SD politician: You cannot be both Swedish and a practicing Muslim at the same time

The debate on Islam, integration, and Swedish identity has once again come into focus after a much-noticed statement from the chairman of the Young Swedes and SD politician Denice Westerberg. She claims that it is not possible to be Swedish while also being a practicing Muslim.

In an interview on Aftonbladet’s political program My och Makten, Westerberg asserts that Sweden is undergoing Islamization. As examples, she points to a growing number of mosques, religious expressions in public spaces, and what she describes as accommodations within schools due to religious considerations.

“If you travel around Sweden, as I do a lot, there are mosques in nearly every Swedish town. There are minarets with calls to prayer, schools that don’t serve pork, and schools that have banned the Swedish flag at graduation ceremonies,” Westerberg says in the program.

The Young Swedes are pressing the mother party on several measures targeting mosque activities. Among the proposals are options to close mosques where extremism occurs, a stop to new mosque constructions financed from abroad, as well as a ban on calls to prayer.

“It is obvious that Islamism and Islam have taken deep root in Sweden. Politicians from the left to the Moderates have allowed this to happen,” she states.

“We should not have calls to prayer in Sweden”

When Denice Westerberg is asked how extensive the problem with calls to prayer is, referring to the fact that only three mosques in Sweden actually have permits for such calls, she replies that three mosques with calls to prayer are three too many.

“We should not have calls to prayer in Sweden.”

At the same time, Westerberg emphasizes that she does not oppose people practicing their religion privately.

“You can have a private faith. You can be a Muslim in Sweden as long as you don’t push your values onto others,” she argues.

Swedish and Islam

One of the most notable moments in the interview came during a series of quick-fire questions. When asked if it is possible to be both Swedish and a practicing Muslim, Westerberg replied simply: “No”.

Westerberg elaborated on her reasoning by saying she believes that parts of the values of Islam are in conflict with what she describes as Swedish values. According to the SD politician, those who wish to fully live according to Islam should consider whether Sweden is the right country for them.