Panel debate: "Racism, freedom of expression and Islam"

October 20 2020

The Fritt Ord Foundation’s project “Islam in Norway” hosted an open panel discussion at the House of Literature on Tuesday 20 October 2020. The event was also streamed live.

How can hatred of Muslims be explained, and what would be a good way to deal with racist statements? How is racism against Muslims covered in the Norwegian media? What role do religious and secular Muslim communities play in mitigating antagonisms between Muslim and Anti-Muslim groups?

Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB

Programme

Islam and the Far Right – introduction by Lars Erik Berntzen, post-doctoral research fellow at the Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen

Discussion featuring Harald S. Klungtveit, editor-in-chief of Filter Nyheter and author of the book “Neo-nazis among us”, Begard Reza, secretary general of Salam, Senaid Kobilica, head imam and leader of the Muslim Dialogue Network Norway, Linda Noor, managing director of Minotenk – Minority Political Think Tank and Kai Spurkland, public prosecutor for the Oslo Police District.

The moderator will be Yama Wolasmal, journalist and programme host at NRK, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.

The live event at the House of Literature was fully booked, but the conversation was streamed live here on the Fritt Ord Foundation’s website.

News

See all

Call for nominations: Free Media Awards 2025

March 14 2025

In collaboration with the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS of Hamburg, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated the Free Media Awards annually since 2004 to Eastern European journalists and media that defy every obstacle to tirelessly ensure independent press coverage. Russia’s war against Ukraine and the subsequent wave of disinformation clearly demonstrates the need for independent reporting in the region. Journalist, editorial teams and media companies in and from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and Hungary who make a contribution to press freedom through their investigative, independent reporting can be nominated for the Free Media Awards.

Civitates' Tech & Democracy open call

March 6 2025

Civitates – The European Democracy Fund is a pooled philanthropic fund that was set up in 2018 for the sole purpose of addressing democratic decline and closing civic space in Europe. The case for confronting these threats is growing increasingly urgent. Fritt Ord Foundation is one of the initiators and partners of Civitates.

Civitates has launched its Tech and Democracy open call to support organisations working to ensure safer, more inclusive online spaces (social media platforms, search engines etc.) by improving the enforcement of EU tech regulations at the national level.

This open call offers a unique opportunity to strengthen civil society’s role in holding the tech sector accountable, with a focus on key EU regulations such as the Digital Services Act, GDPR, AI Act or the European Media Freedom Act to name a few.

Norwegians increasingly more positive to computer games

March 5 2025

Norwegians are increasingly more positive to accepting computer games as culture

About 17 per cent have developed a more favourable view of computer games over the past year. Six of ten play computer games, and one of three plays computer games weekly. At the same time, computer games are ranked as having lower status than books and music, for example.
“Computer games deserve more attention and discussion”, contends Joakim Lie of Fritt Ord.

– Computer games are also art

March 4 2025

“The problem with far too many media reports about computer games is that they start begin with sentences like: ‘computer games have come a long way since Pac-Man’,” sighs American computer game critic Jacob Geller.

“Let us first simply agree that computer games are indeed an art form and an expression of culture, and then let us examine the works as part of the history of art and culture.