by Sunny Hundal

As we reported yesterday, the Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik published a 1,500 page manifesto online that warned of “Islamic colonisation” of Western Europe.

He introduced the manifesto by writing that it “presents advanced ideological, practical, tactical, organisational and rhetorical solutions and strategies for all patriotic-minded individuals/movements”.

The manifesto also has this quote on Page 361:

Our culture is now deep into uncharted territory. Generations of family disintegration in turn are unravelling the fundamentals of civilised human behaviour. Committed fathers are crucial to their children’s emotional development. As a result of the incalculable irresponsibility of our elites, however, fathers have been seen for the past three decades as expendable and disposable. Lone parenthood stopped being a source of shame and turned instead into a woman’s inalienable right. The state has provided more and more inducements to women – through child benefit, council flats and other welfare provision – to have children without committed fathers. This has produced generations of women-only households, where emotionally needy girls so often become hopelessly inadequate mothers who abuse and neglect their own children – who, in turn, perpetuate the destructive pattern. This is culturally nothing less than suicidal.

The above quote is not Breivik, but rather the Daily Mail columnist Melanie Phillips.

After the quote, he adds:

I sometimes wonder whether the modern West, and Western Europe in particular, should be dubbed the Fatherless Civilisation. Fathers have been turned into a caricature and there is a striking demonisation of traditional male values. Any person attempting to enforce rules and authority, a traditional male preserve, is seen as a Fascist and ridiculed, starting with God the Father. We end up with a society of vague fathers who can be replaced at the whim of the mothers at any given moment. Even the mothers have largely abdicated, leaving the upbringing of children to schools, kindergartens and television. In fashion and lifestyle, mothers imitate their daughters, not vice versa.

Another article by Melanie Phillips in the Daily Mail on immigration (safe link) is quoted in its entirety in the manifesto.

But there is no suggestion that his actions were inspired by Melanie Phillips, nor am I making that claim.

Breivik also quoted an article by presenter Jeremy Clarkson on the flag of St George, which says: “This is the only country in the world where the national flag is deemed offensive.”

Breivik is due to make his appearance in court today, where he is expected to plead not-guilty and ‘explain’ his actions.