Anti-immigration group '˜confuses bus seats for terrorists'

An anti-immigration group on Facebook has been widely mocked - after its members confused empty bus seats for women wearing burkas.

Definitely a photo of bus seats, and not a group of women in burkas. Picture: Facebook/Contributed

Users of the Norway-based Fedrelandet Viktigst group on the social networking site reacted to the photo posted by one member who asked: “What do people think about this?”

The image, showing around six empty seats on a bus, attracted comments such as ‘frightening’, ‘tragic’, and ‘scary’, according to The Local.

Others claimed it was evidence of the ‘Islamification’ of Norway.

One member of the group added: “It looks really scary, it should be banned. You never know who is under there - could be terrorists with weapons.”

Another demanded: “Get them out of our country, they look like collapsed umbrellas. Frightening times we are living in.”

Screenshots of the photo and accompanying comments from the group were posted by Sindre Beyer, with the caption: “What happens when a photo of some empty bus seats is posted to a disgusting Facebook group and nearly everyone thinks they see a bunch of burkas?”

Beyer told Nettavisen: “I’m shocked by how much hate and fake news is spread [in the group],” adding that he had been following the page for quite some time.

“The hatred that was displayed towards some empty bus seats really shows how much prejudices trump wisdom. I shared the post so that more people can see what is happening in the dark corners of the internet.”

Rune Berglund Steen, head of the Norwegian Centre Against Racism (Antirasistisk senter) told Nettavisen that the responses illustrated how quickly people can jump to conclusions.

Steen said: “People see what they want to see and what they want to see are dangerous Muslims. In a way it’s an interesting test of how quickly people can find confirmations of their own delusions.”