On Monday, global youth Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) summit in New York found an unusual speaker. Yousef Assidiq, a former recruiter for Norway’s radical outfit, Prophet’s Ummah, shared stage with youths from various countries and spoke on how radicalization and violent extremism had marginalized him in the society and he now finds hismself a “free Muslim” after leaving radical thoughts behind. The Summit was roganised by the Department of States and over two dozen youths, working on the subject, were invited from across the world.Ummah is suspected to have been radicalizing youths and sent them to join the erstwhile Al-Qaeda and now to the Islamic State (IS).
Once a die-hard fan of yet to be banned outfit Ummah, Assidiq, now 27, has been travelling different cities in Norway. “I was born in a Christian family. As a teenager I would study a lot. In 2009, I embraced Islam however my family did not take it well. They disapproved my conversion. However, I was firm on Islam. I had just changed my religion but was upset when my family members, relatives and friends’ behavior changed towards me. I found myself alone. During this period, I would go for prayers. When I narrated my story to a person, Mohammed Bhatti, he embraced me and told me not to worry since they would be my family henceforth,” said the Sociology graduate from Oslo university.

“Bhatti kept meeting me and offered me to join his group, Prophet’s Ummah. I was attracted towards it since they would always talk about Islam, Muslims and seemed worried to help Muslims socially and economically. I would roam around with them to find new members for our outfit,” he added. “They had shown me videos of Iraq violence and persecution on Muslims in several other countries. While I would want to learn Islam, they would talk about ideology. My recruiter, Bhatti, had shown me videos of several terror attacks. He had kept 9/11 twin tower bombing photos as his facebook profile picture.

In 2010, a Norwegian daily newspaper, Dag Bladet, carried the caricature of Prophet in its edition. This sparked outrage among the Muslim community across Norway. “We came on the roads and a mob of 3,500 Muslims gathered to protest the printing of caricatures. While I delivered a speech, I found my mother had also come there to see if I was safe. Bhatti had become very emotional during his speech. He threatened saying if such acts were not stopped, there will be multiple 9/11 like attacks in Norway,” said Assidiq. He said he was upset with this since “I never wanted violence. I joined Islam since I love the religion. During this time I went home to meet my parents and who offered me an option. Either be with them or with the outfit. This was the turning point since I did not want to hurt my mother. Moreover, this was not the kind of Islam I love. The outfit was promoting hatred and training youths for militancy. I decided to quit the outfit and finally came home in 2014. Nobody stopped me but threat to my life began,” said Assidiq softly.

Assidiq was invited by the Department of State to speak and narrate his story as to how he returned to a normal life after change of heart. While the official figures say 80 youths, all trained by Ummah went to join the ISIS, Assidiq said unofficially more than 150 youths have left Norway and joined ISIS in Syria. “Now I find out potential youths in Norway through social media who could join the terror gangs. “I meet them and listen to them as to why they want to join the ISIS. “The major reason for the youths to join these groups, I found, is uncertain future, identity crisis, poor economic and educational structure of several Muslim youths, social security, loneliness, and unemployment” he said. Assidiq now sports long beard. Assidiq recalls incident of “discrimination” since he converted to Islam. “A woman had shouted at me taunting I should leave her country. These things hurt and Muslims go through this. We need to change people’s mentality,” he said.

Assidiq started a firm, Just Unity, in 2014, along with a female colleague. “We go schools to school and narrate m stories and tell the students not to adopt any radical route. With me also comes the woman whose son escaped from Norway and joined the ISIS. He was shot down while fighting for the ISIS in 2014. The mother of that guy narrates hear ordeal and the trauma she is going through. This is helping to convey our message to more students,” he added. Last week Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, invited Assidiq to discuss the counter violent extremism.

Just Unity is now working to identify the youths who may have radicalized thoughts. “We search on internet and when spot any such youth, we meet them and offer them help like job and other things. Its bringing a positive and I could be able to save 30 youths from going and joining ISIS so far. “The terror operatives call me up on my cell phone and threat with dire consequences and even issue me threats through social media as well.

Meanwhile, Sitan Berger Rosland, Governing Mayor of Oslo, in an interaction with the Foreign Press at the United Nations on Tuesday, said that its not allowed to promote violence anywhere in the world. “Most effective way to stop youths from joining the extremists’ gangs, which they feel is fascinated, is by engaging them into dialogues and interactions. There is need to explain these young men the ideology of the extreme organization and that they are not going to achieve anything by violence. Moreover, banning such extreme organisations is not a solution,” said Rosland.

(indiatimes)

A Pole who allegedly fought in the ranks of Islamic State has been arrested in Norway. Radio ZET reports to this effect were confirmed by a spokesperson for Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW). The Polish citizen is now being held in a Norwegian prison, awaiting a decision on whether he will be extradited for trial in Poland.
For the offenses he has alleged committed he could face up to six years in prison in Norway and 25 years in Poland.
The suspect has reportedly asked not be transported back to Poland, claiming he might be threatened by “physical and psychological harm.” An ABW spokesperson said the agency had for several months been working with its Norwegian counterparts on the surveillance of the suspect.

This is not the first Polish citizen that has been accused of cooperation with Islamic State.

A Polish woman who collected funds for extremists was arrested in Germany and in June this year Jacek S. conducted a suicide attack on a refinery in Iraq.

On social media, IS-fighters and sympathizers have called for an exchange of the Norwegian hostage Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad, for currently imprisoned radical Islamist Mullah Krekar. After the Islamic State (IS) in their last magazine announced that they keep the Norwegian Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad (48) hostage, supporters and members of IS have tweeted actively on the issue.Under the Arab tag “sale of the Norwegian and the China man”, IS-affiliated fighters and supporters share their views on the matter. The vast majority support the “sales”.
Over 2000 twitter message with this tag have been posted in recent days.

Among the most re-tweeted messages on the topic, is a requirement for a release of Mullah Krekar in exchange for Grimsgaard-Ofstad.

“I suggest IS exchanges the Norwegian prisoner for Mullah Krekar detained by them (Norway),” writes Abu Sayyaf.

According to Aftenposten, Abu Sayyaf is an IS-fighter residing in areas in Syria which are controlled by the terrorist group.

The message is accompanied by a picture from 2012, where Krekar is arrested outside his home.

Several other IS-fighters have re-tweeted the message. “Mullah Krekar, a lion among lions from the mountains, held captive by the dogs from Norway. Ask Allah to put an end to your captivity, lion, “writes an IS sympathizer with Kurdish background.

Mullah Krekar is the founder of the Islamist terrorist group Ansar al-Islam, who are fighting for a free Kurdistan, with an Islamic rule. Much of the current Ansar al-Islam pledged allegiance to IS in August 2014.

Norway has been trying to get rid of the Mullah for years, but can’t extradite him due to the promise of a death sentence in Iraq.

Among the Norwegians who are working on the matter, the tweets of the IS members have attracted attention. It is primarily because it is considered a completely unrealistic scenario.

– Such an exchange is unthinkable, says a source close to the matter.

Norwegian authorities consider themselves bound by human rights in the issue of extradition of Krekar. They believe that Krekar risk execution or be subjected to torture if he extradited to Iraq or Kurdistan.

Norwegian authorities will consider it as unacceptable to extradite Krekar to IS as to Kurdistan or Iraq, the source told Aftenposten.

Mullah Krekar’s lawyer, Brynjar Meling, says his client has no desire to be extradited to IS.

– It is to Kurdistan he wants to go. Otherwise it is so that human trafficking is and remains prohibited under Norwegian law. So I have a relaxed view on this information, says Meling.

Norwegian authorities are still working feverishly to free Grimsgaard-Ofstad. Yesterday, Foreign Minister Børge Brende said that the image IS has published of the Norwegian, is taken under a month ago.

That is the government’s conclusion after doing technical studies of the picture.

– We work on the basis that Grimsgaard-Ofstad still is alive, said Brende yesterday.

Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Wednesday that her country will not pay ransom for a Norwegian man believed to be in the hands of the Islamic State. “The government is taking this very seriously,” Solberg said. “We cannot and will not give in to pressure from terrorists and criminals.Norway does not pay ransoms. That is a principle we cannot give up in meetings with cynical terrorists.”

The terror group ISIS claims to hold the Norwegian, Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad (pictured), hostage in Syria. Prime Minister Erna Solberg confirms that a Norwegian citizen has been kidnapped and is being held captive in Syria. A crisis team headed by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry has worked on it for some time, NTB reports.It is not known when the Norwegian was captured, but his last post on his Facebook page was on January 24, indicating that he has been hostage for quite a while. But it has been publicly known just today.
His last Facebook post says:

“I am in Idlib, Syria. Going to Hama tomorrow. I finally made it.”

The reason why it has reached the media today is because ISIS, in the latest issue of the terrorist group’s own magazine Dabiq, has printed a picture of the Norwegian, where it is further claimed that he has been taken hostage.

The Norwegian is pictured in a yellow jump suit, allegedly beside a Chinese prisoner. A number of personal details about the two men are listed, including residence, age and education. It is also stated that “they are both for sale.”

– This is a serious and complicated matter. The goal of our efforts is to make sure our citizens are brought safely home to Norway, says Prime Minister Erna Solberg late Wednesday night.

In the crisis staff who have worked on this matter, both the police and the Armed Forces have participated.

The terror group demands ransom for the Norwegian, and a Chinese citizen who is named in the same magazine.

It is still unclear to the media why he went to Syria.

(Nadarajah Sethurupan)

It has taken two years but Norwegian security services have finally confirmed a Norwegian man of Somali descent was one of the terrorists who attacked a Kenyan shopping mall in 2013. On 21 September 2013, a group of terrorists attacked the Westgate Mall, an upmarket shopping centre in an affluent part of Nairobi, Kenya.During the ensuing siege the four young gunmen, also armed with grenades, shot indiscriminately at shoppers, staff and security services killing at least 67.
It took four days for Kenyan security services to lift the siege. The Islamists were killed by a combination of police action and the collapse of areas of the mall. The Somali terror group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility.

Ever since the events in September 2013 the identity of one of the gunmen was suspected to be a Norwegian citizen called Hassan Dhuhulow, reports Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten. 23 years old at the time of his death, Dhuhulow arrived in Norway aged nine in 1999.

Before the attack Dhuhulow was already known to the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST). Several years earlier the PST had been tipped off about him and tried to stop his radicalisation.

Although the Norwegian authorities concluded their investigation a year ago, only now has the FBI finished its analysis of Dhuhulow’s dental records. From material gathered at the Westgate Mall his identity has now been confirmed.

Matters would have been faster had the PST and FBI been able to rely on DNA data, however that was not possible in this case because of confusion about his family background.

Chillingly, given the volume of migrants currently being processed across Europe, Aftenposten reports the investigation showed the family relationships given to Norwegian immigration authorities when Dhuhulow came to Norway in 1999, were incorrect.

The woman claiming to be Dhuhulow’s sister was no relation to him and she has been charged with perjury. Convicted at first instance, the ‘sister’ won on appeal. However, the case is now to be heard in Norway’s Supreme Court.

Two other Norwegian terrorists are known to have killed overseas. A 31-year-old Norwegian Tunisian, Jamel Mahmoudi, killed eight in a suicide bomb attack for Islamic State in Baghdad last year and 44-year-old Norwegian Somali, Burhan Ahmed Abdule, killed 27 in a suicide bombing of a Somali hotel in March 2014.

Norway’s government has held a ceremony to mark the fourth anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in the country’s recent history. A museum was also opened that displays items used by Breivik in the July 22 attacks.Some items used by Anders Behring Breivik to reap the deepest gash Norway has suffered in recent memory were put on display on Wednesday in the very building where the attack began, exactly four years ago.

The remains of the explosives-filled van Breivik detonated on July 22, 2011, are now on display in the July 22 Center – in the heart of the Regjeringskvartalet, Oslo’s government quarter where Breivik’s bomb killed eight people. The museum also displays faked identification documents he used to fool unsuspecting teens before his rampage later at Utoya Island resulted in the murder of 69 people.

“This will always be our darkest day,” Prime Minister Erna Solberg said at Wednesday’s ceremony, adding that Norway would always remember the 77 victims in the attacks “with love.”

“It’s the pictures that evoke the strongest emotions,” Jens Stoltenberg, now NATO secretary general, was prime minister of Norway when the attacks happened, said referring to images of the victims hanging on the walls as part of the highly controversial exhibition at the July 22 Center.

Attorney John Elden, who represented 115 relatives and survivors present at Breivik’s 2012 trial, rebuked the government ahead of the opening, saying that New York’s Ground Zero Museum did not “go so far as to exhibit Bin Laden’s possessions.”

Solberg, however, said it was the “right thing to do” to show people exactly what happened four years ago, despite the “deeply painful” emotions that the items evoke.

“It’s physical and concrete evidence that is extremely important for us,” said exhibition curator Tor Einar Fagerland, who heads the history department at the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology (NTNU).

Speaking to public broadcaster NOK, Fagerland said the exhibition “doesn’t dramatize” what took place. “These items are on display to show how the attacks happened, and this is exactly what is important on the collective level with regard to how trauma is dealt with,” said Fagerland, who also teaches classes in memory studies at NTNU.

“This exhibition is not at all about the perpetrator,” Fagerland told DW via email.
That sentiment was shared by Unni Espeland Marcussen, who lost her daughter in the Utoya shooting.

“This is NOT a Breivik museum,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “This is about learning about what happened and about the consequences of extremism, which we must always oppose!” Dozens of Facebook users commented on Marcussen’s text with a simple heart, the symbol that is used by Norwegian society to remember the attacks.

The fundamental question

The question of how much of Breivik’s life to put on display harkens back to debates that raged during his trial in 2012.

The Norwegian people were divided as to whether the testimony given by the mass murderer – Breivik had confessed to the killings in advance at preliminary hearings – should be broadcast on national television and abroad.

“There were those who even said Breivik should be banned from speaking, because he’d already promised to use the trial to spread his views,” said Frithjof Jacobsen, chief political columnist at VG, one of Norway’s leading daily newspapers.

“‘Why should he be rewarded,’ they asked, and quite rightfully so,” Jacobsen said. “But then there were also many Norwegians who wanted to know exactly what happened – to hear this man’s words with their own ears so they could judge for themselves whether or not he was insane.”

Given that Breivik had already confessed, the only legal issue at hand was whether the defendant could be held accountable for his actions. The court eventually ruled he was sane, convicted him of 77 counts of murder and gave him a sentence that will likely amount to life in prison. But the more fundamental question as to whether his far-right views of what he saw as a “Muslim invasion” should be made public dealt with Breivik’s legacy and the extent to which he could alter Norway.

“Had he been banned from speaking, this would have changed the way court proceedings happen in Norway,” Jacobsen told DW. “Norwegians were ultimately unwilling to grant him that influence – regardless of how painful his words would be.”

What to do with Breivik

The debate as to Breivik’s presence in Norwegian cultural identity even extended to the government’s Environment Ministry, which is technically also responsible for overseeing the nation’s cultural preservation.

Ellen Oeseth, state secretary of the Environment Ministry, told DW there was “no way” to ignore that Breivik had become part of Norwegian history. How much his legacy will become part of Norwegian heritage remained unclear, she said.

“I wouldn’t say that he’s part of our culture, but he is part of our history,” Oeseth said. “What happened four years ago is burned into Norway’s modern history. And no matter what we do with the building where the bomb went off, it will always be part of our history. Even things that are not nice are part of our history.”

(DW)

An Oslo court sentenced a Norwegian man to eight years in prison on Monday for fighting for Islamic militants in Syria, in the second case of its kind in the Nordic country. Ishaq Ahmed, 24, had pleaded not guilty to the charges and had said he travelled to Syria to do humanitarian work. He was arrested last year when he returned to Norway after being shot in the leg in Syria.”The court finds it proven beyond any reasonable doubt that the defendant was an armed and active participant in armed forces belonging to both ISIL (Islamic State) and Jabhat al Nusra while he was in Syria,” the Oslo District Court said.
Ahmed was convicted of “planning or preparing of a terror act” and obtaining a firearm while staying with militants in Syria, it said.

Ahmed’s lawyer said he was considering an appeal. “My client disagrees and is disappointed by the verdict,” Thomas Randby told Reuters.

In May, three men were sentenced to prison terms of up to four years and nine months in the first convictions under a new Norwegian law to crack down on militants returning from the conflicts in the Middle East..

Authorities in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland estimate that hundreds of their citizens may have gone to Iraq or Syria to receive militant training. Western countries fear that radicalised fighters may come back to launch attacks at home.

Source: Reuters

‘I condemn today’s terrorist attack on a mosque in Kuwait City. An attack on people gathered for prayer is a monstrous and ruthless act of violence. Our thoughts go to the families of the victims,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.
The attack on a Shia mosque in Kuwait’s capital city is being described in the media as the worst terrorist attack in the country’s history. At least 25 people are reported to have been killed and a large number injured. A group affiliated to ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attack.
‘If it is true that ISIL is behind this attack, it will confirm once again the danger ISIL represents beyond its core areas of activity in Syria and Iraq. The international community must stand together to respond to the common threat posed by the spread of violent extremism,’ Mr Brende said.

‘We were horrified and deeply saddened to receive the news of Wednesday’s terrorist attacks in Baghdad. I would like to convey my deepest condolences to the Iraqi people, who are so often the target of terrorist attacks. The attacks are a clear demonstration of ISIL’s contempt for human life and norms of human decency,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

‘We were horrified and deeply saddened to receive the news of Wednesday’s terrorist attacks in Baghdad. I would like to convey my deepest condolences to the Iraqi people, who are so often the target of terrorist attacks. The attacks are a clear demonstration of ISIL’s contempt for human life and norms of human decency,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

Yesterday morning, reports emerged of an attack on a market in the Shia-dominated Sadr City district of Baghdad. 64 people are reported to have been killed and 87 injured in this attack alone, among them many women and children. A further two attacks took place in other parts of Baghdad later in the day. In total, at least 94 people are reported to have been killed in yesterday’s three attacks at separate locations in Baghdad, and at least 150 people have been injured.These are the deadliest attacks on the Iraqi capital so far this year, and it is feared that the death toll will continue to rise. ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
‘Sadly we often hear reports from Iraq about terrorist attacks claiming many lives, but the scale of yesterday’s attacks was particularly horrifying. ISIL must be fought both in Syria and Iraq,’ Mr Brende said.

The security situation in Baghdad is volatile and there have been several terrorist attacks in Baghdad this year. Moreover, parts of Iraq are under ISIL’s control.

Norway is participating actively in the international coalition to counter ISIL, and is helping to train Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga in Northern Iraq. Furthermore, the Government has recently decided to step up Norway’s efforts by increasing the Norwegian contribution to the international coalition against ISIL, both by providing a new military contribution and by strengthening civilian efforts.