Noor Ahmad Noor has been convicted of hate speech against Jews on his open Facebook profile.
"Hitler spared some Jews so the world could see how brutal these people are and why it is necessary to kill them," Noor wrote.
"Israel is such a devil that Hitler spared some Jews so the world could see that if they survived, they would continue to be a danger to humanity," he added.
When the statements were made, Noor was an imam in the Minhaj mosque in Drammen, Klassekampen writes.
The statements were reported by dramatist Hans Christian Holm, who for many years has been a tour guide for Aktive Fredsreiser and has taken young people to Germany and Poland to learn about the Holocaust.
The report was initially dropped, but after Holm submitted a complaint, the prosecution reversed. On 20 October last year, the state prosecutor in Vestfold, Telemark and Buskerud brought charges against Noor.
- It is good that there has been a judgment that marks where the boundaries are, says Hans Christian Holm.
Associate professor: - Calling for the killing of Jews is closer to the racism clause than what Antonsen's statements do
According to the judgment, the court did not attach importance to the fact that the defendant has publicly apologized for the statements in a regional newspaper, or that the defendant, as an imam, has made himself an advocate for peaceful tolerance and understanding across religions.
"Nor does the court find it mitigating that the statements were prompted by his watching videos that showed the suffering of the Palestinian population following the use of military force by Israel," the judgment says.
Superintendent of the Mosaic Faith Community, Ervin Kohn, is pleased with the verdict.
- I hope this verdict can help to remove the prosecution's fear of anti-Semitism, he says.
He points out that the verdict is the first anti-Semitism verdict in Norway since Vigrid leader Tore Tvedt was sentenced to 45 days' suspended imprisonment in the Supreme Court in 2007.
- The reason why we have not had any convictions for anti-Semitism since the Tvedt case is that the prosecution has not prosecuted, he says.
There have been several reports for anti-Semitism in recent years, including against the Nordic Resistance Movement, without any charges being brought.
"Hitler spared some Jews so the world could see how brutal these people are and why it is necessary to kill them," Noor wrote.
"Israel is such a devil that Hitler spared some Jews so the world could see that if they survived, they would continue to be a danger to humanity," he added.
When the statements were made, Noor was an imam in the Minhaj mosque in Drammen, Klassekampen writes.
The statements were reported by dramatist Hans Christian Holm, who for many years has been a tour guide for Aktive Fredsreiser and has taken young people to Germany and Poland to learn about the Holocaust.
The report was initially dropped, but after Holm submitted a complaint, the prosecution reversed. On 20 October last year, the state prosecutor in Vestfold, Telemark and Buskerud brought charges against Noor.
- It is good that there has been a judgment that marks where the boundaries are, says Hans Christian Holm.
Associate professor: - Calling for the killing of Jews is closer to the racism clause than what Antonsen's statements do
According to the judgment, the court did not attach importance to the fact that the defendant has publicly apologized for the statements in a regional newspaper, or that the defendant, as an imam, has made himself an advocate for peaceful tolerance and understanding across religions.
"Nor does the court find it mitigating that the statements were prompted by his watching videos that showed the suffering of the Palestinian population following the use of military force by Israel," the judgment says.
Superintendent of the Mosaic Faith Community, Ervin Kohn, is pleased with the verdict.
- I hope this verdict can help to remove the prosecution's fear of anti-Semitism, he says.
He points out that the verdict is the first anti-Semitism verdict in Norway since Vigrid leader Tore Tvedt was sentenced to 45 days' suspended imprisonment in the Supreme Court in 2007.
- The reason why we have not had any convictions for anti-Semitism since the Tvedt case is that the prosecution has not prosecuted, he says.
There have been several reports for anti-Semitism in recent years, including against the Nordic Resistance Movement, without any charges being brought.
