Mohammad Usman Rana
Encyclopedia
Mohammad Usman Rana is a Norwegian Pakistani
commentator, columnist and medical doctor, achieving his degree at the University of Oslo
.
. His father Aftab Ahmed Rana was a local politician for the Norwegian Labour Party
, and a leader of a Islamic congregation(named "Islamsk Senter") in Vestfold
.
to attend medical school
. In 2005 he became the leader of the Norwegian-Pakistani Students' Association (Norsk-pakistansk studentersamfunn). In 2007 Rana became the leader of the Muslim Students' Association at the University of Oslo.
He helped organize humanitarian aid to the victims of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake
. He participated in debates on national television and was interviewed by newspapers on issues pertaining to immigration, integration, Islamism
, internal strife in Norwegian Muslim groups.
s must be trained at institutions in the West, he said in an interview with the Norwegian MorgenBladet: "It is tempting to believe that imams who are educated in the West will have greater understanding of what it means to be a Muslim in Western societies."
. He was accused by Hege Storhaug
, of "exploiting" the situation to promote illiberal attitudes towards perceived blasphemous expressions. The day before Rana had described Storhaug as "extremely xenophobic
", "paranoid
", adherent of racism
and an "extremist" who "hates Islam", in Verdens Gang. He then countered that Storhaug's allegations were untrue.
When one of the cartoons were reprinted in a Norwegian magazine in September 2008, Rana described it as "vulgar", "unnecessary and desperate". "Criticism of Islam is important, but there are other and better ways to do it", Rana commented.
contest initiated by the newspaper Aftenposten. The idea of the contest is to broadcast voices of young people in Norway. In his winning text, titled "The Secular Extremism" , Rana argued that religious debaters were driven away from the Norwegian public sphere
, due to a perceived degradation of views based on religion. He used the case of then-bishop-elect of Oslo Ole Christian Kvarme
as an example, claiming that Kvarme was exposed to the "pillory
of modern society" when commentators largely denounced his Conservative Christian views. Rana warned against a perceived intolerance of religious practice, citing France and Turkey as bad examples due to the Islamic dress controversy in those countries and portrayed the USA as the remarkable illustration of a moderate secular nation which allows and includes religious expressions.
Norwegians of Pakistani descent
Pakistani Norwegians are Norwegians of Pakistani descent. First generation Pakistani Norwegians, who migrate from Pakistan, are distinguished from the mainstream in several demographic aspects, while second generation Pakistani Norwegians, who are born in Norway, are well-established in Norway and...
commentator, columnist and medical doctor, achieving his degree at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
.
Early life
He was born in Norway, and grew up in Husvik in southern TønsbergTønsberg
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, southern Norway, located around north-east of Sandefjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tønsberg....
. His father Aftab Ahmed Rana was a local politician for the Norwegian Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
, and a leader of a Islamic congregation(named "Islamsk Senter") in Vestfold
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...
.
Career
Rana enrolled at the University of OsloUniversity of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
to attend medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
. In 2005 he became the leader of the Norwegian-Pakistani Students' Association (Norsk-pakistansk studentersamfunn). In 2007 Rana became the leader of the Muslim Students' Association at the University of Oslo.
He helped organize humanitarian aid to the victims of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake
2005 Kashmir earthquake
The 2005 Kashmir earthquake was a major earthquake centered in Pakistan-administered Kashmir known as Azad Kashmir, near the city of Muzaffarabad, affecting Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It occurred at 08:52:37 Pakistan Standard Time on 8 October 2005...
. He participated in debates on national television and was interviewed by newspapers on issues pertaining to immigration, integration, Islamism
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
, internal strife in Norwegian Muslim groups.
Opinions
He recommends that future Norwegian imamImam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
s must be trained at institutions in the West, he said in an interview with the Norwegian MorgenBladet: "It is tempting to believe that imams who are educated in the West will have greater understanding of what it means to be a Muslim in Western societies."
Muhammad cartoons
Regarding the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons, Norwegian flags were burned in the Middle East. Rana said that "the burning of the Norwegian flag, all because a small number of Christian extremists published pictures of the Prophet, is unfair", according Verdens GangVerdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
. He was accused by Hege Storhaug
Hege Storhaug
Hege Storhaug is a Norwegian journalist, writer and women's rights activist. She has been noted since the 1990s for her opposition to Islamism and advocacy for human rights; particularly women's rights in relation to traditional Muslim attitudes and practices towards women. Since 2002, she has...
, of "exploiting" the situation to promote illiberal attitudes towards perceived blasphemous expressions. The day before Rana had described Storhaug as "extremely xenophobic
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
", "paranoid
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
", adherent of racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and an "extremist" who "hates Islam", in Verdens Gang. He then countered that Storhaug's allegations were untrue.
When one of the cartoons were reprinted in a Norwegian magazine in September 2008, Rana described it as "vulgar", "unnecessary and desperate". "Criticism of Islam is important, but there are other and better ways to do it", Rana commented.
Essay contest victory
In early 2008, Rana won an essayEssay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
contest initiated by the newspaper Aftenposten. The idea of the contest is to broadcast voices of young people in Norway. In his winning text, titled "The Secular Extremism" , Rana argued that religious debaters were driven away from the Norwegian public sphere
Public sphere
The public sphere is an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion influence political action...
, due to a perceived degradation of views based on religion. He used the case of then-bishop-elect of Oslo Ole Christian Kvarme
Ole Christian Kvarme
Ole Christian Mælen Kvarme is the Bishop of Oslo in the Lutheran Church of Norway since 2005. As Bishop of Oslo, Kvarme is the personal prelate of the Norwegian Royal Family....
as an example, claiming that Kvarme was exposed to the "pillory
Pillory
The pillory was a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse, sometimes lethal...
of modern society" when commentators largely denounced his Conservative Christian views. Rana warned against a perceived intolerance of religious practice, citing France and Turkey as bad examples due to the Islamic dress controversy in those countries and portrayed the USA as the remarkable illustration of a moderate secular nation which allows and includes religious expressions.
External links
- (Rana opiningOpinionIn general, an opinion is a subjective belief, and is the result of emotion or interpretation of facts. An opinion may be supported by an argument, although people may draw opposing opinions from the same set of facts. Opinions rarely change without new arguments being presented...
about President Musharraf of PakistanPervez MusharrafPervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
: )http://www.dagbladet.no/magasinet/2006/01/23/455565.html"Helt eller diktator?", Dagbladet MagasinetDagbladetDagbladet is Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper, and the third largest newspaper overall with a circulation of 105,255 copies in 2009, 18,128 papers less than in 2008. The editor in chief is Lars Helle....
, 2006-01-24 ]