Racism in Sweden

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A handheld instrument for measuring human skulls, used by the State Institute for Racial Biology, an institution founded in 1922 dedicated to researching eugenics, genetics, and scientific racism. Racial biology Scientific racism Maleinstrument for skallemaling fra Rasbiologiska Institutet Uppsala Sweden Human head-measuring tool Anthropometry Craniometry skull measurment calipers. Holocaust exhibition HL-senteret Oslo 02.jpg
A handheld instrument for measuring human skulls, used by the State Institute for Racial Biology, an institution founded in 1922 dedicated to researching eugenics, genetics, and scientific racism.

Racism and xenophobia have been reported and investigated in Sweden. [1] Sweden has the most segregated labor market of people with foreign background in Europe, when measured against both high and low educational level by OECD statistics. [2] According to the European Network Against Racism, skin color and ethnic/religious background have significant impact on an individual's opportunities in the labor market. [3] [4]

Contents

Due to increased immigration from Muslim majority countries in the 21st century, Islamophobia in Sweden has increased with anti-immigration views growing stronger in the country. The country has also recorded instances of antisemitism, which has increased in recent years because members of the increased Muslim population have targeted Jews. [5] [6] Several white supremacist and neo-Nazi organizations are also active in Sweden, including the Nordic Resistance Movement. [7]

Racism

Swedish Colonial Empire and its protectorates. SwedishColonialEmpire.png
Swedish Colonial Empire and its protectorates.
The Swedish are invited by the Akan King of Futu to erect a "stony house" for the purpose of trade, Swedish Gold Coast, 17th century. Muller Fetu 1648 B002.jpg
The Swedish are invited by the Akan King of Futu to erect a "stony house" for the purpose of trade, Swedish Gold Coast, 17th century.

Anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism in Sweden are rooted in the history of the Swedish colonization of the Indigenous Sámi people, the Swedish slave trade, and Swedish colonialism in Africa, North America, and Asia, as well as Swedish government promotion of racist ideologies. Swedish colonization of Sámi land began in the 14th century and intensified in the 17th century when the Swedish state encouraged settlers from the south to move to the north. Due to Swedish state policy, Sámi people have historically been "denied their rights" and "the Sami identity has been defined on the basis of stigmatising and racist conceptions." [8] Swedish colonies included the Swedish Gold Coast in what is now Ghana, the Swedish colony of Saint Barthélemy, and New Sweden in what is now Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. [9] [10] [11]

In 2021, the Church of Sweden apologized for its abuse of Sámi people over several centuries, including forcible Christianization, the mistreatment of children in Sámi schools, and collecting the remains of Sámi people for research on scientific racism and eugenics. The Church of Sweden described their "dark actions" against the Sámi as "colonial" and "legitimized repression". [12] Prior to apologizing, the Church of Sweden had produced a 1,100 page long document in 2019 compiling the church's history of oppressing Sámi people and erasing Sámi culture. [13]

The Swedish role in colonialism and the enslavement of Africans has been characterized as being "little known" by the general Swedish public, despite the persistence of reminders of slavery and colonialism in Swedish art, architecture, and placenames. [14] During the 20th century, the State Institute for Racial Biology was active in promoting eugenics and scientific racism within Swedish society. [15] In 2022, following a five day visit to Sweden, the United Nations International Independent Expert Mechanism stated that the Swedish government needed to develop strategies to address systemic racism. [16]

Islamophobia

The report Racism and Xenophobia in Sweden by the Board of Integration state that Muslims are exposed to the most religious harassment in Sweden. Almost 40% of the interviewed said they had witnessed verbal abuse directed at Muslims. [17] Historically, attitudes towards Muslims in Sweden have been mixed with relations being largely negative in the early 16th century, [18] improving in the 18th century, [19] and declining once again with the rise of Swedish nationalism in the early 20th century. [20] According to Jonas Otterbeck, a Swedish historian of religion, attitudes towards Islam and Muslims today have improved but "the level of prejudice was and is still high." [21] Islamophobia can manifest itself through discrimination in the workforce, [22] prejudiced coverage in the media, [23] and violence against Muslims. [24]

Nazism

Nordic Resistance Movement demonstration in Stockholm, June 2007. SRM demo1.jpg
Nordic Resistance Movement demonstration in Stockholm, June 2007.

Sweden is home to several white supremacist and neo-Nazi organizations, including:

Former organizations and parties include:

The Nordic Resistance Movement has been noted as a leading neo-Nazi organization in Sweden, exporting extremism throughout Scandinavia and maintaining ties with extremist groups elsewhere in Europe, South Africa, and North America. [25] Contemporary white supremacist groups are part of a century-long history of Nazi and neo-Nazi activism in Sweden. [26]

The right-wing populist Sweden Democrats, the second largest party in the Riksdag, was founded by far right activists who were involved in neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and fascist movements, including one co-founder who had been a Waffen-SS volunteer. The parties advocates Swedish nationalism and immigration restrictions. The party has since claimed and been described to have rejected racism and extremism, instead endorsing ″cultural nationalism″. Party members claim that since 2005, when Jimmie Åkesson became party leader, that the party had undergone reforms. Critics accuse the party of having not completely rejected its fascist history, with anti-fascists alleging that the party remains racist and neo-Nazi. [27] [28] [29] [30]

Antisemitism

Invitation to a meeting at Bollhuset, where nationalist students agitated against German-Jewish refugee physicians living in Sweden, February 1939. Bollhusmotet.jpg
Invitation to a meeting at Bollhuset, where nationalist students agitated against German-Jewish refugee physicians living in Sweden, February 1939.

Following Germany and Austria, Sweden has the highest rate of antisemitic incidents in Europe, although the Netherlands has reported a higher rate of antisemitism for some years. [31] A government commissioned study from 2006 estimated that 15% of Swedes agree with the statement: "The Jews have too much influence in the world today." A multinational public-opinion study that was carried out by the American Jewish Committee in March – April 2005 (Thinking about the Holocaust 60 Years Later) shows how the view that Jews exert “too much influence” on world events is more prevalent in Poland, Austria and Germany than in Sweden, but also indicates that Swedes agree with this statement to a similar extent as Americans and the British. In reference to the statement that the Jews “exploit” the Holocaust for their own purposes, the same study indicates that this view is more prevalent amongst Swedes than amongst Americans and the British but equally as prevalent amongst Austrians and the French. [32] 5% of the total adult population and 39% of adult Muslims "harbour systematic antisemitic views". [32] The former prime minister Göran Persson described these results as "surprising and terrifying." However, the rabbi of Stockholm's Orthodox Jewish community, Meir Horden, said that "It's not true to say that the Swedes are anti-Semitic. Some of them are hostile to Israel because they support the weak side, which they perceive the Palestinians to be." [33] Further, a new study conducted by the ADL showed greatly contrasting results with Swedish respondents indicating antisemitic tendencies among a mere 4% of the population. [34]

A record of 60 antisemitic attacks were reported in 2012 in the city of Malmö, up from an average 22 in the two years before that. 35 cases were reported in the first half of 2013, making it on pace to break the record. The Jewish community say that radical members of the Muslim population in the city are responsible for most of the attacks. [35] According to a survey conducted by the Fundamental Rights Agency, in 40% of serious antisemitic harassment incidents the perpetrator was identified as someone with a Muslim extremist ideology. [6]

See also

Sources

Related Research Articles

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Supremacism is the belief that a certain group of people is superior to all others. The supposed superior people can be defined by age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, language, social class, ideology, nationality, culture, generation or belong to any other part of a particular population.

This is a list of topics related to racism:

Antisemitic tropes, also known as antisemitic canards or antisemitic libels, are "sensational reports, misrepresentations or fabrications" about Jews as an ethnicity or Judaism as a religion.

Antisemitism—prejudice, hatred of, or discrimination against Jews—has experienced a long history of expression since the days of ancient civilizations, with most of it having originated in the Christian and pre-Christian civilizations of Europe.

The Jewish community in Sweden has been prevalent since the 18th century. Today Sweden has a Jewish community of around 20,000, which makes it the 7th largest in the European Union. Antisemitism in historical Sweden primarily manifested as the confiscation of property, restrictions on movement and employment, and forced conversion to Christianity. Antisemitism in present-day Sweden is mainly perpetrated by far-right politicians, neo-Nazis, and Islamists.

Antisemitism in France has become heightened since the late 20th century and into the 21st century. In the early 21st century, most Jews in France, like most Muslims in France, are of North African origin. France has the largest population of Jews in the diaspora after the United States—an estimated 500,000–600,000 persons. Paris has the highest population, followed by Marseilles, which has 70,000 Jews. Expressions of antisemitism were seen to rise during the Six-Day War of 1967 and the French anti-Zionist campaign of the 1970s and 1980s. Following the electoral successes achieved by the extreme right-wing National Front and an increasing denial of the Holocaust among some persons in the 1990s, surveys showed an increase in stereotypical antisemitic beliefs among the general French population.

Since World War II, antisemitic prejudice in Italy has seldom taken on aggressive forms.

Antisemitism in contemporary Hungary principally takes the form of negative stereotypes relating to Jews, although historically it manifested itself more violently. Studies show antisemitism has become more prevalent since the fall of Communism, particularly among the younger generations. Surveys performed from 2009 and beyond have consistently found high levels of antisemitic feelings amongst the general population.

British Jews have experienced antisemitism - discrimination and persecution as Jews - since a Jewish community was first established in England in 1070. They experienced a series of massacres in the Medieval period, which culminated in their expulsion from England in 1290.

Antisemitism in Greece manifests itself in religious, political and media discourse. The 2009–2018 Greek government-debt crisis has facilitated the rise of far right groups in Greece, most notably the formerly obscure Golden Dawn.

Evidence for the presence of Jewish communities in the geographical area today covered by Austria can be traced back to the 12th century. In 1848 Jews were granted civil rights and the right to establish an autonomous religious community, but full citizenship rights were given only in 1867. In an atmosphere of economic, religious and social freedom, the Jewish population grew from 6,000 in 1860 to almost 185,000 in 1938. In March 1938, Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany and thousands of Austrians and Austrian Jews who opposed Nazi rule were sent to concentration camps. Of the 65,000 Viennese Jews deported to concentration camps, only about 2,000 survived, while around 800 survived World War II in hiding.

Racism in Denmark often targets immigrants, particularly non-white or non-Western immigrants, including Black people, Romani people, Muslim people, and Inuit people. Jewish people occasionally experience antisemitism in Denmark. Anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism in Denmark is tied to the centuries long history of the Danish slave trade and Danish colonialism in the Americas and Africa. Afro-Caribbean people, West Africans, Inuit people, and Sámi people in particular have been negatively affected by colonial Dano-Norwegian rule in the Danish West Indies, Ghana, Greenland, and the Sápmi region in northern Norway. Anti-racist and anti-colonial activists believe that Denmark and other Nordic countries have a "colonial amnesia" that results in many Danish people believing that Denmark is free from racism and had little involvement in European colonialism.

The Right Stuff is a neo-Nazi and white nationalist blog and discussion forum and the host of several podcasts, including The Daily Shoah. Founded by American neo-Nazi Mike Enoch, the website promotes Holocaust denial, and coined the use of "echoes", an antisemitic marker that uses triple parentheses around names to identify Jewish people.

Islamophobia in Sweden refers to the set of discourses, behaviours and structures which express feelings of anxiety, fear, hostility and rejection towards Islam and/or Muslims in Sweden. Historically, attitudes towards Muslims in Sweden have been mixed with relations being largely negative in the early 16th century, improving in the 18th century, and declining once again with the rise of Swedish nationalism in the early 20th century. According to Jonas Otterbeck, a Swedish historian of religion, attitudes towards Islam and Muslims today have improved but "the level of prejudice was and is still high." Islamophobia can manifest itself through discrimination in the workforce, prejudiced coverage in the media, and violence against Muslims. The anti-immigration and anti-Islam Sweden Democrats is the second largest party in the Riksdag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Racism in Iceland</span>

Racism in Iceland commonly targets immigrants, particularly non-white or non-Western immigrants. Iceland is a historically homogeneous society with little ethnic or racial diversity. Icelandic national identity is often racialized as a white identity, therefore non-white people are frequently otherized as non-Icelandic. Muslim and Jewish minorities in Iceland also experience Islamophobia and antisemitism. According to the Icelandic Human Rights Centre, "hidden" racism is common in Iceland despite violent or overt expressions of racism being uncommon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goyim Defense League</span> American Neo-Nazi group

The Goyim Defense League (GDL) is an American neo-Nazi, antisemitic hate group and conspiracy theory network of individuals who are active on social media websites and operate an online video platform called GoyimTV. The GDL also performs banner drops, papering neighborhoods with flyers, and other stunts to harass Jews. The GDL emerged in 2018 and is led by the antisemitic provocateur Jon Minadeo II. The GDL is currently tracked by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group.

Anti-antisemitism is opposition to antisemitism or prejudice against Jews, and just like the history of antisemitism, the history of anti-antisemitism is long and multifaceted. According to historian Omer Bartov, political controversies around antisemitism involve "those who see the world through an antisemitic prism, for whom everything that has gone wrong with the world, or with their personal lives, is the fault of the Jews; and those who see the world through an anti-antisemitic prism, for whom every critical observation of Jews as individuals or as a community, or, most crucially, of the state of Israel, is inherently antisemitic". It is disputed whether or not anti-antisemitism is synonymous with philosemitism, but anti-antisemitism often includes the "imaginary and symbolic idealization of ‘the Jew’" which is similar to philosemitism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Racism in Norway</span>

Racism in Norway often targets immigrants, especially those of non-white and non-Western origin, including but not limited to Black people, Sámi people, Kven people, Romani people, Muslim people, and Asians. Jews in Norway occasionally experience antisemitism. Historically, as citizens of Denmark–Norway, both Norwegians and Danes have participated in the Danish slave trade and overseas colonialism. Despite Norway's reputation for tolerance, Norwegian anti-racist activists believe that Norway has a "collective amnesia" regarding their country's history of racism and colonialism. Norwegianization policies were historically pursued by the Norwegian government to encourage the assimilation of ethnic minorities including the Sámi, Kvens, Forest Finns, and Norwegian Finns.

References

  1. ↑ Lappalainen, Paul (8 May 2007). "Institutional racism in Sweden and Europe" (PDF). Rijo research. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  2. ↑ Thomas Liebig, Emily Farchy, Jean-Christophe Dumon. "Sweden Policy Brief" (PDF). Retrieved 7 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ "… skin colour plays a decisive role in an individual’s opportunities in the labour market." "Responding to racism in Sweden" (PDF). European Network against Racism. p. 4. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  4. ↑ For Jews, Swedish City Is a ‘Place To Move Away From’ by Donald Snyder, The Forward, Published 7 July 2010, issue of 16 July 2010.).
  5. ↑ Liphshiz, Cnaan (1 August 2013). "In Malmo, record number of anti-Semitic attacks reported". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Experiences and perceptions of antisemitism" (PDF). Fundamental Rights Agency . Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "'Most radical organisation': Neo-Nazi group seeks to gain ground in Nordic countries". Euronews . Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  8. ↑ "Discrimination of the Sami" (PDF). Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights . Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  9. ↑ "Sweden as a colonial empire". The Local . Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  10. ↑ "Caribbean paradise holds on to its Swedish past". The Local . Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  11. ↑ "America's Forgotten Swedish Colony". History.com. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "Church of Sweden to apologize for 'dark', 'colonial' Sámi mistreatment". Arctic Today. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "Church of Sweden apologizes, embarks on reconciliation with Indigenous Sámi people". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "The little-known role Sweden played in the colonial slave trade". The Local . Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  15. ↑ Ericsson, Martin (30 June 2020). "What happened to 'race' in race biology? The Swedish State Institute for Race Biology, 1936−1960". Scandinavian Journal of History. 46: 125–148. doi: 10.1080/03468755.2020.1778520 . ISSN   0346-8755.
  16. ↑ "Sweden should step up efforts to fight systemic racism, UN Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice says after 5-day visit". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights . Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  17. ↑ "Muslims face most racism in Sweden". The Local . 25 October 2005. Retrieved 13 May 2009. Seven out of ten reports of ethnic discrimination came from people with a Muslim background, and almost 40% of those questioned in the survey said they had witnessed verbal abuse directed at Muslims.
  18. ↑ Otterbeck 2002, p. 143.
  19. ↑ Otterbeck 2002, p. 145.
  20. ↑ Otterbeck 2002, p. 146.
  21. ↑ Otterbeck 2002, p. 149.
  22. ↑ Bursell, Moa (2007). "What's in a name? A field experiment test for the existence of ethnic discrimination in the hiring process" (PDF). Working Paper 2007:7. The Stockholm University Linnaeus Center for Integration Studies. ISSN   1654-1189.
  23. ↑ Diskrimineringsombudsmannen (2015), Representationer, Stereotype och Nyhetsvärdering: Rapport från Medieanalys om Representationer av Muslimer i Svenska Nyheter (PDF) (in Swedish), Ödeshög: DanagårdLiTHO
  24. ↑ Gee, Oliver (2 January 2015). "Sweden's Islamophobia is getting stronger". The Local. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  25. ↑ "ADL Report Says Leading European Neo-Nazi Group Exports Antisemitism Across Scandinavia and Beyond". Anti-Defamation League . Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  26. ↑ "NMR: A Nordic neo-Nazi organization with aims of establishing totalitarian rule across Scandinavia" (PDF). European Center for Populism Studies. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  27. ↑ "Sweden election: How an ex neo-Nazi movement became kingmakers". BBC. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  28. ↑ "The Sweden Democrats, a nationalist party with fascist roots". Le Monde. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  29. ↑ "Swedish far-right party with roots in neo-Nazi movement to chair 4 Riksdag panels". The Times of Israel . Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  30. ↑ Orange, Richard (8 September 2018). "Sweden Democrats can't shake neo-Nazi tag – DW – 09/08/2018". dw.com. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  31. ↑ The 2005 U.S. State Department Report on Global Antisemitism.
  32. 1 2 Henrik Bachner and Jonas Ring. Antisemitic images and attitudes in Sweden. levandehistoria.se
  33. ↑ Anti-Semitism, in Sweden? Depends who you're asking, Haaretz, 9 November 2007.
  34. ↑ http://global100.adl.org/ [ bare URL ]
  35. ↑ In Malmo, record number of anti-Semitic attacks reported
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