Swedish-Islamic radio backs Iran leader
Founder of Swedish Radio Islam says Jews are the ‘new Nazis’
Ahmed Rami, who originally established Radio Islam in 1987 as a public access radio station to serve the Muslim community in Sweden, has a history of anti-Jewish provocation.
Three years after Radio Islam was first launched the anti-Semitic content of Rami’s radio broadcasts was found by the Swedish courts to constitute incitement against Jews. He was then sentenced to six months in prison.
Following numerous complaints, police have now launched a new investigation into the provocative nature of the website which Rami founded in 1996.
"It is very worrying that Radio Islam has been able to continue its criminal activities, now in the form of a hateful website. The fact that the prosecuting authorities decided not to prosecute, because of lack of evidence last summer was a disappointment," Thomas Bab, executive director of the Stockholm Jewish community, told EJP.
Swedish minister for Justice, Thomas Bodstrom, has expressed in Parliament that hate crimes should be given priority when prosecuting offenders.
"The Jews of Sweden hope that this promise will be acted upon," Bab added.
The website includes comments such as “Jews have been commanded by their God to commit genocide”, that the Jews “exert media terrorism in Europe and the US” and that “the Holocaust is a Zionist conspiracy.”
Featuring translations of Rami’s articles in several European languages, it also has an online library which comprises texts like “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion”.
‘Jews are new Nazis’
In a telephone interview, Rami expressed his backing for Ahmadinejad comments which caused massive worldwide outcry last week.
Rami said he supports the Iranian leader’s ideas but would have formulated it in “a more diplomatic way”.
"I do not have problems with the Swedish justice but rather with the Jews," he said.
"I think Judaism is criminal and racist. You are the new Nazis.”
Rami also said that he supported Osama Bin Laden adding that, "Bin Laden made a big mistake by attacking America. I would have personally attacked Tel Aviv because the American people are innocent, they are just victims of the Jews."
His words echo similar comments made in an interview broadcast on 30 September on the Hezbollah TV station Al-Manar.
In the interview he stated that "Judaism is not a religion and that it is a criminal and dangerous mafia."
He also said that he is “fighting for freedom of speech for everybody in Sweden”.
“The Koran says that our battle is with the Jews. Zionism is not mentioned in the Koran. Our war is against the Jews,” he added.
Swedish state prosecutor Tora Holst, who has been informed of the interview, said that she will look into the investigation again to see if a case for the prosecution can be made.
Numerous complaints
A number of reports have been made to the police about the website, including by the Swedish Organisation for Survivors of the Holocaust, which is also considering filing a civil suit against Radio Islam.
The website features a “Jew register” of 3,900 names of individuals who are claimed to be part of the “Israeli network” that control Swedish politics and media.
"There is absolutely no doubt that Radio Islam’s anti-Semitic website contains plenty of material that constitute incitement against Jews. All forces of good must be used in the struggle to prevent Radio Islam’s activities that are not only humiliating to Jews but downright dangerous, " Jesper Svartvik, chairman of the Swedish Committee against Anti-Semitism, told EJP.
The Swedish Law of Personal Information prohibits the publicising of personal information about individuals such as racial or ethnic background and religious affiliation.
The Swedish prosecutors in the case have, however, encountered difficulties in proving that Rami is still in charge of the website. Although several of his articles appear there, Rami has denied any current involvement with Radio Islam.
Until 1997 the website was registered in Rami’s name, but was later transferred to the American Islam Society.
Susanna Abramowicz and David Dahan contributed to the story.
Reprinted by permission of European Jewish Press
