Peter Svaar, a former classmate and companion of Anders Breivik, tells BBC Mundo of his shock at discovering the identity of Oslo's author of the massacre. Svaar, a journalist, had spent years in high school and college, studying and camping with his friend, Anders. The were very similar in many ways. But what caused one to join the corp of journalism, while the other fomented hatred toward outsiders, joining anti-immigration organizations living in fear of what lies outside his comfort zone, scheming and intricately planning the outburst of his inner torment?
Translated below from Spanish into EnglishOdio
No era un hombre muy diferente de mí. Teníamos la misma edad, estudiamos en los mismos lugares.
"Todavía no puedo entender el origen de todo ese odio"
A ninguno de nosotros nos ha faltado nada material ni hemos sido víctimas de alguna injusticia social importante, en este país que tiene un amplio estado de bienestar.
Por supuesto, nunca he pasado años delante de mi computadora investigando recetas de bombas o visitando sitios web de la extrema derecha.
Y, lo que es más importante, nunca he sentido el tipo de ira o de odio que él debió haber tenido en su interior.
Todavía no puedo entender el origen de todo ese odio.
La mayoría de la gente ahora lo considera un monstruo.
Pero yo aún recuerdo su sonrisa y sus bromas.
Recuerdo cómo Anders a veces se le acercaba a uno por detrás y, en tono de broma, le gritaba "kra!" en el oído, sólo para darle un buen susto.
Era su saludo habitual en el patio de la escuela en esos años.
Translated to English by Immigration Reform Issues:
HATRED
He was not unlike me. We were the same age. We studied in the same places. "Still I cannot understand the source of all that hatred?"
None of us lacked anything in the way of material goods, nor were we victims of some social important injustice, in this country which has such a widespread state of well-being.
Of course, I have not spent years in from of my computer investigating bomb making recipes, or visiting extreme right wing websites.
And, most importantly, I have not felt the type of anger and hatred that he must have had inside. Still, I can't understand the origin of all this hatred. Most people now consider him a monster. But I still remember the smile and his jokes. I remember how Anders used to come up behind one of us, and in a joking voice, would cry "kra" [growl] in our ear, just to give us a good scare.
That was his usual greeting on the playground in those years.
Odio
No era un hombre muy diferente de mí. Teníamos la misma edad, estudiamos en los mismos lugares.
"Todavía no puedo entender el origen de todo ese odio"
A ninguno de nosotros nos ha faltado nada material ni hemos sido víctimas de alguna injusticia social importante, en este país que tiene un amplio estado de bienestar.
Por supuesto, nunca he pasado años delante de mi computadora investigando recetas de bombas o visitando sitios web de la extrema derecha.
Y, lo que es más importante, nunca he sentido el tipo de ira o de odio que él debió haber tenido en su interior.
Todavía no puedo entender el origen de todo ese odio.
La mayoría de la gente ahora lo considera un monstruo.
Pero yo aún recuerdo su sonrisa y sus bromas.
Recuerdo cómo Anders a veces se le acercaba a uno por detrás y, en tono de broma, le gritaba "kra!" en el oído, sólo para darle un buen susto.
Era su saludo habitual en el patio de la escuela en esos años.
Translated to English by Immigration Reform Issues:"Todavía no puedo entender el origen de todo ese odio"
HATRED
He was not unlike me. We were the same age. We studied in the same places. "Still I cannot understand the source of all that hatred?"
None of us lacked anything in the way of material goods, nor were we victims of some social important injustice, in this country which has such a widespread state of well-being.
Of course, I have not spent years in from of my computer investigating bomb making recipes, or visiting extreme right wing websites.
And, most importantly, I have not felt the type of anger and hatred that he must have had inside. Still, I can't understand the origin of all this hatred. Most people now consider him a monster. But I still remember the smile and his jokes. I remember how Anders used to come up behind one of us, and in a joking voice, would cry "kra" [growl] in our ear, just to give us a good scare.
That was his usual greeting on the playground in those years.
Source: BBC Mundo: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/noticias/2011/07/110730_noruega_oslo_ataques_anders_breivik_infancia_amigo_mt.shtml
