– a Threat to the Open Nordic Societies?

published by the nordic council and nordic council of ministers special edition 2011

Political extremism – a threat to the open Nordic societies?

We are used to experiencing political violence from a distance as an expression of social interac- tion far-removed from Nordic traditions. However, in recent years, political extremism is increasingly coming to expression in the Nordic countries too – most recently and worst in the tragedy in Nor- way in the summer of 2011.

This issue of Analys Norden discusses this development and the possible consequences for the open Nordic societies.

New threats By Thomas Larsen Something has changed in Finland By Markku Heikkilä Time of political dissolution By Egill Helgason Is it naive to be open? By Aslak Bonde Swedish police uncertain By Eva Franchell

Analys Norden is published in a printed version in conjunction with the Nordic Council Session 2011.

Otherwise Analys Norden is photo photo normally delivered free of charge karin beate nøsterud/norden.org by e-mail. If you do not already subscribe you have the opportunity to do so now.

See more at analysnorden.org New threats Radical Islamics are still the biggest terror threat against Denmark. But after the tragedy in Norway there has been increased focus on political radicalism – on both the right and the left.

By Thomas Larsen

The cartoonist Knud Westergaard was In short, although it is not common- Could the same thing happen here? young Norwegian who hated immi- Increased focus attacked in his home while he was look- place to hear about terrorists who plan When the first scanty details of the grants so intensely and considered his The answers are not clear, but in Den- ing after his grandchild. The assailant attacks, most Danes are aware that their bomb explosions in Oslo appeared the elected representatives to be so trea- mark the threat from Islamic terror broke down the front door with an country has become a terrorist target. reaction from the Danish experts was sonable – because they had allowed im- movements is still assessed to be the axe but the cartoonist managed to bar- migration – that he was prepared to greatest, especially because of the car- ricade himself in a safety room. bomb government buildings and gun toon affair, and that threat has led to a Terrorists have planned attacks Most people reacted with disbelief when it became down dozens of innocent young people. significant build-up of intelligence ser- against Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten clear that the attacker was a blond Norwegian named With one blow everyone’s eyes were vices. and have had plans to gun down as opened to right-wing extremism, fed by When it comes to right-wing extrem- many employees as possible, but each Anders deep nationalistic and Islam-critical at- ism, many refer to the assessments from time the intelligence service has uncov- titudes. Interpol who warn that the extreme right ered the activities. In Denmark it made the media ask are becoming increasingly active and The Danish prime minister, who Participation in the wars in Iraq, Afghan- that it must be an attack by Islamic ter- the question: Could the same thing hap- professional when it comes to produc- could previously move freely about on istan and most recently Libya, along ror groups. pen here? And in the same breath the ing online propaganda with xenopho- the street, is today tightly marked by with the cartoons of the prophet Mu- Most people reacted with disbelief reporters asked if the authorities, after bic and anti-Semitic content. specially trained police officers and the hammad in Morgenavisen Jyllands-Pos- when it became clear that the attacker a decade of Islamic terror, had under- “Although the overall threat from head of government’s home is now un- ten, has put Denmark in the firing line was a blond Norwegian named Anders. estimated the threat from right-wing ex- right-wing extremists is thought to be der 24 hour surveillance. when it comes to Islamic terror. Few could understand the thinking of a tremism? decreasing, and the number of criminal photo photo karin beate nøsterud/norden.org

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cases against right-wing extremists is again national security. The Danish me- contact with violent extremist milieus The leader of the Danish People’s called for moderation in the debate on low, their professionalism in both prop- dia quickly revealed that there was abroad. Party, Pia Kjærsgaard, categorically re- immigration. aganda and organisation shows that some truth in that. jected the criticism. Instead, she lashed “Denmark is a free and open socie- right-wing extremist groups have the First a case emerged of a 43-year-old Who is responsible? out at the critics for making a false anal- ty, and a mass murderer is not going to will to grow and spread their ideologies right-wing radical man who stored in Apart from the fact that the tragedy in ysis. She cautioned against pouring change that. That is exactly what will and therefore still pose a threat to EU his home chemicals that could be used Norway threw light on new threats, the member states,” was the telling state- to manufacture bombs. Newspapers debate focused mainly on the extent to In a sensational case five young men were charged ment in an analysis from Europol. disclosed that Russian neo-Nazis had which parties that have in particular had under the terrorism act in conjunction with carrying For the same reasons the intelligence made contact with right-wing extrem- immigration policies on their agenda service has already been monitoring the ists in the National Front Denmark, and have contributed to creating a climate out or planning arson attacks on everything from fur extreme right for years and there is no that Danish nationalists had received that incites men like Anders Breivik. companies to political institutions and the police doubt that the attacks in Norway will weapon training with right-wing radi- Here critics especially accused poli- sharpen awareness of the service. In cals in Russia. ticians from the Danish People’s Party cold water on a debate which openly happen if the Norwegian police begin the days after the attacks in Norway This development is known to PET, (DF) of making hateful remarks about discusses the negative consequences to search their consciences despite the PET’s chief executive Jakob Scharf made which in its latest annual report has de- foreigners, and several people suggest of immigration, and she put massive fact that there is only one person – the it clear that PET had intensified its sur- scribed how parts of the right-wing ex- that DF indirectly was responsible for distance between herself and the lead- mass murderer – who can be blamed,” veillance of relevant milieus to prevent tremist milieu are working to establish inspiring political violence among rad- er of the Norwegian Progress Party, Siv said Pia Kjærsgaard. activities that could develop into threats icalised right-wing fanatics. Jensen, who, after the terrorist attacks, For the same reason she turned against the message in a feature article by the parish priest Sørine Gotfredsen, who suggested using the tragedy in Nor- way to understand the danger of a multicultural society. “I absolutely do not agree. I do not believe that one should give in to a mass murderer to the extent that you try to understand why he has done this”, said Kjærsgaard.

The left-wing on trial Since the tragic attacks against Norway the debate has taken a new and surpris- ing twist in Denmark. In a sensational case five young men were charged under the terrorism act in conjunction with carrying out or planning arson attacks on everything from fur companies to political institutions and the police. The case laid bare a new uncompromising and violent left-wing extremism. In connection with the Danish general election on 15 September, in which the left-wing party the Red-Green Alli- ance had a fantastic result, there was a renewed focus on left-wing radicalism. Several media zoomed in on the Red- Green Alliance’s relationship with the extreme left-wing. Jyllands-Posten described how several of the party’s MPs had supported movements that are on the EU’s terror list. Other newspapers reported that one of the five young people charged under the terrorist act for conspiracy to arson had been a member of the party’s youth organisation, the Socialist Youth Front, up until 2009. This time it was the turn of the Red- Green Alliance to reject the comments. The experienced left-wing politician Frank Aaen dismissed all allegations that the Red-Green Alliance has links to militant groups. “All our parliamentary candidates are photo photo against terror and violence. If we have members who advocate violence or karin beate nøsterud/norden.org make statements advocating violence, they will be excluded”, said Frank Aaen. Overall, there has been increased focus on radicalism to the right and the left. But if you listen to the signals from the intelligence services, the threat against Denmark is still greatest from exogenous Islamic terror organisations.

The views expressed are those of the author.

Analys Norden 2011 3 Something has changed in Finland

large number of votes and became photo photo chairman of the Administration Com- mittee. johannes jansson/norden.org

Post on the military junta was too much Halla-aho has a very active following on the Internet. A very well-organised discussion forum is linked to this, which has opposition to immigration as its central idea but also revolves around other policy areas. There is not much room for traditional Nordic values here. When you talk about the extreme right in Finland, this is the group that is meant. Halla-aho’s name was also found among the borrowed texts in Anders Behring Breivik’s online manifest. No connection between them has been found. After the events in Norway, however, a blog post written by Halla-aho in 2006 was unearthed, written in response to Sweden’s policy at that time: “I cannot think of a more inferior creep in the universe than a Nordic social demo- crat.” At the time of writing, Halla-aho has been suspended from the True Finns Party parliamentary group for two weeks. In a Facebook post he re- commended a Greek military junta as a solution to the problems that cannot be solved by democratic means. Following the great stir that immediately arose as The last political assassination at ministerial level in Finland was in 1922. The organised far right is a a result, Halla-aho removed his post and explained it all saying it was meant to very marginal group in the country. The extreme left has not been heard from in a long time. We have be funny, but was, as usual, misunder- stood by the media. not seen any major political demonstrations for something or against something for a while. No suspi- The humour did not hit home with Ti- mo Soini, who immediately announced that Halla-aho would be suspended cion of terrorism directed against Finland has emerged. Nevertheless, during the autumn, the waves in from the parliamentary group for a month. “Enough is enough”. But when the debate of extreme political movements have surged high in the country and a new aggressiveness the group met, it was decided that the suspension would only be for two has emerged in the debate climate. weeks. This saved Soini taking it to the vote and was a measure of the real ba- lance of power in the party. By Markku Heikkilä Many other politicians have called on Soini – who himself is not conside- Not long ago the words “hate speech” Towards an uncompromising climate when the True Finns Party achieved a alternative after the rise of the True red by anyone to be a representative of were unknown in Finland. Now it is a fa- In Finland, there is no widely known historic election victory by Finnish stan- Finns and the corresponding fall of the extreme views – to distance himself miliar concept to anyone who ende- right-wing or left-wing group that could dards. The party received almost 20 per former Prime Minister’s Centre Party. clearly from the extreme elements and avours to read the anonymous discus- without doubt be described as an extre- cent of the vote in the election and has The True Finns can be regarded as a contempt for democracy in the party. sions and comment threads on the In- me movement. There has been no ex- since competed with the National Coa- right-wing populist movement. Using On the other hand, the other parties ha- ternet. perience of any politically motivated vi- lition Party for the position of the lar- the word “extreme” is more problema- ve a clear need to undermine the rise of There immigrants, people who de- olence, and the school massacres in Fin- gest party in the opinion polls. tic, since the leader of the party Timo the True Finns and create divisions wi- fend immigration, Finland-Swedes, Rus- land did not have political motives. It is impossible to talk about extreme Soini cannot be put into this box. For his thin the movement, leading to a toug- sians and other minorities all get their However, many people of foreign origin political movements in Finland without part, you can talk about nationalism, her tone on both sides. share – and increasingly also the poli- have talked about increasing everyday including the position of the True Finns which emerges in the form of oppositi- In fact, the situation is now changing ticians who openly support the Europe- racism. Protection of the Prime Minister in the equation. on to the EU line that Finland has cho- so quickly in both Finnish politics and an Union, Finland’s active policy in Euro- has been tightened in recent times and sen. across Europe that the two weeks that pe and assistance for the euro countries security guards are now far more visi- Populism and immigrant opposition As a group the True Finns are, howe- pass between the writing of this article which are in difficulties. ble than before. The police have been In essence, the party is a populist mo- ver, more complicated. Among the par- and its publication may seem like a ve- It is difficult to make an estimate of investigating a number of cases of de- vement whose basic message is to de- ty’s parliamentary caucus of 39 people, ry long time. The old stability has gone how widespread this hate rhetoric real- ath threats against politicians. fend “forgotten” citizens and to oppo- there are a dozen MPs who follow a co- and has been replaced by sudden chan- ly is. It seems that some people devote The Prime Minister, Jyrki Katainen, cause Finland’s EU policy. The crisis in the re political line of opposition to Finnish ges. What is remarkable under these entire days to expressing their dissatis- tioned in late September about the eurozone has come as if ordered by the immigration policy, multiculturalism conditions is that while Europe is mo- faction in a steady stream on various fo- changing climate in society: the tradi- True Finns, and the other parties have and political Islam. These aims also in- ving towards greater instability, in Fin- rums and topics on the Internet. Aggres- tional spirit of mutual understanding been forced to take account of the situ- clude, amongst other things, the idea land a strong populist EU-critical move- siveness on discussion threads online has shifted to a black and white and ation. The tone of the debate has chan- that Finland should become monolin- ment has arisen that includes a group is sometimes so tangible that you can uncompromising attitude. This breach ged, the government has aggressively gual. that appears to have a very uncompro- almost touch it. is easy to understand, but it is more dif- demanded guarantees for supporting The figurehead of this group is not mising attitude. This grouping is very After the massacre in Norway more ficult to analyse the reasons behind it. Greece, and Finland’s role in Europe has Soini, but the Helsinki resident Jussi new in Finland and will, in all probabi- care has also been taken in Finland to In Finland, the general election was held changed. Halla-aho, whose writings on the Inter- lity, be in evidence in the local authori- tone down the discussion columns, in April. Many of the candidates talked Finland now has a government made net have raised eyebrows many times. ty elections and the presidential elec- especially in the media. Elsewhere on about a changed, hardened climate du- up of six parties, from the National Coa- He has, for example, been taken to court tions which are now approaching. the Internet there are plenty of places ring the election campaign. The winds lition Party to the Left Alliance. This un- for breach of freedom of religion and in- that are not monitored by anyone. of change in the air also showed them- natural political combination can only citement to racial hatred. Jussi Halla- The views expressed are those of the selves in practice in the actual election, be explained in that there was no other aho was elected to parliament with a author.

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lack of manpower. The Icelandic author- magnus fröderberg/norden.org ities have always been reluctant to ac- cept political refugees and asylum seek- ers. Iceland became a multicultural society in a short time. There was some discussion about the flow of immigrants for a while – that there was now a large group of people that could not be integrated into Icelan- dic culture and that would destroy the labour market for the locals. However, the debate was not even close to being as filled with tension as some places in the Nordic region. One party that called itself the Liberal Party (Frjálslyndi flokkurinn) tried to cash in on immigration issues during the election campaign in 2007. It did not go well, the other parties would not go along – and now support for the party has almost dried up. Since the collapse immigration issues have barely been mentioned – there are threats from other and bigger problems.

Nationalism and lack of faith in the market There is, however, political dissolution. It can be said that politics have moved towards increased nationalism and distrust of the market economy. Even on the right the question is being raised of whether it was the free market that failed Icelanders – one of the leading right-wing ideologues, Styrmir Gun- narsson, speculated recently on whether private management was more suitable than government management. The financial crisis, and in particular the controversy surrounding the Icesave de- posit bills, intensified nationalism. Many Icelanders thought that otherwise friendly nations used superior Time of political force against them and, not least, Pres- ident Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson accused the Nordic and other European countries of being hostile towards Iceland after the collapse. Iceland is now nego- tiating membership of the EU, but only the Social Democratic Alliance is unit- dissolution ed in support of the application. The other parties are opposed to different degrees – and most of them indicate There has been considerable political turmoil in Iceland after the financial collapse in October that there will be no EU membership. 2008. After the banks went bankrupt there were mass protests in Reykjavik for days. They reached The Best Party – no longer a joke As previously stated, there has been no their peak in January 2009 in what came to be known as the ’household revolution’ when fires major breeding ground for political extremism in Iceland. It has rather been the tedious arguments and tugs-of-war, were lit in the city, stones thrown at the Parliament (Alltinget) and the police used tear gas against faction formation and violation of interest groups which have been an obsta- the angry crowd. cle to social development. It seems that it is difficult to reach reasonable solu- tions to issues; much has been said By Egill Helgason about the level political culture, and it has not got any better. After these events the broad coalition being acquitted; only four received mild It would perhaps not have been sur- government. There was a movement of The crazy party the Best Party (Besti government made up of the big right sentences for public unrest. So it can prising if the great distrust of the polit- National Socialists following the Ger- flokkurinn) had a roaring win at the lo- party, the Independence Party (Sjálf- almost be said that the system has ac- ical system had led to a wave of radical- man model before the war – members cal elections in Reykjavik last year and stæðisflokkurinn), and the Social Dem- cepted that the protests of 2008 and ism and extremism. The result has in- marched through the streets of Reykja- the mayor, Jón Gnarr, represents that ocratic Alliance (Samfylkingin) col- 2009 were justified. The community was stead been impotence. The Icelandic vik in uniform – but it never got wide- party. It looks like the Best Party will lapsed. The protests led to the Social upset – the general opinion was that political system is very resilient, inter- spread support. Icelanders have never now turn its attention to national poli- Democrats having no alternative but to those who ruled the country had failed est groups have great influence, and had an army and have no military tradi- tics. The joke is actually not funny any form a minority government with the so- the nation. some of the system is impossible to un- tion – uniforms are considered bizarre longer, the party is struggling with cuts cialists in the Left-Green Party (Vinstri- After the collapse large rallies were derstand without analysing the cliques and very few are able to walk in step. and heavily debt-ridden municipal com- Grænir). The left-wing parties won the held in many places, and those minis- that are formed and special interests. The National Socialists disappeared panies, and it is not without reason that majority in the Parliament at the elec- ters and MPs who were brave enough What gives the most cause for dissatis- when Great Britain occupied Iceland in the traditional parties fear that they will tion which was called shortly after- to show up were booed out. Confidence faction is how most people are left as 1940 – it is worth noting that during the lose votes. wards. These are historic events – for in politicians fell, and it has not been victims of debt while many of the finan- war, Iceland was the only country in Eu- the first time mass protests in Iceland won back. Nevertheless, the tradition- ciers, who caused the nation’s misfor- rope, apart from Switzerland and Swe- Tolerance led to a change of government. al parties are still going strong in Par- tune, are getting away with it all rela- den, where democracy was maintained. Religious fanaticism has not been prom- liament, where they do their usual bick- tively easily, and the rebuilt banks have So the history of extremist groups in inent nor has racial hatred. It is perhaps The attack on Parliament ering. begun to deliver excellent results again. Iceland is quite limited, although, of in the Icelanders’ favour that they are a The riots did not have major conse- There is also a widespread perception course, there were small left-wing very tolerant nation – sometimes even quences for the participants. There were Difficult political debate that the left-wing government has re- groups around 1970. Most of them fol- indifferent. The Gay Pride Festival is one definitely groups of extremists among There is a general perception in socie- vived the old system instead of making lowed the line of similar groups in the of the highlights of the year for Icelan- them who were willing to risk every- ty that the level of debate in Parliament changes. Nordic countries. It says something dic family entertainment – tens of thou- thing, but neither the police nor the has been rather low in relation to the about society that a top figure in one of sands of men, women and children courts came down hard on the activists. danger Icelanders were in. This is per- No military tradition these groups is now Governor of the gather in the centre of Reykjavik. When A group of nine activists, however, was haps not only the fault of the politicians. Iceland does not have a history of much Central Bank. Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir took over as charged with “assault” on the Parlia- For a long time Icelanders have been political extremism. Class warfare be- prime minister, the fact that she is gay ment. They had managed to force their unable to debate politics without going gan late in Iceland, but by then, in fact, Immigration hardly a theme was not mentioned in Iceland. No one way into the building and got into phys- straight into the trenches and engag- the Communists were very powerful. Immigration – which can definitely be cared, and that is still the case. It was ical fights with the police and security ing in personal mud throwing and quib- Unlike what happened in Scandinavia, a breeding ground for right-wing ex- the foreign media that had to point out guards. The charges were met by many bling. In the settlement and reconstruc- there were more Communists than So- tremism – started quite late in Iceland. this fact to the Icelanders. with anger – which led to protests – tion after the collapse, it has emerged cial Democrats in Iceland. Most of them, The immigrant population grew rapid- since there are very strict penalties for that Icelanders have a hard time deal- however, were practical men who knew ly larger in the financial bubble that The views expressed are those of the attacking Parliament. The case ended ing with disagreements. that a revolution was not imminent, and started around 2000. Most came to work author. with five of the so-called ’nine cousins’ by 1944 they already participated in in the boom period when there was a

Analys Norden 2011 5 chronicles published in major newspa- ter 22 July, it is this: “Stoltenberg pro- pers such as Aftenposten. What set him mised more openness, but there has apart was the need to use violence and been less of it”. his ability to carry out his intention. This Some of this criticism is related to Is it naive to is untraceable in the public sphere. the government’s evaluation of what Therefore the Police Security Service did happen and what did not happen on face a difficult job in the future to try to 22 July. A lot of criticism of police emer- distinguish dangerous from harmless gency preparedness has come out, and extremism, and to know when to sepa- it seemed for a long while as if the rate politically acceptable utterances Government would not respond to this from potentially criminal extreme atti- criticism before next summer, when the be open? tudes. After 22 July, the PST have been recommendations of a special commis- given an increase in funding so that sion of inquiry are expected to be rea- emergency response and internet sur- dy. During the autumn, in different veillance can be intensified, but there ways, there have been some assess- When Jens Stoltenberg committed us all to meet terror with more openness has been no real discussion about PST’s ments from responsible politicians tools. about what did not work, and it is pro- and democracy, he added in the same sentence that we should never be nai- bably most appropriate to look at the Political Registration? criticism of the Government’s openness ve. In the months that have elapsed since the 22 July, it has become clearer In the last decade before the millenni- as part of the regular party-political de- um there was, in fact, a tightening of bate. how difficult it is to weigh these promises up against each other. It has also the practices of the security police. A It is different with the public debate commission headed by Supreme Court in which several participants say that Judge, Ketil Lund, documented that du- they express themselves in a different been surprisingly difficult to assess whether Norwegian society has become ring the Cold War many people had be- way than before 22 July. The anthropo- en under surveillance solely because of logist Unni Wikan is among those who more divided or more united after the terror attacks, and whether there are their political opinions. It was probably say that she is now reluctant to enter in- illegal during the Cold War, but it was to debates about various Muslim cultu- grounds for more or less extremism. only after the Lund Commission relea- res, because she is afraid of having sed its report that the last remnants of suspicion thrown on her. In principle, political surveillance were weeded out. everyone agrees that it should be just Now many people are demanding po- as easy to talk about problems with im- By Aslak Bonde litical surveillance again. They don’t say migration and integration now as befo- so as such, but it is considered a mat- re the summer, but in practice some In the first two months after the mass or low. Not just because unfounded tips was one of many on the Internet. He is ter of course that the PST not only fol- people feel that there are such strong killings on Utøya and bombing of gover- are always received after terror and an opponent of immigration, believes low what is being written online, but demands on the level of nuance that nment buildings in Oslo the Police Se- shocking crime, but also because it is in the Eurabia theory and wants to re- that they also take note of who is wri- they would rather pull away from the curity Service (PST) received 700 tips so difficult to assess what is extremism, turn to the time of the Knights Templar, ting what, and examine whether there public debate arena. It is not possible about other extremists who might sym- and whether it is dangerous or not. but it is still not possible to separate the might be a network or activity that gi- to say how many people interpret it in pathise with terrorists, or maybe do a To take the last one first: Anders Beh- terrorist’s network posts and opinion ves cause to fear crime. If the PST is to this way. similar thing themselves. It is difficult ring Breivik, the terrorist whose name threads from a number of others, some do this systematically and over a long Whether the group is large or small, to say for certain if that number is high many people in Norway will not utter, of whom have even had their posts and time, it will be difficult to avoid registra- it can at least seek the support of the tion. The promise of democracy is ap- Progress Party’s leading politicians. In parently in contradiction to the obliga- the campaign leading up to local election not to be naive. tions in mid-September, the Progress The question of whether there is a Party was also exposed to public scru- conflict between openness and lack of tiny for its political rhetoric on immigra- naivety has been the subject of much tion. The party leader, Siv Jensen, is-

Therefore the Police Security Service face a difficult job in the future to try to distinguish dangerous from harmless extremism, and to know when to separate politically acceptable utterances from potentially criminal extreme attitudes.

discussion in recent months. Again, it sued a warning about stealth Islamisa- is necessary to go back more than a tion in Norway a year ago. The former decade. When the so-called freedom of party chairman, Carl I. Hagen, said a few speech commission presented its re- years ago that “almost all terrorists (…) port the main premise was that are Muslims.” In the election campaign witchcraft explodes when it gets out in these two were repeatedly asked to apo- the sun. So: murky and/or extreme at- logise for these statements because titudes are made safe once they are ex- they were generalisations and threw posed in public. As a result of this atti- suspicions on people. tude, extra-strong protection of free speech is given to anyone who writes Left-wing radical opinion monopoly or talks about politics and society. Jensen and Hagen regretted nothing Post 22 July there have been objec- and the party dropped from almost 18 tions to this approach. Several acade- to just under 12 per cent. We do not mics and the organisation Centre know if there is a connection, but the against Racism argue that the public Progress Party’s leadership has certain- does not function in the way that the ly concluded that the liberal press is out freedom of speech commission thought. to get them, and that there is pressure Experience now is that extreme and xen- to conform in the public debate. ophobic attitudes can be reinforced on The feeling that the general public is the Internet because public groups of controlled by left-radical liberals has peers are formed. For a time a kind of been very widespread in the extreme- order was sent out to all liberals that right groups on the Internet. Anders they had to sign up to the extreme right Behring Breivik wrote, for example, that debate forums online, but the result has he saw a gathering of investigative jour- photo photo seldom been a more open debate. To a nalists as a suitable target for terror. much greater extent, the liberals’ at- The notion that a left-wing radical opi- karin beate nøsterud/norden.org tempts to counter the extreme right- nion monopoly exists in newspapers wing have led to websites being closed and broadcasting could obviously in it- down or subdued. self inspire extremism. The result in each case is that the conditions for Less openness? community dialogue are poor. This in turn has provided the basis for a more familiar, but no less important, The views expressed are those of the discussion – namely that of political author. correctness and meaningful assess- ment. If there is a claim that has been promoted with increasing intensity af-

6 Analys Norden 2011

Swedish police uncertain

To follow the Swedish debate on terrorism and political extremism you He never did. moved in a right-wing world at home on However, on the night before 11th his computer. have to understand the concept of the roundabout dog. It might seem fri- September the Swedish police task for- He scared the whole city to death be- ce arrested four young men who thought fore he was caught last November. Mal- volous in such a serious context but the fact is that the security police’s that Lars Vilks was going to Gothenburg. mö has a long immigrant tradition and The prosecutors and security police many residents have their roots in other made a big issue out of the arrest of four countries. Whenthe shots rang out, the- latest crackdown was based on such a dog. suspected terrorists. Today three of refore, a large percentage of Malmö’s them are detained on suspicion of con- population – all those with dark hair re- spiracy to murder. Suspicion of terro- ally – were encouraged to stay indoors. rist activity has been dropped and at- Under Swedish law terrorism is “seri- tempted murder has been reduced to ous intimidation of a population or sec- By Eva Franchell the purchase of a pocket knife by one tion of the population”. of the men shortly before the biennial. But the crime for which Peter Mangs The roundabout dog is a form of street In August 2007 the Örebro newspa- He himself has spoken at great is now remanded in custody awaiting installation that appeared here and the- per “Nerikes Allehanda” published a length about the threats and has posed Christmas shopping bomb trial next year is not classified as terro- re in Sweden in 2006. Anonymous cartoon of the prophet Muhammad as for a photo with an axe in his hand. This was not the first time that the poli- rism. Many question whether the people placed homemade dog sculptu- a roundabout dog. The cartoon was “I will use it if it’s a matter of life or ce were forced to reduce suspicion of Swedish police differentiate between res on roundabouts. Some of the dogs drawn by the artist Lars Vilks and used death”, he told invited journalists from terrorist activity to more ordinary crime. threats to native Swedes and threats to were great works of art, others more as an illustration for an opinion piece the Swedish tabloids.Lars Vilks is ob- For the third time in a short time people immigrants, but, naturally, the securi- home fabrications in different fanciful about freedom of expression. Lars Vilks’ viously enjoying the attention he is crea- have been arrested on suspicion of ter- ty police deny all such insinuations. materials. Muhammad cartoon had been rejected ting and he writes regularly about his ror in Gothenburg. In all cases the suspi- The Swedish security police actual- by several art galleries because of the art and threats in his blog. In late sum- cions have proved to be exaggerated. ly monitor three explicit extreme Muhammad cartoon an artist exhibitors’ fear of retaliation. mer this year he blogged that he might Perhaps the police in Gothenburg are groups: the white-power Nazi move- For a few years roundabout dogs were Since the publication of the cartoon go to the Biennial for Contemporary Art particularly zealous. Possibly there has ments which persecute people of Jewish a quite harmless but charming social in Nerikes Allehanda Lars Vilks has li- at Röda Sten in Gothenburg on 10th been a tendency to raise the level of the origin, the autonomous groups on the movement. ved under constant threat. September. crime when the suspects are Muslims. very far-left, and the extreme Islamic Sweden has actually only experien- groups. It seems that Peter Mangs was ced one significant terrorist act with close to the first-mentioned while Muslim overtones and that took place Taimour Abdulwahab can be linked to on Drottninggatan in central Stockholm extreme Islamism. at the height of Christmas shopping. On 16th December last year two Slippery threat bombs exploded with an interval of a The shootings on Utøya shook the who- few minutes. The culprit, Taimour Ab- le of Sweden. Norway is country that is dulwahab, was killed in the last explo- close to us and many Swedish social de- sion. He had turned off Drottninggatan mocrats have spent their summers on and stood on a deserted side street Utøya. The massacre could just as easi- when parts of his bomb vest went off ly have happened in the Swedish sum- and therefore no one else was injured. mer idyll. In the script Anders Behring Taimour Abdulwahab was born in Breivik published on the Internet he di- Baghdad but moved as a young child to rected his hatred against both Norwe- Tranås in Småland in Sweden and had gians and Swedes.

Extremism becomes a slippery threat on the Internet, hard to catch and not so easy to measure according to police threat norms.

a perfectly normal upbringing. After But where does Anders Behring Brei- school he moved to Luton in England to vik belong, seen from the Swedish se- study naprapathy. It was here that he curity police’s groupings? Those that began to devote much more time to re- direct their hatred against Muslims are ligion and became a fundamentalist hardly an identified group on Säpo’s Muslim. website. Just before he blew himself up he had And if truth be told, Taimour Abdul- sent a recorded message to the securi- wahab, Peter Mangs and Anders Beh- ty police and the news agency TT: “Now ring Breivik all moved across borders your children, daughters and sisters will on the Internet. Extremism becomes a die like our brothers and sisters are dy- slippery threat on the Internet, hard to ing”. In the message he gave the rea- catch and not so easy to measure accor- son for the bomb attack: Swedish troops ding to police threat norms. in Afghanistan, Swedish oppression An indulgent interpretation is that it against Muslims – and Lars Vilks’ is this uncertainty that also characteri- roundabout dog. ses the different assessments by the Now at the end of September Lars police. Vilks appeared at the large book fair in One thing we know for sure: the Gothenburg. This time he showed up in breeding ground for extremism and ter- his bullet proof vest. rorism is to be found in exclusion. Re- “Hit here. Hit me hard in the chest”, cently on the radio programme Konflikt he said to the journalists. youth unemployment was described as In Sweden the war against terrorism that which “gives birth to revolutions, has been helped by a solid, mobile, hu- feeds wars and tears communities man art installation. apart”. Sweden has the highest youth photo photo unemployment in the Nordic region and Differences between people? one of the highest in the whole of Euro- karin beate nøsterud/norden.org At the same time in a completely diffe- pe. In the large city suburbs there is in- rent part of Sweden, Peter Mangs was creased overcrowding and poverty. Per- remanded in custody charged with three haps this is where the work against ex- murders and a large number of at- tremism should start. Anyone who is tempted murders in Malmö. The people welcomed into the community has no who were shot were almost exclusively reason to hate. immigrants doing quite ordinary things like waiting for the bus, sitting in the The views expressed are those of the car or going about the town. Peter author. Mangs was born in Växjö, a recluse who

Analys Norden 2011 7 Analys Norden overview of the political debate in the Nordic countries

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8 Analys Norden 2011