Dispatches

Courage and Cowardice in Scandinavia

July 2008

When a car bomb exploded outside Denmark’s embassy in Islamabad on June 2, killing eight, it was easy to guess who had done it and why. Sure enough, some days later al-Qaeda took credit and confirmed its motive: the now-infamous Muhammed cartoons. Originally published in the Jyllands-Posten daily on September 30, 2005, they were reprinted by a raft of Danish dailies this February 13 in a show of solidarity with turban-bomb cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, the target of three would-be assassins who had been arrested the day before. Presumably this rather surprising action — the Danish media, generally speaking, have given Jyllands-Posten a rough time for the past three years for upsetting the Muslims — was the immediate cause for the bombing.

It’s important to understand just what’s going on here, because it’s not just about yellowing cartoons – it’s about Western freedoms.

The first time around, it will be remembered, the cartoons occasioned riots, vandalism, flag burnings, and over 100 deaths worldwide; Danish embassies were torched in Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. Little of this mayhem was spontaneous. Most of it took place months after the cartoons were published, and was instigated by Danish imams, who had taken the cartoons (along with more incendiary pictures that they falsely represented as having been published in Denmark) around the Muslim world with the express intention of whipping up a frenzy. Their aim: to pressure tiny Denmark to rein in free speech. The frenzy materialised – but not the expected capitulation. The Danes, you see, have a gutsy side. It came out one night during the Nazi occupation: under the Germans’ noses, they ferried almost all their Jews to safety in Sweden.

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Bruce Bawer has lived in Oslo since 1999.
COMMENTS: 24

COMMENTS

curt jalmo
June 26th, 2008
1:06 PM
hi bruce...living in sweden I totally agree with you...our goverment is a bunch of cowards! your article is right on point...the same dhimmitude is beginning to cover sweden like a fog..its outrageous...we all better wake up soon! very good work!!!

Anonymous
June 26th, 2008
4:06 PM
I have read and enjoyed Bawer's book - While europe Slept - as well as his many articles. What I don't understand is why Norway's leaders haven't come for him. He offers anecdotes of authors and cartoonists getting in trouble with the authorities and I would presume their sights are on him. How about it Bruce, do you get hassled by the the Scandinavian governments for your writings?

Joachim von Trettin
June 27th, 2008
6:06 PM
The Danes have a gutsy inside, Bruce Baver claims, and proved it by shipping almost all their Jews to safety in Sweden. Fact seems to be, that a leading group of Nazi occupants, in Denmark 1943, considering a German military defeat, were eager to keep up their appearences. Following this understandable desire they contacted their Danish counterparts informing them about an order from Berlin to apprehend all Danes of Jewish descent for transport to camps in Eastern Europe. Now, as it happens, the German military forces in Denmark have already planned to engage in extended activities on the Danish westcoast, leaving the eastcost poorly watched. And pertaining to Sweden, the German occupiers, including some people from the Gestapo, ensured the Danes not to worry, because Sweden this time (1943) will not repatriate the Danish Jews, thus saving them from the ugly fate the Norwegian Jews had to face the year before, i.e. 1942. (Fyi: Stalingrad occured 1943).

Liam Streets
June 29th, 2008
12:06 PM
Fantastic article! Despite being a "religion of Peace" they kill people just for speaking their mind, our ancestors fought and died for our freedom and i will never let that be in vain. Britian is also a country in dire need of help, i praise the danes for their courage.

Karen
June 29th, 2008
3:06 PM
One fact seldom mentioned in the thuggery of Moslems against the Danes, is that the "Moslem Boycott" of Danish products backfired spectacularly: the Moslems in the Middle East did, indeed, boycott Danish goods, primarily dairy products; however, Americans, Canadians and Australians launched an all-out campaign, via the Internet, to buy Danish goods. The result, apart from increased waistlines from all those delicious Danish hams, cookies and beer, was a 17% INCREASE in Danish export profits for that year. Maybe somebody in Norway and Sweden ought to acquaint their business communities with this fact because dhimmitude won't bring home the bacon.

Yankee
June 30th, 2008
1:06 PM
Digging your wonderful work lad.

viking4ever
June 30th, 2008
7:06 PM
Vi Vil Ikke Bukke Os For Nogensomhelst! Danmark laenge leve!

peter slovik
June 30th, 2008
11:06 PM
Hey, folks, what is new about Sweden and Norway? As I recall from my reading Germany needed 15 million metric tons of iron ore for its war industries. Eleven million of that came from Sweden, first, last and always—well until late in the war when Allied pressure really mounted. Said ore was shipped through the Norwegian port of Narvik. When the Brits attempted to intervene their forces met a minor disaster and the Germans occupied Norway; shipments continuing. I am pulling this from long ago readings, if I need correction I would be glad to hear it.

Ørjan, Oslo
July 2nd, 2008
10:07 AM
Thank you for a great article! Have you tried to publish something in Aftenposten? The debate editor claimed (in his misleading review of your book) not to have heard about you while you stayed in Norway. Of course the WW2 references are a little unfair, we put up more resistance than Denmark. Our decay didn't start until the sixties. And Denmark in the 90's was just as PC as Norway. It is impressing how Venstre and Danish People's Party have managed to win the people over, against almost all the Danish media. But at least Denmark has two decent newspapers, Jyllandposten and Berlingske Tidende. In Norway the PC propaganda is massive, in media as well as in schools. Last weekend, in the Gay Pride Parade, a gay activist (immigrant from Syria) tried to put a Niqab on fire. She was arrested. Muslims, on the other side, are free to burn any flag they want. It was ignored by all media except TV2: http://www.tv2.no/nyhetene/innenriks/article2035048.ece

RS
July 2nd, 2008
12:07 PM
Bruce Bawer. Predictable. Dull. Unoriginal. And he tells us what courage is....

Anonymous
July 4th, 2008
1:07 AM
Bruce: why don't gay people every seem to fight back? If there are two attackers and two victims, seems like a pretty fair fight (assuming no knives involved). Why don't gay people get self-defense training?

Eloy
July 4th, 2008
9:07 AM
Bruce you're a hero. Here in the States you never hear much on the Islamic problem in Europe. In another 20 years or less, the Ugly Americans which Eropeans love to hate are going to have to go back and save their multicultural peace loving butts one more time and teach them how to defend individual freedoms.

Anonymous
July 6th, 2008
4:07 PM
> teach them how to defend individual freedoms. bahahahaha

Anonymous
July 7th, 2008
9:07 AM
A slave and his master. I think that we have to face the fact that a creeping invasion is happening and Europeans like zombies aren't able to realise the danger they are in. Europeans prostrate themselves in front of the new 'masters' and don't speak out against their unreasonable claims.

Anonymous
July 9th, 2008
11:07 PM
Howdy from America! Just finishing your book "While Europe Slept." Amazing. Just got back from Europe myself studying European politics. Ha! Your claims are correct and you have woken me up to a side of Europe not many Americans are aware of. Thank you!

Lisbeth
July 18th, 2008
8:07 PM
Loved your article and will definitely read your book. I think the "Muhammed-crisis" here in Denmark woke up a lot of people. Thank God our prime minister had the guts to stand his ground and not give in to all the pressure from the "politically correct" elite. He gained a lot of respect in the population and it makes one proud to be a dane. There must be no appeasement. We must dig our heels in and refuse to compromise with our freedom of speech. Regardless.

Adra Badra
July 31st, 2008
1:07 AM
To people in Denmark from Norway - there are many people here who support your struggle against those madmen, we just need to get rid of our present government ...

Anonymous
August 8th, 2008
3:08 PM
Hopefully things will change and we will take a step in the right direction in Sweden after the election in 2010. The political party SD (Swedish Democracts, an non-dhimmi culture conservative party who have the guts to appreciate and protect Swedish and European values) have a good chance of getting into the Swedish Parliament, and if thing will go the right way, they can become the Swedish answer to the Danish political party Dansk Folkeparti (The Danish Peoples Party). It´s probably not an exageration to say that it´s thanks to Dansk Folkeparti that many Danish politicians have choosen the right way when it comes to deal with the threat from islam and muslims.

Anonymous
September 9th, 2008
5:09 AM
If Obama wins all Europe and the rest of the civilized world will be gone,Me as an American Jew understand it better than any of you who live in your liberal Lala land. America Alone ,and Only the republican party will have a chance ,Maybe to save your ass. But I bet most of you European Obama worshipers can not see this even if it hit you straight in your gutless Eurobutt .

Arne Hvidsteen
September 27th, 2008
3:09 PM
How about writing av follow up, called "While America Slept"? You could describe how you yourself and your fellow Americans were so full of yourself that you failed to realize your own nation's collapse before it was too late. I that would be an interesting read too.

Anonymous
November 10th, 2008
5:11 PM
Quote "As I recall from my reading Germany needed 15 million metric tons of iron ore for its war industries. Eleven million of that came from Sweden, first, last and always—well until late in the war when Allied pressure really mounted. Said ore was shipped through the Norwegian port of Narvik. When the Brits attempted to intervene their forces met a minor disaster and the Germans occupied Norway; shipments continuing. I am pulling this from long ago readings, if I need correction I would be glad to hear it. " You certainly need correction: SWEDEN let the germans ship their goods through their country. SWEDEN expelled the parliament-president CJ Hambro when he fled. SWEDEN pledged "neutrality", not Norway. South-Norway was occupied 9.april and the physical resistance lasted until june, for the whole country. The battles of Narvik was about the ore, yes. My own grandfather fought there, please have a sharp distinction between Norway and Sweden during the war, altthough Norway got some help for lots of private swedes, and lots of private swedes were heros and taking care of refugees. But not the Swedish State.

Anonymous
November 10th, 2008
5:11 PM
QUOTE If Obama wins all Europe and the rest of the civilized world will be gone,Me as an American Jew understand it better than any of you who live in your liberal Lala land. America Alone ,and Only the republican party will have a chance ,Maybe to save your ass. But I bet most of you European Obama worshipers can not see this even if it hit you straight in your gutless Eurobutt . QUOTE hahaha it took the Norwegian press excactly TWO days to turn its back on two years of Obama-worshipping. Now he is the president of Big Satan = USA, and we are back to hating you. I am sorry.

Peter
November 18th, 2008
5:11 AM
Digging back into history, Norway has much of which to be proud in her national resistance to the Nazis. Let us not forget that it was the "Heroes of Telemark" (with british training and support) who destroyed the Norsk Hydro plant and the heavy water supplies therein, crippling the German atomic bomb project irrerversibly. Norwegians also put up a fierce initial resistance to the Nazis, inflicting - along with British, French and other allied forces - heavy casualties on the Germans, especailly the Kriegsmarine (German navy) forces. Do not make the mistake of comparing apples and oranges, however, when comparing the Danish resistance movement to Norwegian. Denmark was (and is) dwarfed by Germany in population, economic power, and military might. Moreover, Jutland is contiguous with Germany, Norway is not. Once occupied, Denmark was found to much less suitable to partisan activity than Norway, because of her size, flat terrain bereft of mountains and forests, and other factors. In sum, both nations resisted as best they could given their circumstances. Sweden, on the other hand, remained ostensibly neutral, but leaned toward Germany at least for the first part of the war. Then as now, the Swedes apparently have other priorities than defending our western way of life, liberties, and freedoms. In this, they are most like the Swiss, who also got into bed with the Nazis whenever it suited their purposes. Making money trumped all, apparently. In fairness to Sweden, there were many there who risked everything to help Danish Jews smuggled into that nation from Denmark, and opposed the Nazis as best they could. However, my criticisms of the Swedish government of that time stand. Denamrk may be tiny, but her people don't like being pushed around... perhaps they can supply some needed backbone to their neighbors vis-a-vis the threat of Islam.

Otto Leibermann
December 3rd, 2008
12:12 PM
There's a good discussion on Islam in Norway on the website www.norwayuncovered.com which may be of interest.

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