majority of his victims were or less completely oblivious to any terror threat from teenagers and activists of the Workers’ Youth League Norwegian citizens other than that posed by al- (AUF) - the youth branch of the governing Labour Qaeda or its affiliates’ (p.xiii), Bangstad tersely Party. Breivik was, and remains totally unrepentant recommends such scholars to look elsewhere. Part of about his unspeakably atrocious actions, confident in the authors critique of terrorism studies, is the the knowledge that he was killing the future enablers notion that counter-terrorist authorities in Norway of the ’Islamisation’ of Norway and indeed Europe. and their advisers in the academe failed to notice Were these the actions of a psychotic madman; a significant warning signs in the lead-up to Breivik’s rogue terrorist whose actions represented little more attack. Unfortunately, this argument is not expanded than his own twisted mind, or was Breivik radicalised upon by Bangstad.If this were the case, it would by a culture and society in which Islamophobia has surely add to Bangstad’s argument that Norway’s been allowed to thrive within a society dominated by self-perception of itself as a ‘tolerant, non-racist ‘free speech absolutism’? This is one of the Nordic utopia’ is at best disingenuous and at worst, fundamental debates within Norwegian Social dangerous. Anthropologist Sindre Bangstad’s Anders Breivik and One of the key strengths of the book, however, is the Rise of Islamophobia, with Bangstad convincingly Bangstad’s examination of the ideology adhered to arguing the latter. by Breivik and a network of online counter-Jihadists The book is not in fact a fully-fledged analysis of and conspiracy theorists. Readers will be left in no nd Breivik and July 22 2011, but rather an examination doubt that Breivik was radicalised by internet blogs, of the political and media discourse surrounding forums and websites espousing various theories on Breivik’s attack in the years before the fateful day the ‘Islamisation of Europe’, the Eurabia conspiracy and the aftermath. It is thus a book which seeks to theory (which gently argues that the European Union ‘shed light on the direction of Norwegian societal and Arab States have been in collusion for decades discourses regarding Islam and Muslims in recent seeking to foster mass-immigration into Europe with decades’ (p.xiii). Differing from the approach of other the eventual goal of an Islamic Caliphate), and works on Breivik, such as Aage Borchgrevink’s A various Islamophobic and racist rants inciting Norwegian Tragedy: Anders Behring Breivik and the violence. Disturbingly, many of these ideas have Massacre on Utøya (2013), which have focused on been channelled and promoted by the Norwegian the nature of Breivik himself and his psychological Progress Party (of which Breivik was a member) - a state as being a primary cause for his radicalisation, party which gained just under 23% in Norway’s most Bangstad’s main argument is that racist discourses recent parliamentary elections in 2013, gaining the within Norway are ‘a necessary if not sufficient third-largest amount of seats. One can be left in little 47 The Journal of Political Criminology, ISSN: 2059-9595 Volume 1 Number 1, December 2015, pp.47-48 doubt that intolerant and Islamophobic ideas are engaging discussion on hate speech to the internet. creeping into the Norwegian mainstream and adds This is surely crucial given its importance to the weight to Bangstad’s overarching argument that the Breivik case and the extent to which policy makers environment of populist Islamophobia which Breivik could have, or should, regulate the kind of online operated in, far from acting as a ‘safety valve’, hate speech which radicalised Breivik. contributed to Breivik’s radicalisation. In summary, Anders Breivik and the Rise of Whilst the book represents a fine examination of the Islamophobia provides an interesting analysis of populist radical right in Norway and how the Islamophobia and right-wing populism in Norway transnational counter-Jihad movement has impacted using Breivik as a case study. The book will be of Islamophobic discourses in the country, it is less interest to both social scientists and policy analysts; successful at broadening its implications to the rest in particular the sections which critique Norwegian of Europe. Bangstad states early on that Norwegian hate-speech laws. Despite Bangstad’s claim that discourses ‘are reflective of and relevant to similar scholars within the field of terrorism studies should shifts across most of western Europe’ (p.xiii). Whilst look elsewhere, this is an important book for such this reviewer would not necessarily disagree, it was scholars, particularly those examining ‘lone wolf disappointing to see little comparative work, even terrorism’. Bangstad undoubtedly succeeds in within the Scandinavian context (where the populist putting Breivik’s actions in context and right is thriving) to demonstrate that Breivik was not demonstrating the uncomfortable truth that he was merely a product of an increasingly Islamophobic radicalised within a country which has, over the past Norway, but Continent. two decades, become increasingly ambivalent about The book’s final chapter, which deals with the legal hate speech and Islamophobia. More damning, the status of freedom of speech and expression within book demonstrates that Breivik’s hate-filled, Norway will be of most interest to policy makers and conspiratorial ideology was in fact shared by many in analysts. Bangstad argues that there is an endemic Norway and beyond - an ideology which has become ‘free speech absolutism’ culture within the increasingly mainstream. Perhaps the most chilling Norwegian media and elite, which has allowed the example of this comes from the obscure right-wing toxic ideas of Islamophobia and racism to go blogger Peder Are Nøstvold Jensen or ‘Fjordman’, unchecked, despite their negative externalities, whose Islamophobic incitements to violence greatly particularly on ethnic minorities. Bangstad is critical influenced Breivik. Breivik’s atrocities did not lead to of Norwegian laws against hate speech, which he the wholesale discrediting of Jensen and his ideas. alleges are rarely enforced and have been the subject Rather, Jensen now writes for ‘conservative’ Aftenposten of numerous criticisms from commissions who have newspaper and is currently writing a failed to understand the importance in curbing hate book about the events of July 22nd in Oslo. Almost speech as a way of encouraging freedom of speech demonstrating Bangstad’s point, Jensen’s book is and expression from all segments of society, in partially funded by a prestigious Norwegian free- particular minorities. This is a convincing argument, speech organisation. Plus ça change? and one wonders if many in this elite would be as Paul Stocker relaxed on hate speech if were Islamist in origin. Teesside University Disappointingly, Bangstad does not extend this Email: [email protected] 48 .

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