“In the Sweden Democrats’ future Sweden, people are safe, free and Swedish.” That is what the SD’s election platform, which was presented on Saturday, states.
Party leader Jimmie Åkesson has previously been asked whether one can be a believing Muslim and Swedish, and has answered that it depends.
Yes, you can. But it depends on the level of faith. It depends on what you put first. Do you put your Muslim identity before your Swedish identity?
If you think that sharia, the hadiths and the Quran should govern legislation, your private life and so on, then I have a hard time seeing that you are Swedish, says Åkesson.
Post afterwards
Yasin Ayari was born and raised in Solna, Sweden, to parents from Morocco and Tunisia. He has a deep Muslim faith, tries to pray five times a day, and when he scored two goals against Tunisia in Sweden's World Cup debut, he celebrated by kneeling and raising his hands in the air.
After the match, Jimmie Åkesson tweeted: "The fact that Sweden's goal scorers are called Isak, Ayari and Gyökeres does not change my view of what is responsible politics. Nor does it change if they are called Andersson, Pettersson and Lundström. I am happy regardless, and note that they are all Swedish citizens."
“It's great”
When asked why he wrote, the party leader replied that he usually gets a lot of comments after Sweden's matches.
I'm expected to think it's bad that Sweden wins just because someone with an immigrant background happens to be playing or scoring. I think that's lame, to be honest.
When you put on that shirt, you represent your country and are proud of it. I think that's great.
Would you say he is Swedish?
"I can't answer what his identity is, only he can do that. I don't think it's my place to speculate on that. He is very welcome to live in this country," says Jimmie Åkesson.
