Samira Munir
Here’s a nasty piece of news. One that as far as I can tell has had zero attention in Anglophone newsmedia or blogs.
I’ve written to Azam and Homa and Maryam about it, and to Nick Cohen. Let’s hope it stops being a story in Norway and nowhere else.
Fjordman explains:
Samira Munir, Norwegian politician of Pakistani origins, died two weeks ago. All the details surrounding her death have not been revealed, but the police have hinted that it may have been suicide. It is not impossible that this could be the case, but she had received death threats many times from the Pakistani community in Norway because of her courageous fight for the rights of Muslim immigrant women, and for banning hijab, the Islamic veil. Regardless of what caused her death, it is a fact that she received far too little support from Norwegian authorities and even her own party, who were afraid that her outspoken defence of women’s rights could cost them Muslim votes and damage the country’s glossy, Multicultural self-image. Her death thus puts this country to shame. She was a brave woman, and will be missed.
An English version of Aftenposten had this article in March 2004.
A member of Oslo’s City Council who was born in Pakistan but now holds Norwegian citizenship has twice been called to Pakistan’s local embassy. Both times, Pakistan’s ambassador to Norway questioned her political standpoints, and now Norway’s foreign minister Jan Petersen has been told that she felt pressured…The calls from Pakistan’s embassy came after Munir became the first known Muslim woman in Norway to support a proposed ban on the use of head scarves and other religious symbols for youth. She then became a target of criticism within the local Pakistani community. She declined to comment on the issue after receiving several anonymous and bothersome phone calls.
And now she’s dead – after an encounter with a train.
Stay tuned.
I read this story a couple of days ago- in english, online- but cannot remember where. I did think of you then, Ophelia, but assumed that you probably already knew.
The death threats against Samira and her family as well as the heavy-handed intimidation of the pakistani diplomats should be investigated to the fullest.
Maybe at the site that Fjordman got it from, Mirax – that’s dated a couple of days ago.
No, I didn’t already know, and neither did Azam until I told her. The story needs to get out.
It seems that there is little news of this story even in the Norwegian msm, Ophelia and the lack of links to independent sources as to what happened and pretty basic information like whether the police are actually investigating this case seems unavailable.
Also, I am somewhat wary that this story first surfaced in the forum pages of faithfreedom and a whole host of anti-muslim sites, including a really offensive hindutva site.Eg
Faithfreedom ,AntiJihad International,
Apostates of Islam ,Soldiers of Hindutva,AntiJihad Nederland
Well what is it that you’re wary of, mirax? There is news in the Norwegian news media (Aftenpost for instance) that she’s dead, and the earlier Aftenpost article reported what could be seen as pressure on her from the Pakistani ambassador (or not – perhaps as he said he just invited her for a chat). It’s not unknown for Muslim defenders of women’s rights to have unpleasant things happen to them. So what are you wary about?
Yes, precisely, information seems unavailable so far. So let’s hope more becomes available.
I am wary of muslim haters going to town with a story in which the facts are not clear at all. I have no wish to be a part of that. We may all be doing this brave woman a disservice if indeed her death stems from a tragic personal situation rather than murder – do the papers mention if her death is being looked into by the authorities? For me, this needs to stated really clearly and so far, going by what I have read, it has not. I do not even feel comfortable about the dark hints of media collusion in a cover-up.
Muslim haters?
yes- muslim haters, bigots,racists etc. The harry’s place blog is infested with them. Did you not notice them especially since you did stop by the comment section for just this thread?
The ‘civilisational’ warriors are a fashionable nonsense too, to my way of looking at it.
Oh – some, yes. (That’s why I hardly ever read comments at Harry’s Place – they’re so full of endless repetitive ingroupy wrangles.) And at the Faith Freedom place too (I saw that Hindutva link, and cringed), which is why I didn’t link to it.
But so what? Is that a reason not to try to get more information?
Is that a reason not to try to get more information?
Not at all what I am saying, in fact the opposite. I urge you to find out more, much more if possible. We owe Samira this much at least. I just found the writer, Prithivi’s, premature speculation eg of the involvement of the pakistani ISI in the death etc a mite farfetched and sensed an underlying agenda.
Don’t you think, mirax, that the Muslim haters, if they are such, and who, if they exist in such a nicely pigeon-holeable group, probably never gave a thought to Islam until fairly recently, may ‘hate’ it because they get the idea that it (as embodied in the voices they most often hear) hates them and wants them dead.
‘Islamophobia’ did not exist until a particular form of Islam clamoured for attention. A generally secular society can’t tell one religion from another. That’s what makes it secular. It is not Islamophobia, it is religious fundamentalism-phobia. I think you may find plenty of that here on this board as anywhere.
And when it comes to that, count me in. I am as scared of it and as cross at it as anyone else.
And they could Zoroastrists as far as I care.
Well thank you, mirax, but that’s exactly what I am doing, so I don’t need your urging. I emailed people who could find out more as soon as I read the post about Munir, and they are looking.
As George’s post indicates, you seem to be conflating criticism of Islam with ‘muslim haters’ – which is an odd thing to do here of all places.
I agree with George, Militant Political Islam does terrify me. But then, so does the fundamentalism of that psychopath Dr. James Dobson-or the deluded imperviousness to reason of our own dry drunk fundamentalist entrenched in the White House right now.
One caveat: the Western world has long feared and despised Islam (Crusades, anyone)-and there has long been the taint of Christian smugness in foreign policy and colonial adventurism. Heck, Islam’s the most successful “competitor” to evangelical Christianity, so of course it will be disliked by our ruling classes.
Sure – there are plenty of people who criticize Islam for terrible reasons. Distinctions always have to be made. But – as surely we have documented here ad nauseam – charges of Islamophobia are all too often used as a way of shielding the content of Islam from any and all scrutiny. That’s a bad idea.
G, could you please stick to arguments rather than mere references to animals? Since the hacker forced a re-doing of the database, it is now a colossal pain to revise or delete comments.
George,
>>Don’t you think, mirax, that the Muslim haters, if they are such, and who, if they exist in such a nicely pigeon-holeable group, probably never gave a thought to Islam until fairly recently, may ‘hate’ it because they get the idea that it (as embodied in the voices they most often hear) hates them and wants them dead.<< Muslim-haters, good old racists, ignorant frightened people…I agree that pigeonholing people is not right but I am really upset aboutdownright ugly and hateful remarks directed at Islam and yes, Muslims (whole sale, every one them one billion people) that I have encountered repeatedly another site. My use of the term muslim haters pertains to them and quite a few like them out there on the net. These hysterics may well think that islam/muslims intend them direct, personal harm but you are quite wrong to suggest that they are can be excused for thinking so based on the ‘muslim voices’ they hear. sorry but that is a cop out for lazy people who choose to take one or two voices from a lunatic fringe as indicative of that from a fifth of the world’s population. they have only themselves to blame for such a knee jerk reaction.
>>Islamophobia’ did not exist until a particular form of Islam clamoured for attention. << The term may be new but the prejudice, especially in Europe is not. Historically antipathy towards Islam is a well recorded phenomenon. A generally secular society can’t tell one religion from another.
You think so? A generally secular society like the UK which has given preeminent status to the CoE? Or a generally secular society like the US where christianity occupies a niche on its own? Or a stridently secular society like France where catholism makes its influence felt in surprising ways?
>> That’s what makes it secular. It is not Islamophobia, it is religious fundamentalism-phobia. I think you may find plenty of that here on this board as anywhere. << I think that B&W is a long way from being an islamophobic site, its ethos are very clear and it is generally an equal-opportunity offender. I am sorry if anyone here thinks that that is what I am attempting- trying to shut down discussion under the charge of racism. Not at all. I was just trying to articulate my unease at how easy it is to start down that path (of bigotry) or to be sucked into less scrupulous agendas and urging caution. Please disregard my posts if you feel this warning superfluous or worse, supercilious. >>And when it comes to that, count me in. I am as scared of it and as cross at it as anyone else.<< As I am. And I live amongst hundreds of millions of muslims, an ocean of them.But I refuse to let my hatred of militant Islam sink into religious or racial bigotry. I try to be vigilant with myself.That;s all.
>>you seem to be conflating criticism of Islam with ‘muslim haters’ – which is an odd thing to do here of all places.
Not at all Ophelia. Please do read my posts again.
I do admit to carrying over strong feelings of revulsion over what I have encountered elsewhere. At harry’s place you have commenters comparing Hitler positively to Mohammed (he did not rape 9 year olds, you see) and the criticism of islam (which I do as much as anyone btw) sliding into denigration of all muslims (what about all muslim marriage is rape?) and nary a voice raised against that.Disgusting.
B&W is not at all like this but I found this one article disturbing and urged caution. Sorry for over-reacting.
That’s okay, mirax. Anyway, wheels are turning, people are looking into it – including actual professional journalists who know how to go about it, and people with connections in Norway. We should know more soon.
Good to know that Ophelia. Keep up the good work.