Ali Esbati
Encyclopedia
Ali Esbati is a Swedish
politician (of the Left Party
) and economist
, and was the chairman of Young Left
2001-2004. As of today he is a handling officer of labour market policies at the Left Party's office of the Riksdag
and the chairman of the Left Party's program commission. He is most famous for his blogging; his blog Esbatis kommentarer is one of the most popular Swedish political blogs.
Esbati currently lives in Norway
, working as a freelance writer after resigning from his position as debate and opinion editor in Norwegian daily left-leaning newspaper Klassekampen
. Currently working as an economist at the Norwegian think tank Manifest senter for samfunnsanalyse. He is also a common contributor to Swedish magazine Flamman
. Apart from articles published in these and various other magazines and newspapers and in Esbati's blog
, Esbati has also been published in a number of books.
and came to Sweden in 1985 with his mother and one younger brother (his father arrived six months later). He grew up in the suburb Tensta
, north of Stockholm
, and joined Young Left in 1990. After primary school, he attended high school
in Tensta and another one, specialized in mathematics
, in Danderyd. After graduation he began studying at the Stockholm School of Economics
. In 1999-2000 he completed his military service at Televapenkompaniet in Uppland
, where he also was trained in Russian
. He is a self proclaimed atheist.
on Utøya
outside Oslo
22 July 2011. There he became a witness of the shooting of 69 people by the lone gunman Anders Behring Breivik
, most of them young members of the League. Esbati told afterwards that he saw how several people were killed, but managed to survive the tragedy by hiding in the surrounding woods and water.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
politician (of the Left Party
Left Party (Sweden)
The Left Party is a socialist and feminist political party in Sweden, from 1967 to 1990 known as the Left Party – The Communists .On welfare issues, the party opposes privatizations...
) and economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, and was the chairman of Young Left
Young Left (Sweden)
Young Left is the youth organization of the Swedish Left Party.-Ideology:It is an organization that organizes the youth of today to fight for socialist and feminist social change. Young Left is a youth organization developed out of the labour movement, with influences from environmentalism, the...
2001-2004. As of today he is a handling officer of labour market policies at the Left Party's office of the Riksdag
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
and the chairman of the Left Party's program commission. He is most famous for his blogging; his blog Esbatis kommentarer is one of the most popular Swedish political blogs.
Esbati currently lives in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, working as a freelance writer after resigning from his position as debate and opinion editor in Norwegian daily left-leaning newspaper Klassekampen
Klassekampen
Klassekampen is a Norwegian daily newspaper, which styles itself as "the daily left-wing newspaper".Klassekampen was founded in 1969 with a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist platform. Until recently, it was owned by The Workers' Communist Party...
. Currently working as an economist at the Norwegian think tank Manifest senter for samfunnsanalyse. He is also a common contributor to Swedish magazine Flamman
Flamman
Flamman is a Swedish socialist newspaper. It was founded in 1906 by the workers in the northern mine fields, and the paper was originally named Norrskensflamman , before a change of name in 1998...
. Apart from articles published in these and various other magazines and newspapers and in Esbati's blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, Esbati has also been published in a number of books.
Biography
Esbati was born in Teheran, IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and came to Sweden in 1985 with his mother and one younger brother (his father arrived six months later). He grew up in the suburb Tensta
Tensta
Tensta is a district in Spånga-Tensta borough, Stockholm, Sweden. There are about 6,000 apartments in Tensta and a population of 17,083 as of December 31, 2007....
, north of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, and joined Young Left in 1990. After primary school, he attended high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Tensta and another one, specialized in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, in Danderyd. After graduation he began studying at the Stockholm School of Economics
Stockholm School of Economics
The Stockholm School of Economics or Handelshögskolan i Stockholm is one of Northern Europe's leading business schools. Its Masters in Management program is ranked no. 2 in Northern Europe and no. 13 in Europe by the Financial Times...
. In 1999-2000 he completed his military service at Televapenkompaniet in Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
, where he also was trained in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
. He is a self proclaimed atheist.
Utøya shooting
Esbati was invited to host a lecture at the summer camp of the Norwegian Workers' Youth LeagueWorkers' Youth League (Norway)
The Workers' Youth League is Norways biggest political youth organization, and is affiliated with the Norwegian Labour Party.AUF took its current form in April 1927, following the merger of Left Communist Youth League and Socialist Youth League of Norway corresponding with the merger of its...
on Utøya
Utøya
Utøya is a small island in the Tyrifjorden lake in Hole municipality, in the county of Buskerud, Norway. The island is , situated off the shore, by the E16 road, driving distance north-west of Oslo city centre.-Overview:...
outside Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
22 July 2011. There he became a witness of the shooting of 69 people by the lone gunman Anders Behring Breivik
Anders Behring Breivik
Anders Behring Breivik is a Norwegian terrorist, paranoid schizophrenic and the confessed perpetrator of the Norway attacks on 22 July 2011: the bombing of government buildings in Oslo that resulted in eight deaths, and the mass shooting at a camp of the Workers' Youth League of the Labour Party...
, most of them young members of the League. Esbati told afterwards that he saw how several people were killed, but managed to survive the tragedy by hiding in the surrounding woods and water.