Sweden: Large Muslim population intimidates local Jews
"Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews..." -- Qur'an 5:82
Aftonbladet Blood Libel Update. "Stockholm's rabbi: Large Muslim population intimidates local Jews," by Matthew Wagner for the Jerusalem Post, August 24 (thanks to C. Cantoni):
The strong Muslim presence in Stockholm makes the Jewish community there apprehensive about taking a public stand against the recent article in the Aftonbladet tabloid reporting Palestinian claims that IDF soldiers stole body organs from Palestinians, Rabbi Isak Nachman, the spiritual leader of two Orthodox synagogues in the Swedish capital, said on Sunday.
"We want to combat this type of thing, but some Jews here are afraid - there are between 400,000 and 500,000 Muslims out of a population of about nine million," said Nachman, a member of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe.
"There is definitely anxiety and tension, especially at times when Israel is involved in a military operation, like Cast Lead," he said.
Nachman added, however, that there was not a threatening feeling on the streets of Stockholm as a result of the article in Aftonbladet. "I walk around with a kippa and the Chabad rabbi here wears his hat. Muslims don't live in the large Jewish neighborhoods."...
Stockholm's rabbi said that he was particularly disappointed with Sweden's intelligentsia. "There are plenty of educated people who know about the history of blood libels and have remained quiet," he said, adding that this non-action was in line with Sweden's neutral stance during World War II....