Far-Right Groups Distance Themselves From Norway Massacre

BY KATARINA GUSTAFSSON
OF DOWJONES NEWSWIRES


STOCKHOLM (Dow Jones) -- Far-right and anti-immigration parties around Europe Sunday distanced themselves from Anders Behring Breivik, who has been charged with carrying out Friday's deadly attacks in Norway.

Breivik joined the Norwegian Progress Party, which advocated a "restrictive" immigration policy, in 1999 and was a paid-up member until 2004, but its leader Siv Jensen said in a statement Sunday that "The horrible and cowardly attacks we've witnessed are contrary to the principles and values underpinning the Norwegian society".

She added: "It makes me feel extra sad to know that this person once was a member in our party."

In his 1,500-page manifesto in which he railed against what he called the "Islamization of Western Europe." Breivik linked to nationalist groups from other European countries.

One of those groups is the nationalist Sweden Democrats, which blames Muslims for social ills. Its leader Jimmie Akesson, said in a statement the tragedy in Norway was "an attack on the entire democratic society."

There is no information the Norwegian gunman had been in touch with the Sweden Democrats, Martin Kinnunen, a spokesman for the party, told Dow Jones Newswires Sunday.

The right-ring Pro Deutschland group in Germany said in a statement: "As Christians and Conservatives, we want to express solidarity with the victims of the attacks of July 22. The hate that is driving Islamic assassins and fanatic individuals a la...Breivik is foreign to Christians and Conservatives."

Soeren Espersen, a spokesman for the Danish People's Party, which opposes multiculturalism, compared Breivik to Muslim fundamentalists saying both should be "fought hard, with despise and uncompromising determination".

The National Democrats, another Swedish nationalist party referred to in the manifesto, said in a statement that the Norway massacre is "a terrible act of war", but blamed the events on "an unsustainable and partly absurd politics" and said "the multicultural experiment must be stopped and phased out."

Although fiercely anti-Muslim, Breivik directed his violence at native Norwegians who he said in his manifesto were complicit in allowing immigration, and that attacking Muslims should only be done after a change in European regimes.

Swedish National Democrats party leader Marc Abramsson said in an interview that to hurt your own people is incompatible with the nationalistic philosophy.

The leader of the Dutch right-wing party PVV Geert Wilders condemned in a Twitter message the Norwegian attacks as an action of a "violent and sick mind" while French National Front leader Marine Le Pen said in a statement: "The National Front has of course nothing to do to the Norwegian slaughter, which is the work of a lone lunatic who must be ruthlessly punished."

Police in Norway said Sunday that 93 people have died as a result of Friday's attacks in Norway. A car bomb killed seven people in central Oslo, while 86 died after the shootings on the island of Utoya.

---By Katarina Gustafsson, Dow Jones Newswires +46-8-5451-3097; katarina.gustafsson@dowjones.com

(Geraldine Amiel, Archibald Preuschat, Flemming Hansen, and Natasha Divac contributed to this article.)

Helpers of Global Jihad claimed involvement upon first hearing about the attack. Jihad Watch details how this group thought this was punishment for un-believers and retribution for the occupation of Afghanistan. The message was interpreted by Will McCants, a faculty member at Johns Hopkins, as well by Jihad Watch.