With less than six months to go until Norway's general election, increasing tensions over immigration and Islam appear likely to play a significant role in the vote.
The leader of the country's main opposition party has warned that it is facing "sneak-Islamisation", while some prominent Muslims say they face growing "persecution".
The heated debate is a sign that Norway, renowned as one of the most peaceful and tolerant nations in the world, is facing the same issues with its Muslim minority as are now familiar in other parts of Europe.
Siv Jensen, the 39-year-old leader of the opposition Progress Party, has objected to moves to introduce special measures in order to accommodate Muslims' religious sensitivities, traditions and rules.
"The reality is that a kind of sneak-Islamisation of this society is being allowed," she recently told a Progress Party conference. "We are going to have to stop this."
We are portrayed as uncivilised people living double lives - orderly behaved when in public, but at home fundamentalists suppressing and physically abusing women Khalid Mahmood
Norwegian Labour Party
Opinion polls suggest the party could win as much as 30% of the vote in the election for the national parliament, the Storting, in September.
"If the Progress Party gets to govern Norway, we will enforce Norwegian law and Norwegian rules. We are not going to allow special demands from any single group in society," Ms Jensen added.
'Islamophobia'
Khalid Mahmood, a Pakistani-born member of the governing Labour Party believes Muslims are being persecuted, and Islam confronted with hatred.
"Muslims are the Jews of our times, stigmatised, generalised and presented as a threat to society" he says.
"It is not any longer immigrants who are targeted, but simply Muslims", he adds.
"We are portrayed as uncivilised people living double lives - orderly and behaved when in public, but at home fundamentalists suppressing and physically abusing women."
Last month, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), the racism watchdog of the Council of Europe, published a report warning that Islamophobia was on the rise in Norway.
Specifically, the commissioned highlighted the increasingly aggressive rhetoric of the Progress Party.
With an estimated 150,000 of Norway's almost five million population being Muslims, Islam is the second-biggest religion in the country.
But while Norway was ranked the most peaceful country in the world by the World Peace Index in 2007, it is struggling to integrate its religious minorities.
In some places, Islamic traditions clash with the largely non-religious Scandinavian way of life.
Culture clash
Earlier this year, the Labour Party's governing coalition suggested it would allow police officers to wear headscarves with their uniform, in the hope that it would attract more Muslim women to the police force.
But after widespread criticism of the proposal, the government dropped the idea.
On International Women's Day in March, Syrian-born Sara Azmeh Rasmussen protested against headscarves by burning hers in public in the capital, Oslo.
Ms Jensen's Progress Party has produced a list of special measures it says Muslims have requested to accommodate their religious sensitivities and traditions.
On top of changes to the police uniform, the list mentions prison inmates wanting Halal food, and parents of teenage girls demanding that schools separate their daughters from boys during sports lessons.
Most of her supporters say it is her hardline stand against Islamic values and rules that make her their favourite candidate.
Some polls suggest that Ms Jensen's party could win the election, and that she could become the country's next prime minister - though to do so she would have to secure the support of other parties like the Conservatives, the Liberals and Christian Democrats.
'Empty rhetoric'
The significant success of the Progress Party has forced the governing Labour Party to react.
Earlier this year, the government tightened asylum rules despite earlier pledges not to do so.
In Norway, extreme Islamist activity is carried out by small groups Norwegian Police Security Service
And last month, senior members of the Labour Party called for a fight against radical Islam in Norway.
However, the former prime minister and Labour Party leader, Thorbjoern Jagland, called it an unnecessary fight that would only lead to confrontation.
While he argued that it was empty rhetoric, saying there was no radical Islam in Norway, the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) insists radical Islam does represent a threat.
"In Norway, extreme Islamist activity is carried out by small groups. However, the international connections the persons in these groups represent, in addition to activities they carry out, are such in nature that they can also influence that national threat picture," it said in a recent report.
While the debate is getting more heated, not all Muslims agree with Mr Mahmood.
"Three to four articles critical of religion and the burning of a headscarf is not persecution of Muslims; it is a process of modernising," says Shakil Rehman, another Labour Party member.
"Criticism isn't a smear campaign, but necessary progress."
Norway is filled with Norwegians and Denmark is filed with Danes. The 2 countries are quite different. One thing they have in common is they both have Muslims. And Muslims have the same beliefs wherever they go.
Then we read:
format_quote Originally Posted by Osman
Norway, renowned as one of the most peaceful and tolerant nations in the world, is facing the same issues with its Muslim minority as are now familiar in other parts of Europe.
How can Norway be tolerant and face the same issues all at the same time???
Norway is already tolerant – why do Muslims want Norway to change?
Examples are:
format_quote Originally Posted by Osman
moves to introduce special measures in order to accommodate Muslims' religious sensitivities, traditions and rules.
Muslims do not deserve any special privelages.
format_quote Originally Posted by Osman
…prison inmates wanting Halal food,
Criminals wanting the tax payer to spend more on special food.
format_quote Originally Posted by Osman
and parents of teenage girls demanding that schools separate their daughters from boys during sports lessons.
Which is connected to the next quote
format_quote Originally Posted by Osman
In some places, Islamic traditions clash with the largely non-religious Scandinavian way of life.
I say in Rome you must act like the Romans, i mean that when your immigrating to a contry you can keep your beliefs and traditions, but it must not bother the other persons there with different beliefs.All and all they norway should respect Islam, and not prejudice against it.
"Muslims are the Jews of our times, stigmatised, generalised and presented as a threat to society" he says.
I actually agree to some extent and to prevent the worst Europe should cease further Muslim immigration and work to integrate the ones who are already here and encourage anyone unwilling to integrate to move out voluntarily.
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
According to the article, the following were mentioned in regards to special privelages:
*Muslims' religious sensitivities = might be difficult to achieve, but its more of a society thing than a law.
*traditions = not exactly hard. It's a day of celebration, like vaisakhi, christmas etc. Month of ramadhan not difficult either given it is personal and not societal (see next point).
*and rules = again, not exactly hard to achieve. Most of the islamic rulings are carried out by the individual such as prayer, fasting. So I don't see how muslims are getting special privelages. Unless muslims are asking for extra microsoft live points, there isn't a problem here.
Criminals wanting the tax payer to spend more on special food.
Well, if you bring back corporate punishment......problem solved.
…….which is the story everywhere in the West.
Except we're doing just fine and dandy here as a society (in general). You know, the only people who seem to be crying about anything are the non-muslims. ''Oh you muzzies stealing our jobs!'', ''oh you muzzies introducing sharia law'', ''oh you muzzies with funny beards and ninja suits''.
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
While I agree that multiculturalism has been a failure to a large degree, there is no turning back on demographics now. The West invited this situation and now the only option is to continue the multi-cultural experiment. Using immigrants as scapegoats for economic downturns is nothing new, but the reality is that immigrants were invited to join the West. Complaining about the outcome is pointless at this point.
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humor was provided to console him for what he is."
Except we're doing just fine and dandy here as a society (in general). You know, the only people who seem to be crying about anything are the non-muslims. ''Oh you muzzies stealing our jobs!'', ''oh you muzzies introducing sharia law'', ''oh you muzzies with funny beards and ninja suits''.
Exactly. You do not belong here,your culture, religion etc.
Of course, the UK can't forcefully move you out but they can ban the arrival of new ones.
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
Except we're doing just fine and dandy here as a society (in general). You know, the only people who seem to be crying about anything are the non-muslims. ''Oh you muzzies stealing our jobs!'', ''oh you muzzies introducing sharia law'', ''oh you muzzies with funny beards and ninja suits''.
That would be very right wing of them. Hopefully, by then I should have enough money to move so not a problem. So basically, I win
Right wingers can be right in some issues, and terribly wrong in others, same as pinko commieson the other side of the spectrum.
Its a win-win situation. You move to a place where you can live your life and deen more fully and UK doesnt have to worry about cohsion between the communities.
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We are portrayed as uncivilised people living double lives - orderly behaved when in public, but at home fundamentalists suppressing and physically abusing women 
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