Lars Gule

Lars Gule (born 24 June 1955) is a Norwegian philosopher.

He has graduated with a doctorate in philosophy, and is an associate professor (at Oslo Metropolitan University).

The purpose of the explosion was to mark the 10th anniversary of the war in 1967, strengthen the Palestinians' fighting spirit and morale", he said later during interrogation to the Norwegian police. He did not succeed in engaging the DFLP in a discussion on a more symbolic target. Khaled Nazzal was guidance officer for Gule. As it was not possible to travel directly from Lebanon to Israel, Gule was to travel back to Norway where he was to procure a new passport (without Arab visas) before he went on to Israel after a few weeks, during the time he would consider if he could participate in such an operation. He received a plane ticket to Europe and $1,300 (US) from the DFLP, to cover the other travel expenses.

At the security check in Beirut International Airport on 6 May when Gule was about to leave Lebanon, a security officers found approximately 750 grams of plastic explosives hidden in the covers of books Gule had in his backpack.

He was eventually handed over to the Lebanese intelligence service and after harsh interrogations, Gule confessed to his cooperation with the DFLP.

Gule has explained how he was exposed to torture, including being beaten under the soles of the feet and threatened with liquidation.

Gule was sentenced to six months prison in Lebanon and a fine for the "illegal possession of weapons" (i.e. explosives).

He was acquitted of attempting to carry out terrorist acts using explosives.

Gule became known to the general public in 1977 when after having joined the DFLP group, Gule was arrested in Beirut, Lebanon with Semtex in his luggage intended for Israeli targets leading to a six-month conviction and subsequent deportation.

He remains active as a anti-Israel activist.

Gule is often used by Norwegian media as an authority on questions regarding the Middle East, Islam and extremism.

In January 1977 Gule travelled from Norway on a trip that was supposed to take him through much of the Middle East.

The first goal was Lebanon, where most people believed the situation was beginning to normalize after one and half years of civil war.

Gule sympathised with the Palestinian cause and became involved in the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), a Palestinian political party and terror group.

Gule has denied that it was his intention to participate in terrorism and describes his involvement as part of the "anti-imperialist" struggle.

The DFLP asked Gule to carry out an armed operation in Israel in early June 1977.

Gule has explained that the DFLP proposed three targets for him: a bomb could be placed either be in a pedestrian underpass in Tel Aviv, in the President Hotel in Jerusalem or outside an apartment complex with gas containers outside in what was referred to as a "bourgeois neighbourhood"." Gule has argued that he rejected these targets as he was sceptical of what could be regarded as terrorism. "The suspect had made it known to his employers that he did not want to take human life.

The case attracted great attention in Norwegian media in the summer of 1977, and when Gule was released from prison and returned to Norway in November 1977, he was questioned by the Norwegian police.

The attorney general, however, chose to react with a waiver, even though he repeated his statement about having begun what could be construed as planning a bombing in Israel.

Back in Norway Gule began studying history at the University of Bergen in 1978.

Then, after completing an MA in philosophy, he administered the programme Middle Eastern Languages and Culture as well as The Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, both at the University of Bergen.

In 1987 he administered the Middle Eastern Languages and Culture subject as well as The Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, both at the University of Bergen.

In 1989, he was associated with the Chr.

Michelsen Institute (CMI) human rights programme as a PhD student and administrator.

In 1989, he became associated with the Chr.

Michelsen Institute Human Rights Programme as a PhD student.

He later returned to the University of Bergen (Centre for Development Studies) as coordinator of the research programme Nature, Society and Water (1998–2000).

He later returned to the University of Bergen (Centre for Development Studies) as coordinator of the research programme Nature, Society and Water (1998–2000).

From 2000 to 2005 he was secretary general of the Norwegian Humanist Association.

From July 2000 to December 2005 he was secretary general of the Norwegian Humanist Association (see below).

In 2000 Gule was appointed to secretary general of the Norwegian Humanist Association and started working there on 1 July.

Lars Gule studied history, philosophy and social science at the University of Bergen and received his doctoral degree in philosophy (doctor artium) at the same university in 2003 when he defended the dissertation Social Development and Political Progress in Two Traditions A Conceptual and Comparative Analysis of Western and Arab-Islamic Ideas of Social and Political Change and Improvement.

He served in this capacity until 9 December 2005.

The immediate resignation came as a result of a disagreement with the Executive Board on an organizational questions.

From February 2006 he was Programme Director at the Center for Multicultural and International Work (Sefia) (discontinued) at Oslo University College, and in August 2007 he moved to a position as associate professor (following the closure of Sefia) related to the fields of multicultural understanding and development studies at the Department of Education and International Studies, Oslo and Akershus University College.

From January 2010 he became a full-time post doctor research fellow at the SPS and worked, inter alia, with professional practice in multicultural society.

From January 2009, the Gule was also associated with HiO's (from 1 August 2011 HiOA's) Centre for the Study of Professions (SPS) in a 50% position as a post doctor.

However, Gule's research interests have moved in the direction of extremism after the terrorist attacks in Oslo and at Utøya on 22 July 2011, and from the fall semester of 2015 he is contributing to the teaching of a 15 ECT credit course called "Knowledge on Extremism and Radicalisation" (in Norwegian).

The post doctor fellowship ended in August 2013.

From November the same year he obtained a full-time position as associate professor at the same university college, now a full university OsloMet, continuing to work on multicultural issues.