I've gotten involved with a project to hold a public meeting against terrorism in Hamar on June 5. The intent is to focus on the suffering of terrorist victims and to condemn terrorism as a method, without taking sides in conflicts where terrorism is used. Several politicians have been invited, and Carl I. Hagen (Progress Party) and Torbjørn Jagland (Labor) have accepted so far.

A group of Israeli bus drivers are coming, and will be interviewed about their experiences. Two of the people behind this meeting (Elin Shem-Tov and Ester Kristoffer) have done work on the daily life of Israeli bus drivers. The way things are going, what these drivers have learned about how to cope (or not cope) with an ever-present threat of terrorism may become useful to the people of Norway sooner than we wish. It's not a coincidence that al-Qaeda targetted public transport in Madrid and on September 11. When they come for us, they will do so here as well.

We also hope to hear from victims of other conflicts around the world involving terrorism. If this becomes a meeting about Israel, we have failed our purpose. The point is to give people a wake-up call about terrorism.

There's also a terror aid concert planned later in the day, and a few other things, as well as a smaller public meeting against terrorism in Bergen on May 31, with some of the same people, and some that couldn't make it to Hamar. The proceedings from all this will go to the creation of a fund for research on post traumatic stress disorders relating to terrorism, which will be administrated by Roger Solomon, a psychologist who has done some important work in this field.

Norwegian readers: If you're in Norway in June, and this sounds like something for you, please consider buying tickets now, as the financial part of this is a priority right now.

All of you: If you know anyone, or knows anyone who knows anyone, who might have something to contribute, as a speaker/guest or sponsor, or an artist for the concert, please let me know. We believe the medical industry in particular should be interested in sponsoring this, because of the research fund, but there may be other options we've overlooked. Ideas of all kinds are welcomed, and there are still many open slots to fill.

I believe this can become more than an empty hand-holding session, that an important message can be sent, and possibly listened to. That message is more general than "my" message in this blog, which reflects the different people who are part of this, but I believe this is worth supporting.

Good luck. Seriously.

We need you guys.

Here is a great article by Victor Davis Hansen:

When should we stop supporting Israel?
Victor Davis Hanson

[** Long article deleted. Please read the posting rules below before commenting. First, this is off-topic to this entry. Second, don't post full articles. Quote the interesting part and leave the URL. - bs 29/3 **]

Bjorn, I hate to discourage you, but I predict your efforts will come to grief about 30.37 minutes into your first meeting (that's allowing for 30 minutes of introductory remarks).

At that point someone will try to derail the proceedings by insisting that you define terrorism such that the Palestinians don't do it but the Israelis do. Since that's a tall order, they may instead demand that you also denounce the "state terrorism" of Israel.

If this were still the era of the Red Brigades, you might have some hope of success, because there would be people who sympathized with their cause but not their methods.

Technically, this should also apply to the Palestinians. But I believe that for them, the method has become the cause. To denounce it is to denounce them.

Good luck, anyway

Angie: This won't be a discussion meeting. The point is to invite interesting people to talk. The question is who will support it, and how it will be interpreted.

I'll be looking forward to your report on this meeting. Good luck.

SORRY ABOUT THAT. I WAS UNAWARE OF THE RULES. HERE IS THE LINK TO HANSEN'S ARTICLE http://victorhanson.com/index.html

I applaud your strong stand against terror and your support for civil association. Bravo!

A great OP Ed from France no less

http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20040329-085436-8381r.htm

Terror and tolerance By Jean-Christophe Mounicq

This is really the nub of the problem. In the UK the Muslim Counsil asked for cooperation in rooting out terroists. The response by religous leaders was, do you beleive this,:

Muslims cannot co-operate with local authorities against other members of the faith, the outspoken leader of an Islamic group has said.

Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad was reacting to a call from the Muslim Council of Britain for the community to play its part in the fight against terrorism, following the anti-terrorism raids earlier this week in which eight men were arrested.
* * *
But Sheikh Omar told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Co-operating with the authorities against any other Muslims, that is an act of apostasy in Islam."

http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/04/01/umuslim.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/04/01/ixportaltop.html

So they want all of the freedom the West has to offer, but if a terrorist is Muslim, he has to be protected by other Muslims.

TO CONTINUE with my last posting does it not follow that an Arab citizen must be considered suspect unless he forswears this religous principle?

Thanks for that insightful comment! It makes interesting reading, especially when I need a payday advance .

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