The report shows that there is a significant problem with hate speech against people who belong to national minorities. This is so serious that it leads to many people choosing not to come forward with their identity. Or they fail to get involved in organisations, social life, and politics to promote the interests of the minority and/or themselves. The hateful expressions are targeting the “minority identity”. The incitement often seems to aim to weaken involvement in minority culture.
A problem for the Jews is that hate speech (and actions) increases with the level of conflict between Israel and the Palestinian authorities and organizations. The war following Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 has negative consequences for the Norwegian Jews. This is part of an international trend, where both Jews and Muslims worldwide are held responsible for what the Israeli state and Hamas or other Palestinian organizations do in the conflict.
The other minorities, however, also experience hate speech, incitement, and discrimination. The statements can be aimed at younger people who want to get involved in and for the culture, and come from older people, people who are unsure of their own identity or from people who belong to a “rival” group (for example Sami versus Kven). They may also be aimed at people in the minorities who are committed to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or intersex (LHBTI) or other groups. The statements can also come from the majority population and from government officials.
The report shows that the Norwegian policy of recognizing the rights of minorities and coming to terms with the heavy-handed policy of the past to assimilate them has had mixed results. The language and culture of the minorities are almost invisible in the public sphere and many fear that if they become more visible, they will be exposed to harassment. Hate speech – regardless of whether it is punishable or not – has major negative consequences for the groups and constitutes a significant social and democratic problem.
The report comes with several recommendations, such as adopting a separate law on the rights of national minorities, strengthening knowledge about minorities at all levels of government and in schools, and establishing a low-threshold online service for reporting experienced or observed harassment.