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Is hate speech/racist-xenophobic discourse a wider, more 'mainstream', phenomenon in the political sphere?

Code:
RED35
Key Area:
Political Parties-organisations - Racist & Xenophobic Discourse
Strand(s):
Racism
12/03/2012 - 04:31
Short Answer

No.

Qualitative Info

Hate speech/racist -xenophobic discourse is not a wider phenomenon in the political sphere in Sweden. The representatives from the mainstream parties do not express these views. The only political party in Parliament that clearly expresses these views is the  far-right nationalist  party Sweden Democrats. 

 

 

Jimmie Åkesson, the party leader of the Sweden Democrats, claimed in an article published in the Swedish News paper, Aftonbladet, 19 October 2009, that Islam is the biggest threat to Sweden since World War II. The anti-racist organization Centre against Racism (Centrum Mot Rasism), reported the case to the Chancellor of Justice (JK), stating that the statements by Jimmie Åkesson, head of the far-right Sweden Democrats were tantamount to agitation against Muslims. The Center against Racism also reported Aftonbladet to the JK for publishing and spreading the article. In the article, Åkesson states that”more than ten Muslim terrorist organizations have established themselves in Sweden”. Further, he goes on saying that Sweden has the most rapes in Europe, and that Muslim men are highly overrepresented among the perpetrators. The case was refused by the Chancellor of Justice who didn’t consider Åkesson’s article as violating Swedish rules governing the freedom of expression (http://www.aftonbladet.se/debatt/debattamnen/politik/article12049791.ab). 


Source: Sverigedemokraterna, https://sverigedemokraterna.se/ (accessed 2012-03-10).

Aftonbladet, ”Muslimerna är vårt största utländska hot”, (2009-10-19), http://www.aftonbladet.se/debatt/debattamnen/politik/article12049791.ab (accessed 2012-03-10). 

Groups affected/interested Migrants, Refugees, Roma & Travelers, Muslims, Ethnic minorities, Religious minorities, Africans/black people, National minorities
Type (R/D)
Key socio-economic / Institutional Areas Political discourse -parties - orgs
External Url https://sverigedemokraterna.se/
Situation(s)
Library