The new governing coalition in Linköping pushed forward the mosque plans even though the municipality’s civil servants, according to Sweden Democrat politician Chris Dahlqvist, repeatedly stated that the administration was not ready. He himself had about 20 minutes to familiarize himself with a comprehensive decision-making document before the issue was to be settled. Now Dahlqvist speaks out about the several-hour-long and contentious committee meeting – and at the same time makes it clear that his opposition goes significantly further than just the question of financing and Islamist connections.
The plans for a large mosque and an Islamic cultural center in Lambohov have been a political battleground in Linköping for several years. The Sweden Democrats have tried to stop the project through motions, interpellations, committee initiatives, and a campaign for a referendum.
This week, the project took another step forward. The new governing coalition, consisting of the Social Democrats, the Left Party, the Centre Party, and the Linköping List, pushed through the decision to send the zoning plan for review.
But behind the decision was a long and at times contentious meeting of the Urban Planning Committee.
“It’s completely unreasonable”
Chris Dahlqvist (SD) has served on the Urban Planning Committee since 2018, with a pause during his time in the national parliament. The meeting on October 21 was his first after returning.
There was already an SD initiative to stop the planning work and not sell or transfer the land to the Linköping Mosque Foundation. But the new ruling coalition had also submitted its own committee initiative to move the zoning plan forward.
Dahlqvist says that the main discussion started when the majority’s initiative was brought up. According to him, the administration was still in the process of compiling comments from the consultation and conducting final checks – including on financial matters – when the politicians decided to send the plan for review immediately.
What exactly happened at the October 21 meeting when the mosque issue was raised?
– What shocked me a bit at the actual meeting was that the Moderates and Christian Democrats chose to support our proposal and committee initiative.
When the majority’s initiative was later addressed, the tone shifted.
– That item probably took two hours, if not more. There was a lot of back-and-forth.
According to Dahlqvist, the meeting was adjourned twice. The first time, the committee members were given documents prepared by the administration for the decision.
How much time did you get?
– The meeting was adjourned for 20 minutes the first time so we could read through everything.
Dahlqvist estimates the material was around 120 pages.
– We cannot sit and make such strategic decisions for Linköping municipality and only be given 20 minutes to go through, he says, and continues:
– It’s just completely unreasonable.
He admits at the same time that he had not yet read all the material when interviewed by Samnytt.
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“Administration was not finished”
SD’s group leader Jörgen Ring has, after the meeting, accused the new ruling coalition of “ramming through” the initiative and giving the mosque project a fast track.
Dahlqvist nuances that characterization on one important point. The initiative had actually been sent to the Sweden Democrats before the meeting, but according to him, the information slipped through the cracks during a switch of committee members.
The administration had not completed its work. They said this several times, three times I think, to the new red-green ruling coalition in Linköping, that they were not finished and would like more time. But they went ahead anyway.
Chris Dahlqvist (SD)
The previous committee member had not checked their email, so Dahlqvist did not receive the information himself. Nevertheless, he agrees with Ring’s description of how the decision was handled.
Jörgen Ring says the new coalition “rammed through” the initiative to give the mosque project a fast track. Do you agree with that description?
– In my view, that is accurate.
Dahlqvist refers to what he describes as previous practice in the urban planning committee, where new initiatives were not decided on immediately at meetings, but were first sent for preparation.
– We have never made decisions on them at the same meeting, we have always sent them for preparation. Always. So that people could familiarize themselves with the issue and the administration had time to work on it.
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This time, according to Dahlqvist, something else happened.
– The administration was not finished with its work. They said this several times, three times I think, to the new red-green governing coalition in Linköping, that they were not finished and wanted more time. But they went ahead anyway.
Dahlqvist says he has not previously experienced the administration arguing to continue working on a plan before it was sent for review, as happened this time.
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Points to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey
For several years, the financing has been a focus regarding the mosque project. The municipality’s previous checks have not found any significant foreign financing.
At the same time, the civil servants have requested a more comprehensive financial review before any final adoption decision, examining in particular the past five years of income and all accounts.
During the committee meeting, according to Dahlqvist, a new fact emerged for him: Linköping Mosque Foundation has so far raised about twelve million kronor.
– Twelve million kronor is not going to go very far. It sounds like a lot, but in practice it isn’t, he says.
Dahlqvist fears that more money will later come from foreign actors. He points to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, citing foreign funding of other mosque projects.
Currently, nothing in the municipality’s review suggests such funding exists in the Linköping project. Dahlqvist himself points out that his concerns are about what may happen in the future.
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The Social Democrats say the municipality has reviewed the project and has not found any irregularities or significant foreign funding. Are you satisfied with this review?
– We are definitely not satisfied with that review.
He refers again to the twelve million and says he wants to know how the rest of the project will be financed.
“Don’t want any mosque at all”
But for Dahlqvist, the issue is bigger than both the funding and the much-debated connections between the groups behind the project and Islamist environments.
He describes the mosque as another step in the Islamization of Sweden, pointing to Linköping’s problems with vulnerable neighborhoods and parallel societal structures.
– I am convinced that this mosque plan will not help us address the problems we see there in any way, he says.
Even though Sweden is in many ways a secular country today, Christianity of course has a special standing in our nation.
Andersson describes Christianity as a core part of Swedish history and culture and says Islam does not have a corresponding historical position. I think you should never give up.Jonas Andersson (SD)
Towards the end of the interview, he makes his own basic position clear.
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If I understand you correctly, your opposition is not only about these connections or the funding?
– For me, it’s not just about all these links. For me, it’s about not wanting any mosque at all in our municipality.
Therefore, Dahlqvist wants to see amended national legislation that would give municipal politicians greater power to stop religious building projects based on the activities planned in the premises.
– Swedish law as it stands now makes it difficult. What I can do in Linköping is to push public opinion on the issue, and we have been working on this for ten years now.
Member of Parliament: Would still say no
This line is supported by Member of Parliament Jonas Andersson (SD), who also lives in Linköping and has previously raised the mosque project in the national parliament.
He has also submitted motions calling for more municipal powers to stop mosque constructions.
Andersson is critical of both the funding and what he describes as indirect organizational ties to Islamist circles. But these questions are also not decisive to his opposition.
If the entire project were financed by private Swedish donations and there were no proven Islamist connections – would you then accept the mosque construction?
– No, we would not.
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Andersson refers, among other things, to the risk of reinforcing parallel communities and to values that he believes conflict with Swedish society.
When Samnytt asks about the argument that Muslims must be able to build mosques in the same way Christians build churches, he rejects the comparison.
– It’s not the same thing. Even though Sweden is in many ways a secular country today, Christianity of course has a special standing in our nation.
Andersson describes Christianity as a central part of Swedish history and culture, and says Islam lacks a corresponding historical standing.
Will continue efforts to stop the construction
The mosque project has now advanced another step, but both Dahlqvist and Andersson say the Sweden Democrats will continue efforts to stop it. Dahlqvist says he is now studying what political and legal avenues remain.
– I don’t think you should ever give up.
Andersson notes at the same time that opponents currently lack the political majority needed to stop the project in the municipality.
However, he points out that both the Moderates and Christian Democrats now also oppose the mosque construction and says the fight will continue.
– We will not give up, he says.
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