Sweden: Christian Social Democrats turn to Muslims
JMD Morgan
The Swedish Association of Christian Social Democrats (AKA 'The
Brotherhood Movement') celebrated their 80th anniversary at a congress
in Malm� last weekend.
Eva-Lena Gustavsson, chairperson for the Brotherhood Movement in
V�rmland, was re-elected at the congress to the board.
"One thing which was somewhat unique at this year's congress was that we
worked a lot with religious dialog. We were out in Malm�'s biggest
mosque, Islamic Center, and held talks about the boundaries of religion,
and held a joint service led by both an imam and a priest of the Church
of Sweden. I thought it was a powerful experience!" she says.
She says there are many Muslims and Jews who want to join the
Brotherhood Movement, and some who've already done so. And she points
that that nobody is asked which church they belong to. They're also
discussing a change of name, maybe to "Sweden's Religious Social Democrats".
Eva-Lena Gustavsson says that the movement was started by
social-democratic railway workers who found it difficult to be Christian
in the union movement, and difficult to be socialist in the Christian
associations. She thinks that many Muslims experience something similar
today.
She says she doesn't think the dividing lines go between religions, but
rather within the religions. The Brotherhood Movement sees the Christian
Democrats and the Christian right as their main opponents.
The congress elected its' first representative from the Orthodox Church
this year, and now they want to add Muslims as well. In the last
congress two years ago it was decided to have a network for believers
(including non-Christians) within the Brotherhood. It's led by
Abdulkader Habib, a Muslims, who's currently a temporary member of the
board. The Nominating Committee's stated goal is to have a Muslim on the
board at the next congress.
Peter Weiderud, chairman of the organization was reelected for his fifth
year. He sees no contradiction in opening up the board of a Christian
Leftist organizations to Muslims.
"We're not a church, but rather a political organization." He says
Muslims who want to be politically active in Sweden can experience the
same homelessness as politically engaged Christians did during the
Brotherhood Movement's early years.
"Swedish society and the political parties, even our own, don't
understand the Muslims who want to participate in politics, inspired by
their faith. Therefore we've become important for a group of Muslims."
Peter Weiderud is uncertain as to what the Muslim involvement in the
Brotherhood movement will lead to in the long term. He says that maybe
with time the Muslims will create their own parallel organization and
then they will naturally work together under one umbrella. He says
they're naturally open and generous, and do not base their identity on
demarcating themselves against others. "Dialog is enriching."
In 2006 the SVT investigative show "Uppdrag granskning" questioned the
Brotherhood Movement's cooperation with Muslim representatives. They
criticized the contacts with Mahmoud Aldebe, chairman of the Swedish
Muslim Association, who called for introduction of Sharia laws. The
criticism caused the then party-head G�ran Persson to request the
brotherhood movement to review which Muslims organization they had
contacts with.
Peter Weiderud thinks the TV program was not objective and biased. "We
must conduct a dialog also with people who think differently, and we
don't fear it. Since it should be understood that all contacts are made
judiciously and I think that we've learned to find good way to talk with
Muslims who are serious and represent the Muslims in Sweden.
Source: VF, V�rlden idag (Swedish)
http://www.varldenidag.se/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4917&Itemid=98