Response to interpellation 2025/26:37 on imams with extreme views
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerned imams with extreme views. M considers statements that justify violence against women to be deeply disturbing and contrary to Swedish values 1. M plans to increase the residence time to at least eight years to monitor compliance with legislation and honor-based oppression 2, as well as work on a reputation-based legislation for the deportation of persons with harmful values 2. M also tightens the requirements for Swedish citizenship 3 and emphasizes that Sweden has individual criminal liability 3. SD argues that these views represent the mainstream of Islam 4 and that Islam is hostile to women 5. SD wants the legislation to ensure that people with such values do not exist in Sweden 6.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Migrationsministern Johan Forssell (M)
Mr. Speaker! Listeners! Richard Jomshof has asked me if I intend to take any general initiatives in light of what occurred where an imam in Kristianstad stated that men, according to him, have the right to beat their wives.
What has emerged in the media is deeply alarming. The statement is not only an expression of a notion that violence against women can be justified; it is also an example of a misogynistic and patriarchal worldview shaped by honor norms. This stands in direct conflict with the values upon which Swedish society rests.
Sweden is a constitutional state where fundamental freedoms and rights, such as freedom of expression and freedom of religion, are protected in the constitution. At the same time, the government has a responsibility to ensure that persons staying in Sweden do not pose a threat to public order or security.
The Government views very seriously that individuals who are in Sweden express opinions that encourage violence or other crime. Such statements conflict with our fundamental values. Every measure taken against these individuals must simultaneously be legally secure, be in proportion to the individual case, and take place within the framework of current law.
Long before the noted incident in Kristianstad, the government began a comprehensive reorganization of the migration policy. A sustainable migration policy requires that greater weight be attached to foreigners' way of life. Among other things, for this purpose, the government appointed the Vandel Inquiry. The inquiry proposes that good conduct be reintroduced as a requirement in the Aliens Act. Living honorably and responsibly shall be a prerequisite for being allowed to stay in Sweden. Respect for Swedish values will therefore have greater significance going forward if one wishes to settle in Sweden. The consideration is now being prepared within the Government Offices.
To further strengthen confidence in migration policy and improve the conditions for integration, the government has initiated changes in the regulatory framework for Swedish citizenship. In the budget bill for 2026, the government proposes that funds be allocated to enable stricter requirements for Swedish citizenship. The proposals include, among other things, requirements for self-sufficiency, longer periods of residence, and knowledge requirements.
In a report from the 2023 Committee on Freedom of the Press and Civil Rights, it is proposed, among other things, that a possibility should be introduced to issue regulations that Swedish citizenship shall in certain cases be revoked from those with dual citizenship. The proposals have been referred, and work on the bill is now ongoing in the Government Offices.
Richard Jomshof (SD)
Mr. Speaker! As we said, we recently saw the media's reporting on how an imam, during a sermon, clearly explained when a man, according to Islam, has the right to beat his wife. Many have rightly reacted strongly to these reports. As I wrote in my interpellation, Social Minister Jakob Forssmed stated, among other things, that the sermon was terrible and completely unacceptable.
Migration Minister Johan Forssell has himself said that it is about a loathsome culture of honor and that it has no place whatsoever in Sweden. I naturally agree. In the response to my interpellation that we have just heard, and for which I want to thank him, the Migration Minister also says that the statement is an example of a misogynistic and patriarchal worldview and that it stands in conflict with the values upon which Swedish society rests.
I mean, however, that the problem is that these views actually represent the mainstream in Islam, not some extreme interpretation or odd deviation. When one reads the Quran, it clearly appears that men according to Islam are superior and more worthy than women, who are primarily degraded to possessions that men manage. The reason for this difference was even pointed out by the prophet Muhammad himself, if one is to believe the sources, namely that women lack both intelligence and religious faith.
The Quran is, therefore, very clear that a man has the right to discipline his wife with violence when she is rebellious and does not obey her husband, as it states. It is very clear.
The Imam described in detail how this is to proceed. First comes a warning, then sexual avoidance, and finally beating. This is taken directly from the Quran, that is, Islam's holy book. There are surahs that clearly describe this. The Prophet Muhammad himself was clear that woman-beating is actually permitted.
Mr. Speaker! I want to assert with determination that this is not news. There is a long line of examples of events through the years where we have been able to see evidence of this kind of values and opinions from imams and other Muslim representatives. 13 years ago, an episode of Uppdrag granskning was broadcast on SVT where it could be revealed that Muslim leaders in mosques said one thing outwardly – that women and men have equal value and so on – while in hidden recordings they encouraged women to some kind of total submission. The Migration Minister's own party, Moderaterna, has had an Islamist Member of Parliament who, in an interview in 2006, said that the Quran is very clear that it is the man who decides in the family as well as that a man has the right to beat his wife. Four years later, in 2010, he was elected to the Riksdag for Moderaterna.
So this cannot be a novelty. It is not something new, but it is something that occurs all the time and which we have seen many examples of over the years.
Get me right: I think it is very good that Forssmed, the Minister for Migration, and many others are reacting sharply to these statements. What I want to say is the following: If it is indeed the case that this is taken directly from the Quran, and if it is terrible, disgusting and unacceptable as well as an example of a misogynistic and patriarchal worldview that stands in direct conflict with the values our society rests on, I believe the only reasonable conclusion is that it also applies to Islam and not just the individual imam, who has only conveyed the message that the Quran advocates and which we can read about there. Or have I misunderstood something?
Migrationsministern Johan Forssell (M)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Richard Jomshof, for the interpellation!
It is naturally no news that there is abhorrent honor culture in Sweden. It has existed for many years, and we have seen ongoing reporting about it. The most serious thing, however, is perhaps not what is reported but rather what is not reported. Very many school desks have remained empty in schools here in Stockholm and around the country after the summer break. Very many women and girls live in these types of environments. There are never any big newspaper headlines about it, but we know that there are various estimates pointing out that thousands – perhaps tens of thousands – of people live in this type of, in many ways abhorrent, honor culture. It actually has more in common, frankly, with medieval values than with how we want Sweden to be in 2025.
It naturally does not mean that everyone upholds these norms of honor; I think it is important to point out. This does not apply to all people who have immigrated to Sweden or, for that matter, even all who are Muslims. Freedom of religion is enshrined in our constitution, and I would say that this is a very important Swedish value. There are many who think that this is just as loathsome as I myself and, I believe, Richard Jomshof think.
With that said, the problem is very widespread. The important thing, of course, is not what one says about this – that one condemns it – but what one does.
From the government's side, we are now acting on several fronts to be crystal clear about what is expected when one comes to Sweden. One example is that the government is now introducing requirements that the person who is to become a citizen in our in many ways fantastic country shall not only pass a test in the Swedish language but also pass a social studies test where it clearly and plainly appears what expectations we have when one comes to our country. We must remember that several of these things are not just about values but are also criminal. If one has committed a crime, it will soon become very much more difficult to even at all become a citizen in Sweden.
We will not be satisfied with this. With the delinquency investigation that I pointed out in my response, we open a new opportunity to tell people who have come to Sweden after our reorganization of migration policy – furthermore with a temporary residence permit, if they are guests in the country and have not become citizens – that Sweden is not the country for them if they live in a way that is not compatible with proper conduct. Then they should not be in Sweden. Then they should be deported. That type of opportunity does not exist today, but we are opening a new door.
If one, for example, spreads extremism, harms Sweden, or says things that have serious consequences for public order or security in the country, one will be able to be deported with this dishonor legislation. This represents a completely new possibility that is lacking today.
To this are added other types of investments, not least to help the many women and girls who today find themselves in this environment and give them the support that they have not always received but that they must receive.
We are acting very broadly on this from the government's side. Then it is always up to the judicial authorities to determine whether a crime has been committed or not – as Richard Jomshof knows, it is not up to me to determine that.
We will have to see where this lands, but from the government's side, we do not only view despicable honor culture very seriously, but we also act against it.
Richard Jomshof (SD)
Mr. Speaker! I naturally agree with the Minister for Migration; it is clear that one cannot generalize about all people. One definitely cannot generalize about all Muslims. I assert, however, that we actually can and should be very clear when we talk about Islam.
The Quran is not only hostile to women. It stands clearly and explicitly in the Quran how it views us non-Muslims. We are subhumans and prey. We are pointed out as enemies to Muslims. It is written that we are the lowest of all people. At the same time as we are cursed and condemned, Allah, through the Quran, has ordered the entire Muslim community – that is, all Muslims – to persecute and oppress non-Muslims, wage war against us, instill fear in our hearts and kill us. That too is in the Quran. The goal is to islamize the entire world.
This is Islam; there are many examples of it. It is not about Islamism or about some extreme interpretation, it is about Islam.
An interesting thing about the Quran is that, unlike the Bible, it is considered divine. It is considered to be a book that has been conveyed from Allah to Muhammad via the archangel Gabriel. It is also considered to be flawless – it always applies. With those kinds of values in a religious book, it is not strange that it rubs off on very many people, regardless of whether we are talking about imams or other Muslim representatives.
There have been many such examples over the years, not just the imam in Kristianstad. Last year was a year with very many such examples. Let me mention a few.
In March, the special forces and Säpo raided an Islamic association premises in Tyresö, where three young men were arrested. Later, a fourth man was also arrested, who was the imam at the association premises. These individuals had connections to the Islamic State. There were a lot of recordings where they could be heard talking about jihad against non-Muslims. One could also hear how they talked about wanting to attack synagogues. The plan was to kill as many as possible, including children and – in this case – not least Jews.
At the same time, we could read about another imam – in Malmö – who was convicted of hate speech for calling Jews the offspring of monkeys and pigs during a sermon. The same imam had also, in addition to spreading hate and antisemitism, spread disinformation about Sweden and Swedish society.
There are many such examples. A third example that I want to bring up, from Malmö, is very interesting. It concerns an imam who for a long time has been highlighted as an example for the Muslims in Malmö. He founded something called the Islam Academy and was often a lecturer. He called a report on honor oppression in preschools in Malmö city disgusting. When it was revealed that there are employees in Malmö municipality whose task is to shape opinion against this – that is, to work against the honor issues – he claimed that it is Islamophobic and racist.
Here in Stockholm, we have, among other things, the mosque in Södermalm. The imam there has, among other things, said that he is proud that he is inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood, which is an organization that is classified as a terrorist organization in many countries.
This is, therefore, nothing new. It has occurred for a long time, and it occurs in very many mosques. It is unfortunately relatively common among Muslims in Sweden.
This is what grates, I mean. If the government, as the Minister for Migration said and as I hope and believe, takes very seriously, for example, that people who are in Sweden have opinions that encourage violence or other crime or opinions that conflict with our values, how can it then be that they are allowed to operate? You do let them operate and stay in Sweden. Furthermore, you encourage and support their activities with tax money.
Migrationsministern Johan Forssell (M)
Mr. Speaker! We are acting against the despicable honor culture. The simple reason why we are not acting with any new legislation in this specific case is that we already have new legislation in the works. It is also part of the Tidö Agreement to make these types of changes. For three years, we have worked intensively to change the regulatory framework, a framework that I, as Minister for Migration, am responsible for.
As I said, it is about, for example, who should be able to become a Swedish citizen. Here, the requirements have been set far too low for far too long. When you are a Swedish citizen, you are. But we want to fill citizenship with a clearer content so that it means something. Until now, it has been completely impossible to deport a person, and therefore we must be careful to set requirements so that no person who should not be a citizen in our country is granted citizenship. We do this in several ways. Among other things, one shall undergo a social studies test.
The time one must have been in Sweden has also been very short, not only in objective terms but also in comparison. This hinders the possibility of being able to determine whether the person complies with Swedish legislation or wishes to maintain a despicable honor oppression in an honor culture. We will therefore increase the so-called residence time to at least eight years.
Migrationsverket has also been tasked by me to strengthen the security perspective within the current legislation. It is about tightening it and ensuring that persons really are who they claim to be and do not harbor incorrect views regarding Sweden.
I also look forward to the vandalism legislation. I have received the investigation, it has been out for consultation, and we are currently working on the legislative product, which is planned to enter into force next year. With it, a completely new opportunity opens up to deport from Sweden persons who have harmful values that have harmful consequences for our country.
I can continue point by point. We are acting powerfully and have done so since day one.
I can condemn all the examples mentioned here. But I also want to point out something that has not been highlighted, namely that many Muslims have reacted and distanced themselves from the abominable things this imam said. It is worth underlining.
With the changes we are now implementing, it will become very much more difficult to be in Sweden if one harbors these types of anti-woman values and maintains the loathsome honor culture. Let me also point out that it is not just about values, but about something that in several cases is also purely criminal. It is a crime to act this way, and we have seen a number of judgments on it.
In May this year, the Investigation on reinforced measures against honor-related violence and oppression also presented its report, and the preparation of this report is ongoing in the Government Offices.
We are therefore acting and working very much for this. Is it enough? I do not rule out that we need to do even more. But we are acting, not just at the Ministry of Justice but broadly across the government.
Richard Jomshof (SD)
Mr. Speaker! I agree with the Minister for Migration. The Sweden Democrats and the government do a great deal of good together. We have an incredibly good cooperation. Despite the fact that we do not agree on all issues, we do a lot together and deliver a lot of policy together.
However, I proceeded from how the Minister for Migration, the Minister for Social Affairs, and others have expressed themselves regarding what the imam said. My point during this interpellation debate is to show that it is not about an individual imam, but about values that permeate Islam and which are found in the Quran. The conclusion must then be that the problem is not the individual imam. All he does is read from the Quran and convey what Islam says. Then we must land on the conclusion that the problem is Islam. This is my point, and here I think you in the government are falling short. You really do a great deal of good, and I am very happy that we have Johan Forssell as Minister for Migration – I stand by that. But much more can be done. If we seriously want to combat this type of values, we must do more. We must ensure that that kind of people do not exist in Sweden, and hopefully, we can land on legislation that ensures that it becomes so.
There are, however, other problems. In Sweden, mosques are popping up like mushrooms from the ground, and with the governing parties' good will, they are being built where women are treated differently and forced to go through separate entrances. That one allows this to happen is, in my opinion, a problem, and that is why I stand here today.
And how can one give tax money to these groups? Just yesterday in Kvartal, we could read about several Islamic Shia communities that continue to receive tax money from the state, even though Säpo identifies them as security risks for Sweden because they run errands for the Iranian security service.
Migrationsministern Johan Forssell (M)
Mr. Speaker! In Sweden, we have individual criminal liability. One is therefore responsible for one's actions. As I said, there have been several legal proceedings, and they are ongoing all the time.
I return to my fundamental point that the problem is not only the cases that are highlighted in the media, which are obviously abhorrent, but the problem is unfortunately much larger than that in a culture that continues to be maintained while we stand here in the chamber. It is very many girls and women who suffer seriously in the honor culture – even men, though not to the same extent.
With this said: We are in no way naive, but we see that these environments are deeply harmful to all of Sweden. It is no longer just about the big cities, but it is widespread throughout the entire Swedish society. We are on our toes to try to counteract this, and I do not rule out that we need to do even much more.
What I am responsible for as Migration Minister is the legislation I have accounted for, and let me repeat that with the disgraceful legislation that I hope will soon enter into force, a completely new door will be opened to be able to deport from Sweden persons who do not live in a proper manner and who harbor values and say things that have serious consequences for Swedish order and security. If one has a temporary residence permit, one is a guest in Sweden, and then it is reasonable to set requirements for proper conduct – something we cannot do today.
It is also about Swedish citizenship. Now the requirements are finally being tightened so that persons who harbor harmful values and perceptions and do not want to be a part of our social community can no longer become Swedish citizens either.
Thank you, Richard Jomshof, for the interpellation!
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.