Xenophobia and Ethnic Political Rhetoric in Sweden

30/01/2023

For many idealists in our country, the recent Quran burning incident by Rasmus Paludan (a Danish-Swedish far-right extremist and a convict) in Sweden could be a piece of astonishing news, but for historians, things have been this way from the start.

Sweden has a long history of political rhetoric, with its earliest examples dating back to the Viking Age. In recent years, however, there has been an uptick in political rhetoric that has often been used to target ethnic and religious minorities. This has been particularly true in terms of Islamophobia and Quran-burning incidents, especially in Sweden.

The earliest example of Islamophobia in Sweden dates back to the mid-1990s when some politicians began to use rhetoric that was meant to instil fear and distrust of Muslims in public. This rhetoric was largely based on a distorted view of Islam and was used to blame Muslims for any and all societal issues, from crime to unemployment. It was also used to paint all Muslims as potential terrorists and thus a threat to national security. This rhetoric reached a fever pitch in 2010 when a far-right political party won seats in the Swedish Parliament for the first time in decades, and it has been a part of Swedish politics ever since.

The rise in Islamophobia has also been accompanied by an increase in Quran-burning incidents in Sweden. This began in 2001 when a group of far-right extremists burned a copy of the Quran in downtown Stockholm. This was seen as an act of hatred and prompted protests across the country. Since then, there have been several more incidents where the Quran has been burned in public or in mosques.

In recent years, this rhetoric has been amplified by the rise of far-right political parties in Sweden. These parties have been known to use anti-Islamic rhetoric as a way to gain support and push their own agenda. They have also been known to incite violence against immigrants and minorities. The burning of the Quran has been used as a tool by some of these groups to spread anti-Islamic sentiment and to promote their own agenda. The incidents have been used to incite fear and hatred toward the Muslim community in Sweden.

Xenophobia and Islamophobia are major issues that have been plaguing not only Sweden but most of Europe in recent years. Xenophobia is defined as an irrational fear of people from other cultures, and in this case, it is specifically directed toward Muslims and those of the Islamic faith.

While Islamophobia is an extreme fear of and hostility toward Islam and Muslims, which often leads to hate speech, hate crimes, as well as social and political discrimination. In Sweden specifically, political rhetoric has played a major role in the rise of these incidents, as politicians have used inflammatory language to demonize and vilify Muslims and Islamic beliefs.

Islamophobia is a direct result of this rhetoric, leading to discrimination and hate crimes against Muslims. Quran-burning incidents are particularly concerning, as they not only demonstrate a lack of respect for Islamic beliefs but also can be seen as a form of incitement.

According to data from the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, the Muslim population in Sweden represents around 8.1% of the total population. This figure has been increasing in recent years due to immigration and a higher birth rate among Muslim residents. Islam and Swedish relations are not new or a result of the current unrest in the Mideast; rather, Viking contact with Islam dates back to the 7th–10th centuries, when the Vikings traded with Muslims during the Islamic Golden Era.

Since the late 1960s and more recently, immigration from predominantly Muslim countries has impacted the demographics of religion in Sweden and has been the main driver of the spread of Islam in the country. The largest group of Muslims in Sweden were from Iraq (13.5%), followed by Syria (9.2%), Somalia (7.5%), Eritrea (6.2%), Iran (4.4%), and Afghanistan (4.4%).

These rising numbers of the Muslim population and their ethnic background is alarming for far-right so-called secular minds in Sweden. They have portrayed Muslims as a threat to European culture and values and have used this as a justification for their anti-Islamic views. Like anti-Semitism, anti-Black racism, homophobia, and other prejudices, Islamic phobia is often used to promote discriminatory policies that serve the interests of political actors.

Far-right political parties and groups have used anti-Islamic rhetoric as a way to gain support and push their own agenda. This rhetoric has been amplified by the rise of right-wing populism in Europe and the increasing influence of far-right parties in several countries. The use of Islamophobia as a political strategy has led to several negative consequences, including an increase in hate speech and discrimination against Muslims in Europe, and it has also contributed to the rise of xenophobia and racism and has led to a decline in social cohesion and integration for which Europe has been appalled for a long time.