Published: 8 May 11 08:55 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Social Democrat party secretary Carin Jämtin has backtracked on the idea of giving Swedes a day off work to celebrate a Muslim holiday after her controversial proposal provoked a storm of criticism.
- Power shift beckons in Swedish election re-run (3 May 11)
- Social Democrats call for Swedish Muslim holiday (2 May 11)
- 'Crap job' remark lands politician in hot water (21 Apr 11)
Jämtin said the addition of the holiday, which marks the end of Ramadan for Muslims, would help reflect the multicultural nature of Swedish society.
"One could consider whether Eid, the Muslim Christmas Eve, could be a public holiday," she told newspaper Svenska Dagbladet. "Since Sweden is heterogeneous, our holidays ought to reflect some sense that we are different."
However, speaking to Sveriges Radio on Saturday, Jämtin said her party had no plans to conduct an overhaul of Sweden's current battery of public holidays.
"No, we don't want more holidays, and as such we don't want to make Eid a holiday either," said Jämtin. "We're fine with the holidays we have in Sweden. That's the view of the Social Democrats and that's what I intend to promote."
A wide range of critics noted that Muslims are just one of many religious groups in Sweden, while also questioning the thinking behind adding another religious holiday to the calendar in an increasingly secular country.
Sweden currently has 11 official public holidays - New Year's Day, Epiphany, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May 1st (International Workers' Day), Ascension Day, National Day, Midsummer's Day, All Saints' Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
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Your comments about this article:
Smart move ya fuckin weirdos. Geez!
Remember that before Mohammed, the Moslems prayed to the moon, half, full or quarter. Skaal
She won't last long. She'll soon be off to spend more time with her family. The quality of Social Democrat politicians is very poor at the moment. Sweden, and every democracy, needs an effective opposition. Can't they do any better than this?
To behold the Swedish establishment today is to behold a group who are enthrall to the idea of cultural, ethinic and social suicide. Like Marxism before it (which they also embraced with gusto) it's akin to a physchological illness.The problem is by the time a cure is found it will be too late. By then the establishment patients will have quit their own madhouse to seek refuge elsewhere, leaving others to live among the ruins of Beruit they've created.
God help Sweden.
I speak from experience, my home city of Mississauga in Canada, is now 100% foreign born or children of foreign born. All of the immigrants are good people, they work hard and follow the law - but of course, they are not Canadian, after all, how could they become Canadian when entirely surrounded by other foreigners.
In these days of mass migration and the absence of physical boundaries due to transportation options - the West will be wiped out unless we take an active role in enforcing immigration laws.
She should start up a special holiday for fat old weirdos, which seem to make up the majority of her supporters in the picture.
Has anybody thought that Police snipers could probably stop the car burners even if we don't give them a Muslim hoiday.
The storm of criticism has come from Swedes, not the Local message boards. However, the views of the Islamphobes (or as I view myself, in the know about exclusionary Islam), seem to be reflected in the Swedish population. If it wasn't, the liberally idiotic Social Dems would not have backtracked.
I just want Sweden to declare itself a Christian nation and stop this secular bulsh*t because while they claim there is religious equality and blahblah they discriminate against Muslims when it come to holidays, mosques, minarets, call to prayer, jobs etc. They should just stop telling us about this freedom bullsh*t and be like Saudi Arabia.
Step One: Force the radical left to become more centrist in order to survive. Check!
@ Iraniboy
If you could actually read Swedish, you'd see how many Swedes are absolutely disgusted by this on Swedish forums. Go back to your terrorist support forums instead.
Given the facts that I was nto support that idea, your response is irralavant. I was referring to thelocal posters bashings and slanders against Muslims and NOT criticism of the holiday plan!
@technoviking
I can read Swedish and the language used in those forums are far from your backward immoral conservative standards. Fortunately Sweden is well-governed so that Xenophobic people like you have only chance to express their Xenophobic and accuse others of supporting terrorism in the internet and not real life! That's why I love Sweden. They never give a chance to you and your ilk!
How do you figure that the facts don't support the lack of support for including Eid al Fatir as the 12th national holiday in Sweden? If support existed, the social democrats would be leading the charge for inclusion. Support for this inclusion does not exist, hence the back pedaling. The muslim bashing/correct assessment found on the Local is only an echo of what is found in Swedish society.
All you do is run around calling everyone islamaphobes who dares to disagree with your way of thinking give it a rest why don't you
The social democrats should believe that they are not in power anymore!
1. 9/11 wasn't done by Muslims, it was done by Israel
2. Europe is an atheist and immoral continent that hates Islam.
3. Osama Bin Laden did not die in 2011, he was killed at the end of 2001.
4. America is not interested in fighting terrorism because it is a terrrorist state itself.
5. America wants to break up Pakistan for the following reasons:
a. the country is sitting on the potential energy pipelines from the Middle East/Central Asia to China and India
b. it is an Islamic country with nuclear weapons
c. Pakistan's main ideology, Islam, is diametrically opposed to Zionism and
Israel.
6. The world has more to fear of 'changing' Western values than Islamic ones.
7. Every country America has attacked since it did Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII has been non-white.
8. Al-quada does does not exist.
9. Western mainstream media is extremely distrustfull as a source of truthfull, representational information.
10. America and Britain have committed genocide in Iraq and Afghanistan by, amongst other things, using depleted uranium against the innocent.
11. If Osama Bin Laden did 9/11, why didn't they caputure him first, put him on trial and then sentence him to death? This would put an end to all conspiracy theories.
At least Thor uses his hammer for good and is likeable, he comes from a good family and has a pleasant afterlife.
Besides Allah has no plan to deal with the frost giants like Thor does.
Jesus is still my point man, battle partner and my medevac, but if we ever have to pick a second choice I will get a hammer and pick THOR.
Also, Swedes themselves are not foreign to immigration. For those who are familiar with the history of the Rus, or the Vikings know that they traveled extensively to the Near East and in particular to various parts in Iran. Although their intentions was not immigration but plundering a lot of them naturally did end up staying or taking girls and women. So next time some of you decide to be mean to a first or second generation Persian kid , be nice to him, You may have the same ancestor.
First. once again I have to say that I didn't support that plan. I think everyone should be free to decide when to go on holiday, yet I don't know why this issue can be used for bashing Muslims talking about Sharia ,terrorism or whatever.
Second, if you follow the other posts of most of posters here, you'll notice that most of coming from either North America or UK, so it is totally naiv to think that thelocal poster comments represents Swede's views. Swedes views is what you see out of poll results.
@hucklberry
Disagreeing with someone is different from expressing different view. Talking about holiday is far away from accusing people of terrorism and etc. I can make an example which I assume will be little insulting.
@wendiver
You're priceless. You pick the translation of God in Arabic then you differentiate between two identical words in different languages? Oh yes orange tastes better than apelsin!
I remember you, you're that Pakistani gentleman living in Britain whose last contribution on these pages was to describe English people as "pigs covered in excrement".
Please do see a doctor before the Bradford Al-qaeda discover you and use you for their own evil ends.
And if any security personnel are reading, "Yunis" really is someone who needs watching. He's a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.
@ shah-
In many countries and with most cultures this is the case. Unfortunately, with many of our Muslim friends this is not the case. Their 1st and 2nd generations are teenagers and young adults now and we see that they clearly do not fit into society. We see them turning out as gang members or those who identify far more with their Muslim/Middle Eastern heritage than with their Swedish one. You will find many other cultures who easily assimilate after 1 or 2 generations but not the Muslims. I would like to know why that is.
The last time I was in Sweden I was speaking to a teenage half Swedish half Foreigner kid whom was telling me how he once was once confronted by the police. When he asked and said why they were treating him as if he was a foreigner, he was born in Sweden and is Swedish. They replied with a smart-aleck comment of "YOUR Swedish?!" Now put yourself in that boys shoes. He wants to be Swedish. He feels it. That is really who he is. However, at the same time he does not feel Swedish enough because many Swedes themselves do not consider him Swedish, even though he was born in Sweden. He also does not feel close enough to what his parents/parent came from because they consider him a foreigner. So he looks for other outlets. Some in gangs, some in religion and some in both. Gangs and Religions do not care who you are and where you came from as long as you dedicate yourself to that inner circle. So they finally end up finding a place where they "belong." Most of the time these places are unhealthy ( Gangs and organized Religion).
One thing Sweden does not have compared to countries that host large amounts of foreigners is Capitalism. Now I am not attempting to promote Capitalism but realistically Capitalism makes money of diversity. Prime example United States. That is why foreigners become so integrated into the system after a short while. The land of the free was not so free until the 1980's when they started promoting individuality and diversity as a means for profit. A plus side of this was that eventually people started accepting those whom did not have the features of a white person as Americans. In Sweden's case, in my opinion, I think Swedes have to reevaluate what a "Swede" Is. Naturally, A lot of Swedes do not like the thought of that. Can a Swedish person only be a ethnic Swede? Or a people whom were born in Sweden and loves Husmanskost? Allowing people to celebrate Eid is not going to make people feel more Swedish. These kids whom are born in Sweden and want to fit in just want to do that. Fit in. Swedes have to accept their reality. Foreigners and kids of foreigners are not going anywhere. Either really attempt to Swedify them even more or continue rejecting them. Then your going to have a bunch of rejects and rejects are dangerous and unhealthy for the rest of society.
Also, foreigners in Sweden are a large group and you can not just lump them all together. You will find Secularists, Atheists, Communists, Christians, Bahais, Jewish, Non-Arab people and others in the foreigners in Sweden. Its not smart to judge a book by its cover and just assume the person is a Arab Muslim because they have different features.