white ny — TINE POPPE

WHITE IS NOT A COLOUR

In the days following the 22nd of July 2011 terrorist attack by right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik, the streets of Norway were filled with colourful roses and speeches of love conquering extremism, fear and xenophobia. The people’s reaction to Europe’s largest terrorist attack was admired on television screens all over the world. During those days in 2011, it would have been hard to imagine that in the years to follow, xenophobia and anti-multiculturalism in Norway would flourish to the extent that racist attitudes would soon become mainstream and acceptable. That publicly pleading compassion with muslim refugees would be answered with hate-speech and murder threats.It would have seemed very unlikely that a political party based on anti-multiculturalism and xenophobia would be elected to rule wealth, resources and borders. It would have seemed unbelievable that ministers of government would use their power to spread fear and racism, without facing mass demonstrations or major consequences. It would have been inconceivable that the majority would show indifference, helplessness or turn their heads away from racist rhetorics and the most disastrous refugee crisis in our time.