August 10, 2011

ANALYSIS: Norway massacre: going beyond madness

Ahmad Ali Khalid *

Breivik
Breivik was a product of Islamophobic rhetoric and his violence did not emerge in a vacuum. Breivik was no madman — he was in enough control of his mental faculties to substantiate his ideological views over a 1,500-page dossier extensively quoting journalists, writers and philosophers.

The best way to deny accountability is to run towards insanity. Even the sane welcome this prospect as long as the burdens of responsibility are lifted from their shoulders. Madness negates any shred of moral responsibility, which opens up a disturbing world. Breivik’s massacre was not an act of madness. It was a cruel and vicious act of terrorism no doubt but it was brutally calculated. There was nothing indiscriminate in his mind about his attacks — he deliberately targeted people who were part of the ruling party.