Kourosh Ziabari – Dr. Trond Ali Linstad is a prominent Norwegian physician and a renowned member of the Muslim community in the capital, Oslo. He worked for several years as a volunteer physician in the Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon. From 1977 to 1986, he was the chairman of the Palestine Committee of Norway, and independent and non-partisan organization that works to promote the Palestinian values and support their struggle and resistance against the Israeli occupation. The organization is part of the umbrella Joint Committee on Palestine, based in Oslo. After making an acquaintance of Islam and Iran’s Islamic Revolution, he embraced Islam and become a Shiite Muslim.
Dr. Linstad is the founder of the first exclusive kindergarten for Muslim children in Norway. He is also the founder and leader of the Urtehagen Islamic Foundation which was established in 1991. The organization consists of five kindergartens, secondary private schools, radio and television station, a children’s farm and a publication. He was also involved in creating the health organization NORVAC (Norwegian Aid Committee).
Linstad is a strong and vocal critic of Israel, its occupation of the Palestinian lands and oppression of the defenseless Palestinian people. That is why the Simon Wiesenthal Center had once fallaciously named him as one of the world’s top ten “Jew-haters” while he has persistently stated that he doesn’t hate the Jews and what he is opposed to is the racial, expansionistic and inhumane doctrine of Zionism.
In November 2012, the Norwegian royal family decided to award Trond Ali Linstad the King’s Medal of Merit for his services to the Norwegian society. 250 children were prepared to attend the special ceremony. Under the pressure by the Israeli lobby in Norway, the royal family canceled the event and withdrew the medal, which invoked widespread international criticism.
I conducted an interview with Dr. Trond Ali Linstad and talked to him about different issues including his own contributions to the Muslim community in Norway, the growth of Islam in Europe and the rise of Islamophobia in the West. What follows is the text of the interview.
Q: Dr. Linstad; please tell us about the reasons why you embraced Islam. I read somewhere that you studied the Holy Quran three times, and then converted to Islam. What is in this religion that has attracted you? Does Islam have this capacity to turn into the world’s first religion and penetrate deep into the European societies?
A: Why I embraced Islam? I was a more or less ordinary Norwegian youth, rather secular in my mind. I was engaged in international matters, like the war in Vietnam and elsewhere. I qualified as a medical doctor at the University of Oslo, and went to England to achieve ad Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from there. Then I went to work as a volunteer medical doctor in Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan.
All my friends and patients were Arabs and Muslims. We had many discussions, about both politics and religion. I had to start to study Islam. During the following 2-3 years I worked in other Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Israel bombed the areas on several occasions. The Muslims were strong in opposing them. I was eager to know more of their religion.
Then I was invited to Iran, after the Islamic revolution. I went there after Saddam Hussein had attacked Iran, and saw the efforts during the war. Again I was much impressed. I went deeper into Islam.
I read the Holy Quran, finding it interesting. I read it again, still interested. Then I read it a third time, and all of a sudden came to realize that this is the truth: The Holy Quran is revealing the truth about Creation, Life on earth, the Laws set into the world, and about God – Allah, The Creator.
This became my understanding and deen [religion]. It may be so also for other people from the West, no doubt.
Q: How do you perceive the attention of the European people, including the people of Norway, to Islam? How is it possible to acquaint the Western citizens with the realities of Islam? The image which the mainstream media have portrayed of Islam is the image of a violent, aggressive and ruthless religion that allows the killing of innocent and promotes bloodshed, but we all know that this is not true. What’s your idea?
A: People in the West know very little about Islam. They read what is said in newspapers and other media. But journalists and others who write and talk about Islam do not know much about it themselves. And certainly they are not Muslims. So what they write and say is not really true, for sure.
Moreover, in the West there are some journalists, politicians and others who want to maintain a dominant position of the West, also ideologically, and it seems to be in their interest to delegitimize Islamic values and thought. This is part of an ideological, and also a political struggle, you could say, about maintaining local and international control.
Q: Right. What impacts has Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution had on the world Muslims? I know that you’re inspired by Iran’s Revolution and its late revolutionary leader Imam Khomeini. Please talk about the influence of Iran on the Islamic world and the way it contributed to the expansion of Islamic though across the globe.
A: The Islamic revolution of Iran had a great impact on me. It also helped me to become a Muslim. Imam Khomeini became my great guide in religious and international orientation. He also gave the example how a real revolution should be victorious – a lesson for the whole Middle East today. Ayatollah Khamenei is the guide now, may Allah guide him and give him a long life.
Q: You were awarded the Norwegian King Herald V’s Silver Medal of Merit for your contributions to the progress of the Norwegian society, but embarrassingly, the royal family took the medal back from you under the pressure of the Israeli lobby. Would you please relate the story of the medal you received and how it was withdrawn shortly?
A: Yes, due to my social and cultural work, first and foremost for immigrant people in Norway, many of them Muslims, I was awarded the King’s Medal of Honor. Zionist groups in Norway and also abroad protested, claiming that I had uttered statements against Jews, which was wrong. I was and I am, against Zionism and the Zionist state of Israel. The Zionists were angry with this, and wanted to stop me by calling me an “anti-Semite”. This is a weapon they often use against their political enemies.
An international Zionist establishment, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, even named me number 8 on a top ten list of the world’s most notorious “Jew-haters”, 2012. (Also on the list were some Iranian leaders.)
However, An international organization of anti-Zionist Jews, Neturei Karta International, which I have known for several years, got angry with the withdrawal of The King’ Medal and the efforts of the Zionist Jews, and decided to give me a Jews Award of Honor. This was a most honorable award to me indeed! Previously, I had been given the Palestinian Medal of Honor for my work with the Palestinians.
Q: Why did you think of establishing a kindergarten for Muslim children and a kids’ farm in Norway? How many children are there currently in your kindergarten, and what is their nationalities? What do the families of these children think about your initiative?
A: We are operating five kindergartens and pre-schools here in Oslo, the capital. In addition, there is the kids’ farm, visited by most of the children. The children are aged 1 to 5 years. There are some 280 children coming to our institutions every day.
The children are from families of many nationalities: Pakistani, Iraqi, Lebanese, Somali, Turkish, Moroccan, Norwegian, Afghani, etc. Most of the children are from Muslim families, but there are also several non-Muslim children, Norwegians too, which come to our institutions due to the good quality [we provide].
Our institutions give a “face” to Islam in Norway! Muslims prove they can take social and cultural responsibilities, establish institutions and care for children and youth in the society. People know where Muslims are, and they can come to us for information. We help teach the children about their religion and cultural background, and to be proud of it. We help parents to take good care of the children, and promote a positive upbringing. We also instruct them about the Norwegian society, prepare them for later schools to be clever and successful. In this way we help to integrate them in the Norwegian society, at the same time maintain and develop their own identity, with respect for their parents’, and their own culture and religion. The parents really appreciate the work done [here].
Q: What do you think about the necessity of inter-faith dialogue between the followers of divine religions? How is it possible to bring the Muslims, Christians and Jews together and help them clear up the misunderstandings and reach a lasting and peaceful agreement?
A: This is an important and difficult question. In Norway the Christians used to be the dominant majority, although the secularists now grow stronger. Most Christians are skeptical towards the Muslims, and more or less want them to move away from their religion. Jews in this country are mostly Zionists and to the extent that they want a dialogue, it is mostly to get acceptance for their Zionist mindset. The conclusion is that in a dialogue, each group clearly has its own interests, not necessary that of promoting serious dialogue and respectful understanding.
That means that the Muslims must work to get stronger. By means of strength – moral, cultural, social and ideological strength – the Muslims may be respected, and be a serious partner in a meaningful dialogue. This is a major task on [the shoulders of] the Muslims.
Q: You’re an outspoken critic of the Israeli regime. However, it’s not too easy to be opposed to Israel and its policies and have an untroubled and comfortable life in a European country like Norway.
A: Who wants an untroubled and comfortable life, only? We must fight for what is right, and oppose what is wrong, as Muslims, taught by the Quran. That is what is expected from us.
Yes, the Israeli regime is an illegitimate one! The State of Israel has been established in the land of the Palestinians. The Palestinian people has been expelled and driven out of their homeland, to give room for the Israeli settlers. The remaining Palestinians have not the same right as the Israeli settlers. Israel is an apartheid state like the former [regime in] South Africa.
Furthermore, Israel as a racist and always expanding state [that] is a great treat to peace in the region, and even more, to the world peace. The Israeli lobby is promoting aggressions and wars elsewhere, to take focus away from Israel, and to strengthen Israel. The Israeli lobby now works to have Israel and the U.S., with [the] European support, to attack Iran.
The Zionists are strong also in Norway, and to point of the real character of Zionism and the State of Israel, may give you a label of being an “anti-Semite.” This is how they want to silence you. This is of course, not true, and I am very proud indeed to be given the Jewish Award of Jews, from anti-Zionist Jews! I am very happy and thankful for that.
Q: What problems have the Israelis or their Norwegian affiliates created for you? Why is the Israeli lobby so influential and powerful in the West? They automatically reject any criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism. How is it possible to confront them?
A: The pro-Zionist individual and groups put pressure on the King to have him annul the King’ Medal of Honor given to me, and they succeeded in this [effort]. However, I am not so very much concerned about it. The Palestinian Medal of Honor and the Jewish Award of Honor surely compensate for that. It is more important that they try to label you an anti-Semite. The Jewish Award of Honor, given to me, of course counters this.
They try to restrict my writing in newspapers, participation in radio and TV debates, etc. The media unfortunately, to a large extend follow them up in this, restricting my right to free speech. This is a serious matter.
However, I continue writing articles, take part in a private radio and TV channel, further develop my website (www.koranen.no), and arrange meetings and demonstrations, etc. Hopefully, this will have an effect.
Q: In the recent years, the Western media have been openly insulting and blaspheming the religious beliefs of Muslims, and especially their holy figure, Prophet Muhammad. They have presented a falsified and distorted image of Prophet Muhammad and his religion. How is it possible for Muslims to prevent blasphemy and sacrilege and defend their religion?
A: They should speak out for their religion, defend it when attacked, and keep it as a sacred deen, not to be insulted and undermined. This so not for Allah, of course; He handles things as He wills, and may be in essence, not even for Prophet Muhammad (peace upon him and his family). We must prevent blasphemy and sacrilege for the sake of ourselves, as human beings, and for the good of our society. It is in our basic interests.
We need Allah’s words and sacred guidance in our lives. So do not let anyone undermine them, ridicule them, insult them – weaken them, for human beings and for society. That is a dangerous way! Those who insist on doing so, say that it is the right of “free speech”. But insulting is not “free speech”. They want, in fact, to secularize the society, and bring people away from their religion. They should be opposed to this.
Q: Here in Iran, we have launched a project called “Al-Khayrat” which intends to compete with the Guinness Book of World Records. Instead of registering useless and futile records such as “the longest fingernails” or “the most people standing on one foot at the same time,” we want to register moral, cultural and profitable records, such as the most books written by an author, the most awards won by a Muslim scientist, the most precious donation to charity, the first translations of the Holy Quran, the youngest author, etc., and also promote moral virtues and blessings. What’s your viewpoint about this project? What’s your message to the people who have launched this project and those whose names will be registered in the book?
A: The project is important! Moral, social and intellectual efforts are of course, much more valuable and worthy to be appreciated than formalistic and useless matters.
A Persian version of this interview was published on Al-Khayrat website.