Malmö: Advice for Oslo
Following up on Siv Jensen's claim that Oslo is heading in the direction of Malmö, some advice from Malmö residents:
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Imam Ali Ibrahim hopes Oslo won't have neighborhoods like Rosengård. Not one student in school has Swedish as a mother tongue. A majority of the adults are unemployed.
He has a large, white beard and is called "Tomten" (The elf). Ali Ibrahim (63) is Sweden's only municipally employed imam. As cultural consultant in the Rosengård school his job is to bridge between Muslim parents and Swedish society, which they often don't understand or know anything about.
Scandinavia's most immigrant-filled neighborhood, where close to 90% have a foreign background, has against caught negative attention in the media. Ibrahim and many other shake their heads at the assertions of Sharia laws and extremist Islam. But Ibrahim , who's originally from Egypt, is absolutely clear that there should be a limit to how many immigrants live in one place.
"In Rosengård the school is the only link to Swedish society, but there are no Swedish students here," he says.
In Olso, immigrants are now the majority in several areas in Groruddalen and Søndre Nordstrand. Ibrahim hopes Oslo won't have neighborhoods like Rosengård.
"The best solution is to spread people better and get a mix with Swedes or Norwegians"
Many children grow up with parents who don't speak Swedish or who never had a job. He took a group on a tour of Gothenburg. They asked: "Are we still in Sweden?", "What language do they speak here?"
Two young, modern-dressed women under the glass-roof of a shopping center, freely tell about life, both good and bad, in the neighborhood. Despite too much trouble, vandalism and crime, Marina Noorzai (18) and Nour Yasin (19) think it's not dangerous to live here.
"It's people from outside who are scared," says Marina.
Neither wears a hijab and Miriam played football in short shorts. They've never noticed any religious pressure. But they also warn against immigrant-only neighborhoods.
"Many here never learned Swedish. But we live in Sweden, we must learn the language and culture. The best is half of each."
In the neighborhood administration, next-door to the shopping center, neighborhood head Eva Alterbeck dreams of exactly that.
"50% immigrants should be the limit both in school and the neighborhood," she says.
Her advice to Oslo is to build mixed buildings, and encourage new Norwegians to live where they can find both a job and residence.
"But many segregate themselves also. Then there's a high price. The children don't finish school, and it becomes difficult to get a job. Those who don't want that life move away. This is really becoming a welfare ghetto for those who are left," says Alterbeck.
She's aware of 'Muslim elements" who are completely against Western culture, and that there's religious fundamentalism in Rosengård.
"It's hard for many children to grow up here and meet one world-view at home and another at school. Then it's important to have 'normal religious' people like imam Ibrahim, with moderate points of view on ethics and Swedish society," says Eva Alterbeck.
Source: Aftenposten (English)
See also:
* Norway: FRP against 'sneak Islamization'
* Malmö: Rosengård report under attack
* Malmö: Rosengård 'growing more radical'
Following up on Siv Jensen's claim that Oslo is heading in the direction of Malmö, some advice from Malmö residents:
------
Imam Ali Ibrahim hopes Oslo won't have neighborhoods like Rosengård. Not one student in school has Swedish as a mother tongue. A majority of the adults are unemployed.
He has a large, white beard and is called "Tomten" (The elf). Ali Ibrahim (63) is Sweden's only municipally employed imam. As cultural consultant in the Rosengård school his job is to bridge between Muslim parents and Swedish society, which they often don't understand or know anything about.
Scandinavia's most immigrant-filled neighborhood, where close to 90% have a foreign background, has against caught negative attention in the media. Ibrahim and many other shake their heads at the assertions of Sharia laws and extremist Islam. But Ibrahim , who's originally from Egypt, is absolutely clear that there should be a limit to how many immigrants live in one place.
"In Rosengård the school is the only link to Swedish society, but there are no Swedish students here," he says.
In Olso, immigrants are now the majority in several areas in Groruddalen and Søndre Nordstrand. Ibrahim hopes Oslo won't have neighborhoods like Rosengård.
"The best solution is to spread people better and get a mix with Swedes or Norwegians"
Many children grow up with parents who don't speak Swedish or who never had a job. He took a group on a tour of Gothenburg. They asked: "Are we still in Sweden?", "What language do they speak here?"
Two young, modern-dressed women under the glass-roof of a shopping center, freely tell about life, both good and bad, in the neighborhood. Despite too much trouble, vandalism and crime, Marina Noorzai (18) and Nour Yasin (19) think it's not dangerous to live here.
"It's people from outside who are scared," says Marina.
Neither wears a hijab and Miriam played football in short shorts. They've never noticed any religious pressure. But they also warn against immigrant-only neighborhoods.
"Many here never learned Swedish. But we live in Sweden, we must learn the language and culture. The best is half of each."
In the neighborhood administration, next-door to the shopping center, neighborhood head Eva Alterbeck dreams of exactly that.
"50% immigrants should be the limit both in school and the neighborhood," she says.
Her advice to Oslo is to build mixed buildings, and encourage new Norwegians to live where they can find both a job and residence.
"But many segregate themselves also. Then there's a high price. The children don't finish school, and it becomes difficult to get a job. Those who don't want that life move away. This is really becoming a welfare ghetto for those who are left," says Alterbeck.
She's aware of 'Muslim elements" who are completely against Western culture, and that there's religious fundamentalism in Rosengård.
"It's hard for many children to grow up here and meet one world-view at home and another at school. Then it's important to have 'normal religious' people like imam Ibrahim, with moderate points of view on ethics and Swedish society," says Eva Alterbeck.
Source: Aftenposten (English)
See also:
* Norway: FRP against 'sneak Islamization'
* Malmö: Rosengård report under attack
* Malmö: Rosengård 'growing more radical'
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