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Norwegian Islamists v. Finnish Right-Wing Vigilantes

Soldiers of Odin in Finland
Soldiers of Odin in Finland

The Finnish vigilante group Soldiers of Odin has been successfully spreading its anti-migrant, anti-Islam across northern Europe over the past few months. But now, Islamists in neighboring Norway have begun mobilizing their own organization to counter the movement.

Soldiers of Odin was formed in Finland in November following an influx of Syrian refugees. Members of the right-wing citizen group, some of whom are self-described Neo-Nazis, characterize themselves as "patriots fighting for a white Finland." The group gained momentum after the New Year's Eve attacks in Cologne, Germany, where hundreds of women were sexually assaulted by migrant men. Odin now claims to have 600 members in more than 25 cells across Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Estonia and Hungary, with supporters also as far away as Britain and the United States.

The messaging of the various chapters has been inconsistent, to put it charitably — some outwardly hostile to Muslims and other migrants, while others claiming not to be driven by racism or religious bigotry. The Norwegian chapter of the group made its debut in southern Norway in mid-February. Spokesman Ronny Alte — former leader of the Norwegian Defense League and an activist in another anti-migrant group Pegida — told local newspaper Verdens Gang that they are not about "religion and skin color," but simply want "a safe city."

But on Wednesday, a group calling themselves "Soldiers of Allah," announced that "we Muslims have decided to create our own group." The vast majority of its members are also part of the group "Prophet's Ummah," whose spokesman Ubaydullah Hussain is currently being held on charges of recruiting for ISIS.

A "Soldiers of Allah" source tells Verdens Gang that the planned uniform will be a sweatshirt adorned with the black flag of ISIS.

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Geopolitics

Saudi Ambitions: Is MBS A New Nasser For The Middle East?

Mohammed bin Salman, aka MBS, is positioning the Saudi kingdom to be a global force of diplomacy in a way that challenges a longstanding alliance with Washington. But does the young prince have a singular vision for the interests of both his nation and the world?

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sitting with hands crossed

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on April 14, 2023

Piere Haski

-Analysis-

PARIS — In the Lebanese daily L'Orient-le-Jour, which has no particular attachment to the Saudi government, Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's Crown Prince, was recently described as a man "who is taking on an importance that no Arab leader has had since Nasser."

That's right: this is the very same Mohamed bin Salman who had been considered an international pariah for ordering the sordid murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

So what has "MBS," as he calls himself, done to be compared to the greatest Arab nationalist leader of the 20th century, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who died in 1970? The Crown Prince has taken advantage of the shockwaves of the war in Ukraine to emancipate himself from any oversight, and to develop a diplomacy which, it must be admitted, is hard to keep up with.

Saudi Arabia thus embodies those mid-level powers that defy all the codes of international alliances, and do as they please – for better or for worse.

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