Peps in My Heart

I'm sorry that I haven't updated in so long, things have been a bit wierd lately and my head haven't worked properly, to say the least. I'll write more on that topic at a later point.

I'm in Sweden, as you know, and am currently waiting anxiously for Khalid's stay permit. It's empty without him and I can't help to worry about his well being and all, with the situation being as it is in Sudan and all. But all's well that ends well and in the end we'll have yet another obstacle that we overcame with patience and love.

Summer is here, and the Swedish summer can't be compared with anything else in the world. I've travelled far; from paradise beaches with turqoise glimmering waters to smoking sulphur smelling landscapes to the vast deserts, but in the end Sweden in summer time is very very hard to beat. So to celebrate the coming of clear blue skies, the smell of blooming fields, green forests and sparkling lakes, I'll share a song with you. From the sixties into the nineties, Peps Persson has brought blues and reggae to Sweden with his charectaristic voice and sound that brings happiness and goodness into the cold Swedish hearts. Bob Marley is said to have said that Peps Persson is the only white man that has reggae in his blood. Wether he really said it or not, or if it's true or not, I cannot say.

Peps turned even more into a personal hero when he in 2010 decided to sue the racist Sweden Democrats (SD) for hijacking a song of his ("Grannen", which means "The Neighbour") and cutting it down to one verse as a political propaganda for the party. The SD politician responsible for the act did so with the message of "This is why I vote for SD" on a webpage, while in fact the lyrics of the song is meant to advocate the complete opposite of SD's message. This song, "Oh boy" from 1992 is one of my favourites and is a signature summer song for me. I'll make an amateur attempt to translate the lyrics below. Enjoy!

"Oh boy!
What a beautiful weather, sun's shining today.
Oh boy!
No heavy clothes are needed, and that I like.
Stand up and jump, it's sunny today,
and on a day like that you can't lie and slack.
No, leave that and come with me outside
when summer's coming, now winter is gone.
Oh boy!
Hear the bird song, they sing so you get dizzy.

Oh boy!
Here in the yard's path, the road leads to an adventure.
Yes, imagine that you can be so happy
of the ground's flowers and of green leafs.
And the child inside you comes home again
to forgotten dreams and to the summer.
Oh boy!

Oh boy!
What happy tunes, it's pulling and quivering inside of me.
Oh boy!
A thousand million hugs I want to give you.
Yes, imagine that it can be so easy sometimes.
So simple as to hold out a hand,
and wipe the gravel off a child's cheek,
and feel the warmth from a summer wind.
Oh boy!
What a gift from above it is to live today.

Oh boy!
The pure gift of God, is it strange that I'm happy?
For the sun's shining, and you are here,
and earth is spinning on it's heavenly sphere.
And really when you feel like this,
the world is close to a paradise."

SD Uncovered

During the inauguration church service for the new Swedish Parliament, Sweden Democrats (SD) chose to leave when the bishop Eva Brunne (the first openly lesbian bishop in Sweden) in her sermon said that:

Last night thousands of people in Stockholm and in different part of the country gathered to manifest themselves. Shout out their abhorrence for that that makes a difference between people. That racism that says that you are not as much worth as me. You shall not have the same rights as me. You are not worthy of a life in freedom. And this of a single reason - that we happen to be born in different parts of the world. It is not worthy of a democracy as ours to make a difference between people. It is not possible for a person of faith to make a difference between people. It is not worthy people to make a difference between people. Here, it is not enough to give a few hundered people mandate to our cause. Here, we have a common commission. And if somebody silence or gets silenced in the fight for human value, we have to make sure that also the stones will shout. We do it with the help of God.

I thought it would take more than a day in the Parliament for SD to reveal their true identity, but I guess it's good that it happened sooner rather than later. A political party that has persisted on not being racists and hostile towards foreigners chose to leave the bishop's sermon (in the presence of the king, whom they wanted to honour) because she spoke of equality and anti-racism. They claim to be "deeply insulted" because they felt that the speach was aimed at them and therefore left the church in protest. Clever. I cannot think of a more obvious proof of the politics SD want to introduce into our society - a society that is rich because of our immigrants. If SD truly aren't racists, why walk out on a speach about anti-racism?

The reaction amongst other sermon participants were colourful to say the least.

KD:s party leader Göran Hägglund: "It's very unsuitable to do that. What the bishop was talking about was equality between all people and to break up and march out in protest like they did, shows their basic outlook."

M:s parliamental group leader Anna Kinberg Batra: "If you get that provoked when someone talks about equality between all people that they get up and leave, then you clearly show that you're an extreme party."

  

MP:s mouthpiece Maria Wetterstrand: "The feeling was that they marched out of church as if they were an army. It was like when Iran is provoked in the UN and walk out."

33 Reasons why SD are Racists

"Wierdo!"

People ask what makes Sweden Democtats (SD) a racist party. Here is a (by me) translated version of their 33 points about immigration that were adopted in May 2005 that might give you multiple answers to that question:

1.  Sweden shall, within EU, support the proposal "Safe haven", i.e. asylum reception in areas next to the outskirts of EU.
2.  Until a system with "Safe haven" has been consequently implemented, Sweden should cancel its connection to the New York-protocol from 1967. This would mean a return to the Geneva convention's original undertaking, namely to recieve refugees from other European countries.
3. Asylum application in Sweden shall be done at the border in connection with the entering, otherwise no handling or trial.
4. A satisfactory presentation of identity, otherwise no handling and trial of asylum application.
5. Mandatory tests concerning HIV-tests of those who apply for stay permit.
6. Mandatory tests concerning HIV and tuberculosis  and other epidemics when applying for stay permit in Sweden.
7. Asylum applicants that commit crimes - even less serious offences - shall immediately be deported without further trial of application.
8. Temporary stay permits (TUT) shall be a rule. Not permanent (PUT).
9. Immidiate enforce of rejection- and deport decisions.
10. Stop for parents' opportunities to drive children to apathy in order to obtain PUT. Such things should not be rewarded.
11. Abolish the opportunity to hand in a new application (NUT) after a lawful decision of deportation.
12. "Danish rules" for family reunion, 24 years of age and connection rules, own residence, stable economy, etc. This is important to prevent forced marriage.
13. No Swedish teaching before stay permit.
14. No optional settlement for asylum applicants.
15. No cash allowances for asylum applicants, only food and shelter.
16. No permission for regular work before stay permit. However duty to compensate for costs of stay.
17. Restrictiveness in granting Swedish citizenship.
18. Annullement of citizenship and stay permit at serious offence.
19. Deportation of foreign citizens at repeated offences.
20. Annullement of stay permit when showed that "the refugee" could visit the country from where he/she fled.
21. Repatriation of foreigners who subordinate Swedish law and authority decisions for Islamic decrees and traditions.
22. A more effective foreigner control within the country.
23. An increased border control, fine injunction for transport companies that don't adopt the visa obligation.
24. A larger restrictivity in granting a new passport for those who lost a previously issued document.
25. Ban against burka/niqab in public places.
26. No more mosques on Swedish ground.
27. Special support for students with immigrant backgrounds shall be conditioned. Also parents have to show an active engagement in learning the Swedish language.
28. No regular teaching in Arabic or other immigrant languages in school.
29. Prohibit to send children to Quran-schools in their home countries to "undo Swedishness".
30. Sanctions against parents to under aged repeated criminals.
31. No special treatment for individuals and groups on the sake of ethnicity.
32. With the exception of the primary information to asylum applicants the authorities' information and documents shall be supplied in Swedish.
33. Tear up the law that means a converted evidence production of evidence and that cause employers excessive fines based on stated "discrimination of immigrants".

Jimmie Åkesson about point 7: "If a 15 year old shoplifts, the whole family shall be deported."

Jimmie Åkesson about point 12: "Immigrants should not be allowed to get married until they're 24 years old."

Jimmie Åkesson about point 16: "They have to work for food and shelter. They can clean in the refugee shelter."

Jimmie Åkesson about point 21: "Foreigners shall be deported if they criticize Sweden."

Jimmie Åkesson about point 25: "Burka is a political uniform for islamism and shall be banned."