Anders Breivik

[hibsbollah]

http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op/sE9BeHuPAODKuj41C1_S3Xg/view.m?id=15&gid=commentisfree/2012/apr/20/breivik-terrorist-like-al-qaida&cat=commentisfree

Excellent article I thought. Not so much about the man himself but the media coverage, which I think is essentially just giving him a forum for proselytising his murderous beliefs. He must be loving it.

[Beefster]

The guy is comparing different justice systems (and types/levels/structures of terrorism). It's not really much of an argument until he can compare apples with apples.

I know it's from 'Comment is Free' but the guy should be directing his eye at the Guardian in the first place. They've hardly ignored the trial or not reported the rhetoric.

[hibsbollah]

In the absence of two Anders Breviks both standing trial at the same time in the same country, comparing slightly different but still similar cases is the only way to draw a parallel. And its very compelling IMO.

[1two]

If this had been the same crime carried out by a Muslim extremist who cited his reason for the crimes as being religious, would the media give it the same column space as breivik?

So what makes this fascists story more interesting than other cases?

Because he's a white western European?
Because some sympathise with his cause in a much less extreme way?

[Pretty Boy]

If this had been the same crime carried out by a Muslim extremist who cited his reason for the crimes as being religious, would the media give it the same column space as breivik?

So what makes this fascists story more interesting than other cases?

Because he's a white western European?
Because some sympathise with his cause in a much less extreme way?

More likely because his victims were also white, western Europeans.

[hibsbollah]

More likely because his victims were also white, western Europeans.

Or as Scott Atran says, 'we adopt radically different approaches depending on whether we think the threat is from within or without'. Its easier for the media to examine Breiviks motivation (rather than the impact or consequences) for what he did, than it would be for them to do the same with Mohammed Atta or a similar, but external, nutcase.

Meanwhile, lots of Toms from Dover can 'see where the guy is coming from'.

[HibeeB]

The Norwegian law society (or whatever it is called) decided that to refuse Breivick his voice was undemocratic and unconstitutional. They tacitly said they would rather not let him be heard but he had a right under their law to speak. So they let him speak. And they have come across as a much more civilised and tolerant society than the one that that ****** tried to to eradicate with bullets and bombs. Which was what the deluded ****** was purporting to protect. ******. BTW I think that ****** who killed 77 people is a ******.

[yeezus.]

The coverage would be very different if the atrocity was carried out my a Muslim. The subject of Islam as a whole in Europe would come under question and once again there would be a surge in Islamophobic attacks.

Breivik represents the view of morons in the EDL and the BNP, that is very worrying.

[Holmesdale Hibs]

He was right about the sentence being pathetic though, 21 years is a joke. It must work out as a few months per victim. He should be locked up for life as an absolute minimum.

The media coverage has been interesting although personally I don't think he should be given air time. A mass murderer should not be given an opportunity to air his political agenda and I don't care if his human rights are taken either.