Islam in Sweden
Encyclopedia
Islam in Sweden is the religion
of around 450,000 to 500,000 citizens and residents, as of 2009, around 5% of the total population.
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Islam begins to have a noticeable presence in Sweden with immigration
from the Middle East
beginning in the 1970s.
Most Muslims in Sweden are either immigrants or descendants of those immigrants.
The majority of them are from the Middle East, especially Iraq
and Iran
. The second largest Muslim group consists of immigrants or refugees from former Yugoslavia
, most of them Bosniaks
. There is also a sizeable community of Somalis
and Moroccans.
The first mosque built in Sweden was the Ahmadiyya
Nasir Mosque in Gothenburg
, completed 1976.
The Malmö Mosque
, built in 1984, followed by the Uppsala Mosque
in 1995. More mosques were built during the 2000s, including the Stockholm Mosque
(2000), the Umeå Mosque
(2006) and the Fittja Mosque (completed 2007), besides others.
As of the year 2000, an estimated 300,000 to 350,000 "ethnic Muslims" lived in Sweden, or 3.5% of total population; the term "ethnic Muslim" denoting anyone who fits the broad definition of someone who "belongs to a Muslim people by birth, has Muslim origin, has a name that belongs in the Muslim tradition, etc." regardless of personal religious convictions.), of whom about 100,000 were second-generation immigrants (born in Sweden or immigrated as children).
By 2009, this number had grown to an estimated 450,000 to 500,000, or around 5% of the total population. Also in 2009, the Muslim Council of Sweden reported 106,327 registered members.
Although there are no official statistics of Muslims in Sweden, estimates counts 200 000—250 000 ethnic Muslims in the year 2000 (i.e. anyone who fits the broad definition of someone who "belongs to a Muslim people by birth, has Muslim origin, has a name that belongs in the Muslim tradition, etc. "), roughly estimated close to 100 000 of which are of second-generation. Of the first-generation Muslims, 255 000 are thought to be Sunni, 5 000 Shi’ites, no more than 1 000 Ahmadiya, Alevi
and other groups and probably no more than 5 000 converts – mainly women married to Muslim men. In 2009 a report made a statement that there are 450 000 to 500 000 Muslims in Sweden, around 5% of the total population, and that the Muslim Council of Sweden reported 106 327 officially registered members.
Such numbers do not imply religious beliefs or participation; Åke Sander claimed in 1992 that «40–50% of the ethnic Muslims in Sweden could reasonably be considered to be religious», and in 2004, based on discussions and interviews with Muslim leaders, concerning second-generation Muslims born and raised in Sweden that "it does not seem that the percentage they consider to be religious Muslims in a more qualified sense exceeds fifteen percent, or perhaps even less". Sander re-stated in 2004 that «we do not think it unreasonable to put the figure of religious Muslims in Sweden at the time of writing at close to 150 000».
, estimates the number of converts from the Church of Sweden
to Islam to be 3,500 people since the 1960s, with an increase in recent years due to increased Muslim immigration. Roald further states that conversions are also occurring from Islam to the Church of Sweden, most noticeably by Iran
ians, but also by Arabs and Pakistanis, who have fled totalitarian regimes with strong religious oppression.
The first known convert to Islam was the famous painter Ivan Aguéli
who was initiated into the Shadhiliyya order in Egypt
in 1909. It was Aguéli who introduced the French metaphysician René Guénon
to Sufism
. Aguéli is more known among Sufis by his Muslim name Abdul-Hadi al-Maghribi. Other well-known Swedish converts to Islam are Tage Lindbom
, Kurt Almqvist
, Mohammed Knut Bernström
and Tord Olsson. Lindbom, Almqvist and Olsson are also initiates into various Sufi orders. Bernström translated the Quran into Swedish in 1998.
s have been built in Sweden since the 1980s, with notable ones in Malmö
(1984) and Stockholm
(2000). The Bellevue Mosque
and the Brandbergen Mosque
in the 2000s came to public attention as recruitment and propaganda centers for Islamist terrorism.
The following are some of the places of Islamic worship that can be found today in Sweden (See also the list of mosques in Sweden):
The beginning of national Islamic (Sunni) institutions in Sweden dates back to the creation of FIFS (Förenade Islamiska Församlingar i Sverige) in 1973–1974. In 1982 and 1984 two splits, due to internal rivalries, cultural differences, personal conflicts and funding, brought to the creation of SMF (Svenska Muslimska Förbundet) and ICUS, today IKUS (Islamska Kulturcenterunionen i Sverige). Others national institutions are BHIRF (Bosnien-Hercegovinas Islamiska riksförbund), founded in 1995 by Bosnia
n refugees, IRFS (Islamiska Riksförbundet), also since 1995, and SIA (Svenska Islamiska Akademin), founded in the year 2000 by the former ambassador Mohammed Knut Bernström
, with the task of establishing in the future an Islamic university in Sweden, charged with imam education. SIA also publishes since February 2001 the periodical Minaret in Swedish.
On a lower level, specific Islamic organizations targeting specific groups have been created as well. SMUF, today SUM (Sveriges Unga Muslimer), is the greatest youth Muslim organization since 1986, but there exist also the women association IKF (Islamiska Kvinnoförbund i Sverige), the youth association IUF (Islamiska Ungdomförbundet i Sverige) and the imam association SIR (Sveriges Imamråd). IIF (Islamiska Informationföreningen) is a member association of FIFS aiming at providing information about Islam in Sweden; 1986–2000 it published Salaam
, whose editorial board has always been dominated by women, mainly Swedish converts.
National and target organization have also created umbrella organizations in order to simplify their relationships to the state. FIFS and SMF have created in 1990 SMR
(Sveriges Muslimska Råd), of which SUM is also member. The IKUS umbrella organization is named IRIS (Islamiska Rådet i Sverige) and includes also IKF, IUF and SIR. Above all, IS (Islamiska samarbetsrådet) deals with financial issues with the Commission for state grants to religious communities (SST); it includes FIFS, SMF, IKUS, ISS and SIF.
The following are some of the Islamic associations in Sweden:
occurred on 11 December 2010 when two bombs exploded in central Stockholm
, killing the bomber and injuring two others. About ten minutes before the explosions, a threatening email was sent to the Swedish Security Service
and the Swedish news agency Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå
(TT). The letter referred in particular to the presence of Swedish troops in Afghanistan
and the Swedish artist Lars Vilks
' drawings
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
as a roundabout dog
. Islamic organisations and Islamic community leaders in Sweden quickly denounced the terror attack.
Aje Carlbom and parliamentarian Abderisak Aden, who has founded the Islamic Democratic Institute (Islamiska demokratiska institutet), have both stated that they believe that at least part of the leading members of SMR support Islamist ideologies and are influenced by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood
.
The Muslim Council of Sweden
(SMR), an umbrella organization
for Swedish Muslim organizations, has been involved in several controversies. In 2006 Mahmoud Aldebe
, one of the Board members of SMR, sent letters to each of the major political parties in Sweden demanding special legislation for Muslims in Sweden, including the right to specific Islamic holidays, special public financing for the building of Mosques, that all divorces between Muslim couples be approved by an Imam, and that Imams should be allowed to teach Islam to Muslim children in public schools. The request was condemned by all political parties and the government and the Swedish Liberal Party requested that an investigation be started by the Office of the Exchequer into the use of public funding of SMR. The Chairman of the Board of SMR subsequently stated that it supported the demands made by Aldebe but that it did not think that the letter had been a good idea to communicate them in a list of demands.
Although the Board of SMR did not condemn Aldebe the letter has caused conflict within the organization.
SMR has also been accused of being closely allied to the Swedish Social Democrat Party, which has been criticised both inside and outside the party.
as a propaganda central for the Armed Islamic Group
(GIA). According to Kohlmann, people connected to the mosque also participated in the financing of GIA:s bombing campaign in France in 1995
.
In 2004 an Arabic-language manual, which carried the logo and address of the Brandbergen Mosque, was spread on the internet. The manual described the construction of simple chemical weapons, including how to build a chemical munition from an ordinary artillery round.
On December 7, 2006, the Swedish citizen Mohamed Moumou
, who is described by the United States Department of the Treasury
as an "uncontested leader of an extremist group centered around the Brandbergen Mosque in Stockholm", was put on the United Nations Security Council Committee 1267
list of foreign terrorists.
on behalf of the UK-based think tank Open Europe
in March 2007, 56% of the Swedish respondents agreed with the statement that "Islamic fundamentalism
is a serious threat for our country".
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
of around 450,000 to 500,000 citizens and residents, as of 2009, around 5% of the total population.
History
Immigration to Sweden
Immigration to Sweden is the process by which people migrate to Sweden to reside in the country. Many, but not all, become Swedish citizens. People have been migrating to the geographic region of Sweden for hundreds of years, with rates of immigration and source countries varying throughout...
from the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
beginning in the 1970s.
Most Muslims in Sweden are either immigrants or descendants of those immigrants.
The majority of them are from the Middle East, especially Iraq
Iraqis in Sweden
Iraqis in Sweden numbered at 118,000 people as of 2009, or 1.3% of the total population of Sweden.They are one of the largest ethnic minority groups living in Sweden, second to the Sweden Finns ....
and Iran
Iranians in Sweden
Iranians in Sweden consist of people of Iranian nationality who have settled in Sweden, as well as Swedish residents and citizens of Iranian heritage.There are approximately 56,000 Iranians living in Sweden today.-Notable Iranians in Sweden:...
. The second largest Muslim group consists of immigrants or refugees from former Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
, most of them Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
. There is also a sizeable community of Somalis
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
and Moroccans.
The first mosque built in Sweden was the Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious revivalist movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as...
Nasir Mosque in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, completed 1976.
The Malmö Mosque
Malmö mosque
The Malmö Mosque is one of Sweden's main mosques located on the outskirts of Malmö in southern Sweden. It was inaugurated in 1984 as the first mosque in Scandinavia. Adjacent to the mosque is the Islamic center which contains an Islamic school and library. It serves as a place of worship for some...
, built in 1984, followed by the Uppsala Mosque
Uppsala mosque
The Uppsala Mosque is a small but very frequented mosque located in the Kvarngärdet neighbourhood of Uppsala in Sweden. At the time of construction, it was mistakenly claimed to be the northernmost mosque in the world . It is still the northernmost mosque in Sweden, a title soon to be taken over...
in 1995. More mosques were built during the 2000s, including the Stockholm Mosque
Stockholm Mosque
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's Mosque , commonly known as the Stockholm Mosque or the Stockholm Grand Mosque , is the largest mosque in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located at Kapellgränd 10, adjacent to the small park Björns trädgård, in the Södermalm district of Stockholm...
(2000), the Umeå Mosque
Umeå mosque
Umeå Mosque is Sweden's northernmost mosque and is to be built in Ålidhem, Umeå....
(2006) and the Fittja Mosque (completed 2007), besides others.
As of the year 2000, an estimated 300,000 to 350,000 "ethnic Muslims" lived in Sweden, or 3.5% of total population; the term "ethnic Muslim" denoting anyone who fits the broad definition of someone who "belongs to a Muslim people by birth, has Muslim origin, has a name that belongs in the Muslim tradition, etc." regardless of personal religious convictions.), of whom about 100,000 were second-generation immigrants (born in Sweden or immigrated as children).
By 2009, this number had grown to an estimated 450,000 to 500,000, or around 5% of the total population. Also in 2009, the Muslim Council of Sweden reported 106,327 registered members.
Demography
Alevi
The Alevi are a religious and cultural community, primarily in Turkey, constituting probably more than 15 million people....
and other groups and probably no more than 5 000 converts – mainly women married to Muslim men. In 2009 a report made a statement that there are 450 000 to 500 000 Muslims in Sweden, around 5% of the total population, and that the Muslim Council of Sweden reported 106 327 officially registered members.
Such numbers do not imply religious beliefs or participation; Åke Sander claimed in 1992 that «40–50% of the ethnic Muslims in Sweden could reasonably be considered to be religious», and in 2004, based on discussions and interviews with Muslim leaders, concerning second-generation Muslims born and raised in Sweden that "it does not seem that the percentage they consider to be religious Muslims in a more qualified sense exceeds fifteen percent, or perhaps even less". Sander re-stated in 2004 that «we do not think it unreasonable to put the figure of religious Muslims in Sweden at the time of writing at close to 150 000».
Conversion
There are no official statistics on the exact number of Swedish converts to Islam, but Anne Sofie Roald, a historian of religions at Malmö University CollegeMalmö University College
Malmö University College is a university college located in Malmö, Sweden. Malmö University College was founded in 1998, and it is Sweden’s ninth largest undergraduate-graduate level academic institution Malmö University College is a university college (högskola, separate from the Swedish...
, estimates the number of converts from the Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
to Islam to be 3,500 people since the 1960s, with an increase in recent years due to increased Muslim immigration. Roald further states that conversions are also occurring from Islam to the Church of Sweden, most noticeably by Iran
Iran
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...
ians, but also by Arabs and Pakistanis, who have fled totalitarian regimes with strong religious oppression.
The first known convert to Islam was the famous painter Ivan Aguéli
Ivan Aguéli
Ivan Aguéli also named Sheikh 'Abd al-Hādī 'Aqīlī upon his acceptance of Islam, was a Swedish wandering Sufi, painter and author. As a devotee of Ibn Arabi, his metaphysics applied to the study of Islamic esoterism and its similarities with other esoteric traditions of the world...
who was initiated into the Shadhiliyya order in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1909. It was Aguéli who introduced the French metaphysician René Guénon
René Guénon
René Guénon , also known as Shaykh `Abd al-Wahid Yahya was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the domain of metaphysics, having written on topics ranging from metaphysics, sacred science and traditional studies to symbolism and initiation.In his writings, he...
to Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
. Aguéli is more known among Sufis by his Muslim name Abdul-Hadi al-Maghribi. Other well-known Swedish converts to Islam are Tage Lindbom
Tage Lindbom
Tage Leonard Lindbom, who later in his life took the name Sidi Zayd, , PhD in Political science, who was early in his life the party theoretician and director of the archives of the Swedish Social Democratic Party 1938-1965, but later in his life he converted to Islam...
, Kurt Almqvist
Kurt Almqvist
Kurt Almqvist , PhD in Romance Languages, Swedish poet, intellectual and spiritual figure, representative of the Traditionalist School and the Perennial philosophy. Almqvist was a life-long disciple of the Swiss metaphysician and spiritual guide Frithjof Schuon. He came into close contact with the...
, Mohammed Knut Bernström
Mohammed Knut Bernström
Mohammed Knut Johan Richard Bernström was a former Swedish diplomat, who converted to Islam. He was also a Muslim scholar and translator of the Quran....
and Tord Olsson. Lindbom, Almqvist and Olsson are also initiates into various Sufi orders. Bernström translated the Quran into Swedish in 1998.
Places of worship
Several mosqueMosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s have been built in Sweden since the 1980s, with notable ones in Malmö
Malmö mosque
The Malmö Mosque is one of Sweden's main mosques located on the outskirts of Malmö in southern Sweden. It was inaugurated in 1984 as the first mosque in Scandinavia. Adjacent to the mosque is the Islamic center which contains an Islamic school and library. It serves as a place of worship for some...
(1984) and Stockholm
Stockholm Mosque
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's Mosque , commonly known as the Stockholm Mosque or the Stockholm Grand Mosque , is the largest mosque in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located at Kapellgränd 10, adjacent to the small park Björns trädgård, in the Södermalm district of Stockholm...
(2000). The Bellevue Mosque
Bellevue Mosque
The Bellevue Mosque is the largest mosque in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is located at Generalsgatan 2A in the "Bellevue"-district of Gothenburg. The mosque is administered by the Somali-dominated Islamic Sunni Centre Denomination and advocates the Salafi movement of Islam.The mosque has been in the...
and the Brandbergen Mosque
Brandbergen Mosque
The Brandbergen Mosque, officially the Islamic Association in Brandbergen is a mosque located in Brandbergen, Haninge Municipality, south of Stockholm, Sweden....
in the 2000s came to public attention as recruitment and propaganda centers for Islamist terrorism.
The following are some of the places of Islamic worship that can be found today in Sweden (See also the list of mosques in Sweden):
| Name | Municipality | Year | Organization | Sect | Imam | Worship language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockholm | ||||||
| Stockholm Mosque Stockholm Mosque Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's Mosque , commonly known as the Stockholm Mosque or the Stockholm Grand Mosque , is the largest mosque in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located at Kapellgränd 10, adjacent to the small park Björns trädgård, in the Södermalm district of Stockholm... |
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... , Medborgarplatsen Medborgarplatsen Medborgarplatsen is one of the largest squares in Stockholm. It is located on Södermalm and is often colloquially referred to as "Medis". The square was once called Södra Bantorget , but was changed to Medborgarplatsen in 1940.The square is a common place for demonstrations... |
2000 | Islamiska Förbundet i Stockholm | Sunni | Abu Mahmoud | Arabic, Swedish Swedish language Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish... |
| Bangladesh Jame Masjid | 23 Kocksgatan, Medborgarplatsen Medborgarplatsen Medborgarplatsen is one of the largest squares in Stockholm. It is located on Södermalm and is often colloquially referred to as "Medis". The square was once called Södra Bantorget , but was changed to Medborgarplatsen in 1940.The square is a common place for demonstrations... 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... |
Sunni Hanafi Hanafi The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani... Wahhabi |
Bangla, Arabic | |||
| Fittja Mosque | 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... , Fittja Fittja Fittja is a part of Botkyrka Municipality and the name of the Stockholm Metro station in the area. It was settled during the 1970s and consists mostly of rental apartments. As of 2008, there were 7,458 people living in Fittja; 64.7% of them were of non-Swedish origin, of which 25.1% non-Swedish... |
2007 | Botkyrka Turkiska Islamiska Förening | Sunni (Hanafi Hanafi The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani... ) |
Arabic, Turkish Turkish language Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,... |
|
| Brandbergen Mosque Brandbergen Mosque The Brandbergen Mosque, officially the Islamic Association in Brandbergen is a mosque located in Brandbergen, Haninge Municipality, south of Stockholm, Sweden.... |
Haninge (South 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... ) |
Haninge Islamiskt Kultur Center | Karim Laallam | Arabic | ||
| Imam Ali Mosque Imam Ali Mosque The Imām ‘Alī Holy Shrine , also known as Masjid Ali or the Mosque of ‘Alī, located in Najaf, Iraq, is the third holiest site for some of the estimated 200 million followers of the Shia branch of Islam. ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, the cousin of Muhammad, the fourth caliph , the first Imam is buried here... |
Järfälla (West 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... ) |
Ahl Al Bayt Assembly | Shi'ite | Arabic, Persian Persian language Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence... |
||
| Northern Sweden | ||||||
| Umeå Mosque Umeå mosque Umeå Mosque is Sweden's northernmost mosque and is to be built in Ålidhem, Umeå.... |
Umeå Umeå - Transport :The road infrastructure in Umeå is well-developed, with two European highways passing through the city. About 4 km from the city centre is the Umeå City Airport... , Ålidhem |
to be built | ||||
| Central Sweden | ||||||
| Uppsala Uppsala - Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med... |
Uppsala Uppsala - Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med... , Kvarngärdet |
1995 | Sunni | |||
| Örebro Örebro -Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions.... |
Örebro Örebro -Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions.... , Vivalla |
2008 | ||||
| Southern Sweden | ||||||
| Bellevue Mosque Bellevue Mosque The Bellevue Mosque is the largest mosque in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is located at Generalsgatan 2A in the "Bellevue"-district of Gothenburg. The mosque is administered by the Somali-dominated Islamic Sunni Centre Denomination and advocates the Salafi movement of Islam.The mosque has been in the... |
Gothenburg Gothenburg Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area... , Bellevue |
Islamic Sunni Centre | Wahhabi | |||
| Musalla as-Salam | Gothenburg Gothenburg Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area... , Bellevue |
Sunni (Shafi'i Shafi'i The Shafi'i madhhab is one of the schools of fiqh, or religious law, within the Sunni branch of Islam. The Shafi'i school of fiqh is named after Imām ash-Shafi'i.-Principles:... ) |
||||
| Turkish Mosque 1 | Gothenburg Gothenburg Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area... , Hisingen Hisingen Hisingen is the fourth-largest island of Sweden , with an area of , and the most populous, forming part of Gothenburg Municipality, Västra Götaland County. It is bordered by the Göta älv in the south and east, the Nordre älv in the north, and the Kattegat in the west... |
Sunni (Hanafi Hanafi The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani... ) |
||||
| Turkish Mosque 2 | Gothenburg Gothenburg Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area... , Hisingen Hisingen Hisingen is the fourth-largest island of Sweden , with an area of , and the most populous, forming part of Gothenburg Municipality, Västra Götaland County. It is bordered by the Göta älv in the south and east, the Nordre älv in the north, and the Kattegat in the west... |
Sunni (Hanafi Hanafi The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani... ) |
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| Masjid Guraba | Gothenburg Gothenburg Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area... , Hisingen Hisingen Hisingen is the fourth-largest island of Sweden , with an area of , and the most populous, forming part of Gothenburg Municipality, Västra Götaland County. It is bordered by the Göta älv in the south and east, the Nordre älv in the north, and the Kattegat in the west... |
Sunni | ||||
| Bosnian Mosque | Gothenburg Gothenburg Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area... , Hisingen Hisingen Hisingen is the fourth-largest island of Sweden , with an area of , and the most populous, forming part of Gothenburg Municipality, Västra Götaland County. It is bordered by the Göta älv in the south and east, the Nordre älv in the north, and the Kattegat in the west... |
General | ||||
| Nasir Mosque | Gothenburg Gothenburg Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area... , Högsbo Högsbo Högsbo is a city district of Gothenburg located on the Swedish west coast. Högsbo Bo") is situated south of the city centre of Gothenburg.The centre of Högsbo is "Axel Dahlströms torg" which consists of a small shopping square and connections with the Västtrafik tram system.... |
1976 | Ahmadiyya Ahmadiyya Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious revivalist movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as... |
Urdu Urdu Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an... , Swedish |
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| Malmö Mosque Malmö mosque The Malmö Mosque is one of Sweden's main mosques located on the outskirts of Malmö in southern Sweden. It was inaugurated in 1984 as the first mosque in Scandinavia. Adjacent to the mosque is the Islamic center which contains an Islamic school and library. It serves as a place of worship for some... |
Malmö Malmö Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County... |
1984 | ||||
| Trollhättan Mosque | Trollhättan Trollhättan Trollhättan is a city and the seat of Trollhättan Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 44,498 inhabitants in 2005. It is located 75 km north of Sweden's second-largest city, Gothenburg.... |
1985 | Shi'ite | |||
Associations
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
n refugees, IRFS (Islamiska Riksförbundet), also since 1995, and SIA (Svenska Islamiska Akademin), founded in the year 2000 by the former ambassador Mohammed Knut Bernström
Mohammed Knut Bernström
Mohammed Knut Johan Richard Bernström was a former Swedish diplomat, who converted to Islam. He was also a Muslim scholar and translator of the Quran....
, with the task of establishing in the future an Islamic university in Sweden, charged with imam education. SIA also publishes since February 2001 the periodical Minaret in Swedish.
On a lower level, specific Islamic organizations targeting specific groups have been created as well. SMUF, today SUM (Sveriges Unga Muslimer), is the greatest youth Muslim organization since 1986, but there exist also the women association IKF (Islamiska Kvinnoförbund i Sverige), the youth association IUF (Islamiska Ungdomförbundet i Sverige) and the imam association SIR (Sveriges Imamråd). IIF (Islamiska Informationföreningen) is a member association of FIFS aiming at providing information about Islam in Sweden; 1986–2000 it published Salaam
S-L-M
Shin-Lamedh-Mem is the triconsonantal root of many Semitic words, and many of those words are used as names. The root itself translates as "whole, safe, intact".-Salam "Peace":...
, whose editorial board has always been dominated by women, mainly Swedish converts.
National and target organization have also created umbrella organizations in order to simplify their relationships to the state. FIFS and SMF have created in 1990 SMR
Muslim Council of Sweden
The Muslim Council of Sweden is an umbrella organisation of Islamic organisations in Sweden. It was founded in 1990 by representatives of the United Islamic Parishes in Sweden and the Muslim Association of Sweden ....
(Sveriges Muslimska Råd), of which SUM is also member. The IKUS umbrella organization is named IRIS (Islamiska Rådet i Sverige) and includes also IKF, IUF and SIR. Above all, IS (Islamiska samarbetsrådet) deals with financial issues with the Commission for state grants to religious communities (SST); it includes FIFS, SMF, IKUS, ISS and SIF.
The following are some of the Islamic associations in Sweden:
- Islamic Association in Stockholm
- Muslim Association of Sweden (SMF)
- Muslim Council of SwedenMuslim Council of SwedenThe Muslim Council of Sweden is an umbrella organisation of Islamic organisations in Sweden. It was founded in 1990 by representatives of the United Islamic Parishes in Sweden and the Muslim Association of Sweden ....
(SMR)
Terrorism
The 2010 Stockholm bombings2010 Stockholm bombings
The 2010 Stockholm bombings occurred on 11 December 2010 when two bombs exploded in central Stockholm, Sweden, killing the bomber and injuring two people. Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt and the Swedish Security Service described the bombings as acts of terrorism.Taimour Abdulwahab...
occurred on 11 December 2010 when two bombs exploded in central 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...
, killing the bomber and injuring two others. About ten minutes before the explosions, a threatening email was sent to the Swedish Security Service
Swedish Security Service
The Swedish Security Service , former name Rikspolisstyrelsens säkerhetsavdelning , is the security service of Sweden, belonging to the Swedish National Police Board....
and the Swedish news agency Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå
Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå
Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå – The Newspapers' Telegram Bureau – is a Swedish news agency, the largest in Scandinavia, owned jointly by the country's newspapers and the media groups behind them. TT's services are used as the exclusive source of national news by many local media outlets...
(TT). The letter referred in particular to the presence of Swedish troops in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and the Swedish artist Lars Vilks
Lars Vilks
Lars Endel Roger Vilks is a Swedish artist. He is best known for his drawings of Muhammed, prophet of Islam.- Personal background :...
' drawings
Lars Vilks Muhammad drawings controversy
The Lars Vilks Muhammad drawings controversy began in July 2007 with a series of drawings by Swedish artist Lars Vilks that depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad as a roundabout dog . Several art galleries in Sweden declined to show the drawings, citing security concerns and fear of violence...
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
as a roundabout dog
Roundabout dog
A roundabout dog is a form of street installation, that began occurring in the autumn of 2006, and continued for the rest of the year with sporadic occurrences since then. The phenomenon consists of anonymous people placing homemade dog sculptures, typically made of wood in roundabouts...
. Islamic organisations and Islamic community leaders in Sweden quickly denounced the terror attack.
Muslim Council of Sweden
Swedish social anthropologistSocial anthropology
Social Anthropology is one of the four or five branches of anthropology that studies how contemporary human beings behave in social groups. Practitioners of social anthropology investigate, often through long-term, intensive field studies , the social organization of a particular person: customs,...
Aje Carlbom and parliamentarian Abderisak Aden, who has founded the Islamic Democratic Institute (Islamiska demokratiska institutet), have both stated that they believe that at least part of the leading members of SMR support Islamist ideologies and are influenced by the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
.
The Muslim Council of Sweden
Muslim Council of Sweden
The Muslim Council of Sweden is an umbrella organisation of Islamic organisations in Sweden. It was founded in 1990 by representatives of the United Islamic Parishes in Sweden and the Muslim Association of Sweden ....
(SMR), an umbrella organization
Umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...
for Swedish Muslim organizations, has been involved in several controversies. In 2006 Mahmoud Aldebe
Mahmoud Aldebe
Mahmoud Jamil al-Debe is the chairman of the Muslim Association of Sweden . He was previously vice chairman of the Muslim Council of Sweden , an umbrella organization with the Muslim Association of Sweden as one of its members....
, one of the Board members of SMR, sent letters to each of the major political parties in Sweden demanding special legislation for Muslims in Sweden, including the right to specific Islamic holidays, special public financing for the building of Mosques, that all divorces between Muslim couples be approved by an Imam, and that Imams should be allowed to teach Islam to Muslim children in public schools. The request was condemned by all political parties and the government and the Swedish Liberal Party requested that an investigation be started by the Office of the Exchequer into the use of public funding of SMR. The Chairman of the Board of SMR subsequently stated that it supported the demands made by Aldebe but that it did not think that the letter had been a good idea to communicate them in a list of demands.
Although the Board of SMR did not condemn Aldebe the letter has caused conflict within the organization.
SMR has also been accused of being closely allied to the Swedish Social Democrat Party, which has been criticised both inside and outside the party.
Brandbergen Mosque
The Brandbergen Mosque has been described by the FBI terrorism consultant Evan KohlmannEvan Kohlmann
Evan F. Kohlmann is an American terrorism consultant who has worked for the FBI and other governmental organizations.He is a contributor to the Counterterrorism Blog, a senior investigator with The Nine Eleven Finding Answers Foundation, and a terrorism analyst for NBC News.-Early life and...
as a propaganda central for the Armed Islamic Group
Armed Islamic Group
The Armed Islamic Group is an Islamist organisation that wants to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state...
(GIA). According to Kohlmann, people connected to the mosque also participated in the financing of GIA:s bombing campaign in France in 1995
1995 bombings in France
The 1995 bombings in France were carried out by the Armed Islamic Group , who were broadening the Algerian Civil War to France. In total, these attacks killed eight and injured more than 100...
.
In 2004 an Arabic-language manual, which carried the logo and address of the Brandbergen Mosque, was spread on the internet. The manual described the construction of simple chemical weapons, including how to build a chemical munition from an ordinary artillery round.
On December 7, 2006, the Swedish citizen Mohamed Moumou
Mohamed Moumou
Mohamed Moumou was a Moroccan-born Swedish national who was the No. 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq and the senior leader in Northern Iraq...
, who is described by the United States Department of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
as an "uncontested leader of an extremist group centered around the Brandbergen Mosque in Stockholm", was put on the United Nations Security Council Committee 1267
United Nations Security Council Committee 1267
The 1267 Committee , was established on 15 October 1999, pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1267 concerning Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda and/or the Taliban and associated individuals and entities. The 1267 Committee is one of three Security Council committees dealing with counter-terrorism...
list of foreign terrorists.
Popular perceptions
In a survey conducted by Taylor Nelson SofresTaylor Nelson Sofres
Taylor Nelson Sofres is a leading market research and market information group. Formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, the firm was acquired by WPP Group in October 2008 for 1.6 billion pounds.-History:...
on behalf of the UK-based think tank Open Europe
Open Europe
Open Europe is an influential eurosceptic think-tank and interest group, founded in London by some UK business people, with offices in London and Brussels. While Open Europe does not advocate British withdrawal from the European Union, it is critical of the process of European integration and has...
in March 2007, 56% of the Swedish respondents agreed with the statement that "Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism
Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...
is a serious threat for our country".
Further reading
- Alwall, Jonas (1998), Muslim rights and plights : the religious liberty situation of a minority in Sweden, Lund : Lund University Press, pp. 145–238
- Carlbom, Aje (2003), The Imagined versus the Real Other : Multiculturalism and the Representation of Muslims in Sweden, Lund: Lund Monographs in Social Anthropology, pp. 63–163
- Nielsen, Jørgen S. (1992), Muslims in Western Europe, Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, pp. 80–84
- Sander, Åke (1990), Islam and Muslims in Sweden, Göteborg : Centre for the Study of Cultural Contact and International Migration, Gothenburg University, pp. 1–54
- Sander, Åke (1993), Islam and Muslims in Sweden and Norway : a partially annotated bibliography 1980–1992 with short presentations of research centres and research projects, Göteborg : Centre for the Study of Cultural Contact and International Migration, Gothenburg University
- Sander, Åke (1997), “To what extent is the Swedish Muslim religious?”, in Steven Vertovec and Ceri PeachCeri PeachCeri Peach is a geographer from Bridgend, Wales. He was an undergraduate , graduate student and lecturer at Merton College, Oxford before being appointed to a lectureship in Geography at St Catherine's College, Oxford in 1965 at the age of 26...
(eds.), Islam in Europe : The politics of religion and community, London : Macmillan and New York : St.Martin’s, pp. 179–210 - Sander, Åke (2004), “Muslims in Sweden”, in Muhammad Anwar, Jochen Blaschke and Åke Sander, State Policies Towards Muslim Minorities : Sweden, Great Britain and Germany, Berlin : Parabolis; pp. 203–374 (2007-03-24)