The Pakistani diaspora and potential for terrorist acts(Norway)

The Pakistani diaspora and potential for terrorist acts
LAHORE: Religious terrorism in Norway is nonexistent but needs to be addressed in advance to possibly ward off any future attacks, according to University of Oslo Humanities researcher David Hansen.Most theoretical literature on terrorism mainly deals with theoretical aspects of religion and religious violence and not possible ways of dealing with religious terrorism, said Hansen in a recent lecture.“In dealing with the task of finding solutions to terrorism, I have chosen to focus on Islamic terrorism and, more specifically, on the present Pakistani Diaspora group in Norway with possible Norwegian solutions to the problem,” Hansen stated in his lecture.Pakistanis are the largest non-Western immigrant group in Norway and are mostly notorious for receiving unwelcome attention from society, Hansen said. The Al Qaeda attacks of 9/11 have resulted in terrorism receiving a much wider context than they used to have and can now be referred to as global terrorism, he said. Religious terrorism in our time has come to represent Islamic terrorism allegedly being performed by Muslims under the ideological mindset that the killing of “non-believers” is justified.Thus far, Norway has been safe from any terrorist activities, said Hansen. “The potential for religious terrorism, specifically Islamic terrorism against Norway and its citizens, however, is being widely discussed in the media as well as in political circles and government institutions,” he said. “It has become common perception that it isn’t a matter of if Norway is attacked, but rather a matter of when.” Recent investigations have focused on finding the second or third generation Pakistani man (as the nationality comprises the majority in Norwegian Muslims) who could be the mastermind of such an attack, he added.“The biggest fear is that such discussions are seen as aggressive, stigmatising, and possibly polarising [Pakistani] Diaspora groups in society,” said Hansen. How far a person can be pushed before he considers reprisal against society should be debated, he said. Islam is also notorious for coming in the public spotlight not through good deeds, but rather through such acts as honour killings, he said. The differing schools of thoughts within Islam (Hanafi, Shafi, Maliki, etc) also create problems in helping define the religion to an outsider, said the lecturer. The best solution is for Muslims to follow the guidelines of Bosnian scholar Fikret Karcik, who says that religion should be adapted so that it does not interfere with [secular] law in host societies without compromising one’s beliefs. Karcik has provided several Hadiths in support of his views, said Hansen.There is no simple way to deal with religious terrorism; either at home or on an international scale, said Hansen when concluding his lecture. It is necessary to incorporate Diaspora groups into any discussion that deals with possible resolutions as evidence suggests that leaving them out can serve to radicalise them, he said. Further, there are concerns related to using police in dealing with religious terrorism, as people who believe they have no rights are more likely to commit acts of terror. Treating immigrants like second-class citizens should stop as such alienation can cause them to turn to radical elements for support, he added. daily times monitor