http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/10/30/racist-violence-reveals-swedens-xenophobic-underbelly.html
Racist violence reveals Sweden’s xenophobic underbelly
Despite its self-image as a tolerant society, migrants often find
racism and closed doors in Sweden
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JONATHAN NACKSTRAND / AFP/GETTY IMAGES
People stand vigil outside the school in Trollhattan, Sweden where a
masked man armed with a sword killed two people before being arrested
and shot by police on Oct. 22, 2015 — an attack investigators are
calling a "racially motivated" hate crime.
By: Debra Black Immigration Reporter, Published on Fri Oct 30 2015
For thousands of refugees fleeing to Europe there is only one goal —
to get to Sweden, a country known for its acceptance and tolerance of
those escaping war and persecution.
But Sweden may not be as welcoming as they had hoped. A recent
stabbing at a school in the small industrial city of Trollhattan,
which killed a 20-year-old teacher and a 17-year-old student from
Somalia, was described by police as an attack against “people with
immigrant backgrounds.” There have also been 20 fires at refugee
asylum centres.
The Scandinavian country has an underbelly of racism and xenophobia
that could make life difficult for newcomers, says Daniel Poohl,
managing director of Expo Foundation, an organization designed to shed
light on racist ideas and organizations in Sweden.
Known for its civility and social cohesion, Sweden has seen an influx
of immigrants, from the Balkans in the 1990s and more recently from
Iraq and Afghanistan. But the latest wave of Syrian refugees — 190,000
are expected this year alone — has triggered an “agonizing” debate
both politically and culturally, says Marie Demker, a professor of
political science at the University of Gothenburg.
One outspoken anti-refugee and anti-immigrant group is the Swedish
Democrats — a right-wing party that won 13 per cent of the vote in the
September 2014 election. Now the third most powerful party in
parliament, it is calling for a referendum on whether Sweden should
close its borders to refugees and immigrants.
“Sweden is a country that is divided by the idea of us being a
multicultural society,” says Poohl. Those who oppose the acceptance of
refugees and immigrants are mobilizing and making their voices heard,
he says.
Sweden is “very schizophrenic” when it comes to attitudes about racism
and xenophobia, he says. “If you look at the majority of Swedes and
their attitudes, Sweden stands out as an open and accepting country
and people.” But, he adds, it is also clear people with “another skin
colour” do not have the same opportunities.
“We’re very good at opening the first door for people, but very good
at closing the next doors.”
According to a recent UN report, the rising level of racist violence
and “Afrophobic” hate crimes is triggering “an extensive social
problem” in Sweden, where 16 per cent of the population is foreign
born.
“There continues to be a general Swedish self-perception of being a
tolerant and humane society, which makes it difficult to accept that
there could be structural and institutional racism faced by people of
African descent,” the report says.
The report also called on the Swedish government to “better recognize
and combat the recurring patterns and everyday occurrence of racial
discrimination, which has deep historical roots and makes Africans and
people of African descent in the country particularly vulnerable.” It
condemns Sweden for being blind “to the structural racism faced by
Afro-Swedes and Africans.”
With a population of about 9.7 million, Sweden is home to about
154,000 people who were born in Africa, the largest group being from
Somalia, followed by Eritrea, Ethiopia and Morocco. Some Afro-Swedes
can trace their roots in Sweden back to the 17th century and the slave
trade. Yet they are treated as second-class citizens, say Poohl and
others.
Jallow Momodou, vice-chair of the European Network Against Racism and
a city councillor in Malmo, can trace his roots in Sweden back more
than four generations. His family was originally from Gambia. He sees
himself as a Swede. But many of his countrymen don’t share this view.
Refugees and immigrants who come to Sweden are always said to be
refugees and immigrants, even if they have Swedish citizenship, he
says. “Even though we’re Swedish citizens we’re not seen as such,” he
explains. “People grow up in a country, spend their entire lives here
and never feel like they belong.”
Momodou was the target of a racist attack after he spoke out against
an incident at Lund University in 2011 where students re-enacted a
slave auction.
“Apart from threats against me and my family, a manipulated picture of
me as a slave in shackles was made into posters bearing the words, in
Swedish: “This is our runaway n----- slave and he answers to the name
Jallow Momodou,” he wrote in an opinion piece in The Guardian. “If you
should find him please call this number.”
Momodou worries about the future if the Swedish Democrats continue to
gain popularity. “This is my home … (but) I worry about that every
single day. I wonder what am I going to do about my children. These
people would definitely not want me here.”
Poohl confirms “there is structural racism which we don’t discuss
because we’re so proud of our tolerance.” And there is also the
organized racism of political organizations (like the Swedish
Democrats) that want to exclude people of colour, he says.
There is no easy way out for Sweden or other European nations when it
comes to dealing with the wave of refugees who are seeking a new home
now and the growing phenomenon of worldwide migration in the future,
he says. “I think the last years have shown you can build walls very
high, but people will still try to climb over them.”
Received on Fri Oct 30 2015 - 08:29:49 EDT