VIDEO: Norway rejects Orya Maqbool’s visa for ‘hate speech’

OSLO:  Urdu columnist and TV show host Orya Maqbool Jan has been denied the Norwegian visa following his remarks on the Ahmadiyya and Jewish community earlier this week. The journalist had intended to visit Lillestrom for an Islamic event scheduled on October 27.

In the video, Jan says: “Ahmadis have looted the finality of prophethood. As Muslims we only have one sunnah, the sunnah of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (RA) which says to chop off the necks of ‘such’ people”.

He also claimed that the Prophet (PBUH) himself ordered the murder of those who disrespected him.

The matter of Jan’s visa rejection has been reported by his own weekly show aired on Neo News on October 24th. According to the channel, “The right to travel, freedom of expression, and meeting friends and family has been stripped from Pakistani citizen Orya Maqbool Jan.”

The event organised by Zohra Manzoor Welfare Society has also been cancelled as the venue, The Bratejordet School, has refused to lease space and cater to the journalist.

According to the Rabwah Times, Bratejordet School Principal Sandra Hansen said: “The Zohra Manzoor Welfare Society had an arrangement with Bratejordet school regarding renting space to hold an event. Yesterday, the school was made aware of the content of this event and the organiser behind the event was informed that due to the views and statements of the speaker invited, the school’s facilities were no longer available. Neither our school nor the community can support the type of extreme views fronted by Mr Jan.”

Moreover, Lillestrom Mayor Boye Bjerkholt also expressed his alarm on Jan’s ‘murderous views’.

“I was invited to a celebration of Data Ganj Baksh, organised by the Zohra Manzoor Welfare Society. I accepted the invitation and didn’t think more of it until I was told by outsiders that a Pakistani extremist by the name of Orya Maqbool Jan would also participate. I immediately did an Internet research, and found a number of articles and deeply disturbing videos in which Jan spews out his hatred, to the point of inciting the murder of Ahmadiyya muslims. I condemn these views as completely unacceptable and incompatible with the basic values of our society,” he said.

On the other hand, Jan’s channel expressed its views blaming secular people for the world’s problems. “Norway’s distasteful tactic of  snatching the journalist’s rights of meeting his friends and family, travelling and expressing his innocent views can suppress the truth but not alter it. Secular people are only scared of his truth,” according to the channel.

“We are amazed at Norway’s government for snatching it’s citizens rights of holding public events, hosting guests and disrespecting its own laws,” the channel concludes.