The new 'we' in Norway: the Iranian diaspora and Norwegian foreign policy

The new 'we' in Norway: the Iranian diaspora and Norwegian foreign policy With a focus on the Iranian diaspora in Norway, the article discusses aspects of its presence in the Norwegian sociocultural and political landscape. An account is given of the ongoing public debate on multiculturalism and foreign policy in Norway. In regard to multiculturalism, it is claimed that the particular secular and, at times, anti-religious, anti-Islamic positions taken, may on the one hand challenge the static and mechanical ideas we may have about 'us' and 'them', and, it is hoped, will lead to renewed understandings of ourselves. On the other hand, the position could lead to the reproduction of dominant discourses in the debate on multiculturalism, and thus enhance the already deep divisions within the management of diversity in Norwegian society. Considering Norwegian foreign policy, it is claimed that the Iranian-Norwegian positions described above, and the paradoxes these positions reveal, may be mirrored in the ways Norway considers and shapes its relationship towards the Iranian regime. The article demonstrates a clear relationship between Norwegian foreign policy and geopolitical and geocultural conditions regarding the country's position towards Iran, and it invites reflection on the current situation in Iran itself. At the same time it is an appeal to let Iranian-Norwegian voices be heard.