ISBN: Ostalo
Godina izdanja: 2003
Jezik: Engleski
Autor: Strani

U dobrom stanju.

Social development and political progress in two traditions : a conceptual and comparative analysis of western and Arab-Islamic ideas of social and political change and improvement
Gule, Lars
2003


Lars Gule (born 24 June 1955) is a Norwegian philosopher. He has graduated with a doctorate in philosophy, and is an associate professor (at Oslo Metropolitan University). From 2000 to 2005 he was secretary general of the Norwegian Humanist Association. Gule became known to the general public in 1977 when after having joined the DFLP group, Gule was arrested in Beirut, Lebanon with Semtex[3] in his luggage intended for Israeli targets leading to a six-month conviction and subsequent deportation. He remains active as an anti-Israel activist.[5] Gule is often used by Norwegian media as an authority on questions regarding the Middle East, Islam and extremism.

In January 1977 Gule travelled from Norway on a trip that was supposed to take him through much of the Middle East. The first goal was Lebanon, where most people believed the situation was beginning to normalize after one and half years of civil war. Gule sympathised with the Palestinian cause and became involved in the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), a Palestinian political party and terror group. Gule has denied that it was his intention to participate in terrorism and describes his involvement as part of the `anti-imperialist` struggle.

The DFLP asked Gule to carry out an armed operation in Israel in early June 1977. Gule has explained that the DFLP proposed three targets for him: a bomb could be placed either be in a pedestrian underpass in Tel Aviv, in the President Hotel in Jerusalem or outside an apartment complex with gas containers outside in what was referred to as a `bourgeois neighbourhood`.` Gule has argued that he rejected these targets as he was sceptical of what could be regarded as terrorism. `The suspect had made it known to his employers that he did not want to take human life. The purpose of the explosion was to mark the 10th anniversary of the war in 1967, strengthen the Palestinians` fighting spirit and morale`, he said later during interrogation to the Norwegian police.[9] He did not succeed in engaging the DFLP in a discussion on a more symbolic target.[8] Khaled Nazzal was guidance officer for Gule. As it was not possible to travel directly from Lebanon to Israel, Gule was to travel back to Norway where he was to procure a new passport (without Arab visas) before he went on to Israel after a few weeks, during the time he would consider if he could participate in such an operation. He received a plane ticket to Europe and $1,300 (US) from the DFLP, to cover the other travel expenses.

At the security check in Beirut International Airport on 6 May when Gule was about to leave Lebanon, a security officers found approximately 750 grams of plastic explosives hidden in the covers of books Gule had in his backpack. He was eventually handed over to the Lebanese intelligence service and after harsh interrogations, Gule confessed to his cooperation with the DFLP. Gule has explained how he was exposed to torture, including being beaten under the soles of the feet and threatened with liquidation.

Gule was sentenced to six months prison in Lebanon and a fine for the `illegal possession of weapons` (i.e. explosives). He was acquitted of attempting to carry out terrorist acts using explosives.

The case attracted great attention in Norwegian media in the summer of 1977, and when Gule was released from prison and returned to Norway in November 1977, he was questioned by the Norwegian police. The attorney general, however, chose to react with a waiver, even though he repeated his statement about having begun what could be construed as planning a bombing in Israel.