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They celebrate matriculation with the flag from Eritrea

Posted by: Semere Asmelash

Date: Tuesday, 30 May 2023

They celebrate matriculation with the flag from Eritrea - the parallel societies are growing and more students are opting out of the Swedish flag

May 30, 2023
They were born in Sweden and became students in Uppsala - but they celebrate the day with Eritrea's flag (Screen print from SVT.se)
  • Karen Jespersen
  • It is a tradition to decorate the student vans with flags when matriculation is to be celebrated.

     

    It has always been the Swedish flag. But it is no longer like that.

     

    Many immigrants, often from non-Western Muslim countries, will not fly the Swedish flag.

     

    "More and more choose to show flags other than the Swedish one," writes SVT .


     

    Three of them are Liya, Saron and Isabel, who fly the Eritrean flag.

     

    Their parents come from Eritrea, but the three young women were born in Sweden, one must understand.

     

    But even if they were born in Denmark and have benefited from the Swedish welfare society, it is not Sweden that they pay tribute to on student day.

     

    No, Saron, Liya and Isabel use the day to pay tribute to their parents' homeland.


  • They say this in a video that can be seen on Swedish TV here .

     

    - We want to pay tribute to the country we come from, says Liya.

     

    - You want to pay tribute to your parents, says Saron.

     

    The three students' school has drawn up rules to limit the use of other nations' flags.

     

    It should slow down any conflicts. It could be conflicts between students from Eritrea and Somalia. And it can be conflicts between Africans and Arabs.

     

    But SVT makes it almost a positive thing that students fly flags other than the Swedish one.

     

    Sweden has traditionally had a strong sense of cohesion. It has resulted in peaceful conditions, prosperity, welfare and less inequality.

     

    , Society is well-functioning when there is a strong sense of cohesion. The cohesive force comes from shared basic values ​​and familiarity in everyday life.

     

    The strong immigration to Sweden and other countries weakens or destroys cohesion.

     

    The cohesive force is replaced by parallel societies that can lead to conflict and violence.

     

    An example is the student day, where each group flies 'their' flag, even though they are all citizens of Sweden.

     

    It is very sad.

    -----------------------------

  • That's why they choose Eritrea's flag on the student: "Want to show respect"

    UPDATED TODAY 11:22PUBLISHED TODAY 05:30

    More and more people choose to wear flags other than the Swedish one during their studies. For Liya, Saron and Isabel, it is important to draw attention to their parents' origin from Eritrea.

    - They have done so much for us and we want to pay tribute to them, says Saron.

    Soon the streets of Uppsala are filled with happy students. For prospective students Saron, Liya and Isabel, Student Day is a chance for them to proudly display the flag of their origin.

    - We want to pay tribute to the country we come from, says Liya.

    - You want to pay tribute to your parents, says Saron.

    The fact that it has become increasingly common to use international flags at student celebrations has to do with the fact that the student as a ritual has become important to many in Swedish society, according to Susanne Nylund Skog, ethnologist at the Institute for Language and Folklore, and researcher at Uppsala University.

    "It's not about pushing Sweden down"

    The international flags have previously sparked discussion, both politically and in social media, but Liya, Saron and Isabel do not agree that there would be any negative connotation to wearing flags other than the Swedish one.

    - It's not about pushing Sweden down, but rather lifting up our parents, says Liya.

    - The flags are different ingredients that can be used in this ritual to express something individual, says Susanne Nylund Skog.

    May not carry the flag during the run-out

    If they could, the students would have run out of their school Jensen gymnasium with Eritrea's flag on Friday. But due to restrictions that the school has passed, the students are not allowed to bring flags to the outlet. However, family and friends are allowed to be there with flags in hand.

    - It feels a bit difficult, says Saron.

    The basis for the decision is that the school wants to prevent any conflicts.

    Därför väljer de Eritreas flagga på studenten: ”Vill visa respekt”


    De fejrer studentereksamen med flag fra Eritrea - Den Korte Avis



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