HS Analysis | Sweden is in a security political spiral from which there is no way out

Stockholm

Swedish has fallen into a cycle of bad news, from which there is no way out so far.

The situation is exacerbated by the recent demonstrations where Korans have been burned and desecrated. Because of them, the relations between Sweden and many Muslim countries are in crisis.

In turn, this has been followed by the fact that the threat of a terrorist attack on Sweden has increased.

At the same time, Sweden has to struggle with internal unrest.

Thursday in Stockholm’s Järva area riots flared upas more than a thousand protesters stormed into an Eritrean cultural festival.

Several dozen were injured in the violence, and fires were set in the festival area. The police arrested 100-200 people. Some of the protesters accused the festival of supporting the Eritrean dictatorship.

Swedish Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer condemned the violence and said that Sweden must not become an arena for internal conflicts in other countries.

“Police resources are needed for more than just keeping different groups apart,” he said said to SVT.

Koran burning cases because of this, Sweden has made a decision to strengthen internal border control. In practice, it means increasing the police’s resources and giving the police greater rights to, for example, carry out body searches, search cars and check identities.

Sweden has not yet come up with a solution to the burning of the Koran. Demonstrations are protected by the constitution. That’s why the government is investigating amending the Civil Procedure Act and, among other things, the law of Finland.

In this situation, the Finnish law on violating religious peace, which is often criticized as outdated, has potentially protected Finland from similar events. However, Sweden is unlikely to copy Finland’s law, which, for example, the UN Human Rights Committee has demanded to be removed. According to the UN, the law restricts freedom of speech.

Swedish the situation is also more broadly linked to European security policy, because Turkey, which pledges Sweden’s NATO membership, has demanded that Sweden once again prevent the burning of Korans.

It was precisely the burning of the Koran in January, which contributed to the collapse of Turkey and Sweden’s NATO cooperation.

Then the Koran was burned by a Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan. Later found outthat he had received help from a Swedish man who has previously cooperated with a Russian propaganda channel.

Now Korans have been burned, among other things, by two men of Iraqi background, who justify their actions with freedom of speech. At the same time, however, they want to ban the Koran.

Let’s go through the situation in Sweden through the events of the last few days.

Sunday 30.7.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson write image service on Instagramthat Sweden is in the most serious position since the Second World War and that many different parties are trying to exploit the situation to weaken Sweden.

Koran burnings have already weakened Sweden’s security. The Swedish security police Säpo has told about the increase in the threat of a terrorist attack. However, the terror threat level remains at level three on a five-point scale.

The foreign minister of Turkey, which pledges Sweden’s NATO membership Hakan Fida says on Sunday that Sweden must take concrete steps to prevent the burning of Korans.

Monday 31.7.

On Monday during the day, two men of Iraqi background burn and desecrate the Koran in the center of Stockholm. Some of the counter-protesters shout threats at the men.

On the same day Aftonbladet reports that Stockholm has fallen to 22nd place in the list of the best cities in the world. British magazine that publishes the list The Economist states that the reason is, among other things, the burning of Korans and the ensuing unrest.

On Monday evening, the OIC, the organization of Islamic countries, will condemn the reactions of Sweden and Denmark to the burning of Korans.

Tuesday 1.8.

On the night before Tuesday, individuals across Sweden receive a text message from an unknown number, encouraging them to take revenge on Koran burners and promising a reward. Säpo and the police tell that they are aware of the messages.

On Tuesday morning, Sweden’s SVT reports that the protesters who planned to burn the Koran again have withdrawn their demonstration permit application. Later, another protester says that the reason for the withdrawal was a confusion in the dates. So they have the intention of burning Korans in the future.

On Tuesday, Kristersson will hold a press conference on Sweden’s security: border control will be strengthened and the government will consider whether the public order law could be changed to prevent the burning of the Koran.

According to Kristersson, false information about Sweden is now being systematically spread to the world. According to the Prime Minister, Russia is one of the spreaders. One of the widespread narratives is related to the Swedish government supporting the burning of Korans, which is not true. Decisions are made by an authority whose work the government does not interfere with. The government has condemned the burning of Korans as Islamophobic.

Kristersson emphasizes several times that Sweden defends freedom of speech and expression, so the burning of books is attempted to be tackled through the Public Order Act so that basic rights are not endangered.

In practice, it remains a mystery how Sweden intends to deal with the situation.

Wednesday 2.8.

On Wednesday, the former prime minister, the chairman of the opposition party Social Democrats Magdalena Andersson criticizes the government for jeopardizing Sweden’s security. Andersson demands a representative of the government’s support party, the Sweden Democrats by Richard Jomshof resign as chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

According to Andersson, Jomshof’s speeches harm Sweden. Jomshof last week called the Prophet of Islam Mohammed as a mass murderer and slave trader, among other things.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Kristersson says he will start a new tradition: he will decorate the balcony of the Prime Minister’s official residence, Sagerska Palace, with a rainbow flag in honor of Pride week.

Thursday 3.8.

On Thursday morning, the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation SVT’s news reports, that the government’s support has decreased. According to a recent survey, the government and its support party, the Sweden Democrats, now have 11 percentage points less support than the opposition led by the Social Democrats.

The support of Andersson’s Social Democrats is 38 percent, the support of Kristersson’s moderate coalition is 19.2 percent.

On Thursday, an internal problem that has plagued Sweden for a long time will also come to the fore: gang violence. Swedish radio tellsthat there have been more than 100 explosions in Sweden this year, which is more than all of last year.

A lively discussion begins about Sweden’s Pride week.

The police say they will step up surveillance during Pride week events, although they do not see a particular threat to the event. The big Pride march will take place on Saturday.

A central member of the Diet of the Sweden Democrats and chairman of Sweden’s OSCE delegation Björn Söder blame the Pride movement connections to pedophilia.

Söder publishes In the X message service, i.e. on his former Twitter, several images and messages related to Pride, some of which he later deletes. In one of the deleted messages, he accuses the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Sweden of legitimizing pedophilia, he says Dagens Nyheter.

Foreign minister Tobias Billström and several government partners condemn Söder’s speeches.

Prime Minister Kristersson write on Instagramthat Pride week is of great importance to Sweden’s open society.

“And that everyone has the right to live their own life and love who they want,” he writes.

Later on Thursday, violence flares up at an Eritrean cultural festival.