Refusing to be terrorized

FLAM, Norway – I thought Scandinavia was as far away from SARS and terrorism as I could get – until four hours after I filed my previous column from Denmark. Now I’m here in one of the countries singled out as a prime terrorist target by Osama bin Laden’s top lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Overnight I felt that there was no longer any safe place in this world. Then again, it is probably just a matter of time before every country comes face-to-face with terror. When that happens, we will have to show the madmen of al-Qaeda that we won’t let terror control our lives.

How did the land of the Nobel Peace Prize end up in the hit list of al-Qaeda? For Filipinos used to living under the constant threat of a terrorist attack on "soft targets" such as public markets and the Light Rail Transit, it would be interesting to see how a society as open as Norway responds to terrorism. Norwegian taxpayers are even supporting suspected al-Qaeda operative Mulla Krekar, an Iraqi who has been given political refuge in this country. His wife, children and brother are in Oslo, and Norwegians don’t quite know yet what to do with them.

Norwegians are also uncertain about how to deal with al-Zawahiri’s taped message, calling on all Muslims to attack US, British, Australian and Norwegian nationals and interests.

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"(The message) is strange," Borrea Schau-Larsen told me. Larsen joined Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik in flying to Japan this week. It was supposed to be a marketing blitz for Norway, and Larsen was the lone representative of the Norwegian tourism industry. Suddenly she found herself needing to prepare a reaction to the terrorist threat.

At the Solstrand Hotel which Larsen owns, it’s difficult to think of terrorism. The high-end hotel which faces a fjord is in the picturesque town of Os outside the city of Bergen. Snow-capped mountains loom on the horizon. Traversing the tree-lined winding road from the airport to Os you can imagine trolls lurking in the woods, romping around with deer and moose. In the land of Os it is easy to imagine Vikings setting out in their ships on the fjords on their way to raid and pillage.

But Norway’s inclusion in al-Qaeda’s hit list is not that unlikely. Norway supported the US-led attack on Afghanistan shortly after the terrorist strikes in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. In that US retaliatory strike Osama bin Laden himself was the target together with his Taliban allies. And since the only peace this bunch of terrorist madmen would want for the free world is the peace of the dead, hitting the land of the Nobel Peace Prize could have great symbolic value.

For now some of the Norwegians I met appeared to be still in denial, incredulous that anyone would hate their peaceful country so much. Norwegians are reluctant to move against Krekar or start imposing security measures that could impinge on civil liberties. Security has been tightened around some government officials and buildings, but I didn’t see any unusual security measures at the Oslo international airport. No bomb-sniffing dogs, no soldiers or cops, no long lines at the x-ray machines and metal detectors.

Some Norwegians concede their vulnerability, but think that if ever terror strikes, it will be against targets overseas such as Norwegian ships, oil exploration facilities and diplomatic missions.

Others continue to hold on to the hope that someone in al-Qaeda made a stupid slip-up, and that al-Zawahiri could have mistaken Norway for Denmark, which supported the US-led war in Iraq. This second theory, however, was disputed by a Norwegian who said it was not possible for al-Zawahiri to have made a mistake since he lived in Copenhagen, Denmark about 12 years ago.

Still others are doing their best to carry on with business as usual, saying they could not let terrorists succeed in terrorizing Norwegians. A similar sentiment was expressed by Americans shortly after 9/11. So far the taped message has not led to cancellations of visitor bookings to Norway.

And so far tour operators continue to be more worried about SARS than about the terrorist threat.

A Swede in the travel industry has another theory about the al-Zawahiri tape: some nuts simply want to disrupt tourism and ruin economies.

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It would be a pity if terrorists strike in this country. The countryside offers a panorama of mountains, lush valleys, rivers, fjords and probably thousands of waterfalls.

Taking a boat cruise on the Sognefjord, where the deepest part of the still waters is 1,300 meters, or riding on the train for a glimpse of the Jostedalsbreen, said to be the largest glacier in Northern Europe, you can’t imagine such breathtaking natural beauty being violated by religious extremism.

It’s not just the majesty of Norway’s natural bounty but the Norwegian way of life that could be altered by the threat of terror. This is one society that works. Per capita income is one of the highest in the world. Income taxes range from 30 to 50 percent, but taxpayers know where their money goes. Education – quality education, which makes Norwegians among the best educated in the world – is free all the way to college. Medical care is almost entirely free.

Norwegian society is one of the most liberal in the world, although nothing beats the Netherlands in the tolerance department. Possession of marijuana in Norway is not a crime although trafficking of the drug is. Because voluntary organ donation has become popular, there is a hospital devoted to harvesting reusable body parts from the dying or even the dead.

From the cities to the remotest corner of Norway, infrastructure facilities are excellent. Norwegians get government subsidies and other incentives to settle in the wilderness. Though homes and farms are few in those desolate areas, they all have electricity, adequate plumbing and access to telecommunications facilities. There’s ample potable water; foreign visitors are advised that water is safe to drink even directly from the mountains and streams all over Norway.

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Will the Norwegians fight back, just in case al-Zawahiri wasn’t just bluffing? This is, after all, the land of the Vikings, who gained notoriety in Europe as marauders.

For now the people of Norway are simply refusing to let terror rule their lives.