An unusually cold and grey summer was suddenly coloured red by the brutal attacks that occured two days ago. The most violent event since The 2nd World War struck Norway unexpectedly, and left at least 93 people dead, many of them young politicians - some of them children. Not even during the war were so many young, unarmed and innocent people shot down for no reason in such a short time. 97 people are also hurt, many of them critically, and an unknown number are still missing.
"Vi er så få her i landet, hver fallen er bror og venn" We are so few in this country, each fallen is a brother and friend - a quote from Nordahl Griegs poem 17. mai 1940, has been used several times over the last two days. No one suspected an attack like this. Yes, both myself and others have been aware that the risk of a terror attack have been present, but the brutality and size of this attack has shocked us all. A houndred people is a lot in a country with less than five million inhabitants. It is apparantly well planned, and for now it looks like it's carried out by one single man, although that is yet to be confirmed. Still some international channels stopped calling it a terror attack once it was known that a norwegian right-wing extremist was, apparently, the only one involved.
This is terror as much as anything. Politically motivated to spread fear and propaganda, these attacks are just as frightening as attacks organized by any powerful organization. Is the reason why some channels question whether these attacks are as "terroristic" as other recent attacks in Europe, that this guy is a blond Norwegian?
We have been told that the right-wing groups in Norway recently have been small, weak and poorly organized. No one really thought that they were any threat against our society. From our former silence and safety we have nothing to quote but poems that are seventy years old - there have been no need to write new poems about mass killings in Norway for more then half a century.
One of the girls that survived the attack at the youth camp, said when interviewed by the press: - If one man can show this much hatred, think about how much love all of us can show together. The prime minister moved all to tears when he quoted this girl in a service in remembrance of the victims that were killed this weekend.
And then one last quote: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (The New Testament, Rom. 12.21)
"Vi er så få her i landet, hver fallen er bror og venn" We are so few in this country, each fallen is a brother and friend - a quote from Nordahl Griegs poem 17. mai 1940, has been used several times over the last two days. No one suspected an attack like this. Yes, both myself and others have been aware that the risk of a terror attack have been present, but the brutality and size of this attack has shocked us all. A houndred people is a lot in a country with less than five million inhabitants. It is apparantly well planned, and for now it looks like it's carried out by one single man, although that is yet to be confirmed. Still some international channels stopped calling it a terror attack once it was known that a norwegian right-wing extremist was, apparently, the only one involved.
This is terror as much as anything. Politically motivated to spread fear and propaganda, these attacks are just as frightening as attacks organized by any powerful organization. Is the reason why some channels question whether these attacks are as "terroristic" as other recent attacks in Europe, that this guy is a blond Norwegian?
We have been told that the right-wing groups in Norway recently have been small, weak and poorly organized. No one really thought that they were any threat against our society. From our former silence and safety we have nothing to quote but poems that are seventy years old - there have been no need to write new poems about mass killings in Norway for more then half a century.
One of the girls that survived the attack at the youth camp, said when interviewed by the press: - If one man can show this much hatred, think about how much love all of us can show together. The prime minister moved all to tears when he quoted this girl in a service in remembrance of the victims that were killed this weekend.
And then one last quote: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (The New Testament, Rom. 12.21)
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