The election fever of 2025 is about more than just politics; it feels like a carnival of votes, choices, and possibilities. The air in Norway is charged, almost electric. This election does not sneak in quietly; it storms forward like a northern wind powerful, unpredictable, and full of energy. Everywhere you turn, you encounter promises, questions, and competing visions for the future. But beneath the surface noise of debates, posters, and TV duels lies something much deeper: the heartbeat of justice, equality, and truth.
This year, the ballot in Norway’s hand is more than a national vote. It is a moral choice. It is about what Norway chooses to stand for in a world where silence can be as dangerous as violence. When we look beyond our borders, we see Palestine and other countries torn by war or in crisis. We see how the word “terrorist” is almost reflexively applied to Muslims, while violence elsewhere is downplayed with other terms. And we feel an undercurrent of Islamophobia creeping into headlines, politics, and daily conversations.
For Muslims in Norway, this is not abstract; it is lived reality. The murder of Tamima has shaken our society to its core. The 34-year-old Tamima Nibras Juhar was killed at a child welfare center. The perpetrator has been identified as the 18-year-old Đorđe Wilms, a young man of Serbian background residing in Norway. He is said to have held extremist and Islamophobic views. Norway’s own security services had been warned, yet no action was taken.
This is not an isolated story. From the 1985 bombing of the Noor Mosque to more recent Quran burnings organized by SIAN outside mosques, sometimes even in front of children. The message has been painfully clear: hatred does not just exist; it is tolerated.
Many in civil society and minority communities have pointed to the ideological responsibility borne by parts of the far right, and how groups and voices have fueled fear by spreading the idea of “creeping Islamization.” Even the Christian Democratic Party’s proposal that Muslims undergo a “values test” has contributed to this climate of mistrust. After Breivik’s terrorist attack in 2011, Norway promised “NEVER AGAIN.” But instead of confronting the roots of Islamophobia, society allowed it to seep into mainstream politics.
The double standard is painful. If a Muslim had attacked a synagogue, the outcry would have been national, the solidarity loud and immediate. But when Muslims are the victims, reactions often feel muted. Condolences are given, yes, but justice feels distant. Words like “Islamophobic terrorist attack” are carefully avoided, as if giving hatred a name makes it too real. And yet, avoiding the truth does not erase it. Muslims in Norway continue to live with this fear. What happened to Tamima could have happened to anyone.
That is why the 2025 election matters more than ever. Norway prides itself on being a champion of freedom and democracy, but freedom that excludes is no freedom at all. A democracy that turns away from injustice is not a true democracy. The choice before voters is not just about who will govern, but about which values will govern. Will justice and humanity have a voice? Or will silence and double standards persist?
Yes…the stage is set. The world is watching. Norway now holds the pen to write a chapter that will be remembered. If the people choose justice, if they call oppression what it is, if they stand where humanity falters, then their voice will resonate far beyond its borders. It will tell the world that democracy here lives, that justice is not a slogan, and that at the moment of decision, Norway’s heart beat not with fear, but with truth and courage.
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