Chief of Police Benedicte Bjørnland asks the police chiefs to invite leaders in Muslim religious communities in Norway to a dialogue meeting.
This is stated in a letter from the Directorate of Police to the police chiefs sent on Friday afternoon. The purpose of the meeting is to inform, and prevent insecurity in Muslim communities.
I think the leadership of Muslim faiths must be familiar with the threat of violent extremism against Muslims and mosques, and they should be informed about what the police are doing to prevent it. In addition, I want the police chiefs to listen to input from mosque leaders about what they expect and what they can contribute to the preventive and security-building work, says Bjørnland.
Since a dialogue meeting has already been held following the terrorist attack in Bærum, it is not expected that a new meeting will be called. The Chief of Police asks the relevant police chiefs to assess whether the established dialogue adequately addresses the need to create security.
It is important that the information provided is uniform. Media coverage has helped create a perception that police have had specific information about increased danger levels or threats to mosques without addressing it. I think the dialogue with the Muslim communities can help correct such a view, says Bjørnland.
The Police Directorate will invite the leadership of the Islamic Council of Norway and the Muslim Dialogue Network to a dialogue meeting at the national level.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
