Jews in Malmo, Sweden, 2010

[Skeptic]

From an article in "Israel Today", which doesn't seem to be available in English online (a few paragraphs from a three-page article -- I think this counts as "Fair use"):

Quote:

There is an unbearable combination of growing violence from Muslims, Swedish indifference to the Jews' plight, and anti-Israeli policy of the government, giving legitimization to hurting Jews. ...

... on top of everything else came the nasty blood libel about Palestinian organ harvesting, which only got very meek response from the government...

There are many cases. In one of the schools in Malmo, Muslims children told Jewish ones they should be halal slaughtered. Young Muslims constantly gather around Jewish centers -- synagogues, cemeteries, schools -- and curse anyone who comes close with calls of "murderous zionist" and "dirty Jews"...

In Malmo, of 115 hate crimes in 2009, 52 were against Jews. Jews [are] only 700 of Malmo's population [of about 250,000-- Sk.]... only one man in Malmo walks with traditional Jewish clothes -- the Rabbi -- cannot walk in the street without police protection...

[The Rabbi adds]: I had young Muslims call 'Heil Hitler' to me and forcing me off a bus; another tried to run me over; whenever I walk in the street and a car with Muslims drives passes, it is not untypical that they roll down the window, give me the finger, and shout, 'dirty Jew!'.

[Cainkane1]

Why doesn't the government try to protect them? If this happened in Atlanta Ga those Muslims would be arrested and tried for hate crimes.

[Thunder]

I will pay Skeptic good money to start a topic unrelated to Jews and Israel.

[Skeptic]

Let me clarify:

They said explicitly that the police, etc., DID and DOES try to protect them. They also give specific instances. They certainly are not saying the Swedish will idly stand by or the police ignores them.

But they say:

1). There is a limit to how much a police can do. it cannot investigate every rude remark and threat or follow all Jews 24/7.

2). The government's (as opposed to the police) open hostility toward Israel is seen as a license to hatred.

3). Related to (2), since politicians needs vote and there are about 55,000 Muslims in Malmo, they will not risk alienating them for the benefit of a few hundred Jews, so there will be (and is) political pressure to not treat the Muslims thugs too seriously.

4). In particular, one way to blame the victims so as to not alienate the Muslims and thus lose votes is the "it's just anti-zionism" government excuse for lack of care: the mayor of Malmo said that the Jews must "distance themselves from Israel" lest they "send the wrong signal": in other words, Jews must shut up and not express their views, lest they be attacked.

[Leif Roar]

Originally Posted by Thunder

I will pay Skeptic good money to start a topic unrelated to Jews and Israel.

Regardless, this is a real and pressing problem, particularly perhaps in Sweden but also in Norway and Denmark, and probably in other European countries. There is an undercurrent of anti-semitism among some parts of the muslim population here, and it has been surfacing more and more over the last years.

I think also that what institutions and organs exist for dealing with racism and ethnic or cultural prejudice and hate are to some extent badly positioned to deal with this anti-semitism. They have, by and large, seen their work in the context of integration and of the relatively large-scale immigration over the last decades, and have been structured in that light. The jews, as a small, pre-existing group that's already well integrated have to a large extent slipped out of those institutions' and organs' field of view.

It's a very real problem, and not one that has an easy answer. However, that doesn't free us from the obligation to seek an answer.

[dudalb]

Originally Posted by Thunder

I will pay Skeptic good money to start a topic unrelated to Jews and Israel.

Physician, Heal Thyself........

[DC]

Originally Posted by Thunder

I will pay Skeptic good money to start a topic unrelated to Jews and Israel.

[RhodyDave]

Nothing new in Sweden. They had a long flirtation with Nazism in the 20th century, and for whatever reason, apparently there is a lot of Anti-Semitism in Scandinavian countries. I have to wonder if I will ever visit Sweden, which I would like to do from a number of perspectives, but as my last name is automatically assumed to be Jewish, I wonder if I will be subjected to any hostility. Too bad there are no recognizably Atheist last names...

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by DC

For once we agree, DC, for once we agree...

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by RhodyDave

Nothing new in Sweden. They had a long flirtation with Nazism in the 20th century, and for whatever reason, apparently there is a lot of Anti-Semitism in Scandinavian countries. I have to wonder if I will ever visit Sweden, which I would like to do from a number of perspectives, but as my last name is automatically assumed to be Jewish, I wonder if I will be subjected to any hostility. Too bad there are no recognizably Atheist last names...

(Scratches head)

I suppose changing your name to "Thereisnogod" was out?

[Thunder]

There is nothing ironic about it. The majority of the threads I start at JREF have NOTHING to do with Jews or Israel. We cannot say the same about "Skeptic".

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by Leif Roar

Regardless, this is a real and pressing problem, particularly perhaps in Sweden but also in Norway and Denmark, and probably in other European countries. There is an undercurrent of anti-semitism among some parts of the muslim population here, and it has been surfacing more and more over the last years.

I want to emphasize that nowhere did they claim that all Muslims hate Jews. The problem is, there are 55,000 Muslims in Malmo and 700 Jews, so even if, say, only 10% of the Muslims are actively antisemitic, they vastly outnumber them. What's more, naturally being attacked by an antisemitic Muslim is not exactly "offset" merely by the fact that, say, 20 non-antisemitic Muslims did not attack you.

[M.R.B.]

Originally Posted by RhodyDave

Nothing new in Sweden. They had a long flirtation with Nazism in the 20th century, and for whatever reason, apparently there is a lot of Anti-Semitism in Scandinavian countries. I have to wonder if I will ever visit Sweden, which I would like to do from a number of perspectives, but as my last name is automatically assumed to be Jewish, I wonder if I will be subjected to any hostility. Too bad there are no recognizably Atheist last names...

Very few people in Sweden have any idea what a "Jewish" last name is. Even fewer would care.

There is not "a lot of Anti-Semitism" in Scandinavia. Might be some from some Muslims, though, obviously. Unless you count the Arab/Muslim-hate from some fringe nuts.

Quite a bit of outspoken Anti-Imperialism, for sure. But that is equal opportunity Anti-Imperialism. U.S., Russian, Israeli, Chinese, French, you name it. Still, even then, most people ignore the loud mouths.

[GrandMasterFox]

Originally Posted by RhodyDave

Too bad there are no recognizably Atheist last names...

Dawkins?

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by M.R.B.

Very few people in Sweden have any idea what a "Jewish" last name is. Even fewer would care.

There is not "a lot of Anti-Semitism" in Scandinavia.

But that's just their point. They didn't SAY the average Swede was anti-semitic.

They said that a large number of the Muslim immigrants are, and that the rest -- the "regular" (for lack of a better word) Swede doesn't care about the Jews one way or the other.

So the Muslims hate, and non-Muslims are indifferent to that hate.

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by M.R.B.

Quite a bit of outspoken Anti-Imperialism, for sure. But that is equal opportunity Anti-Imperialism. U.S., Russian, Israeli, Chinese, French, you name it.

Not much concern about Arab or Islamic imperialism, I'll bet, though.

[timhau]

It's not a coincidence that this happens in Malmö, which is home to probably the most troubled neighborhood in all of Scandinavia, Rosengård.

[Chaos]

Originally Posted by Skeptic

From an article in "Israel Today", which doesn't seem to be available in English online (a few paragraphs from a three-page article -- I think this counts as "Fair use"):

Quote:

In Malmo, of 115 hate crimes in 2009, 52 were against Jews. Jews [are] only 700 of Malmo's population [of about 250,000-- Sk.]... only one man in Malmo walks with traditional Jewish clothes -- the Rabbi -- cannot walk in the street without police protection...

So, suddenly there are "hate crimes"... guess "hate crimes" is only politically correct leftist BS when they´re directed against other people.

[Jono]

Quote:

There is an unbearable combination of growing violence from Muslims, Swedish indifference to the Jews' plight, and anti-Israeli policy of the government, giving legitimization to hurting Jews.

Hmm, swedish indifference? Swedes have been plagued by increasing migration-induced crime rates, almost never categorized as "hate crime" since that usually doesn't apply to when an 'ethnic' swede per se is the victim, for decades.
I've been critical against a lot of aspects of our (swedish) immigration loosey-goosey policies for about a decade, for many reasons. And in this context, of course you'll get increased anti-semitism in Malmö, in a relatively liberal country and notably socialistic atmosphere, if you get an increase of people from countries where these sorts of views are more frequent. I, and others, talked about these potentially growing problems long ago, but politicians and the general media (which even in Sweden has a fair number of jewish people) etc did/does not plow those fields that much unless it is about condemning or distancing themselves from various concerns made by right-extremists or what have you.

Rosengård in Malmö is a rather large part of that city that has become synonymous with being populated by third-world immigrants, especially people of islamic countries. And due to sky-rocketing crime rates in that area, along with a swedish version of "white flight" from around that area, it has also come to play topic-nancy in the everlasting debates inbetween the "marxist'esque leftists" and the "fascist'esque rightists". I.e, the die-hard egalitarians and the ardent determanists. If you're caught inbetween, you'll get pegged as the former or later either way, depending on which way your beholder perceives you to lean.

The jewish community in Sweden, to my knowledge, have been quite liberal in their views about immigration, and thus of the welcoming part to what now has backfired there, certainly their 'representatives' or jewish people in the media who one time or another have spoken on behalf of that community.
I myself have been branded, more than once, as an anti-semite, nazi, racist and so forth for my views on immigration, especially from jews who likely react instinctively to my nationalistic sentiments above all else. I don't really mind since I am not professionally dependant on having a PC-reputation, but naturally, it's unfortunate that these conflicts have to occur, and they have done so as a very predictable result that most of swedish active media and political establishment have stood behind since get-go.

To this situation, I don't even want to say "I told you so"... but I did.

As a curiosa; some time ago I read an interview with a city official in Malmö on the 500% increase in reported crimes (think it was specific to robbery, or break-in, or rape, forgot which) since the early 90's in their city. The official replied that this was wonderful news, adding that this must naturally mean more people have lately than before gotten courage to report crimes committed.
This is a good frame of PC-rationalizing at work, before the head dives back into the ground.

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by Chaos

So, suddenly there are "hate crimes"... guess "hate crimes" is only politically correct leftist BS when they´re directed against other people.

Er, I am against classifying crimes as "hate crimes". I was quoting the statistics the article used. It isn't hard to see, however, that when there are 52 crimes of violence against a population of 700 in a year...

[Safe-Keeper]

Originally Posted by RhodyDave

Nothing new in Sweden. They had a long flirtation with Nazism in the 20th century, and for whatever reason, apparently there is a lot of Anti-Semitism in Scandinavian countries. I have to wonder if I will ever visit Sweden, which I would like to do from a number of perspectives, but as my last name is automatically assumed to be Jewish, I wonder if I will be subjected to any hostility. Too bad there are no recognizably Atheist last names...

Dawkins.

[Leif Roar]

Originally Posted by Skeptic

Er, I am against classifying crimes as "hate crimes". I was quoting the statistics the article used. It isn't hard to see, however, that when there are 52 crimes of violence against a population of 700 in a year...

I don't think "hate crime" in this context necessarily means violent crimes -- Sweden has a law against "hate speech" as well.

This page contains further statistics and information on hate crime in Sweden (but note that the counting method was changed between 2007 and 2008 so be careful when comparing figures between those two years.)