Sunday, January 21, 2018

Sweden

Young Afghans in Sweden by Bruce Bawer
Excerpt: There exists an organization Sweden that goes by the name "Young in Sweden" ("Ung i Sverige"), which Radio Sweden has described as "one of the most notable protest movements in the country right now." It is not just any group of young people -- its members are from Afghanistan. According to its website, they fled "violence and persecution" in their homeland, only to find that they were "not welcome after all" in Sweden. The Young in Sweden website describes the group's members by first begging for pity -- explaining how tough it is to be a refugee and how desperately these young people long to make a lasting home in Sweden and contribute to the country's future. It portrays them, in the American parlance, as "Dreamers." But in a way familiar to observers of the Islamic incursion into the West, the plea for sympathy abruptly gives way to something more aggressive. The group issues a series of what it explicitly calls "demands." First, it demands that Sweden stop returning to Afghanistan those Afghans whose asylum requests have been rejected. Second, it demands a meeting with Mikael Ribbenvik, Secretary General of the Swedish Migration Agency. Third, it demands that politicians pass laws granting amnesty and residence permits to Afghan refugee claimants. To be sure, Young in Sweden does not just make demands. It holds illegal public protests, which have been marked by acts of vandalism and violence. It also arranges language courses. Swedish language courses for Afghans? No -- courses in Persian and Dari for native Swedes. The group's Facebook page describes these courses as an "integration project," explaining that as Afghans become part of Swedish society, Swedes need to "take responsibility to be a part of that society as well." Which is to say that if native-born Swedes wish to be full members of the new Swedish society, they must learn Persian and Dari.

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