Mullah Krekar, the founder of radical Islamist group Ansar al-Islam who is fighting an expulsion order from Norway, took his case against the Norwegian state before an Oslo court on Thursday. Norwegian authorities decided in February 2003 to expel Krekar, whose real name is Fateh Najmeddin Faraj, due to national security concerns, but his deportation was suspended until the situation in Iraq improves. But Krekar insists that he presents no threat to Norway, noting that Norwegian police have closed their preliminary investigation into his possible involvement in financing terrorist activities. Krekar has lived in Norway as a refugee since 1991. He has been under threat of deportation for more than two years after Norwegian media revealed that he was the founder of Ansar al-Islam, which figures on the United States' list of terrorist organizations. The Iraqi Kurd admits that he founded the group but insists that he no longer heads it. The Norwegian government last month rejected his appeal against the deportation order.