NORWAY'S CHALLENGES WITH SOMALI INTEGRATION AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 OSLO 000207 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KIRF SO NO SUBJECT: NORWAY'S CHALLENGES WITH SOMALI INTEGRATION AND RADICALIZATION REF: A. 07 OSLO 1099 ¶B. 07 OSLO 1157 Classified By: DCM Kevin M. Johnson for reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (C) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: Norway's newest and arguably least successful wave of immigrants comes from Somalia, with over 20,000 settled in Norway. Both this year and in 2001, Norwegian authorities have arrested Somalis for suspicion of financing terrorist groups in Somalia. Most Somalis have been in Norway for a short period of time and are struggling with educational and career opportunities. Media attention on the community is usually a result of sensational criminal acts, leading to feelings of resentment and hopelessness that underscore contacts' concerns of radicalization. There have been five protests by Somali political groups at the embassy in the last year and a half, significantly more than any other specific nationality. Post has engaged with the community, but needs additional tools to reach at-risk youth, such as: --Micro Scholarship Program to bring English into the classrooms of Muslim minority youth. --A photography collection similar to America 24/7 emphasizing the diversity of the U.S. --Tools to encourage civic engagement among immigrant youth (trainers, DVDs, speakers, handouts, educational information). --Funds to bolster organic programming aimed at teaching conflict resolution and promoting youth travel/study in the United States. END SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST. WHERE ARE THEY FROM? ¶2. (SBU) The Somali population in Norway does not represent a single geographic area or clan. Instead, it is a cross-section of almost exclusively refugees who've been forced from the country as a result of ongoing conflicts. They come to Norway from Hargeisa in Somaliland, Puntland (Bosasso),Mogadishu and from the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. Many of them, despite their status as asylum seekers, continue to return for long periods of time to Somalia on vacation 'to see family,' an issue which led to public debate about their intentions, but no real action from the government. Much like the largest immigrant group in Norway, the Pakistanis (see Reftel A for full discussion); Somalis continue to bring in more members from the country of origin through marriage and family reunification, with very minimal intermingling with the native Norwegian population. HOW DO THEY COMPARE TO OTHER IMMIGRANT GROUPS? ¶3. (SBU) Somali immigrants are new, rivaled only by the Iraqi population for the shortest average time in country (see Septel on Norway's Iraqi population). Over half of the population has been here for less than five years. This leads to, among other problems, inability to operate in Norwegian or English, and frustrations in accepting or understanding the local culture. Among non-western immigrants, they have the highest unemployment percentages, ten times that of the general populace. Less than a third of the population over age 16 is employed. They have the highest number of single parent families in the country (a staggering 29%),mostly women with young children, leading to a problematic situation where families are both dependent on cash support and, as one contact put it, a 'generation without fathers' - something that he feels leads to increased criminality and a higher rate of drop-outs at the high school level. Indeed, of those between 19-24 years of age, only 6 percent are in higher education, compared to 18 percent among non-western immigrants generally, and 31 percent in the general populace. ARE THEY IN DANGER OF RADICALIZING? ¶4. (C) According to Somali politician Hamsa Mohamed, who was himself arrested in the 2001 sweep for potential terrorist financing but was later released and who has now become the most politically successful member of the Somali community (serving on the Oslo City Council and sitting on the Socialist Left Party's International Committee),there is a significant danger of radicalization in the Somali community. He feels that a combination of conservative Muslim religious leadership and an inability for youth to successfully integrate may cause serious problems in the near future. The problems that Somali youth have in finishing education or finding jobs is leading to a cycle of disappointment. This negative feeling towards Norwegian society leads Somali youth back to the mosque, where he believes that groups of OSLO 00000207 002 OF 003 disturbingly hostile radicals may attract the disenfranchised. Recent arrests in Norway were based on significant transfers of money through 'hawala' back to groups such as Al-Shabaab and the ICU in Somalia. ¶5. (C) Shoaib Sultan, General Secretary of the Islamic Council in Norway, says that he 'has had concerns about the Somali community' and that he is 'a little scared about what will happen,' alleging that significant numbers of the Somali refugees were child soldiers and that they are more likely to resort to violence to resolve conflicts. He says that there is one Somali mosque in Oslo, the Tawfiq, and that members there represent both moderates and conservatives. Although members of the Islamic Council, they rarely participate actively in outreach or public projects because of the internal division of the mosque's membership. He agrees with Hamsa Mohamed that many of the Somali youths are directionless and that adult mentors/leadership is lacking outside of a few mid-20s professionals who have already 'been saved.' He is concerned that, along with other ethnic groups, there is some danger that Somali youth who have been involved in petty crime will be attracted to the idea of martyrdom as a 'quick fix' that justifies their previous activities and will make them a 'good person.' ¶6. (C) Statistically, the Somali community is the one foundering the most in Norway. Unemployment and very limited access to higher education haunts both older members of the community as well as the growing youth population. Political disagreements carried over from Somalia between clans are still bitterly disputed in Norway, according to sources, and the short period of time in country means that most of the community has of yet to identify itself in any way as 'Norwegian.' With only a little over a quarter of first-generation adult immigrants employed, growing restlessness and disenfranchisement in the community seem a natural result. The high prevalence of Khat usage among Somali men has led to a soft drug smuggling industry that threatens to expand into areas of greater criminal concern. Half of the Somali population lives in Oslo: a city which is now one quarter 'non-ethnic Norwegian' due to booming immigration. ¶7. (SBU) Religious issues have led to violence in Oslo already. In 2007 a Somali woman, Kadra Yusuf, who wrote an article on the need to 're-interpret' the Koran's stance on women was attacked on the street by five Somali men who claimed that she had 'mocked the Koran' with her statements. The incident was recorded on surveillance cameras, and led to an investigation as well as a controversial series of debates in the media, but those involved were only minimally punished. One of them, a 26 year old refugee who was ordered to leave the country in 2004, continued his destructive path and was involved in the shooting death of a Somali man in downtown Oslo in March of 2008. With these violent internal struggles in the Somali community making it into the public sphere, there are concerns that even more conflict and further radical figures are to be found beneath the surface. WHAT STEPS IS THE MISSION TAKING TO HEAD OFF POTENTIAL DANGER? ¶8. (C) Outreach to the largely Muslim immigrant community in Norway is a mission priority. Post set up an Immigrant Outreach Taskforce at the end of 2007 to increase efforts in this area and has already had significant success, through inter-religious dialogue programs, integration discussions, and cultural programming aimed at including immigrant participation. PAS arranged for a VolVis of Norwegian officials to go to the U.S. to study successful integrated Somali communities in Minnesota. We also had excellent attendance by Somali college students at an MLK Jr. event discussing discrimination in March, and received very supportive feedback from attendees to continue work in this arena. We have started planning for an open Ambassadorial meeting with the Somali community in Oslo to improve communications in the wake of several protests at the embassy over USG activities in Somalia. The five protests in the last year and a half were peaceful, but worrisome, and reflect a growing discontent with U.S. policy in the region, illustrated as well by the significant financial support sent by Norwegian Somalis to support Al-Shabaab and the ICU in their struggles against Ethiopian forces. We will also be working with high schools that have a large Somali population to improve contact with the youth and identify future leaders for civic organization building and anti-radicalization programs. Post has requested, and received, excellent support from Washington in the form of Muslim IVs and summer leadership programs through Fulbright. OSLO 00000207 003 OF 003 ¶9. (SBU) Still, some additional tools in the form of local programming and deliverables have been requested (Reftel A, B) and are requested again below. They would assist to maximize the effectiveness of our outreach possibilities. Post believes Norway may be only a brief time away from serious problems with integration and radicalization. Proactive engagement by the USG now could help keep Norway from going down dangerous paths we have seen elsewhere. We believe that the following will greatly assist our continuing efforts to address these problems in the near future: --Fund a Micro Scholarship Program to bring English into the classrooms in low-performing schools in disadvantaged communities, provide contact between American teachers and Muslim minority youth, and teach about the United States in the high-density minority communities. --A photography collection similar to America 24/7 emphasizing the diversity of the U.S., with a focus on the immigrant populations and contributions of minorities to U.S. society. This would be aimed at youth groups. --Tools to encourage civic engagement as a channel for youth frustration (trainers, DVDs, speakers, handouts, educational information) to compete with the growing gang problems. --(New request) Funds to support organic programming aimed at teaching conflict resolution and promoting youth travel/study in the United States. WHITNEY