Of course. Was this decision ever really in doubt? No. But the question remains: was it motivated by a sober and unbiased assessment of the evidence at hand, or by an assessment of the political realities in Norway today? It is much more likely to have been the latter. Remember: Bråthen posted a video with the words: “I come with a warning…bear witness that I am a Muslim.”
“Norway: Bow-and-arrow attack victims likely stabbed to death,” AP, October 18, 2021, 7:53 AM·2 min read
HELSINKI (AP) — Norwegian police say the Danish man suspected of killing five people and injuring three others in an attack last week also used “stabbing weapons” along with a bow and arrow to kill his victims.
Police inspector Per Thomas Omholt said it was likely the 37-year-old suspect, identified as Espen Andersen Braathen, first used arrows to wound his victims and then killed them by stabbing them with an unspecified weapon or weapons in Wednesday’s attack in Kongsberg, a town of 26,000 southwest of the capital, Oslo.
“When it comes to weapons, we have previously stated that a bow and arrow has been used,” Omholt told a news conference Monday. “Other weapons that have been used are stabbing weapons. We don’t want to go out with what kind of stabbing weapons were used as all witnesses at the scene haven’t been questioned yet.”
Andersen Braathen has confessed to the killings and has initially been charged with five murders. Omholt said, however, the list of charges would be extended as the investigation proceeds.
Omholt reiterated Norwegian police’s assessment that the suspect’s apparent mental illness was the likely cause for the attack, while Andersen Braathen’s statement of being a convert to Islam had become a less important investigation line….
Dov Berrol says
Amazing. Yet another case of IPD: Islamic Personality Disorder. Just like the diagnosis for that supermarket killer in Colorado. It’s an epidemic…
mortimer says
Agree we are seeing a form of religious OCD rituals at play in Espen Andersen Braathen the Danish convert to Islam who believes he has a duty to kill you and me.
Islamic fanaticism might be called ‘overvalued ideation’ by psychology … but I think it is wrong to call it a ‘mental illness’ and no serious psychologist would do that. The Norwegian police are irresponsibly ‘politicizing’ psychology in order to whitewash Islam of blame.
We can compare Espen Andersen Braathen with the Nazis and Stalinists also had ‘overvalued ideation’. They used their ideology when they wished to murder anyone of a different ideology to their own.
Here follwoing are some definitions of an overvalued idea … generally it is a false or exaggerated belief sustained beyond logic or reason, but with less rigidity than a delusion.
Clinical Definition of Overvalued Ideation (Poor Insight) is conceptualized as the midway point between rational identification of obsessional thinking (intrusive ego-dystonic thoughts; Eisen et al., 1998; Insel & Akiskal, 1986; Kozak & Foa, 1994; Neziroglu et al., 1999) and delusionality (firmly held false beliefs with a lack of insight into the irrationality of the content of the belief). Traditionally, obsessions and delusions were viewed as dichotomous; however, currently it is believed that beliefs are better conceptualized on a continuum. A variety of disorders, such as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), anorexia nervosa, hypochondriasis, schizophrenia, and delusional disorder, are among those that could be considered on this continuum. The BABS is based on this idea.
-An unreasonable, strongly held belief or idea. Such a belief is beyond the norm of beliefs held or accepted by other members of the person’s culture or subculture.
-overvalued idea: a false or exaggerated belief sustained beyond logic or reason but with less rigidity than a delusion, also often being less patently unbelievable.dominant idea one that controls or colors every action and thought.
-fixed idea: a persistent morbid impression or belief that cannot be changed by reason.
-idea of reference: the incorrect idea that the words and actions of others refer to one’s self, or the projection of the causes of one’s own imaginary difficulties upon someone else.
Mohammed seemed to be obsessed with performing rituals in a way that resembles OCD, and Mohammedans imitate him. Thus, Mohammedans may not suffer from madness per se, but they APPEAR to be mad by imitating the madman Mohammed.
mike says
how about the lack of education Muslim schools teach the Koran and nothing more
thus that’s what you get
remember this is the religion of peace
mortimer says
The schools mike refers to do not teach the Muslim students to challenge Islam with reason. They compartmentalize anything to do with Islamic religion … e.g. mathematics is in a different compartment from Islam.
If a mathematician could prove Islam is false using mathematics, I think about half of Muslims would leave Islam.
James Lincoln says
mortimer,
You’re correct about the concept of compartmentalization.
Extreme stress and cognitive dissonance can cause the individual to lose the ability to compartmentalize.
PMK says
Call it ‘mental illness’ if that makes you happy. Whether it was mental illness or murder the response should be the same: ‘LOCK HIM UP”. Anyone who cannot be held responsible for his own actions should not be allowed to roam free.
mortimer says
Reply to PMK: about 15% of Muslims agree with Espen Andersen Braathen, but less than 1% are willing to act out on those beliefs.
Few Muslims believe in Islam strongly enough to give up their lives.
PMK says
Mortimer,
Those who are not willing to act out on their Muslim beliefs have nothing to fear from the West. The idea that these individuals are mentally ill suggests they didn’t know what they were doing. My point remains: whether you committed murder for the sake of jihad or you are so sick you cannot be held responsible for your own actions, you need to be taken off the streets, for the sake of the community. This man’s actions, not his beliefs, are what matter.
Those 15% of Muslims who agree with this man have nothing to fear, as long as they don’t follow his example or enable him in any way.
John T R Gorman says
ISLAM is a mental illness, period.
wpm says
If you convert to Islam after living as a free man in the first world nation you must be mental ill. Like the people who followed Charles Manson in the late 1960s to 1970s to murder people at his command. Islam is a magnet for losers if they live in first world nations with all the freedoms ,and too much free time on their hands! Too many other things to focus your life around why pick a violent repressive cult if you are well fed, have your physical health ,and the freedom to channel your lifes goals?
Jim says
Well then, the immigration of people with mental illnesses that make them prone to commit violent murders should be stopped. People whose mental illness leads them to convert to Islam should not be excused or exonerated for violent crimes. People who are judged to commit violent crimes because of mental illness should not be excused or go unpunished. They should not be certified able to participate in normal life for many, many years. Mental illness should not be a pass for :Muslim criminals.
Dhimmi says
they delude themselves
mortimer says
Muslims have ‘poor insight’ due to surrendering their minds to nonsense and obscurantism.
Michael Copeland says
Andersen follows Mohammed.
What did they say about Mohammed, those that knew him”
“Indeed, he is mad.”
“Surely he is possessed!”
“He is certainly insane.”
‘Surely he is a man possessed!’
“Verily, he is a madman!”
http://corpus.quran.com/translation.jsp?chapter=68&verse=51
mortimer says
Good quote from MC. And Mohammedans imitate a recognized madman. It is clearly ‘poor insight’ to do that.
Walter Sieruk says
The official statement by the police department of Norway blaming “mental Illness ” and not the teachings of the religion of Islam the that Muslim’s violent and murderous behavior shows that they want to intentionally embrace of ignorance of the violent and deadly essence of Islam.
This shows the increasing influence of the stealth jihadists in Norway and sadly willingness of many Westerners not to talk off their Islamic politically correct blinders off realize the many dangerous problems and even threats Islam can incite in its follower to Westerners and Western civilization.
All this reflects what the scholar of Islam ,Brigitte Gabriel, written in her book ,entitled BECAUSE THEY HATE about the violent dangers posed by the Muslim/ jihadists For in it she wrote “The West is ignorant and refuses to learn.”
.
Michael Copeland says
Norwegian police speak of “apparent” mental illness.
Of course, police are not qualified to diagnose the condition.
But this is the news item that will stick in peoples’ minds.
After that they will switch off.
Oren says
I wonder if complete honesty is possible for the police? This police spokesman has obviously been told that he must say that mental illness is the reason for the muslim killing A bunch of secular people. Not the truth that muslim objectives are to terrorize the people, dominate them violently, and pressuring them to comply and submit to islam. Obviously their police will not defend them, and they dont want to get abused in the streets.
Instead of being hated by some of the people, the police officer can say to the media, that the majority of people are afraid of muslims, the majority of british would rather lie about the causes of muslim hatred and aggression, the majority of the british are far to dishonest and frightened to embrace the solutions that are necessary for these problems, so the police only face pressure to lie and submit to islam, not pressure to stand up and fight islam. The muslims and the left are not ashamed to support the ‘people who do bad things’, at the ballot boxes, and on the streets, while the british people are to frightened or apathetic to say anything. So that is what they are going to do. In G-d I trust.
nicholas tesdorf says
Belief in Islam causes mental illness.
Egor says
Of course the man has a mental illness. No one goes about killing elderly people in their homes, when they unknown to him, unless they have a mental illness.In this case the mental illness is Islam.
James Lincoln says
Westerners can only deny the truth about islam for so long until the truth becomes very, very painfully obvious – to even the average citizen.
A little bit like the Social Security “trust fund”. Eventually, you lose the ability to kick the can down the road because the road ends at a dead end…
gravenimage says
Norway: Cops decide that mental illness, not Islamic teachings, incited Muslim’s attack that murdered five
…………….
More denial.