Norway Muslims take to capital’s streets to protest

Thousands of people from all walks of life gathered outside the Norwegian capital’s Parliament building late Monday to show contempt for statements made by a spokesperson for a hard-line Islamist group who had defended decapitation “as a way of executing war criminals.”

Demonstration organizer said that the march was arranged to show that Ubaydullah Hussain’s “hate speech” and support of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) – a militant group that has seized parts of Syria and Iraq – was not symbolic of the country’s Muslims.

All around, demonstrators stood waving banners emblazoned with such messages as “No to ISIS” and “Not in Islam’s Name.”

Last weekend, 29-year-old Oslo-born Ubaydullah Hussain attempted to defend actions by self-styled ‘Islamic State’ militants in Iraq and Syria in a 43-minute interview with a Norwegian TV station.

He described decapitation as a “merciful” way of executing war criminals, and called for Muslims to follow Sharia law.