Sweden - 2012
Religion: Persons belonging to minorities face legal and practical obstacles in exercising or manifesting their religion or belief?
- Code:
- RED117
- Key Area:
- Public Life, Culture, Sport & Media
- Strand(s):
- Discrimination, Equality
| Short Answer |
Yes, there is evidence that persons belonging to minorities do not fully enjoy the right to manifest their religion or belief and to establish religious institutions, organisations and associations. |
| Qualitative Info |
Regarding Muslim migrants, the anti-Islam and anti-Immigrant Nationalist political party, the Sweden Democrats, is constantly urging the municipalities to deny Muslims the right to build Mosques. This is part of their political agenda now that they have seats in the Swedish Parliament through the general elections in September 2010.[1]
One incident that exemplifies the aggression targeted toward Muslims and Muslim symbols in Sweden is when the Mosque of the Islamic Centre in Malmö was exposed to gun shots on 31 December 2009. A number of people were in the room and one person received minor injuries from what the police characterized as attempted murder. Several Mosques have previously been subjected to arson and other forms of xenophobic crimes and vandalism.[2]
There is evidence that religious minorities encounter structural difficulties when practicing their religion. One such area is the singling out of religious independent schools as not promoting democratic values. Although there have been cases of reported misconduct, the recent public debate has gone as far as demanding, on occasion, that the schools should be banned.[3]
A case that received a lot of media attention during 2010 concerns a Muslim man who refused to shake hands with a female chief executive during an interview for an internship (The Equality Ombudsman, Case OMED 2007/761). Instead he greeted by placing his hand towards his chest, stating that it is against his religious belief to touch a person of the opposite sex outside the family. The Swedish Employment Service [Arbetsförmedling] decided to suspend his economical benefits arguing that he had contributed to being denied the internship. The Equality Ombudsman sued the Employment Service for discrimination on the grounds of religion. The Stockholm District Court judged the Swedish Employment Office to pay 60 000 SEK (6000 Euros) in compensation to the man.[4] [3] The local http://www.thelocal.se/29452/20101006/ (Accessed 2012-03-10)
[4] The Equality Ombudsman Case OMED 2007/761 http://www.do.se/sv/Press/Pressmeddelanden/AF-diskriminerade-mannen-som-inte-ville-skaka-hand-med-kvinnlig-chef/ (Accessed 2012-03-10)
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| Groups affected/interested | Refugees, Muslims, Ethnic minorities, Religious minorities, Asylum seekers, Africans/black people |
| Type (R/D) | Anti-migrant/xenophobia, Islamophobia, Afrophobia |
| Key socio-economic / Institutional Areas | Anti-discrimination, Anti-racism, Integration - social cohesion, Religion |
| External Url | www.do.se |
| Situation(s) |
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| Library |
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