[This is a translation of the Doku text ”Sverige attackeras hårt för LVU-lagen” published on 27 January 2022.)
Islamic comunities in Sweden are widely engaged by the fact that children being taken into custody pursuant to the Care of Young People Act (LVU). In closed groups with tens of thousands of members conspiracy theories flow and Sweden is fiercely attacked: The social services kidnap muslim children to secularize them as part of the war against islam. Well-known names in the radical islamist environment participate and excite distrust against society and public officials.
Doku has examined for a while a community that spreads distrust and antipathy towards society. It claims that social services, schools and courts participate in a war against islam and muslims by the application of LVU.
A number of individuals in the community can be described as a kind of Swedish ”entrepreneurs in anger”, as a referral to a term used by Professor Gilles Kepel at Sciences Po in Paris when describing the atmospheric jihadism, which he deems is the latest phase of violent islamism.
The movement is large and growing and the attitude is strikingly often very harsh. Sweden and especially the social services and other authorities are described as racists and criminals. A terrorist state that opposes Islam:
“The social services in Sweden’s municipalities are criminals, villains and hooligans. They commit war crimes against humanity – children and immigrants and muslim families in particular. Sweden is becoming a terrorist state codified by the so-called Care of Young People Act, LVU, which deprives children and their parents of basic human rights.”
Social media posts claim that muslim children are re-located to non-muslim homes where they are forced to eat pork and drink alcohol. There are widespread beliefs that girls are raped and obliged to take off their veils and that children must change their name and religion and carry a christian cross. “This is all a systematic effort to limit the presence of future muslim generations in Sweden, aiming to completely dissolve the muslim children. And this is because Swedes are afraid of the peaceful islamization of Sweden for 50 years ”.
Introduction
Compulsory care of children according to LVU has been a focus for islamic communities for a long time. Discussions about children being taken into custody appear on several social medias. Members from Swedish Svenska Hizb ut Tahrir and other islamists participate, but there are also persons from islamic communities otherwise not linked to islamism. A specific group of individuals showing interest in the subject are the so-called deportation imams Abo Raad, Fekri Hamad and Raad al-Duhan. Abo Raad and Fekri Hamad are active also in closed Facebook groups.
Mahmoud Aldebe is the former chairman of the Swedish Muslim Federation. He is perhaps best known for his letter to all members of the Swedish parliament where he requested separate legislation for muslims. Today, the former Center Party member actively urges all muslims to vote for the newly established Partiet Nyans.
In one of numerous posts about LVU, he focuses on honor culture and claims that Swdish television, social media and radio spread hatery against islam and muslims, and that the concept of honor culture is something alleged by a specific group of researchers that try to influence others. He calls for imams to write a petition about ”so-called honor culture and violence”.
The newly established political party Partiet Nyans, which appeals to immigrants in general and muslims in particular, and its leader Mikail Yüksel devote a large part of their work to LVU and have promised to highlight LVU in the upcoming elections. Last autumn, Mikail Yüksel spoke at an LVU demonstration in Gothenburg and then covered the topic in a live broadcast on his Facebook where he stated that LVU is abused and causes several families to leave Sweden with their children.
People who are active in the various discussion groups regularly arrange demonstrations around the country, in central locations and outside social services offices. Ing-Marie Larsson, head of department at the Northeast Social Service Administration in Gothenburg, says to Doku that security is always increased when the demonstrations take place outside the offices, to ensure the safety of employees and visitors, and that the policy is to always inform the police.
During demonstrations outside social services offices, in Gothenburg and elsewhere, participants try to film officials which are then published in social media groups. In some of them the officials’ names, pictures and home addresses, and in some cases also social security numbers, are disclosed.
A person who is closely linked to one of the major clans in Gothenburg writes:
”An hour ago, I spoked on the phone with the official [name] who takes care of the matter since they replaced the former [name].”
Another person writes about setting fire on a social services office:
“If we burn All Social Services Social Secretary offices then we will be reported criminal cases of terrorism. But after Social Services social workers sit on the street with computer and meet their Clients. What Do Fun and Best Social Jobs Look Like? Then the Social Services will not have to pay rent to all pigs.”
The same person continues: “Illegal threat and violation is that People will Burn Social Services office Today or tomorrow No one knows exactly. Plan IS under construction.” “Fuck social services office. This is jihad this is our culture. This is not terrorism.”
Arab media has also paid attention to the Swedish LVU law and how it is perceived by Swedish muslims. The TV channel Al Jazeera made a 45-minute coverage which was shared by, among others, the deportation imam Abo Raad.
In closed Facebook groups, gathering tens of thousands of members, conspiracy theories and distrust of Sweden flow. Sweden is described as a dirty and racist country where the social services actively kidnap muslim children to secularize them, and that only Allah can provide salvation. The social services are described as mafia and the media as accomplices. Pure conspiracy theories that muslim children are being cared for solely for economic gain are mixed with hateful and polarizing messages:
”If God wills, Sweden will be attacked and God will take revenge on them”
”War against Muslims in Sweden, this is a terrorist organization”
”They have no religion and have no feelings, may God avenge them”
”Lord, take us and our children out of this land as soon as possible”
”Unfortunately, many people voluntarily took off their veils due to freedom and trampling”
”Land of the Pigs”
”The concept of honor has become a tool to prevent Islamic parents from giving children islamic values”
”May Allah avenge on them in this world before the life after this”
”Because they are campaigning to eliminate the islamic religion and weaken it and humiliate muslims”
”May God curse me who came to Sweden”
A Facebook group focused on LVU with more than 18,000 members
The Facebook group BIFISWE اطفال تحت المجهر is very active and the tone is harsh. It has 18,500 members, and posts and comments are written exclusively in Arabic.
Some ask Allah to avenge the injustice that LVU is alleged to create for muslims in Sweden. Others ask Allah for help to get out of here.
The moderator in the group was previously active in the islamist linked Gävle mosque where he was on the board. Only a few months ago, he gave a lecture in the mosque on family and parenthood, which was pitched by the deportation imam Abo Raad.
Discussions about women and their freedom
In addition to disgust for social services and authorities, focus is also repeatedly on muslim women and women’s freedom in Sweden, and the values of the Western world. The moderator is one of many men, but there are also women, who write about how women’s behavior harms and destroys families in Sweden.
Repeated comments claim that Western society pours ”intellectual homosexuality” into women’s minds and describes a general disgust towards homosexuals.
Several writers stress that the muslim woman has been lured to live by Swedish and Western values and therefore ends up in ruin, which in turn makes it difficult or impossible for a man to keep the family together. Women in Sweden being expected to work to support themselves for a free life is deemed to be a threat. A woman who no longer obeys her husband can think of herself instead.
One person writes about how the Swedish ”children’s law” and women’s freedom constitute a malicious confrontation against the religion and traditions that muslims want to live under in Sweden. The Western view is said to corrupt women and what God intended for her as the mother of the next generation.
Another one explains that Arab women behave badly towards their husbands in Sweden and that they use swords with false accusations of abuse, isolation in the home, unlawful threats, restrictions and oppression against their husbands. He concludes that the most creative accusation is that of rape: ”as if they were friends, not spouses”.
The daughter was sent to Syria – request for advice in the group
It is not uncommon for members to ask for advice in individual cases involving children and Swedish authorities.
One person states that officials from the authorities wanted to take her daughter into custody last year and that she therefore sent the girl to Syria. She asks for advice on how she can ascertain that the investigation is closed, and she wonders if it is possible to send the daughter to another European country without Swedish authorities intervening.
In a subsequent post, she thanks God for bringing the girl to Syria on time and she wonders if anyone knows if it is possible to get financial support from Sweden if her daughter is registered in a private school in Damascus.
Discussions about taking children out of Sweden are recurring.
A new law aiming to protect children who witness domestic violence is met with strong opposition, and a news bulletin explaing that honor related offences will be regarded as a specific crime is met with the comment: ”God, save us from what is to come”.
A Youtube channel with 570,000 subscribers focuses on Swedish LVU
The Youtube channel شؤون إسلامية covers most individual cases concerning Swedish LVU related to muslims. The Facebook group BIFISWE often provide links to the channel’s video clips:
”Guys, follow Broder Mustafa’s channel on Youtube. The channel’s name is (Islamic Affairs), a channel that highlights the kidnapping of children in the West in general and Sweden in particular ”.
The person behind the Youtube channel, which has 570,000 subscribers, has a Twitter account with 166,000 followers and a Facebook with 310,000 followers. The man behind the accounts lives in Cairo and he focuses largely through all his channels on LVU in Sweden.
His accounts frequently share similar Egypt based accounts with numerous followers where the care of children in Sweden is described, in Arabic, as the kidnapping of muslim children. People who monitor the islamist environment in the Middle East says to Doku that the man is part of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
One comment talks about a Syrian man who had several children taken into custody in Sweden. It claims that the purpose of the law is to convert children by force to become christians.
A tweet pictured with the Swedish flag describes honor as a specific crime in Sweden that can be punished according to law. It further states mean that a daughter can be kidnapped by the state if you do not want her to hang out with prostitutes.
In another tweet, a hashtag is launched in Arabic. It says that Sweden is a fascist state and the purpose with the hashtag is said to help grieving Arab families to get their children back. It moreover claims that Sweden is one of the most racist and corrupt countries in the world.
Stiftelsen Doku