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'Give Wallenberg an annual day': minister

Published: 4 Aug 12 10:18 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/42420/20120804/

As the 100 year anniversary of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg’s birth is commemorated in Sweden and globally, democracy minister Birgitta Ohlsson suggests making August 4th Wallenberg’s own annual day in the Swedish calendar.

In today’s Europe, where xenophobic parties, extreme-right movements and populist groups are winning ground, what Wallenberg represents is more important than ever before, Ohlsson wrote in an opinion piece in national newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN).

“Wallenberg is an excellent symbol for a Sweden and Europe with solidarity, openness and tolerance,” Ohlsson wrote.

Today marks one hundred years to the day since Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg’s birth on August 4th, 1912. The centennial has been commemorated in Sweden and in several other countries.

RELATED GALLERY: WHAT DO SWEDES KNOW OF RAOUL WALLENBERG?

Today several memorial celebrations are planned to take place in Stockholm, with notable guests including Crown Princess Victoria who will be attending a memorial arranged by school Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket.

“But the memory of Wallenberg deserves more long-term remembrance than simply a memorial year. His efforts deserve an annual Swedish memorial day,” Ohlsson wrote.

Wallenberg saved thousands of Jews during World War II, but his own fate remains shrouded in mystery. He was last seen in Budapest on January 17, 1945, when Soviet forces took the city from German troops, and Soviet records state he died in a Moscow prison in 1947.

"If Sweden doesn't commemorate Wallenberg for future generations - who will then preserve his memory?," Ohlsson concluded.

TT/Clara Guibourg (news@thelocal.se)

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10:59 August 4, 2012 by RobinHood
A prize! To be awarded to those who have done as Wallenberg would have done in the same situation. The first winner? Tom Hurndall, fatally and deliberately shot in the head by an Israeli sniper from a watchtower, as he saved children caught in crossfire during a gunfight. The sniper remains unpunished, but an award to his victim might remind him, and his country, how Tom Hurndall bravely confronted evil and paid for it with his life.
12:11 August 4, 2012 by guliver
Robin Hood

there is no connection what so ever between Wallenberg who saved Jews during the Holocaust from certain death ,and the Israeli Palestinian conflict which is another issue,I do not know who is Tom Hurndall and I have never heard is name but I must say I am terribily sorry for each civilian who die in that conflict, it should not happen but it does happen and on both sides,I just want to underline that we do not shot on civilians intentionly and the terrorists allways hide behind their civilians while shoting dirctly on our houses ,kindergarden,schools.

I do advice the European who wish to help thePalestinians to do it through international organisations like UNRA and to avoid going in conflicts zones were there is violance,the issue will not be resolve with violance butin direct talks,Israel has enough security problems and need no trouble makers who come from abroad.

South Israel
13:18 August 4, 2012 by motti
@Robin Hood, as usual, any opportunity to snipe at Israel. You never have anything positive to add, just snide comments.

Perhaps, we can nominate the family so brutally slaughtered in their own home deliberately by a Fakestinian, because they were Jewish. This included a 3 1/2 month baby whose head was almost totally severed from its shoulders. Babies don't have necks.

As usual, Gulliver answred honestly, humanely and always with compassion - unlike you.

Wallenberg is certainly honoured in Israel. Here is something quite positive for you.

Kul-Al-ARab conducted a survey in Israel's largest city Umm al Fahm, the local inhabitants, all Moslems by the way were questionned about their future.

83% would want to continue living under a democratc regime with high living standards against 11% who would rather live in a future Palestine.

The Drusim also have their own towns and are , like the Bedu, patriotic for the state of Israel The Druse on the Golan were offered Israeli citizenship, but refused, believing their patriotism was to Syria. I'm unsure just what their feelings are thes days, with over 20,000 people killed in that sorry country. By the way, a Jewish Israeli group are helping the refugess openly. As usual, Israel is always one of the first to be at the site of a crisis or emergency, regardless of colour, religion or nationality..

Would Robin Hood in English mythology have helped a Jew I wonder? I doubt it very much.

Apartheid? Not really, The cities of Akko (Acre) Yaffo (Jaffa) Haifa, Ramleh and others have mixed communities of Jew, Christian and Muslim. Which is how it should be.
13:43 August 4, 2012 by RobinHood
@gulliver

Your new found knowledge of Tom Hurndall highlights how society might benefit from a Wallenberg prize. Good for you, Wallenberg's shade will be proud of you. No doubt Tom Hurndall's shade stands next to him and enjoyed your remark that he and Wallenberg are not connected.

@motti

Is your point that brave Tom Hurndall was not murdered by a cowardly Israeli sniper while saving children, and is therefore unworthy of a Wallenberg prize? A simple Google search will assure you he was, and he is. On several occassions Wallenberg put himself in the line of fire while saving children. Their religion was irrelevent to him; and to me. But clearly of some importance to you. That is why you will always be different.

As you have obviously never read Ivanhoe, you are unqualified to debate Robin Hood mythology. When you have finished your Google search about Tom Hurndall, please read it.
14:01 August 4, 2012 by guliver
Robin Hood

"and enjoyed your remark that he and Wallenberg are not connected."

As I have already mentioned I am terribly sorry for every civilian who died in that conflict, including people with good intentions to bring peace to the region,but this work must be done by our leaders not peace activists from Europe who come over here to put oil on the fire which is high enough,

There is a say on Arabic:"all ways to hell are covered with good intentions.." it means people really want to help and have good intentions but doing their things make it worse
18:38 August 4, 2012 by Uncle
robinhood

What children, you incompetent moron? The ones that are used by nazi islamists as a shield to shoot rockets at jewish children? You, islamists are attacking children PURPOSELY. You are into children extermination as a freaking hobby. Tens of thousands of children are dying in fighting between Shia and Sunnis. They are TARGETED in order to break the parents.

You are MARRYING children. You are having SEX with children and you are selling children to the highest bidder. Even your prophet did a 9 y/o kid.

You are using children in your war machines, in your jihad preaching, in your agitation of death. You send children with suicide belts strapped around them to kill other children. You SHOOT your children and then blame the other side, as proved by ballistic tests in Muhammad al-Durrah death.

You had tight contacts with the nazis (Bosinaks and Persians) with the only goal in life - to assist the extermination of Jews, which included children. In your schools you teach Nazi literature to children. You kidnap children in order to find the parents (Chechnya islamic authority methods).

You beat and burn your children if you suspect them to fall in love with an incorrect person. The rights of children in sharia states are non-existent. In Syria, Lybia, Lebanon, Tunisia, Sudan, Somalia nobody even heard of targeted eliminations and bombs are falling on kindergartens with no regard to anything. Somalian and Sudanese islamists artificially STARVED population that included hundreds of thousands kids.

Muslims are on the FOREFRONT of children extermination in a proud company with Red Khmers, SS units, Devil and RUF. You killed more children than the spanish flu.

So if I were you, I would hide in the deepest hole I could find, until the discussion about Wallenberg or Holocaust is taking place. As an ignorant idiot, you dare to open your mouth, only displaying your worth again.
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