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."

We Like Different

Swedish evening paper Aftonbladet runs a campaign called "We like different" as a stand against immigrant hostility. A racist party has entered the parliament and  the reaction and emotions around the country are sadness and rage, dissappointment, and for the Swedish Democrat's sympathizers - joy and malicious pleasure.

I take comfort in knowing that most people didn't vote for them, and that those who did were ignorant to its true purposes and opinions, and thought they were voting for something completely different than for what it really is.

This is not a disarable situation, not one bit, but I refuse to think of Sweden as a lost cause. This is when the fight starts. And as a friend said; let's not mourn and spread more hatred. Let's instead spread love and solidarity and show Sweden what it really means to be Swedish!

Election

The Swedish election 2010 is a special one. The race is between the right wing Moderate Party (M) and it's Allies (a cooperation with the Centre Party (C), the Liberal Party (FP) and the Christian Democrats (KD)) and the Left Party and it's cooperation program the Red-Greens (the Left Party, the Green Party and the Social Democratic Party). About to enter the Parliament is the Swedish Democrats (SD), a "nationalistic democratic" party (according to themselves) with controversial opinions about immigrants and islam. It is the 19th of September and the polling stations close at 8PM. This is my report about the waiting for the results, and the feelings and reactions right after the results have been announced.

A few days ago, a Swedish blogger told her moving story about her sick mother who is being denied sickness benifits and is being forced to sell her home and is expected to start working although numerous doctors have certified that the woman is in no shape to work ever again. The story reached media within hours and reporters have tried to get a comment from the present prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt (M), in vain. The story of "how a young woman's blog post is changing the Swedish elections" have reached tens of thousands of readers and have been referred to by a Washington Post blogger. The story is unfortunately one of many. My own mother is in a similar situation, although not as bad as the mother in this story. Days before the election, a young woman's story, might be decisive for the results. It gives me great hope, getting proof that a single person can change the world.

I am no secretive Swede and hides my opinions. I'm not sure why Swedes don't want to tell what they're voting for. I'm proud to say that I'm voting green this year.

The tension rises; will Sweden get its first female prime minister, the Social Democrat's Mona Sahlin, or will Fredrik Reinfeldt be the first non-Socialist prime minister to stay for two election periods?

4 PM   It just stopped raining and I'm putting the voting paper in my handbag and leaves for the polling station at the local upper level of compulsory school. My belly is tingling and I can't help but feeling nervous. It feels like this election is more important than any election I can remember. It is time to make Sweden humane again, and I will be part of that happening.

5 PM  Me and baby brother Jimmy went to place our votes together. It was with mixed feelings that I saw the vote applications of the minor parties (Swedish Democrats, Feminist Initiative and Pirate Party) next to the major ones. Democracy is the core of freedom and welfare, but it's scary knowing that something so good can lead to improved influence for hateful racists. Speaking of which, if you make a google search, the first hit on the list will now be http://www.sverigedemokraterna.de/, an anti-Swedish Democrats information page. Go internet acivism!

5.30 PM  Two and a half hour until the polling stations close. The election debate on Swedish TV4 starts an hour prior to the closing. According to the news, 3,9 million people that are authorized to vote are expected to vote. Nervous!

8 PM  The polling stations are closed and Swedish Television (SVT) report an initial result from a survey made in some 130 polling stations around the country. The Allies report to lead with 49,1 % against the Red-greens' 45,1 %. Swedish Democrats are expected to get around 4,6 % of the votes, meaning that they will most likely enter the Parliament. The final results will take another couple of hours and I'll keep my fingers crossed that the luck will change! Time to put mini brother Anton to bed.

10 PM  According to counted districts; the Moderates get 172 mandates, the Social Democrates 157 and the Swedish Democrates 20. There are mixed emotions to this and the Red-greens are still hoping for a win although it doesn't look like it at the moment. 4429 out of 5668 districts have been counted so far.

11 PM  I'm crying for Sweden. For all the people that SD wish wouldn't be here and for all those who wouldn't be allowed to seek refuge here if they have a say. I'm crying for all the sick people that will continue to be kicked out to work, that have a time limit for their ilness' and have all their dignity taken away from them. I'm crying and I'm ashamed. I cannot believe that Sweden will have a racist party in the Parliament, that we have allowed hatred to enter our society to this degree. God, I hate this.

12 AM  A right-wing minority government rule is taking place and community's vulnerable groups are mourning. We are writing a dirty chapter in our history and I will have a hard time explaining it to my future children. The Red-greens are planning to continue their cooperation and all party leaders within the program are stating that they will refuse all cooperation with a racist party. I salute them and support their continued work against oppression and for solidarity, justice and all people's equal value. Fredrik Reinfeldt says in his speach to his party friends that they will not rule with - or be dependant of - the support of SD. That remains to be seen.

I'm genuinely mourning, for all those (including me) that will have to pay for the sake of a thick non-Socialist wallet. I'm sorry, all of you, that this is happening. To all immigrants, and future immigrants: please do not think that this is the voice of all Swedes. Many of us remain, that will continue to fight for solidarity.

The Swedish Horror Election

"2 mg reliefs muslim hatred & islam phobia"

A couple of more days remain until the Swedish scandal election and I'm starting to feel like I'm in part of something like The Truman Show. For those who don't know; Sweden is about to write a dirty chapter in its politics history. Sverigedemokraterna (SD), or the Swedish Democrats, is a minor "national democratic" (according to themselves) party with controversial, to say the least, opinions about immigration. It's a one matter party that masks its intentions with 101 rethorics and tactics to frighten people into voting for them. According to Jimmy Åkesson, SD:s most ignorant party leader, means that islam is Sweden's biggest threat. He claims that Sweden is loosing its identity because of a "islamation" of society, where muslims are intentionally working on "taking over" Sweden and the rest of the western world.

On a question if wearing a scarf makes you less Swedish, Åkesson replies that that is up to that person - and the people around her - to decide, but yes, it's possible that she looses a bit of her "Swedishness". I wear a scarf most days, although not of religious reasons. I grew up in Sweden. My last name ends with -son and I celebrate Midsummer every year. A piece of fabric on my head doesn't make me less Swedish, for whatever reason I wear it, does it?

The reason to why SD wants a hugely restricted immigration politics, is (they say) the economy. They are ignorant to the research stating the profits that immigrants bring Sweden. The second reason is criminality. According to the party, immigrants are over represented in criminality registers. This is also a lie, and all opposing parties that have tried to reason with them have put forward statistics proving the opposite, but they try to avoid even this with vague responses like "I haven't looked into this specific statistics, so I cannot comment on that". Naturally, the frightening tactics they use, draw a lot of people that aren't very initiated in politics and therefore fall for simple, rediculous, rethorics.

Recent opinion pools indicate that SD will reach the four percent limit to enter the Parliament and it genuinely scares me knowing that my fellow compatriots - my neighbors - are letting this happen. It is freightening to see the similarities to the racial politics that shadows the 30's and onward in Sweden. Last week a SD Parliament candidate said that immigrants have an "aggressive gene". Does that sound familiar? It should; Hitler was saying similar things. Only difference is that for him jews was the focus group and for SD it's muslims. Not surprisingly, Åkesson doesn't have to say much about his fellow party member's statement and calls it a mere trifle.

To make things worse, SD are trying (although not very hard) to mask its real intentions in promises of a more worthy life for the "real" Swedes, particulary the elder ones. But not even their other ideas of change makes much sense. They want to lower the minimum age for penalty from 15 to 12, something that shows ignorance about criminality. They want to reintroduce the administration of corporal punishment and imagine to send Swedish prisoners to Russian prisons if there isn't enough room in Swedish ones.

Today I had a discussion with a social democratic party worker, and she assured me that although they would be forced to have debates with SD, they would never cooperate with them. That gave me some hope, that even if the nightmare would come true, and SD would really enter the Parliament, our leaders will be sensible enough to realize that a party with dangerous ideas like them, can never get enough power to actually change something.

I'm ashamed of what's happening, and it saddens me beyond anything right now that my beloved Sweden are getting more and more foreigner hostile. SD is contradicting human rights, the equality of all humans. In my opinion, everyone is equal, meaning that those who needs to flee their home country for whatever reason, should be welcomed with open arms and treated with repect and dignity, just as they would do the same to us. I have lived in developing countries, among muslims and where I was the only western person. I got treated with nothing but respect, even when my beliefs and opinions were completely different from theirs.

Yes, I am upset and I felt that I had to put my thoughts into words. Maybe I can reach out to a person or two, and get them to be extra consequent in this election. It's not right to make a protest vote, for whatever reason. You may have bad experiences with immigrants, or maybe you have something personal against different religions, but that is not a reason to encourage hate, hostility and oppression.

Powerlessness and Hibiscus Jiuce!

I got a friend! A sudanese friend! Her name is Shayma'a and will probably be my local link to the arab world here. I met her and her friend last week and had Sudanese juice with hibiscus. Strange but nice.

Everythin runs smoothly here, however slowly. We have a full time employed electrician in the house since the electricity is not something to trust. Got to sleep without AC last night again, but that went ok since we've had a few "cool" days when it's only been around 35 degrees. Thank god I got a membership at the Grand Hotel Villa, which probably is the closest you can get to luxury in Sudan at this time. They have a big swimming pool, parasolls, sun chairs and food and drinks that are more than way over priced. I suspect this will be my refuge from now on. It's nice to get away from the dust, the hordes of people and the heat from time to time, although I'm starting to get used to is. A little. I'm still sweating rivers, but it would have been wierd if I didn't. In Sudan it's as common to be shiny with sweat as it is to have a running nose in winter-Sweden.

I've been a criminal too! A couple of days ago, me and Mathew (my employer) went to this China restaurant that serves "special tea". This special tea happens to be BEER! And let me tell you, it was probably one of the best beers I've ever had.

Reality is starting to come back to me down here. A couple of days ago I found out that the house opposite to ours is used as an "questioning building", where the military tries to get information from people with the use of unpleasant methods. Most people call it torture. I almost feel bad for coming from Sweden. We have it so good back home and you realize it first when you've seen what reality is for other people around the world. If you report your wallet to be stolen (as a western person at least), they will most likely grab an innocent Sudanese on the street and beat him for hours just to report that someone has been punished for the crime, although most likely not the right person (but you'd do best in not mentioning that. In fact, don't report your wallet stolen at all, if you can help it).

There are still slave camps in Sudan, where women and children are forced to hard labour without payment. There are thousands of political refugees that are tortured every day. And we see all that back home in Sweden, on TV and in newspapers. We hear of eye witness testimonials and stories, about how rape is used as a weapon during the war, about young men who was forced to rape his mother. We know all this, but it never really gets to us. It's nice there, in the soca, when we're eating crisps and watch the news. We see when people starve and die from dhiorréa and say "this is so sad...", but we never realize how fucking sad it really is. How can we sit there and eat crisps while people have their hands cut off, gets stoned to death, starvs or dies of thirst? How can we not get more affected of what we see on TV?

I feel bad. For being Swedish and "rich" (although God knows I'm not). Every day I have to ignore someone who reach out his hand for monay, every day I have to turn my face away from someone that I can't help. And in the building opposite to ours, people are being tortured.

And can you belive that all the competent people has goon to USA to help the poor americans that got struck by hurricane Katrina?! A few western people die in a natural disaster while thousans are starving every day, and who gets prioritized? Not the children with pointy ribs, flies in their eyes and swollen bellies. Kuwait gave half a billion dollars to USA, an amount of money that could have built this country up from scratch. But who cares about Sudan? Or Nigeria? "But" says someone, "it's not the same thing!".

In a few days the new government will be announced, which is supposed to be a mix between the ruling NCP and the former rebels. Many says that NPC agreed to give the rebels power just to end the fightings, but that they will never keep their part of the deal. If this is true, I believe we can count on more disturbances in the country and that the peace agreement will no longer be.