Norway: 'Muslims don't show enough respect for Norwegian values'

Yesterday Trønder-Avisa reported that there are no immigrants on the party parliament lists in Nord-Trøndelag.  In all there are 84 names on the seven party lists, but none of immigrant background.

Georg Bondø (Liberal Party) of Namsos doesn't think it's a problem at all.  He can't see any reason or need to elect more immigrants into the legislating assembly.

He thinks many of the immigrants of Muslim background don't show sufficient respect for Norwegian values such as human rights, humanism, freedom of religion or freedom of expression.

"We have 100 years as an independent nation under our belt and built up a society with respect for human dignity and equality between women and men.  For me that's the important social values that I want to protect," he says.

Bondø doesn't want a society where religion rules in administrative or political decisions.  He thinks religion is a private matter that people should respect but that shouldn't rule society.

Moreover he points to the constitution and says that many Muslims are unfit for many issues in parliament.  He points to the state's relationship to the church, for example in naming bishops.  Bondø also draws attention to the new school law, which says that schools will build on christian and humanitarian basic values.

Georg Bondø is strongly against too much religious involvement in the decision process and cites Martin Luther about coercion of religion.

As a former editor he's also heavily involved in protecting freedom of speech.  He points to the violent reactions to the Muhammed cartoons a while back.

"For me freedom of expression is absolutely essential for a democratic society like ours," he says.

Another basic social value is equality between women and men.  He respects those who had gone forth and fought for equal rights for both sexes.  Bondø thinks it's completely meaningless to accept that women will be treated differently then men in today's society.
 
- Are you racist?

- No, that I'm absolutely not.  I could well have imagined a black state minister like  Barack Obama in Norway or a Nelson Mandela.  The world definitely needs more of their caliber.  What I can't imagine is a Muslim state minister in Norway.  I hope that I don't have to experience that.

He wonders why people in today's Norway can't express themselves critically regarding Muslim attitudes and traditions without being asked if they're racist.

Andre N. Skjelstad, county head of the Liberal Party absolutely welcomes people of non-Norwegian background to the party.

"I naturally have nothing against immigrants in the Liberal Party nor against that they will be in our lists, but then they must engage themselves more then they do today.  We have unfortunately few immigrants involved in municipal or county politics.

- Bondø is critical about mixing religion and politics and therefore is against too many Muslims in parliament?

- Religions shouldn't stop political engagement.  We are a social-liberal party with humanity in the center.  At the time time our society is based on Christian humanism and that should be respected, answers the parliament representative.  He thinks religion is more a private matter, that can't be forced on others.
 
- Do you mean that you don't agree with Bondø?

- The Liberal party doesn't exclude on the basis of faith or skin color, answers Skjelstad.

Source: Trønder-Avisa (Norwegian)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This comes across like a whiney argument whimpered from a position of weakness and timidity.

There's nothing like a good whine to earn yourself even more contempt. Grow a backbone and set it straight, for cryin' out loud.

These politicians are pathetic. Sometimes it seems that the west has raised an entire generation of emasculated pansies.

Iftikhar Ahmad said...
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