Norwegian Muslims rally against Islamic militants

Norway’s prime minister and other politicians have joined Muslim leaders and thousands of other people for a demonstration in Oslo against radical Islamists.

Monday’s rally was an initiative by young Norwegian Muslims who wanted to show a united front against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq and their sympathizers in Norway.

Mehtab Afshar, head of the Islamic Council in Norway, told the crowd: “They stand for terrorism, they stand for terror ... and we condemn that in the strongest terms.”

A small radical group in Norway has expressed support for Islamic State militants, angering moderate Muslims in immigrant communities in the country.

According to the Norwegian security service at least 50 people have left Norway to become foreign fighters for militant groups in Syria.