Swedish social services kidnap Muslim children. That was the message of the international hate campaign directed at Sweden – and now analyzed on behalf of the Agency for Psychological Defense.
– This then developed into what has been called the biggest influence campaign that Sweden has ever seen, says Linda Ahlerup, analyst, CTSS.
“The Swedish state does not kidnap children” – that was the message given by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) at a press conference earlier this year. The statement was made after a protracted hate campaign against Swedish social services where Sweden was accused of kidnapping Muslim children via the LVU law.
In February, the situation was judged to have become so serious that the government was forced to take measures. One of these was to give the Agency for Psychological Defense additional resources, to strengthen the ability to respond to systematic campaigns that are being spread against Sweden.
Now analysts at the Center for Total Defense and Community Security, CTSS, at the Norwegian Defense Academy have compiled a report on the campaign on behalf of the authority.
– The foundation for the spread of the issue was laid in Sweden already in the summer of 2021. The Swedish protest movement did not arise in a vacuum, but is based on an emotionally charged issue and concern that has existed for a long time, says Linda Ahlerup, analyst, CTSS.
The largest advocacy campaign in Swedish history
It was at the beginning of 2022 that the influence campaign in relation to the Swedish social services and the Act with special provisions on care of young people (LVU) received widespread attention.
– This then developed into what has been called the biggest influence campaign that Sweden has ever seen, says Linda Ahlerup, analyst, CTSS.
Several different actors in Sweden were initially united on social media and through physical demonstrations, according to the report the issue was therefore widely disseminated internationally.
Incited acts of terrorism
The report shows, among other things, that hatred and threats have been directed at Swedish public institutions and individual social workers. It also shows that there were calls to violence and terrorist attacks.
According to the report, actors connected to violent radical Islamist environments have contributed to spreading the campaign.
– The Swedish and international dimension of the campaign cannot be separated. The fact that it gets such wide spread is due, among other things, to foreign individuals with millions of followers on social media raising the issue, in combination with extensive foreign media reporting, says Magnus Ranstorp, analyst, CTSS.
Central actor spread misinformation
The report singles out a specific actor as particularly decisive in the campaign being able to grow internationally. Moustafa El-Sharqawy, linked to the Internet account Shuoun Islamiya, is described as one of “the most central actors in relation to the foreign part of the campaign” as he spread disinformation to his large following on social media.
“El-Sharqawy’s background, identity, location and full activities remain largely unclear. However, he is originally from Egypt and has a large presence on various forms of social media,” the report states.
According to reports, he often gives a platform to Salafists and extremist preachers who “advocate intolerance, rejection, and hatred and violence against other religious and political schools of thought.”
– An important aspect to bear in mind is that there have been very few counter-forces in relation to the misinformation and narratives that have been promoted and spread internationally. The actors who tried to counteract such incorrect information have also been subjected to extensive hatred and threats, says Magnus Ranstorp and continues:
– For example, Swedish Muslim civil society organizations have distanced themselves from the hate and disinformation campaign in a clear and responsible manner, but have been exposed to extensive criticism internationally.