In May, the PST adjusted the threat level for extreme right-wing attacks, without notifying mosques that “Muslim gathering places” were among the possible terrorist targets.
The public threat assessment was changed between February and May by the Police Security Service (PST) following the right-wing extremist attack on two mosques in New Zealand. The change consisted in increasing the possibility of an attack by the right-wing extremists “towards symbolic targets, such as gathering places for Muslims and immigrants (…)” from “unlikely” to “possible.”
According to Klassekampen, the Ministry of Justice, the Police Directorate and the police were notified in May.
“We have not received any notification, nor any information from either the police or the PST about the increased danger of extreme right-wing terror,” said Irfan Mushtaq, on the board of Al Noor Mosque, which was the target of the now terror-accused Philip Manshaus.
The mosque was attacked on August 10th. They found out about the increased level of danger from PST when the information went public on August 12th.
Neither did the umbrella organisation Muslim Dialogue Network (MDN) or any of the other Muslim organisations or mosques the newspaper contacted, find out.
“It is not natural for PST to have direct contact with the mosques,” says PST communications advisor Martin Bernsen.
Oslo police district did not have the opportunity to comment on the case on Tuesday, but says they will respond to Klassekampen.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
