Although no serious anti-Semitic incidents or desecrations of Jewish cemeteries occurred in 1997, deliberate acts of harassment continued to be reported throughout the country. The situation among Sweden's numerous extreme right groups was fluid, with groups dissolving and re-forming under new names and factions breaking away. Radio Islam suddenly ceased broadcasting in November, due in part, apparently, to threats of legal action. An anti-Semitic demonstration was held in Stockholm by neo-Nazis marking the anniversary of Kristallnacht.

THE JEWISH COMMUNITY

Many of the major international Jewish organizations have affiliates in Sweden and a Stockholm-based Jewish magazine appears bi-monthly. Shechita (ritual slaughter) is prohibited and kosher meat is imported from abroad.

EXTREMIST ORGANIZATIONS AND HATE GROUPS

The Sverigedemokraterna (Sweden Democrats -- SD), led by Mikael Jansson, remain the main organized expression of Swedish parliamentary xenophobia. SD's strong man and party organizer, Lars Emanuelsson, was sentenced twice in 1997 for various criminal offenses. The SD are still suffering from the effects of internal factional strife and defections (see ASW 1996/7). In 1997 the party was the main initiator behind the establishment of Nord-Nat, which is composed of several neo-fascist Nordic parties, including Finland's Lappo movement (Patriotic National Union -- IKL), Norway's Fedrelandspartiet and Denmark's Nationalpartiet (National Party), with the aim of gaining representation in the French FN's Euro-Nat. In March SD representatives participated in the FN and Euro-Nat congress in Strasbourg (see France).

In April 1997 the Hembygdspartiet (Heimat Party) changed its name to Konservativa Partiet (Conservative Party -- KP), and its new leader, Leif Larsson, formerly leader of the neo-fascist Föreningen Sveriges Framtid, replaced the "reverend" Tommy Rydén of the Church of the Creator (see below). The party's main ideologist and co-constructor of its World Wide Web (WWW) site is Leif Ericsson, alias Zeilon, a National Socialist veteran since the 1970s and leader of the élitist group Nationella Gruppen (Nationalist Group), formed in 1995.

In 1997, John Bouvin from Halmstad was elected leader of the populist Ny Demokrati (New Democracy - NyD). He is well-known for his racist comments during the period he served in the Riksdag (1991-94) and for his open support of Lyndon LaRouche (see USA). NyD maintains contacts with similar xenophobic and populist parties, for example SV (see below), and will take part in the 1998 elections. The party, numbering some 700 members, publishes the magazine NyDemokraten (The New Democrat) and the bulletin NyD i politiken (NyD News in Politics).

In April 1997 the coalition party Skanes Väl (Scania's Welfare -- SV) was formed in the southern Swedish region of Scania by five right-wing populist parties: Centrumdemokraterna (Centre Democrats), Framstegspartiet (Progressive Party), Skanepartiet (Scania Party), Sjöbopartiet (Sjöbo Party) and Kommunens Väl (Municipality Welfare). SV plans to take part in the 1998 regional elections in Scania, one of Sweden's richest and most densely populated areas. SV has already received enthusiastic support from other extremist groups and plans to establish the party on a national level. Present membership is estimated at 800.

Extra-parliamentary Groups

Most of Sweden's ultra-right extra-parliamentary groups continued to operate, although the situation was fluid, with groups dissolving and re-forming under new names and factions breaking away. One example of the first category was the De Vries-Institutet (De Vries Institute), formerly the Swedish association of the American Church of the Creator, which in 1997 changed its name to Cosmotiskyrkan (Cosmotheist Church -- after the neo-Nazi Cosmotheist Community Church in West Virginia, USA). It is still led by Tommy Rydén.

An example of a breakaway group is Ariska Brödraskapet (Aryan Brotherhood -- AB), which was formed in 1996 by militant National Socialists in opposition to Nordland's "commercialism" (see below) and its repudiation of political violence. The schism between the "militants" and the "commercialists" arose in 1996 when a Nordland activist was sentenced for the murder of a 14-year old boy, an offense from which the mainstream Swedish National Socialist movement around Nordland dissociated itself. During 1997 AB was responsible for sending letter bombs to the Swedish minister of justice, Laila Freivalds, and to a leading Nordland activist; for arson attacks on the home of the former Swedish Social Democratic leader and prime minister, Ingvar Carlsson, and on a White Power music shop in Göteburg belonging to Nordland; for bank robbery and for the murder of a homosexual. The leader of AB, Niklas Lödahl from Göteburg, was arrested in August and was awaiting trial. AB, which is a part of the Combat 18 network (see UK), publishes the magazine Berserker and an internal bulletin.

Foldsocialistisk sampling (Volksocialist group - FS), formerly the Folksocialisterna (Volksocialists), and before that the Riksfronten, dissolved altogether in early 1997 and its hard-core activists joined NSF (see below).

Other groups continued to function under the same name. In 1997 Nationalsocialistisk Front (National Socialist front - NSF) was the only National Socialist organization growing on a national level. With an estimated membership of 400, NSF has its own WWW site and publishes the magazine Den Sanne Nationalsocialisten (The True National Socialist).

The virulently anti-Semitic broadcasts of Radio Islam, headed by Ahmed Rami, suddenly went off the air in November, possibly due to threats of legal action as well as pressure from the media. In 1996-97 Radio Islam was broadcasting 35 hours a week. Radio Islam continued to run its WWW site, which included a "Jewish Encyclopedia," listing individuals active in Swedish politics, the media and cultural life (see also below).

With headquarters in Linköping, the Nordland movement publishes a professional multi-color National Socialist music magazine Nordland, owns a record company which has produced about 25 CDs and organizes White Power concerts. The official head of Nordland is Torulf Magnusson, former leader of Riksfronten. In 1997 Nordland published a booklet about the prominent Jewish media family, the Bonniers, as the symbol of "Jewish power" since the 1930s. Nordland set up a Blood and Honor group (Blod & Ara -- B & A) in opposition to Combat 18's Blood & Honour (see UK), with its own magazine under the same name. Nordland also promotes a local National Socialist organization in the region of Östergötland, called Östgöta NS, including its magazine Gripen (The Griffin). Nordland's legal counselor, Mattias Sundquist, is involved in an ongoing trial for producing racist music (see below).

The present director of Ragnarock Records (RR) (established in 1993) is the Norwegian Erik Nilsen, alias Blücher, formerly leader of Norsk Front (Norwegian Front). Together with a group of companions, including the Dane of German origin Marcel Schilf (see Denmark), Nilsen manages several smaller enterprises which distribute National Socialist propaganda, such as video tapes, books, T-shirts, magazines, and are the main exporters to the German market. As an ally of Combat 18, RR is the enemy of Nordland and has produced almost 30 CDs. Ragnarock Record's Blood & Honour Scandinavia, is an official part of the Combat 18 organization and publishes the magazine B & H/Scandinavia from Helsingborg. RR also puts out the bulletin Segerrunan (The Siegrune). Blücher and four of his companions are also involved in the trial of Nordland's Sundquist.

A number of other groups are still active. As of June 1997 the "official" Anti-AFA has been based in the west of Sweden, in the municipality of Ale. It continued to produce "death lists" of anti-fascists on its WWW site. Gula Korset (Yellow Cross - GK) is an ally of both NSF and RR in the split among the Swedish National Socialists. The magazine Mimer has a WWW site and the most extensive mail-order book list in Sweden of old and new National Socialist, anti-Semitic and revisionist literature.

ANTI-SEMITIC ACTIVITIES

There were almost no serious anti-Semitic acts or desecrations of Jewish cemeteries in 1997. The only incident of note was the arson of a prayer house at the Jewish cemetery in Malmö. Deliberate acts of harassment based on racist motives continued to be reported throughout the country. More members of the Stockholm Jewish community received threats, through letters and telephone calls, than in the previous year. For example, the Hillel school in Stockholm received anti-Semitic e-mail signed with the words "Heil Hitler," and a 13-year-old girl at the school received similar mail in her home mail box.

Propaganda

Anti-Semitism continued to be a central element in Swedish National Socialist propaganda produced in 1997. Until its closure in November, Radio Islam was the main anti-Semitic and Holocaust denial radio voice in Stockholm and its website remains one of the most influential sites on these subjects. In 1997, using Talmudic and other Jewish sources to support his claims, Ahmed Rami accused the Jews and their descendants of responsibility for killing Jesus and for inciting the Emperor Nero to kill Christians.

The White Power music industry continued to spread its racist and anti-Semitic message through the distribution of CDs and music magazines. However, the number of concerts decreased in comparison with 1996, with five concerts in 1997, including one in Stockholm on November 29 organized by Nordland, with 200 participants.

During the weekend of the anniversary of Kristallnacht (9 November), several demonstrations were staged in Swedish cities by local neo-Nazi groups. The NSF organized a demonstration in Stockholm where "propaganda leader" Björn Bjökquist made a speech against "Jewish power" and the publishing house of the Bonnier family. Some 150 participants marched through the center of the city carrying anti-Semitic placards and shouting anti-Jewish slogans. Although the demonstration was held without a permit, the police did not intervene, only detaining a number of anti-racists. This led to criticism from several politicians, the media and anti-racist organizations. An investigation of police inaction was initiated.

It should be noted that despite the 1996 Supreme Court ruling enabling the police to charge persons wearing Nazi symbols or giving the Nazi salute in a public place with intention to incite against an ethnic group, the sentences given to offenders are minor and do not seem to act as a deterrent.

ATTITUDES TOWARD THE HOLOCAUST AND THE NAZI ERA

Ahmed Rami of Radio Islam remains one of the most well-known deniers, and propaganda denying the Holocaust is published in large quantities on his website in the Internet. Holocaust denial has also been part of the "white noise" music scene for the past few years. For instance, one of the songs by the Storm group, called "In the Claws of Zionism," calls the Holocaust "a pile of lies," invented by the Jews for financial gain.

A few cases have been reported where Holocaust survivors visiting schools encountered anonymously distributed leaflets with messages like: "Don't believe what this person is saying about his/her experiences during the war." Sweden has set up a government commission to deal with the question of restitution of Jewish assets sent to Sweden before and during the war, as well as the question of Nazi Germany's dealings with Sweden, including transactions in looted gold. Following revelations about involvement of the Wallenberg family bank in such transactions, the family has now agreed to open the bank's archives to investigators.

Holocaust Education

Attention given to the study of the Holocaust has grown considerably during the year. Special efforts to deepen knowledge of the Holocaust and combat all forms of racism have been launched by the Swedish government. This followed a study by the Council for Crime Prevention and the Center for Research in International Migration and Relations, published in June. The study revealed that only 66 percent of Swedish pupils aged 11-19 were completely certain that the Holocaust had happened, and that 12 percent of pupils agreed, completely or in part, with the statement that "the Jews have too much influence in the world today." It also showed that Nazi propaganda is distributed more widely among Swedish youth than was previously estimated.

The results prompted Prime Minister Göran Persson, in November, to initiate a special program, which includes publishing a brochure on the Holocaust for parents and a catalogue with suggested teaching and reading materials to be sent to all schools; the establishment of an institute at Uppsala University dedicated to the study of the Holocaust and other genocides; and commemorative events to be held in the Swedish parliament . As part of the program, government officials, as well as representatives from various authorities, visited Auschwitz.

Together with the anti-racist magazine Expo, the Swedish Committee Against Antisemitism (SCAA) produced a book on National Socialist symbols. The book was to be sent to schools and various police and judicial authorities, among others, in order to help identify symbols worn by pupils and demonstrators during Nazi demonstrations and concerts. The SCAA also continued to distribute its booklet published in 1995 on Holocaust denial, The Denial of the Holocaust, to schools throughout the country.

RESPONSES TO EXTREMISM AND ANTI-SEMITISM

The pace of growth of neo-Nazi bands and the extensive distribution of their music on CDs, slowed down somewhat, partly due to the indictment of six producers and distributors in November 1996 on charges of incitement against ethnic groups. In June 1997 a preliminary hearing was held, in which a number of rulings were appealed.

In June the SCAA lodged a complaint with the attorney general against Ahmed Rami's anti-Semitic website on the Internet. The investigation failed to prove who was legally responsible for the site and the decision was taken not to prosecute. The case is currently at the district attorney's office pending further investigation.

In November the SCAA lodged a separate complaint against the "Jewish Encyclopedia" on the Radio Islam website. This listing of Jews evoked considerable media attention and criticism. In November the encyclopedia suddenly disappeared from the website. The police are currently investigating the complaint. Meanwhile, in October, the association of Holocaust survivors filed a complaint against Radio Islam for Rami's attacks on "the Jewish occupation" of Swedish media, politics and cultural life.

Prosecutors and courts have so far been reluctant to use the amendment to the Criminal Code stipulating racist motives as an aggravating circumstance in a crime.

Public Activity

The SCAA continued to arrange lectures on anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial, neo-Nazism and White Power music, throughout the country, especially for teachers and school personnel. For the third consecutive year the city of Stockholm sent about twenty pupils from the Stockholm high schools to visit Auschwitz, Maidanek and Warsaw. The visit was arranged by the Stockholm Jewish community and the city's director of education.

On December 6 an anti-racist demonstration was held in the city of Linköping. Approximately 5,000 participants made it one of the largest anti-racist demonstrations ever held in Sweden.

The commission against racism and xenophobia, established in 1996 by the Swedish government for the 1997 European Year Against Racism, continued its work, headed by former deputy premier Mona Sahlin. The commission arranges seminars, and supports various anti-racist projects and organizations. In December an international conference, "Racism, Ideology and Political Organization," was held in Stockholm, with researchers from various countries participating.