Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Stenergard commented on social media about a demonstration held in front of a Jewish elementary school, which was directed against Jews. According to her, “This is not about freedom of speech, but about creating terror and fear among children living in Sweden. Their families have been persecuted for generations. I feel nothing but disgust toward those who do this.”
She further stated that “this is an entirely new movement that is emerging. It hides behind freedom of speech, but does not respect it at all. The demonstrators are doing more than just protesting. This has no place in Sweden.”
The country’s Minister of Culture, Parisa Liljestrand, is also concerned about the demonstration. According to her social media update, “yet another line has been crossed. This is revolting.”
* * *
Unfortunately, this incident is by no means unique in Sweden, as antisemitism has increased in the country almost explosively. Statistics illustrate this: in the autumn of 2022, police reports were filed in 24 cases of hate crimes with an identified antisemitic motive. A year later, during the same period, as many as 110 such reports were made.Based on press photos of the aforementioned case, it appears that both Swedes and Islamic immigrants were present—adults carrying Palestinian flags and anti-Israel banners. No physical violence or weapons, however, were visible.
It remains to be seen how the former ‘people’s home’ will treat its Jewish minority in the future, as the Muslim minority of at least one million people continues to grow rapidly. The question is whether peaceful coexistence between different religious groups will endure, or whether at some point demonstrations will escalate into more serious clashes.
Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Is Immigration Driving the Nordic Countries Apart?
The Left Wants to Grill a Swedish Minister Over His Son’s Past – What’s Really Behind It?
Demonstrations cause trouble in Helsinki and Sweden
No comments:
Post a Comment
I hope you enjoyed the text. If you did, feel free to read more.
You are also free to comment on the blog posts, but I ask you to stay on topic and adhere to respectful language and good manners.