Non-fiction

Det mørke nettet

Øyvind Strømmen

In the wake of July 22nd, Øyvind Strømmen is one of the very few able to give us badly needed knowledge about the background of the terrible tragedy that unfolded in Oslo and on Utøya. In the book Det mørke nettet, Strømmen argues that the attitudes and the hatred made obvious to all on July 22nd are in no way unique. It can be traced back in time, both to the Norwegian past and to right-wing extremist parties and movements all across Europe. Strømmen gives an account of the ideological positions which served as points of departure for what became terrorist action. He stresses in particular the so-called counter-Jihadism, internet radicalization and movements parallel to Islamism. One of the crucial issues for activists within this sphere is the fear that Groups within Europe's immigrant communities are in fact agents ready to carry out a much grander, more invasive plan: a future Eurabia, where non-western settlers are in the majority in Europe, and gradually attempt to replace western civilization and culture with conformity to Muslim doctrine and lack of freedom. Using a selection of concrete examples, Strømmen creates a complex but clearly drawn image of anti-islamic Europe – from the author Oriana Fallaci to extremist parties on the right such as Vlaams Belang and Front National, and on to the bloggers interacting in the context of the Vienna school, with the Norwegian Fjordman as one of the most distinctive voices. The author also provides an overview of the history of terrorist actions by right-wing extremists during the last few decades. ‘This has got to be the most important book of the year.’Dagsavisen ‘Øyvind Strømmen was awarded "Freelancer of the year" this fall for his journalism onright wing extremists and islamofobic blogs on the internet. It is well-deserved. And with this book he has made a strong contribution to the discussions the Norwegian socitety willgo through post July 22nd.’NRK Jon Rognlien discusses Lisa Bjurwald’s Europas skam and Øyvind Strømmen’s Det mørke nettet: ‘These two well-written, well-informed and challenging books demand that we open our eyes to the extreme right-wing, racist and intolerant underground devoted to violence, from which Anders Behring Breivik extracted his ideas.’Dagbladet ‘In order to get a sober explanation in Norwegian of the lineage of right-wing extremism , Strømmen is clearly the source to consult.’Dagens Næringsliv ‘ … whereas I and only too many of the other permanently employed journalists have prioritised, or have had to prioritise other topics, the freelancer Strømmen has dug deep.’Morgenbladet