Erostratus Unbound: 'Norway’s 22/7 converging frames of war'

Abstract

The purpose of this introductory article is to set the stage for the theme issue on the 22 July 2011 terror attacks in Oslo and Utøya by mass murderer, Anders Behring Breivik. The article opens up with the historical and literary figure Erostratus to discuss the differences and similarities between this lone wolf character and the acts of terrorist Anders Behring Breivik. It then situates Breivik firmly within an ideological landscape where communities of politicians, pundits and others distance themselves from Breivik’s terrorising acts, yet in the end share his basic criticism of “multiculturalism” appearing synonymous with “cultural Marxism” as well as subscribing to what goes under the term of Eurabia conspiracy. In addition, through centring on other catch-all concept of political correctness, the clusters of different anti-migration, anti-feminism and Islamophobic opposition are united together in news articles in a way not unlike the media coverage (and academic analyses) of the Danish Muhammad cartoon affair.

Keywords

• lone-wolf
• multiculturalism
• anders behring breivik
• muhammad cartoon affair
• grotesque
• anger
• warfare