Those who had sounded warnings in the past were “met with silence or suspected of doing the business of racist forces.”
Now Ann-Sofie Hermansson will also be tarred with smears of “racism” and “Islamophobia.” The Left sticks with what works, however dishonest and defamatory it may be.
“Ann-Sofie Hermansson: I should have put even more effort into fighting Islamism,” translated from “Ann-Sofie Hermansson: Jag borde lagt ännu mer kraft på att bekämpa islamismen,” by Ann-Sofie Hermansson, Göteborgs-Posten, July 12, 2023:
If there is one regret in my active years in the political world, it is that I did not pursue the issue of extremism more forcefully. I hadn’t fully realized how bad things were in Gothenburg until I became chairman of the municipal board. But then my opportunities to gain information also became greater. I was alerted by several brave individuals to the degree of Islamist radicalization.
There were people who would become my friends. Wise but anxious representatives of the police, social services and journalism. They had warned in the past, but were met with silence or suspected of doing the business of racist forces. In the highly readable book “Den omhuldade islamisten” published by Fri Tanke förlag, the journalist and author Magnus Sandelin writes about the years when radicalization took off in Sweden.
In the reviled Rosengård report, which came back in 2009, warnings were given of Islamist radicalization in Malmö. But the subsequent discussion was about something else entirely. “The opportunities for an incredibly urgent discussion about radicalization, when there was still time to put measures in place to slow down bad developments, were lost.” Instead, a lot of journalists, decision makers and opinion leaders devoted their time and energy to denying the problems.
Terrorist researcher Magnus Ranstorp believes that Sweden, like Norway, should have already legislated in 2012-2013 to deal with the problem of jihadist travel, but that the issue was too sensitive at the time. In 2014, things turned around. When three hundred Swedes, Gothenburg was overrepresented, had traveled to IS and similar groups, it was no longer possible to deny the problem.
A story emerges about a missionary Salafism in Sweden in the early 2010s, which financially and ideologically supports IS and other terrorist groups, as well as a recruiting Salafism that sends young people to fight abroad. And money was not in short supply. In Säpo’s annual report 2021, it is stated that hundreds of millions of kroner of public funds have gone to organizations with connections to violent extremist environments.
Social secretary Bettan Byvald in Angered addresses a new phenomenon. It is about activists who apply for positions where they can exercise power over children and young people. “It doesn’t have to be religious activism, but it can also be criminal clans working strategically. That they work their way into our administrations, above all as teachers, leisure leaders and civil servants but also politicians in our committees. We should not think that we are exempt from this.”
It is such things that in the long run undermine our democracy and damage our society. When, in the words of the philosopher Karl Popper, we become so tolerant that we are not prepared to defend the tolerant society against the attacks of the intolerant.
I have never regretted taking the fight to the fight against radicalization in Gothenburg. It was, and is, the anxiety to speak plainly about extremism which is our worst enemy. On the contrary, I should have pushed the issue harder.
somehistory says
20-20 hindsight doesn’t change much. Like Mondy-morning quarterbacks…can’t change the numbers or who won the game.
The intelligent person will at least listen, think, reason, research, and then decide. Esp when they are responsible for governing others, they should put some mind to the issue instead of calling names..
Bikinis not Burkas says
Very few intelligent people left in this world and most of those have been silenced by the cancle culture.
Keep your eyes open to keep your head on and practise situational awareness everywhere.
Here in Australia the Far left wing Government is introducing a new law to silence everyone!
Glad that I am old and will not have to contend with it for very long.
Wellington says
As long as any non-Muslim in the West continues to make the faux distinction between Islamism and Islam, to this very extent does the MAIN PROBLEM remain, i.e., an inability to realize that Islam to its core is a belligerent, radical and destructive form of religion and which is inimical to such laudatory things as true freedom, equality under the law, real minority rights and the capacity to apologize for past wrongdoings.
Jon Sobieski says
Exactly. She is still lost and has done great harm to Sweden.
Bikinis not Burkas says
What was that about hand grenades?
Dr K says
Spot on Wellington.
I have long argued this, only to be ignored. “Islam. is fine but it’s the Radical Islam we have to be concerned with” etc etc What rubbish.
And now we have people cowering lest they be accused of Islamophobia when, in fact, it’s a badge of honour.
Fuck islam, Sharia is shit don’t put up. with it!
࿗Infidel࿘ says
You beat me to it. From her usage of the term “islamism”, it’s obvious that she hasn’t learned a thing!
Clifford Fodor says
Islamism is fine as long as you don’t practice it.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
As is islam
FYI says
Yet people seem to fall for the lies of islamic apologists.
A dawah man is someone who is trying to sell you a square tire in the hope that you might think it is circular.
An islamic ‘scholar’ is someone who tries to use the quran to convince you that a square tire is actually a circular one.
A convert to islam is someone who has not been able to figure it out and is convinced it must be a circular tire even though it has a square shape.
An ex-muslim is someone who uses critical thinking:A square tire won’t work.
ploome says
exactly
Hoi Polloi says
Yes. She really hasn’t come very far. She’s still in propaganda mode.
PRCS says
Islamism has a legitimate meaning:
“Islamism is best described as the desire to put forward an ideological view of Islam, one that is in practice binding not only on all Muslims but increasingly on non-Muslims.”
https://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Paul-Stott-First-Briefing-new.pdf
Islam is the belief system. Islamism is the push to force it upon everyone.
(1) “I should have put even more effort into fighting Islamism.
She should have left it at that.
(2) “If there is one regret in my active years in the political world, it is that I did not pursue the issue of extremism more forcefully.”
The Taliban, for example, are not Islamic extremists. They are literalists.
And:
I was alerted by several brave individuals to the degree of Islamist radicalization.
How, in her mind, do regular Islamists differ from the “radicalized” version.
Her problem, as it is with so many, is ignorance of both the issue and relevant terminology.
tim gallagher says
It is a slight sign of progress when some of these leftists, who have supported the Muslim invasion so much, actually do wake up a little, because most of them will continue to stick to their dumb support for the Muslims and refuse to say that they have been wrong. Of course, this clown is still wrong. She is only talking about “extremism”, not all of islam. Only the wise Hungarians and the other Visegrad bloc countries see the truth about islam and its total incompatibility with civilised western values and have slammed the door on the Muslim invaders.
tgusa says
So tiresome. Leftists cannot differentiate between race culture or ideology. I guess the left didn’t notice that regardless of race they all read the same book and practice the same ideology. It is same tired and worn out playbook with the left and people are noticing. She should have put more effort into fighting Islamism. Well she helped seal the deal because a fight is coming and when it does everyone should demand she pick up a weapon and engage them. I know I will. The left ignored reality but we wont let them avoid the consequences of ignoring reality. My guess is the left is not going to like the consequences of their ignorance but I dont care one tiny bit.
Mary C says
Well no s**t, sweetheart!
Pixie says
‘(…) hundreds of millions of kroner of public funds have gone to organizations with connections to violent extremist environments. (…)
Aiding and abetting the enemy, if you ask me.
ploome says
yes
now send the fakestinians more money
Billy Corr says
ANALOGY:
Sweden imported tens of thousands of lepers from leprosaria in several countries.
Many Swedes are now distressed by the incidence of leprosy in Sweden.
Beneath the Veil of Consciousness says
Talk about closing the barn doors after the horses have left. The virtue signaling Swedes have left open a path for this third world cancer to fester in their country in perpetuity. Historically, Islam devours other cultures. It does not assimilate into them.
Bikinis not Burkas says
100% correct, they have taken over 25% of the world starting from 1 fat white dwarf named Muhammad.
Keep your eyes open to keep your head on and practise situational awareness everywhere.