Swedish Authorities 'Kidnaping' Children From Their Arab & Muslim Families: Protests and Condemnations

It is absolutely heartbreaking to see thousands of children being unjustly taken away from their Arab and Muslim families by the Swedish Social Services every year. Many of these families left their countries to escape injustice and wars and sought a better life in Sweden. 

Abdullah Al Sharif’s YouTube channel revealed terrifying and shocking information about the Swedish Social Foundation forcibly separating children from their Arab and Muslim families, under the pretext of negligence.

The Swedish center for information stated that 20,000 children are taken away from their families every year.

For instance, the center reported the story of the Moroccan immigrant Selwa Lina, who was found dead in her flat after being separated from her child. The reason for her death was not revealed.

However, the sadness and deep pain explicitly expressed in a video she posted before her death was heartbreaking. The video described in detail her story and her misery after losing her boy. Another video of her boy in the cemetery saying his last and final goodbye to his mom went viral on social media.

Lina’s misery along with many Arab and Muslim sad testimonies about the offensive practices of the Swedish Social triggered widespread criticisms and condemnations. Protests and pressure from all over the world raised rejecting practices that violate the basic rights of the child and their families.

Many rights activists alleged the Swished Social of a systematic targeting to Muslim families.

 

Traumatic Separation

A social worker and rights activist in the US revealed to Al-Estiklal the content of a letter they collectively sent to the Swedish ambassador in the US requesting them to take action against these violations: “I cannot imagine the nightmare these poor families are enduring without their children. Videos posted on social media document the Swedish Social Services finding ways to separate children from their families rather than educate immigrants and find ways to help them follow Sweden’s laws and keep families together.”

The letter added: “Separating a child from their parents is detrimental and traumatic. It will result in possibly irreparable harm. In many cases, it appears to be a matter of cultural and religious targeting. Understanding the background of these families is key in protecting the children. Also educating new families to the laws would ensure no children are taken under false pretenses. Removing children from their parents under these circumstances is a clear violation of human rights and is not good for the reputation of your country. I was shocked and deeply saddened to see your policy in action.”

It stressed: “I urge the Swedish government to reverse course on the mass seizing of Muslim children from their families. I look forward to hearing the good news of children being reunited with their families rather than being separated from their families.”

 

Alternative Families: Rape and Suicide

Al-Sharif video disclosed the suicide of Yasmine, 13 years old after being forcibly taken away of her family to be adopted by a rich Swedish family. Similarly, Dina Hassan, 15 years old also committed suicide after her custody was given to a new alternative Swedish family. The suicide of those two children should raise alarm about the repercussions of the Swedish Social horrific process.

October 16, 2021, the Swedish TV Chanel reported that a man was accused of having committed hundreds of sexual crimes against a child over several years in the northern Swedish province of Västerbotten.

The man had previously worked in a Social children's home HVB, and also was designed by the Swedish Social organization as an alternative father for two children.

The man was arrested in July 2021, after the girl told a relative of the abuse she had been subjected to.

The man caring for children in the Swedish Social organization and who was judged qualified to adopt two children was sued for charges including 79 aggravated rape against a child, 178 rape against a child, in addition to a charge of using a child in pornography.

This is not to say that all social workers in Sweden are non-qualified, but to emphasize that the process of forcing children to be separated from their families should be reversed.

 

International Condemnation

The hashtag #StopKidnappingOurChildren swept the social media, with people from different countries denouncing the Swedish Social organization violations. Protests were organized to pressure Swedish authorities to take action.

Yet, the Swedish social minister claimed that the kidnapping is fake. Also, Sweden's official portal in the Arabic language on Twitter, responded last month to one of the tweets referring to cases of children being taken from their parents, by saying that the state does not want to separate a child from his family. It added that this happens only when there is a high risk for the child.

The account added that the final decision regarding children is not in the hands of the social services, but rather the Swedish judiciary.

 

 

There were many calls for action worldwide. In addition to campaigns bringing attention to the unjust seizure of Muslim children from their families by the Swedish Social Services. Many activists expressed their disappointment by writing to the Swedish Embassies, Human Rights organizations, and social media networks.

A Human Rights activist shared with Al-Estiklal the message that they are spreading in the US: “This is a human rights issue and just getting upset is not enough, we urge you to do your part. Be professional in your communication as the goal is not to offend the Swedish government but rather to make them back down from their unfair policies towards Muslim children. Remember! This could happen to your children and mine.”

 

Nightmare for Muslims

There are many institutions in different Western countries, similar to the Sweden Social, that follow up cases of violence against children and ensure that the child grows up in a healthy environment. However, the practices of these institutions fuel the fears of Muslims in different Western countries, with the spread of several cases of forcibly taking Arab and Muslim children from their parents without considering the cultural differences.

Bassam Tabliah, a lawyer specializing in international law and human rights, attributes the prevalence of child custody withdrawal cases among Arab families in Europe to "the lack of experience and knowledge of the culture and laws of the country in which they reside," as he put it.

The lawyer confirms that the institutions concerned with child welfare take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the child above all, and then take an investigation path to determine the reality of the situation and the validity of the claim that the child has been subjected to violence or potential harm.  Yet, he stressed that those institutions in many cases hurry to separate the child from their families before verifying the validity of the allegations.