Norwegians of Pakistani descent
Encyclopedia
Pakistani Norwegians are Norwegians
of Pakistani descent. First generation Pakistani Norwegians, who migrate from Pakistan, are distinguished from the mainstream in several demographic aspects, while second generation Pakistani Norwegians, who are born in Norway, are well-established in Norway and have gone on to become professionals and politicians. Pakistani Norwegians have strong presence in higher education, media, and politics.
, in Pakistan's Punjab
province, though later waves included a high number of workers from Lahore
, Pakistan's second largest city. The law was later amended to allow for already arrived guest workers to permanently settle in Norway. Following stricter immigration laws passed in 1976, Pakistan immigration to Norway shifted from the arrival of new immigrants, to family reunification
s, in which Pakistani Norwegians could apply for their close relatives and/or spouses to immigrate to Norway.
54% of first generation Pakistani-Norwegian women in the 20-24 age group are married. However, for second generation Pakistani-Norwegian women the figure is 19%. The national average is 7%.
Children of Pakistani immigrants sometimes struggle when trying to be loyal to both their family's traditional Islamic culture and the one of liberal Scandinavia
, although there is a strong tendency to favour Norwegian traditions over Pakistani ones, or even combining the two into a sort of creole culture. Second generation Pakistani Norwegians are sometimes told that they are different from Norwegians, although they feel at home only in Norway, while at home they may also be pressured by their parents to not become "too Norwegian."
In spite of the aforementioned issues, the Pakistani Norwegian community as a whole is generally considered to be well-integrated into Norwegian culture. Riffat Bashir, Imam
of Oslo's largest mosque
often invites Norwegian church leaders and non-Muslim citizens to his mosque in order to partake in inter-faith and inter-ethnic dialogue.
, a Member of the current Stortinget (Norway's Parliament) for the Sosialistisk Venstreparti ("Socialist Left Party") who migrated to Norway from Pakistan in 1982 and was the former head of the Pakistan Norwegian Welfare Organization.
Afshan Rafiq is a former member of the Stortinget for the Høyre (Conservative Party of Norway). She still remains a Deputy Representative for the party.
Aamir J. Sheikh
is a member the Oslo city council for Høyre and husband of Norway's first member of the Stortinget with minority
background, Afshan Rafiq
.
Many Pakistani Norwegians are also involved in lower-level politics as part of regional councils and city councils. Abid Raja, formerly a scholar at Wadham College at the University of Oxford
won a seat for the Akershus County council as a member of the Liberal Party.
Norwegian politicians actively engage themselves with Pakistani Norwegian to canvass votes. Rather surprisingly, Carl Hagen, head of the anti-immigration Fremskrittspartiet("Progress Party") even attended Pakistan Independence Day celebrations in Oslo to court the Pakistani Norwegian vote. Kristin Halvorsen
, the leader of Norway's left-of-centre Socialist Left Party, went to Pakistan in 2005 to court the votes of Norwegian citizens residing in Pakistan. Many other Norwegian politicians have courted the Pakistani Norwegian vote in Norway by attending cultural functions, such as the right-of-centre Christian Democrat KRF party.
is the first non-white news anchor for Norway's state broadcasting network, the NRK - although another Pakistani Norwegian, Noman Mubashir, is the first non-white personality on Norwegian TV and hosted the multi-ethnic programme, Migrapolis
, before hosting a Saturday night entertainment show. Zahid Ali, another Pakistani Norwegian, joined the ranks of minorities on Norwegian television by participating in the comedy program Rikets Røst on TV2
.
Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen
is a Pakistani Norwegian who directed three movies, including Izzat
, a story which follows Wasim and his youth gang years in the 1980s to his young adult years in the 1990s. The film is set in Oslo
and deals with the double standards in a tough Pakistani Norwegian gang
environment. It relates directly to the difficulty of being raised as a Muslim
immigrant in western countries. The word Izzat means honour in Urdu. A number of Pakistani Norwegians were featured in this film, and a small portion was filmed in Lahore
, Pakistan.
in Oslo are of Pakistani heritage. The figure is significant as Pakistani Norwegians only constitute 3.67% of Oslo's population. The proportion of Pakistani Norwegians, born and raised in Norway, in higher education at university level is higher than the Norwegian national average. Amongst Pakistani Norwegians born and raised in Pakistan the share is 17%, the same as the average for Norwegian immigrants in general.
Internationally renowned researchers are, among others, Farrukh Abbas Chaudhry (medicine) and Shah Nawaz (petroleum chemistry), and the physicist Kalbe Razi Naqvi
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
of Pakistani descent. First generation Pakistani Norwegians, who migrate from Pakistan, are distinguished from the mainstream in several demographic aspects, while second generation Pakistani Norwegians, who are born in Norway, are well-established in Norway and have gone on to become professionals and politicians. Pakistani Norwegians have strong presence in higher education, media, and politics.
History in Norway
The initial first generation Pakistani Norwegians arrived in Norway as guest workers during the 1970s, under Norway's then-liberal immigration scheme which allowed for unskilled "guest workers" to temporarily settle in Norway. Most of these immigrants were young men that came from areas surrounding the town of KharianKharian
Kharian is a city of Gujrat District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The chief city of Kharian Tehsil, it lies almost midway between Lahore and Islamabad on the Grand Trunk Road . This is the road which connects the city all the way to Bangladesh, India and Afghanistan and was used during...
, in Pakistan's Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
province, though later waves included a high number of workers from Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Pakistan's second largest city. The law was later amended to allow for already arrived guest workers to permanently settle in Norway. Following stricter immigration laws passed in 1976, Pakistan immigration to Norway shifted from the arrival of new immigrants, to family reunification
Family reunification
Family reunification is a recognized reason for immigration in many countries. The presence of one or more family members in a certain country, therefore, enables the rest of the family to immigrate to that country as well....
s, in which Pakistani Norwegians could apply for their close relatives and/or spouses to immigrate to Norway.
Integrating into Norwegian society
The first generation Pakistani Norwegians, who migrate from Pakistan, often retain their traditional Pakistani views. Second generation Pakistani Norwegians who are born in Norway tend to be completely Norwegian in attitudes and practice.Lifestyle
First generation Norwegian-Pakistani women, born and raised in Pakistan, are overrepresented among young married couples. According to Statistics NorwayStatistics Norway
Statistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...
54% of first generation Pakistani-Norwegian women in the 20-24 age group are married. However, for second generation Pakistani-Norwegian women the figure is 19%. The national average is 7%.
Children of Pakistani immigrants sometimes struggle when trying to be loyal to both their family's traditional Islamic culture and the one of liberal Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, although there is a strong tendency to favour Norwegian traditions over Pakistani ones, or even combining the two into a sort of creole culture. Second generation Pakistani Norwegians are sometimes told that they are different from Norwegians, although they feel at home only in Norway, while at home they may also be pressured by their parents to not become "too Norwegian."
In spite of the aforementioned issues, the Pakistani Norwegian community as a whole is generally considered to be well-integrated into Norwegian culture. Riffat Bashir, Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
of Oslo's largest mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
often invites Norwegian church leaders and non-Muslim citizens to his mosque in order to partake in inter-faith and inter-ethnic dialogue.
Politics
The Pakistani Norwegian community does not vote as a bloc for any particular party in Norway. Rather, there is a diversity of political beliefs, demonstrated by support for a varety of parties. Many Pakistani Norwegian politicians have been successful in their political campaigns, such as Akhtar ChaudhryAkhtar Chaudhry
Haque Nawaz Akhtar Chaudhry is a Pakistani-Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party and 4th Vice President of the Norwegian parliament. Chaudhry came to Norway from Pakistan in 1982....
, a Member of the current Stortinget (Norway's Parliament) for the Sosialistisk Venstreparti ("Socialist Left Party") who migrated to Norway from Pakistan in 1982 and was the former head of the Pakistan Norwegian Welfare Organization.
Afshan Rafiq is a former member of the Stortinget for the Høyre (Conservative Party of Norway). She still remains a Deputy Representative for the party.
Aamir J. Sheikh
Aamir J. Sheikh
Aamir Javed Sheikh is a Norwegian-Pakistani local politician. Sheikh has been the City Representative for Oslo for the Høyre Party since 1995.Aamir J. Sheikh came to Norway when he was eight, and grew up in Oslo...
is a member the Oslo city council for Høyre and husband of Norway's first member of the Stortinget with minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
background, Afshan Rafiq
Afshan Rafiq
Afshan Rafiq is a Pakistani Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party.Born in Oslo to Pakistani immigrants, she graduated from the University of Oslo in 1999 with the cand.mag. degree. In 2000 she enrolled in medicine studies....
.
Many Pakistani Norwegians are also involved in lower-level politics as part of regional councils and city councils. Abid Raja, formerly a scholar at Wadham College at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
won a seat for the Akershus County council as a member of the Liberal Party.
Norwegian politicians actively engage themselves with Pakistani Norwegian to canvass votes. Rather surprisingly, Carl Hagen, head of the anti-immigration Fremskrittspartiet("Progress Party") even attended Pakistan Independence Day celebrations in Oslo to court the Pakistani Norwegian vote. Kristin Halvorsen
Kristin Halvorsen
Kristin Halvorsen is a Norwegian socialist politician and was the Minister of Finance from 17 October 2005 until 20 October 2009. She is now the Minister of Education in Stoltenberg's second cabinet....
, the leader of Norway's left-of-centre Socialist Left Party, went to Pakistan in 2005 to court the votes of Norwegian citizens residing in Pakistan. Many other Norwegian politicians have courted the Pakistani Norwegian vote in Norway by attending cultural functions, such as the right-of-centre Christian Democrat KRF party.
Media
Mah-Rukh AliMah-Rukh Ali
Mah-Rukh Ali is a Norwegian journalist and news anchor.Mah-Rukh Ali was born and raised in Oslo, of Pakistani parents with three brothers. As a 14-year-old, she wrote the book Den sure virkeligheten , released in 1996...
is the first non-white news anchor for Norway's state broadcasting network, the NRK - although another Pakistani Norwegian, Noman Mubashir, is the first non-white personality on Norwegian TV and hosted the multi-ethnic programme, Migrapolis
Migrapolis
Migrapolis is a Norwegian award winning TV programme about the everyday lives of immigrants to Norway since 1997.The programme's theme is multi-cultural Norway and it contains interviews with people of a different background than Norwegian. Migrapolis focuses on problems and cultural differences...
, before hosting a Saturday night entertainment show. Zahid Ali, another Pakistani Norwegian, joined the ranks of minorities on Norwegian television by participating in the comedy program Rikets Røst on TV2
TV 2 (Norway)
TV 2 is the largest commercial television station in Norway. Over 30% of the time Norwegians spend watching TV is spent watching TV 2. The station has 65% of the market for TV commercials in Norway....
.
Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen
Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen
Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen is a Pakistani Norwegian movie director.Rolfsen belongs to the new generation of Norwegian directors who have influenced Norwegian film the last few years. His debut as feature film director came with the action film Izzat in 2005. Rolfsen has earlier made a number of...
is a Pakistani Norwegian who directed three movies, including Izzat
Izzat
Izzat is a 2005 Norwegian fiilm which tells the story of Pakistani gangsters in Oslo, directed by Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen. Izzat is a word used by South Asian individuals to denote their social standing in a community, it is translated to mean respect or honour.- Cast :* Emil Marwa - Wasim* Ove...
, a story which follows Wasim and his youth gang years in the 1980s to his young adult years in the 1990s. The film is set in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and deals with the double standards in a tough Pakistani Norwegian gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
environment. It relates directly to the difficulty of being raised as a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
immigrant in western countries. The word Izzat means honour in Urdu. A number of Pakistani Norwegians were featured in this film, and a small portion was filmed in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Pakistan.
Education
Almost 10% of the medical studentsMedical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
in Oslo are of Pakistani heritage. The figure is significant as Pakistani Norwegians only constitute 3.67% of Oslo's population. The proportion of Pakistani Norwegians, born and raised in Norway, in higher education at university level is higher than the Norwegian national average. Amongst Pakistani Norwegians born and raised in Pakistan the share is 17%, the same as the average for Norwegian immigrants in general.
Internationally renowned researchers are, among others, Farrukh Abbas Chaudhry (medicine) and Shah Nawaz (petroleum chemistry), and the physicist Kalbe Razi Naqvi
Kalbe Razi Naqvi
Dr. Prof. Kalbe Razi Naqvi is a British Pakistani physicist, who has been ordinarily resident in Norway since 1977, working as a professor of biophysics in the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.-Education:...
.
Notable Pakistani Norwegians
- Abid Raja
- Adil KhanAdil KhanAdil Khan is a Norwegian dancer and actor of Punjabi/Pashtun descent. Adil came to the limelight when he won Dansefeber,...
- Kalbe Razi NaqviKalbe Razi NaqviDr. Prof. Kalbe Razi Naqvi is a British Pakistani physicist, who has been ordinarily resident in Norway since 1977, working as a professor of biophysics in the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.-Education:...
- Afshan RafiqAfshan RafiqAfshan Rafiq is a Pakistani Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party.Born in Oslo to Pakistani immigrants, she graduated from the University of Oslo in 1999 with the cand.mag. degree. In 2000 she enrolled in medicine studies....
- Aamir J. SheikhAamir J. SheikhAamir Javed Sheikh is a Norwegian-Pakistani local politician. Sheikh has been the City Representative for Oslo for the Høyre Party since 1995.Aamir J. Sheikh came to Norway when he was eight, and grew up in Oslo...
- Akhtar ChaudhryAkhtar ChaudhryHaque Nawaz Akhtar Chaudhry is a Pakistani-Norwegian politician for the Socialist Left Party and 4th Vice President of the Norwegian parliament. Chaudhry came to Norway from Pakistan in 1982....
- Athar AliAthar AliAthar Ali is a Pakistani Norwegian have represented the Norwegian political party Red.He served as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Oslo during the term 1993–1997...
- DeeyahDeeyahDeeyah , born August 7, 1977 in Oslo, Norway, is a Norwegian singer,music producer, composer, film maker and human rights activist of Punjabi/Pashtun descent. She adopted the name Deeyah in 2002...
- Hadia TajikHadia TajikHadia Tajik is a Norwegian Member of Parliament from the Labour Party. She is of Pakistani descent.-Early life and education:She was born in Norway, and hails from Bjørheimsbygd in Strand, Rogaland...
- Khalid Mahmood
- Mah-Rukh AliMah-Rukh AliMah-Rukh Ali is a Norwegian journalist and news anchor.Mah-Rukh Ali was born and raised in Oslo, of Pakistani parents with three brothers. As a 14-year-old, she wrote the book Den sure virkeligheten , released in 1996...
- Noman MubashirNoman MubashirNoman Mubashir is a Norwegian journalist employed by the NRK.Of Pakistani descent, early in his career he hosted the multi-ethnic programme Migrapolis on NRK and later worked as a news anchor on Østlandssendingen, also NRK. He has published two books...
- Shabana RehmanShabana RehmanShabana Rehman Gaarder is a Norwegian stand-up comedian, writer and columnist.-Brutalized by adolescence boyfriend:...
- Mohammad Usman RanaMohammad Usman RanaMohammad Usman Rana is a Norwegian Pakistani commentator, columnist and medical doctor, achieving his degree at the University of Oslo.-Early life:He was born in Norway, and grew up in Husvik in southern Tønsberg...
- Ulrik Imtiaz RolfsenUlrik Imtiaz RolfsenUlrik Imtiaz Rolfsen is a Pakistani Norwegian movie director.Rolfsen belongs to the new generation of Norwegian directors who have influenced Norwegian film the last few years. His debut as feature film director came with the action film Izzat in 2005. Rolfsen has earlier made a number of...
- Zahid AliZahid AliZahid Ali is a Norwegian stand-up comedian. He is known for his participation in the TV2 show "Rikets Røst" which is hosted by Otto Jespersen...
See also
- Overseas Pakistani
- Islam in NorwayIslam in NorwayIslam is the largest minority religion in Norway, which consist between 2.0% and 3.4% of the population. In 2007, government statistics registered 79,068 members of Islamic congregations in Norway, about 10% more than in 2006. 56% lived in the counties of Oslo and Akershus...
- Demographics of NorwayDemographics of NorwayThis article is about the demographic features of the population of Norway, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.-Total population:...
- Norway-Pakistan relations
- Immigration to NorwayImmigration to NorwayThe number of immigrants in Norway is currently approximately 601,000, which corresponds to 12.2 percent of the total population . In addition to these, 213,486 are born in Norway with one immigrant parent, 31,540 are born abroad with one Norwegian parent, and 37,056 are born abroad to Norwegian...
External links
- The Pakistani Norwegians
- Black-Haired Norwegians: Pakistani Women and Their Daughters
- From Exclusion to Inclusion: the Pakistani Community in Norway
- Oslo's trendy Pakistani hotspot
- Changes in Food Habits among Pakistani Immigrant Women in Oslo, Norway
- Iron deficiency among pregnant Pakistanis in Norway