Integration: Embracing Values or Just Wearing a Fancy Jacket?
Ah, the age-old question of integration! Abid Raja, in a *not-so-controversial* article, questions when new citizens will finally trade in their cultural capes for a Norwegian-style overcoat—complete with a “Burberry” and a sense of societal belonging. One might say the country has taken us in with open arms; the real question is, when will we stop wearing our national identity like it’s a funky festival getup and embrace those good old-fashioned Norwegian values?
The Cultural Kaleidoscope
Now, before anyone grabs their pitchforks, let’s consider that integration is like a buffet. You don’t have to eat everything on the table—but do take a moment to appreciate the lutefisk! Raja highlights a former principal’s plight at a high school where students speak 30 different languages. Thirty! That’s a linguistic buffet that could leave anyone perplexed, right? I mean, how do you even call for the lunch bell in thirty languages? Talk about confusion!
But amidst this potpourri of cultures lies a challenging reality. The principal describes a class environment so riddled with bullying and social control that one can only imagine. You have parents more concerned about their kids not dating Norwegians rather than whether they’re actually learning anything. Maybe it’s time for a *real* parent-teacher conference—one that includes mandatory lessons on what it means to be Norwegian and fabulous.
Light and Shade
According to Raja, and I must admit, his tightrope walking act is quite impressive, while many embrace Norwegian values, others cling to a more conservative interpretation of their upbringing. One may wonder, did their “traditional values” come with an expiry date? Raja discusses the “nauseating” way some interpret homosexuality—as if it were a plate of rotten fish on the buffet table! Quite rude, if you ask me.
It’s interesting to see how those who applaud Raja for his bravery in challenging these beliefs are juxtaposed against those who brand him a traitor—a sell-out. Ah, the irony! What is life without a little drama, eh? Forget the stage; this is the real deal. It’s a cultural clash right in the heart of Norway—like mixing red wine with white, and then expecting not to have a hangover.
Engaging in Dialogue
The youths who adopt a fundamentalist mindset didn’t just stumble on it—they were handed it like a party favor.
Raja’s comments reflect a larger societal challenge. Those criticizing him for generalizing might need to take a seat and understand that discussing these issues is vital—especially if we are to figure out how to move forward as a cohesive society. Just because not every immigrant family struggles doesn’t mean we can ignore those that do. We can’t just turn a blind eye while some individuals carry values into the educational system, values that don’t align with the Norwegian ideal of respect and equality. What’s next? Mandatory classes on maintaining a maximalist decoration scheme in one’s home to signal assimilation?
Finding Hope
However, Raja does offer a glimmer of optimism with the likes of Atta Mohammed, a volunteer activist who showcases that embracing community and cultural values can coexist peacefully. A nuanced dialogue is crucial, like mixing a good gin with tonic – not too much of either!
As Raja rightly claims, “No one is free until everyone is free.” And if we want our society to flourish, we must hold hands—not as a human chain to deter outsiders, but as a collective arm-in-arm to build bridges, open minds, and possibly release some of those age-old prejudices onto the modern-day railway to progress.
Final Thoughts
So here we are, navigating the intricacies of integration and identity like one of those awkward, yet charming dance moves that seem out of place at a formal event. It’s about owning who we are as individuals while also learning what it means to be part of the broader community. The country may have taken us in, but how about we actively walk in and embrace the sweet scent of cultural harmony rather than the stale bread of division?
Now, let’s raise a glass, or perhaps a krumkake, to hoping we can find that balance and make every kid feel like a part of the fold—while still allowing for a little pizazz in their identity!
The country we now live in has long since adopted us. When will we, who are new citizens, adopt this country’s value base? asks Abid Raja. Photo: Frederik Ringnes, NTB
For me as a liberal and moderate Muslim, integration is also about accepting the values of the society in which we live.
Published: 20/10/2024 20:00
This is a chronicle. Any opinions expressed in the text are the responsibility of the writer. If you would like to send an article proposal, you can read how here.
On the way out The debate on NRK September 26, as mentioned Islam, Norwegian values and integration, hundreds of messages and emails started pouring in. Among them was a sigh of relief from a former principal who had “had a direct line to a police station in Oslo”.
The sender had managed a high school with pupils who spoke 30 different languages. The headmaster described a threatening class environment with bullying and social control of fellow pupils, and fathers who attended disciplinary talks about their child, but who were most concerned about whether the pupils had Norwegian girlfriends at school.
Many are furious
The children were born in Ullevål and brought up in a time when society had far greater knowledge of ethnic minorities than when I grew up.
In my old child welfare journal, it says that one must be careful about intervening with an immigrant family, even in cases of violence, due to cultural differences. Today we know better. Nevertheless, we as a society have not succeeded in getting all the young people to choose freedom and acquire Norwegian values.
Many rather follow the strict upbringing they received at home, as well as the traditions and conservative interpretation of the religion that came with their parents from their country of origin.
“I would like the homes to be held accountable to a far greater extent,” says the former headmaster. A teacher at a high school I visited last winter sends me the message: “What a brave and important column in Aftenposten. I want you to know that your visit to our school this winter was probably the most important day last year, which the principal also says. This type of democratic work is highly valued by us. We have a job to do.”
While school staff praise me, several in Muslim circles are furious that I believe that Islam has not been able to adapt to our times, and that values that we hold dear in Norway are not compatible with fundamentalist interpretations. I simply meant that we cannot accept that someone describes homosexuality as nauseating, and will not give women the same rights and freedoms as men.
My counter-debater in the Debate, Mohsan Raja from Community-engaged Norwegian-Pakistani with over 13,000 Facebook members, gets his tribute there. In these channels, I get to review because I have promoted modern Norwegian values. I allegedly have no morals, I have sold my soul to Norwegians for a little tribute – or for a pittance.
The reactions to the debate testify to a parallel society in Norway and a society that is deeply divided in this field.
Must be able to discuss
As head of the Global Religious Freedom Network for Politicians, it is not the first time I have heard people acting as morality police, as Mohsan Raja did when he live TV told me to “leave Islam and stop being a Muslim”. Challenging a conservative religious interpretation is met with strong measures. Some Muslims have written that I must be considered a direct enemy of Muslims and Islam. Why? Because I have talked about freedom.
A youth does not suddenly wake up with a fundamentalist mindset. It is something you acquire.
These strong statements resonate with young people. They are intimidated from seeking freedoms and may rather take these attitudes with them into school. Teachers are branded as racists when they try to teach elementary values that Norway is founded on. I have also received such messages from school staff, and read about them in a column in Aftenposten.
The critics say I am generalising. But we must be able to discuss social problems even if it doesn’t hit all. Of course, there are many who manage well in Muslim environments, but those who need our attention are those who do not do well. A youth does not suddenly wake up with a fundamentalist mindset. It is something you acquire.
The headmaster who wrote to me is right, we must direct the spotlight on the homes and the learning children receive in the mosques.
Can’t calm us down
Last week I visited Drammen upper secondary school. Some ethnic Norwegian students said: “Now we understand more about how our ethnic minority friends feel.” The teachers thanked me for daring to talk about topics that are difficult to cover. “That’s so good of you to say, this was so important.”
The teachers see it every single day. We have to do something.
As a step on the way, the Liberal Party and I have put forward proposals for one in the Storting perspective report on integration. In the integration work, we cannot settle for plans for one or two years at a time, we must have a generational perspective of at least 50 years.
For me, as a liberal and moderate Muslim, integration is also about accepting the values of the society we live in. The country we now live in has long since adopted us. When will we, who are new citizens, adopt this country’s value base?
Then there are also bright spots. Atta Mohammed, recipient of the volunteering award and a key person in the Bærum mosque who was hit by a terrorist attack, writes on his Facebook-side that the book I have written is a “balanced reflection on the experiences of Muslims in a liberal Western society”. It gives me hope that I am not alone in this fight for freedom.
No one is free until everyone is free.
