In the immediate aftermath of the bloodiest mass-killings in Norway since the World War II, perhaps nothing is more ironic than the conjectures made by countless European "security experts".

They queued up to point their fingers at Muslim fundamentalists and Al-Qaida terrorists when in fact the cold-blooded murderer turned out to be Anders Behring Breivik, a 32-year-old Norwegian.

A Norwegian anti-Muslim extremist killing Norwegians who weren't Muslim should be a wake-up call to Norway and Europe. The killer's identity and his monstrous attacks should remind policymakers and the public that native extremists are just as capable of perpetrating terror attacks fuelled by hate and xenophobia, and that preconceived ideas about potential threats can be misguided.

Over the past decade, especially after the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, many European authorities concentrated their attention on Al-Qaida and other Islamic extremist groups, paying little attention to the growing appeal of far-right ideology and groups in many countries.

Yet Breivik is not alone in his convictions, a number of European countries have native right-wing extremist groups that advocate violence as a means to remove what they regard as a "threat".

In 2008, a British man David Gilleard was found guilty of charges of engaging in the preparation of terrorist acts and collecting information for terrorist purposes. One of the documents seized by police in Britain suggested Gilleard wanted "to save this country from the multi-racial peril".

And conservative extremists in Europe, who are usually opposed to the immigration of Muslims, globalization and multiculturalism, have not only created an atmosphere of intolerance and exclusion, but also grown to have political influence, even in mainstream politics.

European countries are of great appeal to immigrants from the developing world, who in return offer these countries a cheap supply of labor and a boost to the economy. But the cultural diversity that has arisen poses a test to the existing immigration policy and social tolerance. With globalization, countries are increasingly interdependent and growing closer together, however, the gaps between peoples are widening.

The culprit's manifesto exposes a spiritual crisis and ideological division in Norway and other European countries. Behind the material prosperity, there exists the dissimilation of people.

The tragedy in Norway shows that societies need to smoothly resolve their contradictions and better accommodate people with differing cultures. How the paranoid ideas of this right-wing extremist were formed and fostered needs to be examined by the whole of society.

The soul-searching in Norway may continue for years. But in the meantime, European countries should not only be on the alert for Islamic extremists, they should also guard against homegrown extremists and terrorist threats.

(China Daily 07/28/2011 page8)