The usual suspects

The Friday demo protesting Dagbladet‘s printing of the most controversial Mohammed caricature proved to be remarkably predictable, taking Norway’s calm and rational setting and the only slightly hysteric state of its national press.

The protest, which attracted somewhere between 2500-3000 demonstrators, managed to be both completely peaceful yet illegal, measured yet threatening. And when it was all over, of course the Progress Party (FrP) said that the event proved that Norway was not in the throes of ‘stealth Islamization’, but openly roaring down the road to Islamization.

The demonstration was reported live as having turned ‘illegal’, when it began

Cartoon storm brewing

The Mohammed caricature\cartoons are causing trouble again, and this one is turning into a highly complex scenario, with all sorts of room for conspiracy theories and spiraling fury. At the moment a major demonstration is planned, and this will likely be a pivotal event, as it has the potential to be a show of widespread support for Muslims offended by this kind of chronic provocation, or it could turn into a real mess. The web sites of Dagbladet and leading tabloid VG were brought down by ‘hackers’ last night, though it is not clear yet

Norway’s (Muslims) got talent

This story raised my eyebrows when I saw it, but got relatively little coverage. It certainly seems to be the first time anything like it is happening in Norway, but maybe the ‘M-Factor’ is standard fare in other countries? Either way, you’d think

Turning the other cheek

If newspaper Drammens Tidende may have been stoking the fires of controversy in its coverage of various Progress Party activities linked to the Mohammed cartoons that have been back in the headlines recently, their coverage has now become distinctly serene. Now they have been speaking to Muslims.

“We don’t give a toss about this.

The water’s stiff

A day of few surprises, at least so far. Reactions are beginning to come in from abroad about decisions to print the Mohammed cartoons in Norway, and there can be few things more predictable than that. One NRK radio debate – because there has to be a debate – did provide some fresh angles and some comic performance.

*If you can't say anything nice...' Illus: Simona Dumitru

I’m addicted to Norway’s only full-time news radio station, even though it quickly gets repetitive even on a wild day.