I telephoned the newspaper on 10th April 2002 as once they had seen my website they e-mailed my ISP to ask me to make contact:
Answer: Aftenposten
F. Yes, good afternoon. Have you got a journalist called Reidun Samuelsen?
Answer: Yes…….I'll try for you.
RS. Samuelsen
F. Oh hi there, you're Miss Samuelsen?
RS. Mrs. Samuelsen, yes.
F. Oh Mrs; Oh. Ok. Hi there um ….I understand you're doing a story on Heidi Schøne or want to.
RS. Yes that's right.
F. Well I'm the chap that's taking her to court.
RS. OK.
F. And I'm just wondering what your angle's going to be this time.
RS. I haven't written about this before…..Actually I haven't decided yet…..I'm in a phase where I'm collecting material…
F. There have already been some big stories on this in 1995….
RS. Yes, I know…
[ And I related related briefly a little bit about Heidi's psychiatric past ].
RS. For me the story here is not her past it's why are you writing [on the internet] about this?
F. Because the newspapers wrote about me.
RS. Is that how it all started?
F. Yes….she's made some pretty awful allegations against me…
RS. In public or…
F. Well to the police….and in public…..in the newspapers. She says I've threatened to kill her son….a terrible lie….kill her neighbours….She doesn't get on with her stepmother….you know the story on her stepmother because you've seen the website haven't you?
RS. I have seen the website, yes.
F. Have you been in touch with her?
RS. I've talked to her briefly but I'm gonna talk to her again, yes.
F. The thing is you see, she's supposed to be mentally ill….I mean she had her psychiatrist in court [and she talks about] how I rung her up asking what underwear she's wearing,[that] I've written to her saying that if she doesn't get pregnant then her breasts will fall off…..[that] I've written 400 obscene letters to her that she's thrown away….[that] I wrote a letter to her threatening to kill her son…..
RS. I…I'm not familiar with all of that stuff. What I've been seeing is the website. For us this is more of a - how can I say - an example of the use of the internet.
F. Well it's the abortion images isn't it….the pictures of the abortions that er….there's been a lot of complaints I understand…I mean have you seen the pictures?
RS. Yeah.
F. The thing is…..one of the main things about why I've been so upset is because your newspapers called me "the Muslim man". Bergens Tidende called me "the Muslim man" 18 times.
RS. I can't answer for what other newspapers have been writing about….the thing that I would like to ask you is why are you putting all these stories about Heidi into the public [domain]?
F. I'm putting it into the public because nobody….you see when the newspapers started this story off they are supposed to ring me for my side of the story OK….I know that from the PFU - and no one did - no one rang me.
RS. Now you are calling me so that's a good thing.
F. Huh?
RS. And now you are calling me so then I don't have to call you afterwards. That's a good thing.
F. I'm supposed to have my side of the story printed.
RS. Yes so please tell me why you are doing it.
F. Well, so that people know my side of the story. People don't know she's mentally ill you see….and I've taken her to court….and we're still in a legal process so….
RS. But you actually lost the last court case didn't you?
F. Well, I've appealed. The only reason I've lost is because I think it's more of a political decision.
RS. I see….[and later] For me I'm not very interested in - what can I say - printing the details here because it will be your word up against hers and… the important thing for me is that you chose to put it out in public by the internet and I guess you must see that this will affect her life….
F. My life has been affected too because of the rubbish that has been printed….I do not write letters threatening to kill two year children….I did not write 400 obscene letters to her….but the point is this - it's never going to go away is it? This story will never go away because it's basically something your newspapers should've apologized for once they knew that my story was true on Heidi….
RS. From my point of view that's not the most important thing here because I can know many bad things about a friend, a neighbour but the moment I put it out in public that's another [thing]….
F. But she put out in public - in the newspaper - that I've threatened to kill her son. Is that not…?
RS. Did they put your name in print or something?
F. No they didn't put my name….the main thing is that I'm Muslim….they don't care about my name. They care that I'm Muslim. You've seen the [newspaper] articles on the website ….You people in general do not like Muslims. I know that because I've spoken to enough Norwegians, OK. And the main thrust of the [May 1995 Bergens Tidende] article….they don't care what my name is….they know and want to attack me as a Muslim.
RS. I didn't know that you were a Muslim….[Obviously she hadn't in fact looked at my website for very long because the three 1995 newspaper articles were up there in Norwegian together with the English translations]….Nobody told me that and it doesn't matter for me….
[And later]:
F. You've got so many dishonest people up there [in Norway] and I've exposed them because I tape all my phone calls - I'm taping this phone call with you now just in case you….
RS. That's something you should have told me before we started.
F. Well, I don't do that, otherwise….I tape all my phone calls with the police, journalists….
RS. OK, I think I've got your side of the picture now and I don't think I need to talk to you anymore. OK.
F. OK but I'm warning you if you print anything bad then there'll be pretty tough consequences for you.
RS. So are you threatening me?
F. With a law suit, yeah. With a law suit. See, you've already changed your attitude so I can tell how sorry you feel for Heidi and your people over there but as I said, we'll get a photograph of you and put it up there [on the internet as I had already done for several of my other Norwegian adversaries] and….
RS. This is actually a threat.
F. Well it's not….putting a photograph of you [I was not allowed to finish]….
RS. It's a threat OK. I'm not talking to you anymore.
F. Well I'll talk to your boss then.
RS. Bye-bye.[And she put the phone down].
