Arfan Bhatti

Islamic ExtremismIslamistPan-IslamistRecruiterDaesh

Feb 17

**DOB:** 9 August 1977

**Nationality:** Norwegian-Pakistani

**Location:** Oslo, Norway
**Ideology/Affiliation:** Islamist Extremism/Jihadism/Radicalism/Fundamentalism

**Type of Leader:** Preacher/Propagandist/Radicaliser

Current Status: Key member of Profetens Ummah - a Salafi-jihadist Islamist organisation based in Norway

Biography

Arfan Bhatti, who is believed to be the most dangerous person in Norway, made his first public debut back in January 2012 as the leader of the Norwegian Islamist group Profetens Ummah. He is known as the “glue” of the Salafi group in the Norwegian media. Bhatti was born and raised in Oslo but spent several years in the early 2000s in his home country Pakistan, where he allegedly became more radicalised. He got engaged at 18 to a Pakistani girl and got married in 2003. Additionally, he was married to two other women and had an affair with a Norwegian TV personality.

Bhatti is known for having a long history of convictions. In his teenagers, he was a member of a youth gang and was convicted for the first time for stabbing a shopkeeper in Oslo multiple times. After being convicted of shooting at a synagogue in 2006, Bhatti was accused of planning to blow up the Israeli and American embassies in Oslo. Additionally, he has been charged, but not convicted, for the shooting against the Dagbladet journalist Nina Johnsrud.

Despite his acquittal of terrorist plotting, he was found guilty of vandalism. In the same year, he was arrested by the German police, as his car was found to contain “a variety of missiles and weapons, handwritten notes about gun calibers and shooting distances, and a portrait of a dead Palestinian girl.” In 2008, Bhatti was diagnosed with an antisocial personality disorder for violating his ex-wife and kids.

In 2012, several media outlets reported that Bhatti had traveled to Syria to fight alongside other Norwegian jihadists, but other sources soon claimed that he was in Pakistan. He was later found to have been imprisoned in northern Pakistan from January 2013 to August 2014, although he was ultimately acquitted of all charges related to his involvement with the Taliban.

In January 2015 he returned to Norway after his flight ban was lifted but got detained by the police upon arrival and charged with domestic violence. During the same year, he went on pilgrimage to Mecca and in June he was refused entry into Turkey by Turkish authorities because of his status as a “danger to national security.” Later that summer, Bhatti was arrested again on new charges of domestic violence. His ten-month sentence for domestic violence was upheld in the courts and he began serving it in August 2015. Similarly, in January 2016, he was once again sentenced to 14 days for assaulting his wife.

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Evidence of Hate Speech/Incitement:

May 2021: A trial took place against a 16-year-old Syrian refugee in Norway who was accused of terror plots and of joining Daesh affiliates. The boy was arrested on February 4 and has been in custody ever since. Investigations revealed that the teenager had a profile picture of the Norwegian Islamist extremist Arfan Bhatti on one of his two profiles on the encrypted messaging service Telegram. Although this is not considered hate speech or incitement by Bhatti, it apparently demonstrates the strong influence Bhatti has on youths in Norway.

September 2014: Arfan Bhatti clearly stated that “the security of Norway lies in not participating in the coalition that will attack Muslims and their country,” reported TV2. He also warned NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg not to join the United States - “by acting as leader, Stoltenberg will probably expose himself, his family, and not least Norway as a nation, to danger. The country will become one of the key targets of the Mujahideen.”

August 2014: After being released from the Pakistani prisons, Bhatti apparently told the Norwegian media that he would not return to Norway because he believes that Islam forbids Muslims from settling in infidel countries. However, he ended up moving back to Norway in 2015.

February 2012: Arfan Bhatti is known for being a supporter of the idea of transforming Norway into an Islamist state. In an interview with the Norwegian Dagbladet, Bhatti expresses his thoughts on terrorism, religion, and the Norwegian culture - he clearly states “We want Norway to become an Islamic nation one day and be governed by sharia law.”

Extremist Individuals - Islamists