Teacher told to drop Star of David (Norway - might offend Muslims)

Aftenposten ^ | 02-05-04 | Jonathan Tisdall

[veronica]

A municipally employed teacher in Kristiansand has been prevented from wearing a Star of David around his neck. Kristiansand Adult Education Center, where the man works, ruled that the Jewish symbol could be deemed a provocation towards the many Muslim students at the school, Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reports.

Teacher Inge Telhaug said he feels this is a violation of his freedom of speech.

"I can't accept this. It is a small star, 16 millimeters (0.6 inches) that I have around my neck, usually under a T-shirt. I see it as my right to wear it," Telhaug told NRK. Telhaug teaches immigrants Norwegian language and culture at the education center. Telhaug is not Jewish. "I see it as the oldest religious symbol we have in our culture, because without Judaism there would be no Christianity," Telhaug.

The principal of the school, Kjell Gislefoss, feels that the Star of David can also be interpreted as a political symbol for the state of Israel, and is afraid the star can provoke and offend students, for example immigrants from the Palestinian territories.

"The Star of David would be a symbol for one side in what is perhaps the world's most inflamed conflict at the moment. Many have a traumatic past that they have escaped and then we feel that if they are going to learn Norwegian then they can't sit an at the same time be reminded of the things they have traveled from," Gislefoss said.

Telhaug has hired a lawyer and refuses to give in. The head of the Education Association in Kristiansand, Heidi Hauge Uldal, called the school's decision "unacceptable". Uldal said her group did not want to go the way of France and forbid all religious symbols in schools, a topic that is currently becoming relevant in Norway as well.

[ChewedGum]

Wow, this tolerance stuff is really powerful! (If you are Christian or Jewish, then hide all elements of it so you can be tolerant of muslims, hindus and athiests.)

Gum

[capt. norm]

What if the Muslim scarves are offending us Christians?

[dagnabbit]

Norway killed almost all it's Jew's during WW2. There weren't many to start with, but the thousand or so Jewish Norwegians that were in the country were collected by Norwegian police and put on a ship for Germany and the death camps. A handful survived. By contrast, Denmark slipped a great many of its Jewish citizens into Sweden.

Norway also managed to fill some good-sized SS units to fight alongside the Germans. After 1940, far more Norwegians fought for Hitler than against him.

[veronica]

FYI.

[Graymatter]

It's ok to offend the majority, not ok to offend the minority. Unless it's a Muslim majority, then it's just the opposite. Heads they win, tails we lose.

[Clean_Sweep]

I don't buy your statements as fact at all.

"Norway also managed to fill some good-sized SS units to fight alongside the Germans. After 1940, far more Norwegians fought for Hitler than against him."

Do you have some historical reference material?

[stainlessbanner]

I expect this stateside real soon.

[Arthur McGowan]

The inability to tolerate the presence in the world of those who do not share one's religious convictions is a sign that one has reached only an infantile stage of spiritual and emotional development. Virtually all the wars now going on in the world are on the borders between Islam and some other religious group.

[jla]

fyi

[chatham]

Muslim Intolerence is not New, around 1970 I worked for a company which had contracts for work in Saudi Arabia and anyone working on the site in Saudi Arabia was bot allowed to wear any religious symbol. Even a Woman pilot had to follow the Saudia rules on dress even though she was putting her life on the line for these people.
No one should be made to hide their religious affillation so as not to offend another group.
I am offneded by the demands of the muslims that we are to conform to their needs when they are new guests to our country. I am offended by the silence of muslims when 3000 americans and others were killed...... no Murdered by muslims in our own country.
No one in america or anywhere else should be made to change their normal behavior because muslims have arrived.

[Tijeras_Slim]

The subject of Norwegian volunteers in the Wehrmacht and SS has already been studied for years. This will be a very short version of the complex topic.
*
About 15 000 Norwegians volunteered to the Wehrmacht or SS during the years 1940-1945, and an estimate of 7000 reached the front lines in some way. (Some sources state 6 000, but the number of Norwegians joining the Wehrmacht while being residents in Germany, is unknown but believed to be about 1000)
Quisling, however saw this as a rather disappointing number, as he had visions of about 50,000 proud Norwegian soldiers, but one should bear in mind that "only" 11,000 volunteered to serve with the Allies, mainly the British. The Norwegian Police formations in Sweden, or the Merchant Navy sailors are not included in this number.

About 1000 Norwegians were killed in combat, or died in Soviet POW camps. Most Norwegians volunteered for the Waffen SS, but some did try their luck in the Luftwaffe, or the Heer, Kriegsmarine, NSKK, Organisation “Todt” etc.


Google Norwegian SS units.

[Captain Rhino]

A Yahoo search on "Waffen SS Norwegian" brought up the following information:

"About 15 000 Norwegians volunteered to the Wehrmacht or SS during the years 1940-1945, and an estimate of 7000 reached the front lines in some way. (Some sources state 6 000, but the number of Norwegians joining the Wehrmacht while being residents in Germany, is unknown but believed to be about 1000)

Quisling, however saw this as a rather disappointing number, as he had visions of about 50,000 proud Norwegian soldiers, but one should bear in mind that "only" 11,000 volunteered to serve with the Allies, mainly the British. The Norwegian Police formations in Sweden, or the Merchant Navy sailors are not included in this number.

About 1000 Norwegians were killed in combat, or died in Soviet POW camps. Most Norwegians volunteered for the Waffen SS, but some did try their luck in the Luftwaffe, or the Heer, Kriegsmarine, NSKK, Organisation “Todt” etc."

Here's the link where the above quotation comes from:
http://www.nuav.net/volunter.html

There is alot more historical reference material at the link.

[FierceDraka]

Everyone's afraid of offending Muslims because they're afraid they'll snap, so they bend over backwards to suck up to those manimals.

That's NOT the proper way of dealing with bullies. You CRUSH them and BEAT THEM DOWN to the point where they never disturb anyone's peace again.

/feeling ticked off and ruthless on a dismal Thursday morning

[yankeedame]

Telhaug has hired a lawyer and refuses to give in.

Win or lose, this guy is now a social pariah -- big time. He's about to find he doesn't have anywhere the number of friends he thought...and a lot more enemies than he ever imagined.

[DonQ]

A few threads away is a related report that Norway is NOT going to follow France's lead in banning the hajib. So only Jewish accoutrements (maybe also crosses) are banned but not Moslem accoutrements. So much for equality and tolerance.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[rageaholic]

Umm, did anyone ever consider the problem might be muslims who fly into a rage at the sight of a Jew?

[Alouette]

Do you have some historical reference material?

Kenneth Timerman's PREACHERS OF HATE has a chapter on Norweigen nazi involvement.

[Hildy]

Who would you rather piss off, a Jew or a Muslim? A Jew will sue you, a Muslim will kill you.