Saturday 23 July 2011

Reflections on the Terror Attacks in Norway

Two attacks, a bombing outside the Norwegian Prime Minister's office in Oslo, and a shooting a youth organization camp of the Norwegian Labor Party in Utøya, shook Norway to the core.  Home to the Nobel Peace Prize awards, Norway is a country that always boasted a peaceful nation and humanitarian aid on a global scale.  But what was once a veritable paradise of peace and love has turned yesterday into a bloodbath of over 90 innocent lives, in two attacks orchestrated by none other than the cowardly Anders Behring Breivik, a 32-year-old Norwegian with far-right leaning views.

But what does this all mean?

This is not just an act of violence.  I believe that this is a pragmatic and sobering reminder of the reality that any kind of extremism and excess in belief can yield some detrimental outcomes.  Yes, I am one of the biggest supporter of freedom of conscience, even if it were a racial supremacist neo-Nazi, but only insofar as he or she doesn't use his or her belief to harm, much less kill, others.

That said, the magnitude of yesterday's events only goes to illustrate the unbound potential of extremism, be it social, political or ideological, which can, and did, manifest in the most abhorrent ways.  The obtuse perpetrator was motivated by his ideology; a right-wing extremist ideology of opposition to multiculturalism, and used terror and violence to act out on his beliefs.  That, to me, makes him the quintessence of terrorism.  His Norwegian origins and Nordic appearance are inconsequential to this assertion.

In this regard, it is simply outrageous that many news outlets eschew the label of "terrorist" when discussing the perpetrator.  Much more disgusting is the fact that many people, especially on the right, despite their (ostensible) intelligence, have fallen victim to the fallacy of Hasty Generalization, and immediately pointed the finger at Muslims.  Not surprisingly, many of those who made such allegation continue to obstinately cling onto their dogma and refuse, whether out of hubris or simple stubbornness, to repudiate their assertion.

But equally reprehensible is the manipulation of perpetrator's identity to gloat over the fact that he doesn't conform to the 'stereotypical image' of a terrorist and that, as such, 'the teabaggers are wrong! Ha-Ha!'  This is not the time to gloat, but to reflect, and come to terms that terrorism knows no colour or specific beliefs, but is an act of violence motivated, first and foremost, by belief, using the instruments of fear and terror.

To this end, I refuse to join the chorus of finger-pointing, hasty generalizations and puerile gloating, and simply see this as a reminder that the concept of terrorism is real as it is abstract, defined as it is vague and deleterious as it, to certain people, irrelevant. It is very real, and very relevant, and to have it happen in one of the safest countries in the world, by a very 'unlikely' perpetrator, goes to show that the aspects of terrorism have transcended conventional boundaries to become more dissonant, more ill-defined and much more difficult to identify and tackle.

Most importantly, let us remember the victims who, despite of how we see terrorism, have died in the most reprehensible way possible. Regardless of how you see this, the victims did not deserve to die. Let's a take a moment of silence for the victims and pray for their families; that they find solace in the most difficult times. May the fallen rest in peace.

Norway, Canada is with you, always.