Is it the skin color of Durek Verret most people react to? No, the Liberal Party’s Abid Raja and Alfred Bjørlo think. – It is all his statements as a shaman, including about cancer and Norwegian women’s sex life, that weaken his credibility, says Raja.
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– No, Verrett. The vast majority in Norway do not mind you because you are dark, says Bjørlo.
The two settle with Durek Verrett for statements about the reactions they have received, after the engagement to Princess Märtha Louise.
In a live broadcast on Instagram where both the newly engaged participated, the couple said, among other things:
– First, they do not want a black man in the royal family. There have never been any blacks in the history of the European royal family, so it is a very big issue, says Durek Verrett in the broadcast.
Watch the video that provokes reactions:
– Secondly, Märtha is a woman. It is not the same when a man in the royal family chooses a colored woman. A man can choose who he wants. But that a princess chooses a colored man has not happened before and it is difficult for people to deal with, said Durek Verrett, also known as a shaman.
– Worse than I thought
Märtha Louise said that her “white privileges” had made her naive.
– This is so much worse than I thought it was, she said in the broadcast.
Raja says you have to have two thoughts in your head at the same time.
– We distance ourselves from all incitement and racial incitement, and incitement against free love. But when Durek plays “I am black – therefore – the card”, also known as the “race card”, then we have to say no, says Raja.
–He says that unfortunately there is a lot of racism in Norway – something he himself has also experienced – but that the racists are fortunately in a strong minority.
– We can not avoid that there are more in Norway who expose Verrett and indirectly Märtha to racism. We take the strongest distance from that, says Raja.
– Is it not dangerous to accuse people of pulling the race card when you do not know what – and the extent of – reactions they have received?
– It is obvious that he has been exposed to racism as well. People need to stop racist nonsense. But he is thoroughly wrong if he thinks it is the reactions to the fact that he is colored that the Norwegian people are struggling with, claims Raja, who is deputy leader of the Liberal Party.
– Absolutely necessary criticism
Bjørlo believes Norway has come further than that.
– The main point is that this is not about race and that Norwegians are not ready for a person with a different color and background to get prominent positions in Norway. As far as Abid is concerned, and not least our new parliamentary president, Masud Gharahkhani (Labor Party), who has an Iranian background, says Bjørlo, parliamentary representative for the Liberal Party from Western Norway.
He sits on the business committee in the Storting and was before he was elected to the Storting mayor in Stad municipality.
Bjørlo says he is responsible for the criticism together with Raja.
–– The vast majority of the Norwegian people are liberal and open and have no problem with dark-skinned people gaining prominent positions. But that’s what he stands for as a shaman, to which people react. It is absolutely necessary that he receives that criticism – and should continue to receive it, when he marries a princess, says Bjørlo.
Raja mentions several examples:
– Verrett said that women who have sex with many partners has imprints in the vagina and that he can cure them. Every single hair on me stood up when I read it. This arouses enormous anger, not only in me, but in many of the thousands of homes in the world’s most equal countries, says Raja and adds:
– This is what I could go on a demonstration train against. And when he says he’s a mix of one reptile and a constellation, it is clear people are distancing themselves from him. Not to mention his conspiracy theories, Raja says:
– He says he can save people from cancer. It is not unnatural for Norwegians to react to this.
– There is racism in Norway
– They may still have been exposed to extreme racist reactions that can legitimize that they take a stand against it?
– Yes, I admit it. There is racism in Norway. This should be completely distanced from. But it is sad if the impression left abroad is that Norway does not want a dark-skinned member of the Royal Family. Because it’s wrong, says Raja.
He emphasizes that he does not want to interfere in the choice Princess Märtha has made.
–– I myself have fought for love and I have met her and experience Märtha as very positive and enthusiastic. She shall have the right to choose her boyfriend and life partner. And we distance ourselves from the racism they are exposed to. But Verrett must endure that many are cursed for everything he has said. That is the reason why the Norwegian people distance themselves from him, not his skin color.
Raja says he knows what racism is.
– I am brown myself and have been exposed to racism. We will fight against that together. But what Verrett says is harmful to society, dangerous to health and anti-gender.
–– Scary
They say they acknowledge that there is also structural racism in Norway, for example in employment processes where people with foreign names struggle more than those with Norwegian names.
– Yes, and we will fight against that. But the reason for the backlash he gets is mainly that he messes with conspiracy theories that are disturbing, including his space key theories and fears that 5G is surveillance by mysterious powerssays Bjørlo.
He says it’s not funny or ridiculous.
– It is scary. Then we must dare to speak out.
Have not commented
Princess Märtha Louise has been given the opportunity to read the case, which VG has sent to her secretary, who has conveyed that the princess does not want to comment on it.
Verrett did not respond to VG’s inquiries on Monday and Tuesday either in social media or by email.
We have also conveyed a desire to get an answer from him, via Princess Märtha’s secretary.
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