– It has been the strangest hours of my life, says Rauand Ismail about the time after the shooting. The MDG politician struggles to hold back his tears when he talks to news about the shooting in Oslo on Saturday night. Two people were killed outside the nightclub “Per på Hjørnet” in Oslo, before the shooter went on and started shooting at people inside and outside the London Pub. The pub has been a well-known gathering place for queers in Oslo since 1979. – The world has collapsed A total of 21 people were injured. Ismail thinks about them a lot. He himself is queer, and now the world – and Oslo – is no longer the same. – The world we have tried to balance on, and to find our place in, it is as if it has collapsed under us, he says. He was not in London himself during the shooting, but was for several hours afraid that someone he knew might have been shot. – Wondering if your friends live for one minute, an hour, two hours, is one of the worst things you can be exposed to. Gay and Muslim The shooter Zaniar Matapour is a Norwegian citizen, and the police are investigating whether the motive may be an Islamist attack directed at gay people. Too many queer Muslims hurt extra. And Ismail has something he wants to say: – It is so important that it is not Muslim hatred and racism that is the response from us as a society. This interview was recorded before the shooting in Oslo. Rauand Ismail talks about what it is like to be queer today. PHOTO: Jonathan Al-saqqa The queer minority community has supported each other, and the organizations Salaam and Skeiv Verden were quick to create help services for those who needed it, according to Ismail. He is moved by them, by Fri and Oslo pride who have led the environment through the crisis they are in. And by fellow citizens: – People who have opened their backyards, their homes and their arms to those who need a hug. It is the safe embrace we have, it is what we have to go to, what makes us feel safe, he says. SORROWFUL DAYS: This picture was taken by news in February. Less than five months later, it is grief that characterizes Rauand Ismail. Photo: Gjermund Tornholm / news Must go into a defensive position – We are in deep grief. This is a tragedy. Thee-Yezen Al-Obaide, assistant secretary general of the non-governmental organization Salam, told news. The organization works to create a safe environment for gay Muslims in Norway. It has been a weekend with heavy impressions at Salam. After the incident on Saturday night, they have received several inquiries. – We were emphasized at night and handled the situation immediately, says Al-Obaide. On Saturday, they had an open house in their premises in Greenland, where anyone who wanted to talk to someone could come by. – There is nothing you can do but offer a safe place to be, Al-Obaide explains. Thee-Yezen Al-Obaide thinks it is a pity that Muslims have to go into a defensive position after the shooting incident in Oslo. Photo: Nadir Alam Al-Obaide feels an extra sadness when he sees Islamophobic comments on social media. – They all go under the same comb, and I hope that ends now. Many of us feel that we are being pushed back into the closet, as both queers and Muslims. Then we feel extra about how important the match is, says the assistant general secretary. Al Obaide’s thoughts go back to 2016, when Afghan-American Omar Mateen attacked a nightclub in Orlando, Florida and 49 people lost their lives. – Then we experienced the same thing, that we had to go into a defensive position. That it has not changed since 2016 is incredibly sad, he concludes. Bigger than birthday Ismail had been looking forward to Saturday’s pride parade, what he calls the best day of the year, and “more important than birthday”. They were to mark a bill to ban conversion therapy, and that it is 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalized in Norway. – That something so nice turned into something so cruel, it’s heavy. Very, very heavy, says Ismail. How society shows consideration and love is crucial for the time ahead, he believes. – There is no response that is irrational right now. And no emotions that are. We feel what we feel, and we must be allowed to have those feelings, Ismail concludes. Islamic Council of Norway condemns On Monday, the Islamic Council of Norway (IRN) issued a press release, condemning the mass shooting. The perpetrator’s action is completely contrary to Islamic teachings, the organization believes. – As an umbrella organization for Muslim denominations, IRN strongly condemns the attack and distances itself completely from killing innocent human lives, writes IRN. In the message, IRN writes that they strongly dissociate themselves from homophobia, and stand with the rest of the population in grief. – Islam does not allow the killing of innocent people – whether they are gay or heterosexual. The perpetrator’s action has no roots in Islam and is completely contrary to Islamic teachings.
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– The world we have tried to find our place in, has collapsed under us – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
