Daily Times

Muhammad Rafiq, a retired Chief Warrant Officer of Pakistan Air Force emblazoned his name in gilded letters with his spontaneous act of gallantry when he singlehandedly foiled an attempted terrorist attack on Al Noor Mosque in Oslo Norway. According to detailed media reports, on the 10th of August 2019, a day before Eid-ul-Azha, a 21-year-old radical right extremist white Norwegian Philip Manshaus killed his stepsister, a 17-year-old girl who was adopted from China and came to Norway as a two-year-old. Armed with two guns and a pistol, the perpetrator of the hate crime, stormed into the al Noor mosque in Bærum, 14 km south west of Oslo. There were three faithful in the mosque, who were reciting the Holy Quran after Zohar (afternoon) prayers. Forewarned by the shots fired in breaking down the mosque door, the frail septuagenarian, Muhammad Rafiq, managed to push the arm of the assailant, and deflect the bullets fired upon another senior Muslim Mohammad Iqbal. In the melee, the attacker’s shot guns slipped to the ground and seizing his chance, Muhammad Rafiq grappled with him while the attacker’s revolver was also disarmed by Mohammad Iqbal, who then left the mosque to seek help. The younger, physically fit and apparently well-trained Philip Manshaus struggled to get free, but Muhammad Rafiq succeeded in overpowering the perpetrator. Despite the fact that the attacker tried to blind Mr. Rafiq by poking his finger in his eye, he did not let go. The struggle lasted for nearly 25 minutes but motivated by the spirit of saving innocent lives and the training of sacrifice and valour he must have received in his youth when he served in the Pakistan Air Force, the former Chief Warrant Officer kept the younger man pinned down till the police arrived and apprehended the villain.

In a TV interview after the attack, Muhammad Rafiq insists that he did nothing great. It was the will of Allah that helped him overpower the physically agile Philip Manshaus.

The valiant action of Mr Rafiq saved lives of many innocent people and set new standards of bravery and courage: This act also drew international attention towards Pakistan. In a TV interview of Pakistan’s Ambassador to Norway, ZaheerPervaiz Khan, lauded the gallantry of Muhammad Rafiq as well as the solidarity expressed by Norwegians with fellow Muslims as soon as the news of the dastardly deed became public. In the wake of the foiled terrorist attack at a mosque outside Oslo, when Muslims were gathering to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha on Sunday following the terror attack, not only were they met by both uniformed and civilian police at mosques and halls prepared for celebrations in cities and towns across Norway, they were also greeted by neighbours and other citizens of different faiths and beliefs. This rapid response, often citing the hashtag #tryggibønn (safe in prayer), came about spontaneously, using social media to spread information, and through the networks of the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities in Norway, in Bærum, at mosques in Oslo, and across the country.

It is worth noting that while the hashtag #tryggibønn was introduced in response to the Christchurch NZ terrorist attacks on mosques, the inspiration for such cross-faith and life stance solidarity actions and, more generally, continued dialogue, is older

It is worth noting that while the hashtag #tryggibønn was introduced in response to the Christchurch NZ terrorist attacks on mosques, the inspiration for such cross-faith and life stance solidarity actions and, more generally, continued dialogue, is older. It includes the “circle of peace” (fredens ring) around the Oslo synagogue, initiated by Muslim young adults in 2015, following a deadly attack on a synagogue in Copenhagen, but also reaches further back in time. Lasting, trusting interpersonal relationships continue to represent a valuable potential for bridgebuilding and the maintenance of social cohesion in Norwegian society.

It is heartening that a valiant Pakistani was the hero of the foiled attack in Oslo. Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the culprit was inspired by the acts of the Christchurch, New Zealand terrorist, who in turn was stimulated by the 2011 manifesto and actions of Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik. The Bærum attacker appears to have been radicalized by social media sites propagating hate against the backdrop of the 22 July 2011 terror attacks at Utøya and in Oslo, which killed 77 people, and which were also motivated by anti-immigration and anti-Muslim views.

While the Norwegian society is contemplating actions to avert attacks of the nature in which the Bærum attacker participated, it must ask serious questions of itself, why a peace-loving nation is periodically succumbing to individual acts of violence and how it can confront the driving forces of hatred behind these attacks?

Pakistan Air Force has produced a number of heroes like Rashid Minhas, SarfrazRafiqi, Younus Hasan Shaheeds et-al. One of its former Air Chiefs, Nur Khan, when he was heading PIA, while negotiating with hijackers, selflessly tackled the heavily armed leader of the gang, took a bullet but ended the hijacking, saving the lives of hundreds of passengers.

Maintaining the traditions, Mr. Rafique deserves to be recommended for a gallantry award as acknowledgement of his brave action and service to humanity.

The writer is a retired Group Captain of PAF. He is a columnist, analyst and TV talk show host