Religion

The following articles have been tagged with "Religion":

'Jihad Jane' visited Sweden to plan attack

National: 10 Mar 10
The American woman known as "Jihad Jane", charged by US authorities on Tuesday with conspiring to kill Swedish Muhammad cartoonist Lars Vilks, is reported to have paid a visit to Sweden in August. READ »

Vilks 'not shaking with fear' over murder plot

National: 10 Mar 10
Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks said he was undaunted by revelations of a plot on his life after seven people were arrested in Ireland on Tuesday. READ »

Irish police foil plot to kill Swedish cartoonist

National: 9 Mar 10
Seven Muslims were arrested by Irish police on Tuesday on suspicions of conspiracy to murder a Swedish cartoonist who drew the prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog. READ »

Job agency accepts 'Muslim handshake' fine

Society: 3 Mar 10
Sweden’s National Public Employment Agency (Arbetsförmedlingen) has decided not to appeal its fine for discriminating against a Muslim man who had his benefits withdrawn after refusing to shake the hand of a female CEO. READ »

Job agency fined for religious discrimination

Society: 8 Feb 10
Sweden’s National Public Employment Agency has been fined for discriminating against a Muslim man who had his benefits withdrawn after refusing to shake the hand of a female CEO. READ »

Epiphany reignites Sweden's public holiday debate

Business & Money: 5 Jan 10
Workers in Sweden have only had two days to return to life on the job following their Christmas vacations before gearing up for yet another paid holiday on Wednesday. READ »

Minaret ban favoured by one in four Swedes: poll

National: 3 Dec 09
One in four Swedes is in favour of prohibiting the building of more minarets in the country, a new poll shows. READ »

Teens sign up for jihad at Stockholm youth centre

National: 11 Nov 09
Swedish taxpayers helped fund a youth recreation centre in the north Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby which served as a recruiting station for the Somalia-based Islamist group al-Shabaab. READ »

Church of Sweden says yes to gay marriage

National: 22 Oct 09
The Synod of the Lutheran Church of Sweden has come down in favour of church weddings for homosexuals in a vote held on Thursday morning. READ »

'What do the Sweden Democrats want to do with us Muslims?'

Analysis & Opinion: 21 Oct 09
Anna Waara, chairperson of Swedish Muslims for Peace and Justice, calls for politicians and the media to reject the views expressed in an opinion piece by Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson, in which he refers to Muslims as the greatest threat to Sweden since World War II. READ »

Bank robber in custody following 'religious awakening'

National: 20 Oct 09
Police in western Sweden may soon be able to close their files on a daring four-year old bank robbery after one of the thieves experienced a religious salvation during his time on the run. READ »

Islam 'Sweden's biggest threat': far-right leader

Politics: 19 Oct 09
An article by the leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats claiming that Islam is the biggest threat to Sweden since World War II is tantamount to hate speech, according to legal experts. READ »

'Cyncism prevails for vote-hungry officials in Sweden and Israel'

Analysis & Opinion: 28 Aug 09
As the Aftonbladet organ harvesting scandal rumbles to the end of its second week, Stockholm-based Israeli writer David Stavrou calls on policy makers in Sweden and Israel to shed light on the situation rather than turning up the heat. READ »

Stockholm plays host to international laughter fest

Lifestyle: 26 Aug 09
Sweden's capital will this weekend welcome a host of international comedy stars when the very first Stockholm Comedy Festival opens on Friday. READ »

Probe into school's alleged Islamic veil discrimination

National: 7 Aug 09
The Swedish Equality Ombudsman has launched a probe into a case of alleged discrimination after two women who wear veils revealing only the eyes claim they were not allowed to attend adult education classes. READ »

Björn from ABBA: There's probably no God

Analysis & Opinion: 25 Jun 09
"Freedom from indoctrination ought to be a basic human right for all children," argues ABBA star Björn Ulvaeus in a passionate plea for Sweden to rethink its policy on faith-based schools. READ »

Migration agency used anti-Muslim lawyer

National: 24 Jun 09
A lawyer contracted by the Swedish Migration Board to represent asylum seekers has a personal blog in which he refers to Islam as a “psychosocial disease”. READ »

Headmaster fired after Facebook pic scandal

Society: 18 Jun 09
A high school principal who used Facebook to air his zest for sex has been forced to resign from his post. READ »

'God probably doesn't exist': Swedish humanists

Society: 10 Jun 09
The role of religion in public life in Sweden has been brought into sharp relief by a provocative ad campaign questioning the existence of God. READ »

Ministers argue girls' right to sex ed

National: 31 May 09
Liberal party ministers Jan Björklund and Nyamko Sabuni have proposed a new schools law which removes the right to seek exemption from sexual education and swimming classes. READ »

What's on in Sweden: May 22 - 28

Lifestyle: 20 May 09
What's on in Sweden: Ingmar Bergman theatre festival in Stockholm; International performance art in Gothenburg; Ghostface Killah and Funda Arar in Malmö/Lund. READ »

Malmö casino eyes 'Vegas-style' weddings

Dating: 16 May 09
Couples visiting Casino Comopol in Malmö may soon be able to gamble and walk down the aisle in one fell swoop, possibly turning the city into a sort of "Las Vegas of Sweden". READ »

Art off the beaten track in Stockholm

Lifestyle: 7 May 09
Art critic Katarina Wadstein MacLeod slips into the suburbs and side streets of Stockholm in search of hidden gems outside the mainstream. READ »

Muslim woman sues college over veil ban

Society: 12 Feb 09
A Stockholm woman has reported an adult education college in Spånga to the Equality Ombudsman (DO) after being told that she could not wear an Islamic headscarf in class. READ »

Swedish Muslim could set new headscarf precedent

Society: 22 Jan 09
Cherin Awad, known for her work on a controversial Sveriges Television (SVT) programme, may well become the first practising attorney in Sweden to wear a headscarf. READ »

Gävle goat's little brother torched

National: 19 Dec 08
It has become something of a Swedish Christmas tradition for the famous Gävle goat to be burned by vandals. Now its smaller counterpart has suffered a similar fate. READ »

Sweden – a new melting pot?

Analysis & Opinion: 16 Dec 08
As Sweden opens its borders to a new wave of labour migration, the country is becoming more diverse than ever before, writes Olle Wästberg, director-general of the Swedish Institute. READ »

Swedes: hard workers or hardly working?

Analysis & Opinion: 15 Dec 08
Doug Lansky takes a look at how Swedish tradition, technology, sick leave, vacations, public holidays and a new management style mean many 'full-time' Swedish workers get 130 days off per year. READ »

Le Clézio travels into 'the forest of paradoxes'

Analysis & Opinion: 7 Dec 08
Nobel literature laureate Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio explores the paradoxes of his profession and argues that the eradication of hunger and illiteracy go hand-in-hand, writes Charlotte West. READ »

Swedish artist's Muhammad musical courts new controversy

Society: 23 Nov 08
Swedish artist Lars Vilks is at the centre of a new controversy as his new musical Dogs premiered in Stockholm on Saturday. READ »

What's on in Sweden: November 21 - 27

Lifestyle: 20 Nov 08
What’s on: International Film Festival & Mali Bluesman in Stockholm; the search for Lucia & Lambchop in Gothenburg; Jose Carrerras in Malmö. READ »

Joyous court climax for Madonna of Orgasm Church

Society: 19 Nov 08
The Madonna of Orgasm Church took an important step toward official recognition in Sweden last week when a court ruled it had the right to be registered as a faith community. READ »

What's on in Sweden: November 14 - 20

Lifestyle: 13 Nov 08
What’s on: Ron Sexsmith & DV8 Physical Theatre in Stockholm; Cirkus Cirkör & English farce in Gothenburg; Lambchop & Dirty Pretty Things in Malmö. READ »

Sweden's new Halal-TV courts controversy

Society: 4 Nov 08
A new programme launched on Monday by Sveriges Television (SVT) featuring three young Swedish Muslim women has sparked a heated debate about cultural norms and integration. READ »

US election watch: The case for Obama

Analysis & Opinion: 29 Oct 08
With the US election just around the corner, we ask people living in Sweden to outline their reasons for supporting either of the candidates. First up, Peter Dahlen of Democrats Abroad explains why he believes Barack Obama is the right man for the job. READ »

Swinging: A very Swedish pastime or the last taboo?

Dating: 28 Oct 08
Judging by the number of column inches devoted to the subject in recent months, one would be forgiven for thinking that partner-swapping had become the noughties equivalent of the Tupperware party, writes Jennifer Heape. But is swinging really Sweden’s new favourite hobby? READ »

What's on in Sweden: October 3 - October 9

Lifestyle: 2 Oct 08
What’s on: NHL hockey, Open tennis and Aussie comedy in Stockholm; Ane Brun in Gothenburg; Steve Wynn and naked Jesus shock in Malmö. READ »

Women's rights on downward turn: anti-globalization activists

Analysis & Opinion: 19 Sep 08
Anti-globalization activists have warned of a downward turn for women's rights across Europe, citing growing religious extremism and neo-liberalism as contributory factors. READ »

Ombudsman sues firm over Muslim woman's firing

Society: 1 Sep 08
Sweden’s ombudsman for ethnic discrimination (DO) has sued a cleaning company after it dismissed a Muslim woman for not dressing appropriately on the job. READ »

British Islamic bank plans Swedish expansion

Society: 1 Aug 08
Sweden's Muslim population could soon have their very own bank. A British bank is looking to expand its business and has been in contact with the Swedish authorities. READ »

Many Swedes believe in reincarnation

Society: 16 Jul 08
Every third Swede believes in reincarnation and every fifth believes that the movements of the stars dictate our lives, a new survey shows. READ »

Socialist school planned for Borås

Education: 15 Jul 08
The Social Democrat youth organization is planning to open a new independent school in Borås in western Sweden. READ »

State agency 'violated freedom of religion'

National: 15 Jul 08
The head of Sweden’s Evangelical Free Church has slammed the National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA) upon learning that the agency spied on Word of Life pastor Ulf Ekman (left) in the 1990s. READ »

World writers decry censorship at Swedish literary meet

Society: 2 Jul 08
Censorship was the main focus of debate as Bangladeshi novelist-in-hiding Taslima Nasreen (left) joined international writers at a literary conference in Stockholm on Tuesday. READ »

Gothenburg club and concert tips - June 27 - 29

Lifestyle: 26 Jun 08
Where to go out in Gothenburg this weekend? Monthly Magazine has the answers. READ »

Swedish musician José González thrives on simplicity

Lifestyle: 5 May 08
In an age when even hard-up musicians can create studio quality from a bedroom, successful Gothenburg-based songwriter José González stands out for his raw simplicity. READ »

Sweden to get tougher on discrimination

Politics: 13 Mar 08
Sweden's government has presented a proposal for a new discrimination law. READ »

Interview: Lars Vilks

Lifestyle: 10 Mar 08
Swedish artist Lars Vilks sparked international controversy last summer when several Swedish newspapers published his drawings portraying the Muslim prophet Muhammad as a so-called roundabout dog. Rami Abdelrahman caught up with him at a seminar on International Women's Day. READ »

Immigrant girls and sex education - who knows best?

Analysis & Opinion: 7 Mar 08
Parents, students, or the state: who knows best? David Landes looks at the thorny issue of sex education and editorial reactions to a Liberal Party proposal aiming to bar parents from exempting their children, particularly girls, from classes. READ »

Liberals call for mandatory sex ed

Education: 6 Mar 08
The Liberal Party wants to remove the option for parents to request exemptions from sex education classes for their children. READ »

Muslim mum discrimination case headed to Supreme Court

National: 27 Feb 08
The City of Gothenburg has appealed to Sweden’s highest court to avoid paying damages to two Muslim women who accuse the city of discrimination. READ »

Swedish pop, photo art and Marilyn Monroe: What's on in Sweden

Lifestyle: 15 Feb 08
Something for the weekend: Marilyn exhibition in Gothenburg, Lykke Li in Stockholm, Erwin Wurm in Malmö. READ »

Death notices get cute'n'quirky in Sweden

Lifestyle: 14 Feb 08
Almost anything goes for death notices in Swedish newspapers, where personalized drawings are a growing trend. READ »

Muslim mums win discrimination appeal

Society: 29 Jan 08
Two Muslim mothers have won a court appeal against a municipal pool in Gothenburg that required them to take off their veils and body-covering clothing. READ »

All that Jazz: What's on this weekend

Lifestyle: 18 Jan 08
Something for the Weekend: Women of all ages provide reasons to get out of the house this weekend. Swedish Grammy winner Säkert plays in Gothenburg, Marianne Faithfull hits movie theatres, and there's a Maj Lindström exhibition in Malmö. Or you can grab a jazz brunch if you're in Stockholm. READ »

Court denies couple marriage: 'your country does not exist'

Society: 10 Dec 07
A couple who say they are citizens of a 6 square metre 'tractor-like' rock in a lake in southern Sweden have been told by a Swedish court that their marriage is invalid. READ »

Something for the Weekend: The Local's Guide to What's On

Lifestyle: 7 Dec 07
Want to get in the Christmas spirit this weekend? Or dying to escape the whole thing? Whatever you fancy, we've got some ideas. READ »

More kids living with single dads

Society: 7 Dec 07
It is becoming ever more common for children in Sweden to live with single fathers, new figures have shown. READ »

Head teacher axes Santa from school repertoire

Society: 4 Dec 07
The headmaster of a school in southern Sweden has decided to ditch songs about Santa. READ »

Santa lives in Kyrgystan - Swedish researchers

Society: 3 Dec 07
Swedish researchers have bad news for the the Finns – they have concluded that Santa cannot possibly live in northern Finland. READ »

Please can I return this husband?

Dating: 13 Nov 07
Buy a sweater at H&M and you don't expect it to last forever, but it will look good on you for the time being. With the country's high divorce rate, Swedes have a pretty similar attitude to spouses, says Sarah Tarnowski. READ »

Muhammad cartoon inspires musical in Sweden

National: 7 Nov 07
A Swedish cartoonist already facing a slew of death threats over his depiction of the Muslim prophet Muhammad as a dog is working on a musical based on the drawing called "Dogs". READ »

Creationism to be banished from Swedish schools

Society: 15 Oct 07
The Swedish government is to ban biology teachers in independent religious schools from teaching creationism or 'intelligent design' alongside evolution. READ »

A leap of faith

Lifestyle: 12 Oct 07
Swedish women who convert to Islam: Of the 400,000 people in Sweden estimated to be celebrating the end of Ramadan this weekend, around 5,000 are ethnic Swedes who have converted to Islam. Two women converts tell Rami Abdelrahman about how they square their faith with society's expectations. READ »

Well-endowed Jesus dog unveiled 'to support free speech'

Society: 26 Sep 07
A Swedish artist unveiled Tuesday a sculpture depicting Christ as a well-endowed dog, saying he wanted to stimulate debate about religion and freedom of expression in the wake of a row over cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. READ »

Office workers refuse to flirt with boss

Business & Money: 25 Sep 07
A new survey of office attitudes has thrown up some interesting findings. It's fine to get plastered at the office party, it seems, as long as you keep your beady eyes off the boss. READ »

Kitsch, colourful and veggie

Lifestyle: 21 Sep 07
Tipping Point:Kathleen needs a break from blond wood tables, and is relieved to find that Stockholmers occasionally have the capacity for slightly kitsch taste. One place particularly replete with colour is a restaurant at the city's Hare Krishna temple. READ »

Sweden offers Czechs chance to view medieval manuscript

Society: 20 Sep 07
The so-called 'Devil's Bible' has finally returned to Prague 359 years after Sweden carried it off as booty during the Thirty Years War. READ »

Swedish publishers receive international backing

Society: 18 Sep 07
The World Association of Newspapers has expressed its support for the Swedish publishing community following death threats made at the weekend against artist Lars Vilks and newspaper editor Ulf Johansson. READ »

Artist: 'We needed a hot potato'

Society: 5 Sep 07
Artist Lars Vilks has spoken out about the controversy surrounding the publication of his picture of Muhammad as a dog in a local newspaper. READ »

Swedish Muslims cancel Muhammad cartoon demonstration

Society: 5 Sep 07
Swedish Muslims said Wednesday they had called off a demonstration planned for Friday against a newspaper cartoon depicting Prophet Muhammad as a dog following talks with the prime minister. READ »

Reinfeldt in talks with Muslim groups

Politics: 4 Sep 07
Sweden's prime minister said on Tuesday he was sorry if Muslims were offended by a cartoon depicting Prophet Muhammad as a dog but he also stressed that freedom of expression was an "inalienable" right in Sweden. READ »

Muhammad row 'good for integration'

Politics: 4 Sep 07
As Swedish civil servants warn of a growing security threat, Integration Minister Nyamko Sabuni accentuates the positives in the ongoing Muhammad cartoon controversy. READ »

More Egyptian criticism of Swedish cartoon

Society: 4 Sep 07
Egypt's lawmakers on Tuesday condemned the publication by a Swedish newspaper of a cartoon of Islam's prophet Muhammad as a dog saying such "odious" acts fanned religious hatred. READ »

Muhammad cartoons: Jordan condemns publication

Society: 3 Sep 07
Jordan condemned on Monday the publication in Sweden of a cartoon of Islam's prophet, warning it could undermine inter-faith dialogue and co-existence. The Managing Editor of the Jordan Times tells The Local that many Jordanians are angry about the cartoon. READ »

Egypt joins in Muhammad cartoon row

Society: 2 Sep 07
Egypt and a Saudi-based Muslim organization have joined the condemnation of the publication in Sweden of a cartoon of Islam's prophet. READ »

Afghans add voice to Muhammad cartoon row

National: 2 Sep 07
The cartoonist behind a caricature of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad has said he has no intention of apologizing. Meanwhile, Afghanistan has joined Pakistan and Iran in condemning the publication. READ »

Ahmadinejad claims 'Zionists' behind Swedish cartoon

Society: 28 Aug 07
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that "Zionists" were behind a cartoon in a Swedish newspaper depicting the head of the Prophet Mohammed on a dog's body. READ »

Paper defends Muhammad dog cartoon

Society: 28 Aug 07
Leading figures in Sweden's media industry have backed newspaper Nerikes Allehanda, which has been criticised by Iran for publishing a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a dog. The paper itself has meanwhile defended its decision to publish. READ »

Iran protests over Swedish Muhammad cartoon

National: 27 Aug 07
Iran summoned a Swedish diplomat to its foreign ministry on Monday to protest against a cartoon in a Swedish newspaper depicting the head of Prophet Mohammed on a dog's body. READ »

Obituary: Ingmar Bergman

Society: 30 Jul 07
Ingmar Bergman was the master of turning tales of anguished love and loneliness into films that made him one of the leading directors of the 20th century. READ »

Moderate board comes out for gay marriage

Politics: 16 Jun 07
The Moderate Party, the largest party in Sweden's coalition government, has thrown its support behind same-sex marriage. The party's board voted in favour of a gender-neutral marriage law on Friday. READ »

Bus driver sacked after Muslim veil incident

Society: 2 May 07
A bus driver in Malmö has been told by his employer that he is no longer welcome after he tried to prevent a young woman in a niqab from boarding his bus. "It feels good," says 'Leonora'. READ »

Bishop boycotts godless hotel chain

Society: 27 Apr 07
Swedish bishop Tony Guldbrandzén has cancelled all of his office's reservations with Scandic Hotels following the group's decision to remove copies of the Bible from its rooms. READ »

Imams must wait for Swedish education

Society: 24 Apr 07
Sweden's education minister wants to wait until Muslim organizations have reached full agreement before introducing a national education programme for trainee imams. READ »

Swedish security police "harasses Muslims"

Society: 22 Apr 07
A major crisis management training exercise taking place in Stockholm next week will contribute to further stigmatization of Muslims, according to two leading members of the Green Party. READ »

Scandic gives up on God

Society: 5 Apr 07
After years of Scandinavian Christian piety, the Scandic hotel chain has decided to remove copies of the Bible from its rooms. READ »

Inquiry gives green light to gay marriage

Society: 21 Mar 07
An official inquiry has proposed that Sweden allow same-sex couples to marry on the same terms as heterosexuals. As well as protests from religious groups, gay campaigners are angry that priests would still be allowed to refuse to officiate at gay weddings. READ »

Muslim women lose swimming pool discrimination case

National: 7 Mar 07
A court has ruled that two Muslim women who were refused entry to a swimming pool in Gothenburg were not discriminated against. READ »

Cambodian genocide documents found in Sweden

Politics: 13 Feb 07
The Swedish government has sent 26 boxes of documents to an independent Cambodian group investigating the Khmer Rouge genocide. READ »

Swedes keenest on ethnic minorities

Society: 24 Jan 07
Swedes are the quickest in the European Union to embrace the multi-cultural society, according to a new survey. "It's pleasing that people are so positive," says integration minister Nyamko Sabuni. READ »

Swedish education agency rejects veil ban

Society: 23 Jan 07
Last spring a school in northern Sweden tried to ban the wearing of all headgear, prompting one Muslim pupil to leave. 'Discrimination', says the National Agency for Education READ »

Freivalds exposed over Muhammad letter

Politics: 17 Jan 07
Laila Freivalds wrote a letter to Yemen's foreign minister apologising for the disrespect shown by the Sweden Democrat party towards the Muslim world. The letter was published today by a Swedish newspaper. Which is strange, because it "never existed". READ »

Swedish artist commits cardinal sin in Rome

National: 7 Dec 06
Italian police brought Swedish artist Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin’s photo shoot to a hasty end in Rome last Saturday. It seems cardinals with erections are frowned upon in the Catholic country. READ »

Young Muslims vulnerable to abuse

National: 5 Dec 06
One in four young Muslims in Sweden are subjected to abuse because of their religion, according to a new report. Much of the abuse stems from areas where the Sweden Democrat party is strongest. READ »

Sherrybaby drinks in Stockholm's warm glow

Lifestyle: 27 Nov 06
Drugs film Sherrybaby and its lead actress Maggie Gyllenhaal scoop the gongs at the Stockholm Film Festival. But for Eddie de Oliveira, New York school drama Half Nelson stole the show. READ »

Stockholm festival thrives on variety

Lifestyle: 21 Nov 06
As campaigning American documentaries turn their attentions to Wal-Mart, Eddie de Oliveira checks out a varied diet of international independent film on view at this week's Stockholm Film Festival. READ »

"Time for Sweden to support Mid-East Moderates"

Analysis & Opinion: 12 Oct 06
Knee-jerk condemnations of Israel have been a frequent characteristic of Sweden’s reaction to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The new government should start supporting moderates on both sides, argues David Stavrou. READ »

Knutby pastor admits murder

National: 31 Aug 06
A belated twist in Sweden's most sensational murder case in years: interviewed in jail, the pastor of Knutby at last admits involvement in the murder of his wife in 2004. READ »

Say a little prayer for Sweden

Lifestyle: 11 Aug 06
Christianity in Sweden has a long history, but you won't find many Swedes in the pews on a Sunday. But that doesn't mean Swedish religious groups don't have the capacity to cause a stir, as Christine Demsteader reports. READ »

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