SIAN

SIAN, an abbreviation of Stopp Islamiseringen av Norge ("Stop the Islamicization of Norway"), is an Islamophobic group in Norway, which shares part of its name with series of similar groups and with parallels to Germany's PEGIDA. Part of a diffuse web of Counter-jihad lobby groups, fringe political parties, and media outlets fake news sites that push the myth of Eurabia, SIAN was founded in 2012, very shortly after Breivik's terror attacks, and was previously known as FOMI (Forum mot islamisering, "Forum Against Islamicization"). They have openly supported Fjordman.

Origins
SIAN seems to have been inspired by Denmark's SIAD,.

Positioning
SIAN's stated goal from their website is to "work against, stop, and reverse Islamiciztion in Norway" by "spreading information about what Islam stands for and what consequences Islamicization will have."

The organization claims not to be affiliated with any political party, but members of Fremskrittspartiet appear more likely to spread SIAN's message than those of other major parties.

Incidents

 * In 2016, spokesperson Lars Thorsen was attacked by counter-protestors in a demonstration after he threw a book on Sharia law on the ground and said "That's what we do with this," while wearing a shirt that said "Mohammed was a terrorist."


 * In May 2017, leader and deputy leader Lars Thorsen and Fanny (also known as Anna) Bråten were caught by a TV2 news camera crew shouting homophobic and Islamophobic remarks to a group protesting a speech by Austrian far-right identitarian figure Martin Sellner.


 * Also in 2017, SIAN was forced to shut down their tent in the middle of Arendal, in southern Norway, timed to coincide with a political festival called Arendalsuka ("Arendal Week"), because police could not guarantee the safety of SIAN members there.


 * In July 2018, Hansen and Bråten organized distribution of brochures with Islamophobic content. On September 1, 2018, in a demonstration before the Parliament (Stortinget), Bråten claimed asylum-seekers would turn out to be "murder zombies [and] sexual predators." Both were charged in early 2019 for breach of Norway's "racism paragraph," §185 of the Criminal Code.


 * In spring 2019, Arendalsuka faced pressure from several political parties after inviting both SIAN and Hans Lysglimt Johansen's Alliansen to the festival, but not inviting Normal Norway, an organization that advocates for the legalization of cannabis.


 * On July 22, 2019, the anniversary of the Utøya massacre, Bråten posted "Safer with Breivik than with the Muslim... There are many gold nuggets in his manifesto."


 * In August 2019, The Progress Party, long known for its anti-immigrant stance, announced it would adjust party rules to prevent dual membership in the party and SIAN. Some party members and officials disagreed, citing both freedom of speech and hypocrisy.