In Norway, Carl Hagen is out of bounds, but this man is OK. From Aftenposten, with thanks to Ali Dashti and nevermindlv:
One of Pakistan’s most influential and religious politicians will travel to Oslo later this month to speak before local Muslims. His party has earlier hailed Osama bin Laden, and he’s been denied entry to Belgium and the Netherlands.
Qazi Hussain Ahmed is due to speak in Oslo later this month.
The Islamic Cultural Center in Oslo’s Grønland neighbourhood has invited Qazi Hussain Ahmed, leader of Pakistan’s largest religious party, to Oslo. He’s scheduled to speak at a religious gathering August 22 and before a Muslim students’ organization from the University of Oslo two days later.
Qazi Hussain Ahmed has earlier make flattering comments about Osama bin Laden, and his party, Jamaat-e-Islami, also has hailed al-Qaeda members as heroes.
The party also has allegedly encouraged its members to shield al-Qaeda members who are fleeing US troops in Afghanistan. Because of this, both Belgium and the Netherlands blocked his entry as late as May of this year.
Officials at Oslo’s Islamic Cultural Center claim Qazi Hussain Ahmed’s ties to Osama bin Laden are inflated. “Who says he supports Osama bin Laden?” asked local imam Hafiz Mehboob ur-Rehman. “We don’t think he’s controversial. We don’t support terrorism and stay on the right side of the law.”
He can say he doesn’t support terrorism because he probably doesn’t consider 9/11 to have been terrorism at all.