Social Democrats call for Swedish Muslim holiday
Published: 2 May 11 11:19 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/33520/20110502/
Sweden's Social Democrats argued on Monday for a review of Sweden's public holidays, arguing that the country's Muslim community should also be recognised.
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It is probable that any decision to introduce a Muslim holiday would mean the replacement of an existing public holiday.
Carin Jämtin stated that the party does not believe that it is possible to add to the current number of public holidays, but was unwilling to speculate on possible alternatives.
Jämtin was however prepared to offer a suggestion on which day could serve as a Muslim holiday.
"One could consider whether Eid, the Muslim Christmas Eve, could be a public holiday," she said, referring to Eid-al-Fitr, the feast at the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.
The Swedish Humanist Association (Humanisterna) described the idea to introduce a Muslim holiday as "absurd".
"Most people in Sweden are secularised. For example they don't celebrate Christmas for Christian, religious reasons. It is simply an occasion to meet, eat good food and socialize. The same is the case for Muslims," said the association's chairperson Christer Sturmark.
"Christmas is furthermore not a Christian holiday originally. It was the day when the Romans celebrated the sun god."
Sturmark also said that neither does he want to have a day for the secular community, instead favouring a pool of holidays which an individual can use whenever he or she so desires.
"Then you could take time off when you want. If you want to celebrate Ramadan then you could do so on one of the days from the pool," he said.
Sweden currently has 11 official public holidays (röda dagar) - New Year's Day, Epiphany, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May 1st (International Workers' Day), Ascension Day, National Day, Midsummer's Day, All Saints' Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
There are a further eleven days designated as public holidays or flag days which do not carry the right to a day off from work. In practice many of these days include a half or full day's holiday, often taken on the day before.
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I hope the Social Democrats don't forget to put this in their manifesto at the next election. The Swedish electorate will definately support it 100%. The Moderate party must be shaking in their capitalist shoes and preparing for electoral obliteration.
More of the same please Carin Jämtin, you are a one-woman election winner.
we will need a longer year to keep everyone happy.
Fantastic idea!
As Sturmark points out many of the so-called religious holidays pre-date any virgin births, second comings or skyward spiritual journeys - they have to do with the sun, the moon and the seasons.
Sweden's religious history is, if anything, a heathen one and proudly so.
HOPEFULLY common sense will prevail
What says Jimmie Åkesson/ Kent Ekeroth and their Sweden Democrats about that?
It'd be more appropriate if the Muslims in Sweden declared a national Swedish holiday
Happy dead Osama Bin Laden Day.
Yikes!
lets see.
the islamic culture has not changed in the past 2 thousand years why should sweden accomodate that?
it is the islamic world that should be naming a swedish day and for one day they should live like civilized people, not the way around.
Meanwhile sweden should start having some pride in its own country and achievements, most countries in the world look up to sweden as a rolemodel when it comes to a propper country, its not perfect but its lightyears away from anything islamic.
So why a muslim day when the muslims should be the one moving on into the 21st century and recovering humanitys gift of critical thinking and inteligence putting aside their so called "culture" which is really just religious dogma that oppresses them and everyone around them.
But actually i like the idea of holiday pool. If Muslims won't get their Eid made a public holiday the pool can work. I as a Muslim worker in Sweden would love to take 3 days from the pool to celebrate Eid and in return work in Easter, Christmas and New Year.
shame on sweden for even thinking of the foolishness!
i agree.. may 2.. binladen's death day..yeh
Mmmmm i think somenthing is going wrong with those social democrats.
Their intentions are good but these things just do not work .
Muslims will celebrate when they do !
Non Muslims will celebrate when they do !
Whatever !
Imagine getting paid to sit round a table to come up with silly ideas !
Actually looking for work but think that extraterrestial SFI classes should be introduced , please contact !
I as a Muslim don't like to see that the issue of Holiday for Muslims being used for political purposes. Cancel all Holidays and let the people themselves to decide when to be off!
@Iraniboy please tell me what holidays iranians have that aren´t muslim? Would you even be able to discuss this issue in Iran?
Finally a reasonable question!
In Iran our main holidays which is two weeks for students and 4 consequent days for the rest of people is actually a pagan non-Islamic Holiday date back to more than 3000 years ago. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz
By the way I didn't support this cause, I'm just shocked by the level of hatred some non-Swedish readers of thelocal.se have against Muslims.
That is really nutso. Some of the Swedish politicians have really gone off the deep end with their militant political correctness run amok.
2014 is gonna be a banner election for the Sweden Democrats because of ridiculous anti-Swedish garbage like this."
I agree 100%. What is it with some Swedish politicians engaging in self-hatred of traditional Swedish culture and values? Why on earth are they actively TRYING to convert Sweden into an Islamic nation?
If you think the non-Swedish readers here are bad then you should read what Swedish people have to say on one of the many Swedish newspapers comments sections after the True Finns won their election. You probably wouldn't be too happy with it either.
Indeed, holidays have to do with tradition and culture/history in Sweden, not religion. Introducing Eid or making a holiday pool, is pandering to crybaby thugs who want their own way and don't understand that Sweden is not religious and is not interested in becoming so.
Now the fun starts watching the BS hit the fan with the cell groups posing as helpless asylum seekers, converting over to christianity so they can secure their undercover stay here in Scandinavia, or rather, Swerabia.
Another poster here on the local 'expatjourno' hit the nail on the head and said something so profound, that I must quote it...
"Immigrants and children of immigrants are responsible for almost all of the crime, especially the violent crime, in Sweden. It's never racist to point out the facts.
It's all about the culture. Import a bunch of middle easterners who come from societies that degrade women and don't be surprised when rape and other acts of violence against women increase. Import a bunch of people who don't have the same customs about not hitting children and don't be surprised when violence increases a generation later.
Import people who have not had the civilizing influence of Swedish schools, starting with dagis at the age of one, and don't be surprised if society becomes more savage.
Give people's kids home language instruction and don't be surprised if people bring more of their cultures' disgusting attitudes and behavior to Sweden.
I watched all of this happen. I watched the immigrants come. Watched their kids grow up. Watched the streets become less safe. First hand. And the statistics back me up."
Freedom of Speech is alive and well in Sweden.
It's quite obvious that the majority of posters are zenophobic to a country that is becoming zenomorphic.
Yes, they should be allowed to have a holiday... Right back to where they came from.
But I guess the Socialist traitors realize their only hope these days is to win the immigrant vote by giving them holidays and upping their welfare payments.
@ Infart - Yes, it's fun to watch Iraniboy squirming so desperately to hold onto his visa before his clock gets punched by SD... Times are changing fast.
Iranian Atheist
Christmas and Easter and the others are pagan high days embraced by Catholicism .
there is a Christian holiday every Saturday apart from that there is none!
the Muslims like the Christians can share the Pagan and labour holidays like everyone else!
can we introduce christian holidays in saudi? NOOOOOOOO!!! If you wear a crucifix visibly you WILL be sent to jail in Saudi so there you go folks. Peaceful islam that respect other religions - NOT.
these people can take a day of work if they feel so strongly about their evil religion. I bet it ws a mussy who came up with this totally preposterous proposal.
go back to your hospitable home country and celebrate in style
Anyone with a brain would recognize the winter solstice as being one of the 2 most astrologically significant days of the year thus other festivals will invariably coincide.
Christ is a Prophet in Islam, thus all Christian holidays are effectively Islamic.
Finally - there is nothing 'irrational' about faith and religion, anyone who understands faith knows that it is not a substitute for 'rationality' or 'science' or 'logic' - one is reductionist and material - the other is metaphysical.
Losers who can't even grasp that fact should hold their tongue on every subject - they don't even know what religion, nor do they understand reductionism, therefore they shouldn't make any comments.
Saying something after the fact doesn't make it so. I can claim I am your father. It doesn't make it true Islam started in a cave, written by a warlord pedophile who listened to the voice of Lucifer, 600 years after the death of Christ. Christ was not a prophet of Islam.
I sometimes read it. It is too liberal and rarely supportive of them! Only 5% of Swedes support SD. Is it really hard for you to accept the statistic? Out of these 5% much much fewer support True Finns. I suggest you to read True Finns ideas. They hate Swedes more than they do other foreigners!! So basically Swedes cannot like them! You can't like someone who hate you? Otherwise you need help!
@tecknoviking
haha, Dream on! The vast majroity of Swedes have seen in Sweden hate SD more than I do :)
@jack
Can you please go back to where you come from and stop pushing your vile ideas on 95% of Swedes?
Also, religion has no place in modern society. Religious people are backwards regardless of their religion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23_Years
the English version link is on the bottom ( please read the book , you'll have facts to support the cause against Islam )
Peace from Tehran
If you're so stupid as to think those numbers are going to stay static, I would love to see your face after the next election.
I doubt you are privy to the same dinner conversations I am given who you are. Many Swedes are very sick of immigration. You shall see.
I think I should start lobbying my local MP to table a motion in parliament that will allow me to celebrate my Englishness and allow me to take a select few English holidays as well as Swedish holidays.
As an ex civil servant the Queen's birthday was very important to me (not). However, it was a day off and we all like a day off from work where we still receive payment.
I would also like to have May Day bank Holiday moved to first the Monday in May so I can have a long weekend thanks and while we are at it, can we have an August bank Holiday the last weekend in August please. I would like to pop over to London for the Carnival
Granted they are not religious holidays but, if someone is proposing holidays for a particular group, I feel I have a right to celebrate my Englishness too!
Oh, I nearly forgot St George's day on 23 April. It would be good to have that day off too and officially instead of taking it as a sick day!
While they are considering religious holidays, how about celebrating St Patricks' day 17 March. Now there we would need to have the day after as a holiday too so my Irish mates and I can get over our hangovers.
On a more serious note and in this case, the system is not broken so leave it alone!
People from minority groups should take religious holidays as part of THEIR holiday entitlement. To change the system to accommodate a minority groups will be the beginning of chaos.
If you want, minority groups to feel included in this society then encourage them to celebrate Swedish holidays.
By the way, as our topic is 'Social Democrats call for Swedish Muslim holiday', i can assure you idiots that there are many Muslim majority states having 25th december as Holiday due to Christmas. If a third-world country can show that level of respect to Christian Holoday, why Sweden would NOT accept Muslims holidays?
Then you need to learn some more about Islam.
It's sole objective is a non-secular state. One cannot be both a good Muslim a good citizen in a secular modern democracy. All laws must answer to Islam and our freedoms and beliefs are in direct conflict with the "teachings" of the koran. Get one and read for yourself.
"Muslims that make friends with disbelievers will face a doom prepared for them by Allah." Surah 5:80
Swedes may be "multiculturalists". Muslims most certainly are not.
If you want to live in Sweden you should, like the majority of Swedes, put your prejudice before coming to Sweden. You started to talk about me which were all wrong. I often go back to Iran. I'm here by choice, in fact I could live in Norway, US, Canada,.. and I chose here merely because after 3 years of living here I don't see people with prejudices as I saw in Iran, US,...Now embrace the Swedish style or go back where your approach is acceptable.
@technoviking
Lol you sound like a 18 years old lad. You have every right to believe that your belief will have more support next time but now you are only 5%. So accept the fact till next time we play :D In fact the number of Muslims in Sweden is more than SD supporters!
Oh, and our politicians who are making all the decisions aren't even living in the "multicultural" areas of our towns... :P
This is only some desperate way of trying to get some of the invader's votes.
But I guess the decision will be based upon a democratic debate.
time dont forget to vote for Jimme Akesson,the true native Swedish who is brave
and really cares for the Swedish natives as awhole and of course Sweden as a
country.
Do these immigrants care about lack of hard labour in Sweden if these refugees dont come and live here? andswer is NO..
Do these immigrants care if Sweden bring South American people instead of these refugees here.. then the crime will rise very fast (these immigrants know well about these south american people.. dont cheat!)...? answer is NO again...
and finally they will say... Bye Bye Swedes.. I care no more for you all if you cannot offer me good place to live...
welcome welcome welcome
So the question is 'Will Swedes vote for a party who will foolishly sell out the nation's soul and eviscerate Sweden's essence in order to gain power?'
Toleration is one thing, but tolerating stuff that violates human rights is not toleration but blindness
Thanks engagebrain, another great chuckle. And a very TRUE Statement! Appease the islamic immigrants for their VOTES? Why are they singling out islam and ignoring the other religions?
To give a holiday would you not have to TAKE one from somewhere else.
While I find some of the anti Muslim posts here rather scary, I still go for the old saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans".
How do you find muslim's anti anything other than islam?
NO, no, no and one more time NO do NOT allow Muslims their own holiday anywhere in EUROPE. They do NOT allow Christians THEIR holidays in those countries
They decided to live here so they must be made to live and celebrate OUR methods. If we go to their country WE ARE FORCED TO ADOPT TO THEIR METHODS.
To hell with all of them.
There is no need to be rational you know it's not good for health :)
@ Observant: Firstly,There are Christmas holidays in Islamic country all you need is correct information! Secondly, if you don't want to celebrate any of Muslims holidays just relax at home and take a chill pill :D
There is no need to be rational you know it's not good for health :) "
Is that a national holiday for all?
How about Vermin Fest? oe "We gave our Children's Country to a bunch of murderers" day.
Why mention 9/11 and Bin Ladin when it comes to Islam?! Is that the maximum of your knowlage about the world second religion and the most fast growing?! You can do better than that. Swolowing propaganda which is feeded to your by biased and media and taking it for truth.
All that slogans 'War on terror" is a fake! It's a US war for natural resources and a way to make reach SOME people which have share in SU military industry... Bush family for example...
9/11 was an inside job to justify American invasion to Afghanistan and Middle East. US gets oil and other countries are also paying for it. Google "9/11 building number 7" or "9/11 consperacy theory" etc. You'll be surprised.
Bin Ladin was an enimy of USA years before 9/11 for organizing attacks on Americal military bases in the Middle East.
If majority of Swedes doesn't want any Muslim holidays, - so let it be. Nobody asks for it.... Muslims can get days off for their holidays, anyway there are only 2 Islamic holydays: Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha...
There are more Finns living in Sweden than muslims, but noone caters to the former. Social Democrats and any other party affiliation that bend over backwards to accomodate a medieval, hateful and violent religion, will find themselves eradicated in the next general election. Sweden democrats, on the other hand, do not hold the solution. They are just another bunch of bigots.