What do the names Andres Breivik, Abu Qatada and Robert Bales mean to the person on the streets of London today? The response will vary from those from the minority communities to those who form the majority. Breivik has undergone two psychological investigations post his well planned and executed massacre of 69 mainly teenagers’ on the Oslo island of Utoya last year as well as bombing that left 8 people dead. His 1800 page manifesto posted on the internet before the massacre seeks glory ‘ on the world stage’ to high light his warped notion of ethnic cleansing through extermination of minorities from Austria and Europe and his primary target are people of Islamic faith.
Abu Qatada on the other hand is UK based cleric who is sought by the USA Authorities on charges of terrorism and an alleged mouth piece for the Al-Quaida in Europe. Yet we fail to be informed of his exact crimes as the linkage to the terrorist acts abroad are sufficient for the popular media and the rest to accept the charges readily in the face of politically whipped up hysteria around the case.
Robert Bales a serving American soldier, on the other hand we are told was alone when he went on a killing spree last month that left 16 innocent villagers dead in Afghanistan. He was quickly flown out to the USA to face a court trial of his ruthless and mindless murder of mainly women and children, in their sleep. Most people believe that the eventual trial will produce a verdict that Robert Bales as a decorated soldier, who ‘snapped under the pressure of duty’. The world does not expect other details to be made available or indeed any other verdict. Yet questions are being asked, does this form of labelling apply to Afghan soldiers who also suffer similar stresses of duty and yet are denied any form of humanity. They are simply accused of being part of the terrorist group and in most cases summarily executed.
What matters here is not so much the kind of treatment meted out in three cases but the motivations and the intent, of all the three cases in point. What they all have in common is that they have directly or indirectly been involved in taking part in the murder of innocent unarmed civilians.
In the case of Breivik, the massacre of 77 innocent youth and adults is Norway is the highest loss of human life claimed by an individual since the WWII. What is adding fuel to fire is that the white supremacist is being given the world stage to air his right wing propaganda by the open court in Oslo. Yet the same is not afforded to the Jihadist in the UK for his actions. There is no debate on what Abu Qatada is alleged to have done and what he actually believes in to warrant his extradition, to any extent to the levels seen in Austria. It is inconceivable that the case of Robert Bales will be any different to the case of the 9/11 plotters held behind closed doors thereby handing victory to the slayers of free speech and democracy, the world over.
The world needs a clear, fair, just system of justice that is equitable in all respects. Debate that is sound and measured in the way it probes the underlying issues and investigates and brings to the surface the ideology of the accused perpetrators. What we witness in the case of Breivik is that he has been elevated to the status of a ‘hero’ or a thought leader in the eyes of many. It is no coincidence that the strategy has worked on two levels to drive a wedge between the minority communities not only in Austria but across the other fragile EU states and UK being no exception. The airwaves through the regular radio phone – ins and social media blogging sites have witnessed an avalanche of remarks that whilst not condoning the crimes of Breivik, quote him and clearly identify with Breivik’s sentiments. This extends over to some of the chattering classes and their mouthpiece broadsheet newspapers and magazines.
The demonization of Islam continues unabated with hardly any form of similar debate on the detail and whole thing is generalised to focus on the process alleged connections and actions of an individual.
The far right seems to be on the march with increasing confidence it has gained from the actions and trial of Breivik. The EDL from the UK has organised and held a Europe wide meeting of similar groups in Demark at the end of last month.
An expert at Nottingham University Matthew Goodwin, on far-right groups in Britain, said the meeting was strategically significant even if the numbers were not.
“What we are seeing here for the first time in British political history is an anti-Muslim far-right organisation taking the lead in trying to mobilise pan-European opposition to Islam,” he said.
This should sound alarm bells for all decent fair minded people as particularly during times of economic downturn across Europe, the minorities will be picked off as scapegoats for all the shortcomings. This is time for leadership from politicians especially as we have seen in the recent Bradford West by-election that the mainstream political parties are failing to connect or register with the voters. The local elections next month will provide another clear indicator of the mood of the nation towards the jaded politicians and their policies.
It is not all lost we can take comfort in Austria late last year the eminent Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia, Leymah Gbowee, the Liberian peace activist, and a Muslim Yemeni pro-democracy campaigner Tawakkol Karman.
They were recognised for their “non-violent struggle” for women’s safety and for women’s rights to participate in peace-building work.
What could be more fitting tribute by the Austrians to the high ideals of humanity that resonate across the globe submerging the hatred preached by another Austrian Breivik? We all understand that free speech and the torch of justice and tolerance will continue to glow even brighter and ultimately triumph.
Copyright Semra Eren Nijhar – All rights reserved
Semra Eren-Nijhar 