http://www.newsinenglish.no/2014/03/21/racism-issue-not-black-and-white/
*Racism issue not black and white *March 21, 2014
EXPATRIATE MUSINGS: Racism continues to rear its ugly head in Norway from
time to time, most recently this winter when a group of young white men
attacked an immigrant in the county of Nord-Trøndelag. Samson M Mahari, an
immigrant himself who came to Norway from Eritrea, offers a voice of calm
amidst heated debate, noting that Norway's multi-cultural society is still
in its early stages of formation and mostly needs time to mature.
*****
The people of Verdal, a small town in Nord-Trøndelag, held a torchlight
parade last month to show support and solidarity for Jacob Kuteh, a
Liberian immigrant and 10-year resident of Norway who was attacked by five
local youths several days before. While this incident is widely believed to
have been a racially motivated attack, the youths in question claim they
followed Kuteh because they mistook him for an acquaintance, and that he
merely fell during the encounter that followed.
While one would like to believe that this is nothing more than an isolated
case, the reality is that it's not as infrequent as we would like to
believe. Attacks on immigrants and violence associated with
anti-immigration rhetoric have indeed occurred before. The most extreme
case was that perpetrated by the ultra-right-wing Norwegian terrorist
behind the July 2011 anti-immigration attacks in Oslo that left 77 people
dead and hundreds more injured.
While some experts are quick to point to a decline in reported cases in the
past three years, others have been equally as quick to counter that this
does not necessarily indicate a decline in attacks, but rather a reluctance
for some victims to come forward and report these crimes. The attacks that
are publicized have re-ignited a debate that has had many people, both
Norwegian and non-Norwegian alike, voicing their opinions online. Since the
inception of social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook, debate on
heated topics has exploded because of the easy access and reach that these
outlets offer. They provide a forum for lively debate on racism in Norway.
Last November, for example, a Norwegian student of Somali descent posted
several tweets on her Twitter account with the hashtag #norskrasisme
(Norwegian Racism), in which she mentioned several incidents in her
upbringing where she, her family and friends experienced racist sentiment
against them. The debate that followed showed they are not alone.
Immigration into Norway, as well as the rest of Europe, has increased from
oppressive, war-torn and/or third-world countries, especially countries in
Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It is these immigrants who have received
the brunt of the antagonism in Norway, but not only them. The Roma people
have also been a target of anti-foreign sentiment that has been lingering
in Norway. While the statistics are sketchy at best, it's clear that there
is a considerable amount of "antiziganism" (hostility, prejudice and racism
against the Roma). A study of it is now underway, under the auspices of the
Oslo-based Center for Human Rights.
Yet the issue of racism itself in Norway and Scandinavia remains hard to
define. There are various other social, economic and even political
elements involved in it that muddy the waters in the debate over racism.
Much of the alleged racism or fremmedfrykt (fear of foreigners) in Norway
is subtle indeed.
For example, if a foreigner is given a job or promotion over a nordmann
(native Norwegian), one can wonder if that's because of merit alone or if
it's because of some form of affirmative action. If a taxi driver refuses
to drive a foreigner, is it because of some paranoia that they'll be the
victim of some horrible assault or is it because they simply don't want to
be in the same space as them? Is an African more likely to indulge in
narcotics over a Norwegian? These are questions that many have pondered
over the years and while most are willing to contend that Norway is a
country that respects the rights and individualism of all peoples, to
simply believe that such discrimination based on purely cosmetic aspects
doesn't exist is both wrong and delusional.
Norway is still undergoing a metamorphosis into a multi-cultural society,
with many different peoples coming to this country for one purpose, to make
a new life for themselves. Despite any derisive opinions one may have of
another ethnic group, nationality or racial group, often enough, these are
just people who simply want to make a living for themselves. Ultimately,
they want what we all want, an honest day's pay for an honest day's work.
While this is a topic that will rage on for years, if not decades to come,
open dialogue is the first step towards some kind of compromise. In the
meantime, all we can do is simply exercise some patience and tolerance
towards one another. While there probably are at least one or two stubborn
souls wondering "why," it may be worth passing on a comment from another
immigrant: "Folks like us are enriching this country in other ways, whether
Norwegians want to accept that or not!"
newsinenglish.no/Samson M Mahari
Editor's note: Samson M Mahari is a former journalist at the Eritrean
Profile who arrived in Norway as a refugee and since has worked as an
intern at Drangedals Posten. Mahari, a journalism graduate of the
University of Asmara, has been living in Drangedal in the southern
Norwegian county of Telemark while seeking employment and awaiting
admission to graduate school at the University of Oslo.
Received on Fri Mar 21 2014 - 12:56:12 EDT