Muslim prayer call not a part of Swedish culture

In an editorial in Aftonbladet, Anders Lindberg claims that Muslims are not allowed to call to worship in the same way as Christians are. It's actually a lie. Muslims and Christians do not call to worship in the same way and never have.

"... let's be honest, those today who object in various formal ways and for other reasons to allowing prayer calls from mosques would never do the same if it were a church," he writes.

He misses the point. To compare the muezzin of a mosque with the bells of the Swedish churches is just a classic nonsense argument from a cultural "know-it-all”, who insists on pretending that Sweden is greatly lacking in traditions and culture to the extent that there is no difference between Christianity and other religions.

I say "pretending" because that's what Anders Lindberg does. There is indeed a difference between Christianity's and Islam's position in Sweden and it is neither caused by "Islamophobia" nor intolerance. It is based on our cultural heritage.

Sweden has adhered to Christianity for a thousand years. The majority of the country's population view many – perhaps even most – of the Christian traditions as an integral part of Swedish culture. This may, of course, be perceived as unfair, but it is nonetheless a fact. Islam is not a part of Swedish culture and traditions in the same way as Christianity. And if Islam should ever become part of our culture, Sweden would no longer be Sweden but a province of the Dar al-Islam (the House of Islam). (continue reading...)