FrontPage Publishes Essay by Blogger Who Inspired Norwegian Terrorist
As the trial of Muslim-hating Norwegian terrorist enters its third week, a U.S.-based website has published a new essay by a blogger whose work was cited frequently by the man who murdered 77 of his countrymen last July.
In an article posted today on FrontPage, Norwegian blogger 鈥溾 鈥 whose work was mentioned so often in Breivik鈥檚 1,500-page manifesto that some bloggers speculated they were the same person 鈥 showered praise on , an American anti-Muslim pundit and hate group leader who Breivik thinks deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.
Fjordman鈥檚 particular interest is Spencer鈥檚 latest work, Did Muhammad Exist? An Inquiry into Islam鈥檚 Obscure Origins, which according to its Amazon page is a 鈥渟ober but unflinching look at one of the world鈥檚 major religions鈥 and includes 鈥渕any indications that Arabian leaders fashioned Islam for political reasons鈥 鈥 military conquest among them.
This 鈥渇inding鈥 dovetails conveniently with the , embraced by many on the Islamophobic right, that Islam is not a religion protected by the First Amendment but rather a seditious political ideology whose proponents and 鈥渢raining centers鈥 (i.e. mosques) must be rooted out and shut down.
For three months after Breivik鈥檚 rampage against progressives, Fjordman 鈥 whom Breivik regarded as Europe鈥檚 鈥渕ost talented right wing essay[ist]鈥 鈥 stopped writing his anti-Muslim screeds. He emerged from his self-imposed hiatus last October, declaring in a post on the popular anti-Muslim website Gates of Vienna that after contemplating retirement, 鈥淚 have decided to continue with undiminished force. Right from the beginning I have been saying that terrorists, whether they come in the shape of Islamic Jihadists or Anders Behring Breivik, should not be allowed to decide what a free society can or cannot discuss, and I meant that.鈥
It鈥檚 no surprise FrontPage would make itself available as a venue for Fjordman鈥檚 anti-Muslim bile. The online magazine is published by , a radical leftist-turned-radical-rightist who liberals and 鈥淚slamofascists鈥 are working together to destroy the West and who leads a network of organizations devoted to spreading his gospel of fear.
Horowitz funds Spencer鈥檚 anti-Muslim blog Jihadwatch; has attacked the 鈥淥ccupy鈥 movement for supposedly wanting 鈥渁 communist overthrow of the capitalist system鈥; and has that minority 鈥渄emands for special treatment鈥 are 鈥渙nly necessary because some blacks can't seem to locate the ladder of opportunity within reach of others.鈥 Just last week, he drew criticism from Jewish groups and others for an ad, placed in The New York Times on the eve of Israel鈥檚 Day of Remembrance, comparing supporters of using boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel to Nazis.