Author cited by Norway attacker expresses regret

GENEVA — An author cited in the Norway massacre suspect's rambling, 1,500-word manifesto expressed regret Monday that her writing might have served to inspire his rampage.

Gisele Littman, who writes under the name Bat Ye'or, said that since her books are in the public domain she had no control over who quoted her.

"Of course I regret if this man took inspiration from what I wrote or from what other writers wrote," she told The Associated Press by telephone from her home in Switzerland. "As an insane person he should have been treated before, and I am greatly saddened for all the young innocents who tragically lost their lives, and for their families."

Breivik cites Littman's work approvingly many times in the document he posted shortly before Friday's attacks.

Her 2005 book "Eurabia: the Euro-Arab Axis" explores the relationship between European and Muslim countries. The term 'Eurabia' has been used by some to describe the growing influence of Islam in Europe, though Littman contended that her arguments are more complex.

She said some Europeans harbor a suppressed fear of Islamic colonization that might erupt into violence.

"I think there is a lot of frustration, for instance in France and England, and I think discussions in our society should be encouraged," said Littman.

Referring to Breivik's attack, she added: "I'm afraid that this is something other people will imitate."

"I think the police must be very vigilant. This problem of Norway is a problem of Europe," said Littman, whose next book is titled "Europe, Globalization, and the Coming Universal Caliphate."

Littman is a Cairo-born Jew whose website says she fled the country in the 1950s after her nationality was revoked. She settled in England, where she married, before moving to Switzerland.

[Stublore]

Except she does not apologise:

The immediate rush of the press upon authors mentioned in the writing attributed to the criminal looks like a set up campaign to make them responsible for this crime perpetrated by a psychopath whom no one knew except the police. It is clear that it is a libelous campaign to suppress any criticism and free thinking.
This sudden smear campaign and accusations against authors who live in different countries miles away from Norway, authors that governments want to silence, is very suspicious. Now more things are known: the text of the man could be a fabrication put together at the last minute; the police knew the criminal, yet he could buy all this ammunition and do this massive massacre by himself. And now, authors, writers and politicians disliked by the Norwegian Leftist government are accused of having inspired, by their democratic criticism, this massive crime that the police should have prevented, because this is their duty to do so. Something smells in all that. Is this a new tactic to suppress free thinking and free culture? Universities? Books that displease the regime? Are we going back to dictatorial Nazi or communist regimes, burning books and fabricating proofs to label people?

I do not think that this international campaign against intellectuals will in any way benefit the Leftist Norwegian government, which itself sponsors hatred and violence against another people. It is this government that has to make some self-examination before spreading another media campaign of hate.

Bat Ye'or