Young people on Tiktok are converting to Islam to show their support for Palestine.
The trend has flared up in the US after October 7.
– It was when I saw the suffering of the Palestinian people that I started reading the Koran for the first time, says influencer Abbey Hafez to Kulturnyheterna.
For just over a month, the American influencer Abbey Hafez has been a Muslim.
Before that, the 25-year-old was a Christian. Now she uses her Tiktok account, which has over 300,000 followers, to inspire others to make the same journey.
– It was when I saw the suffering of the Palestinian people that I started reading the Koran for the first time, which changed everything for me, says Abbey Hafez to SVT’s Kulturnyheterna.
Reading aloud from the Koran
Under the hashtag “quranbookclub”, videos on Tiktok with around 1.9 million views have gathered young people’s commitment to Islam.
Some use the app to read aloud from the Koran.
Others make videos in which they say they chose to convert to the religion because of the war between Israel and Hamas – in support of Palestinians.
– The people sympathize with the Palestinian people and fascinated by how they seem to find solace in Islam. For some, it becomes an identification that can lead to them converting themselves, says Simon Sorgenfrei, professor of religious studies at Södertörn University.
– For some it becomes like an alternative religion that you fill with your own content.
He calls it an individualization of Islam.
– Some make their own choices in relation to traditions and link religion to issues that are close to their hearts, such as feminism or the climate.
Professor Simon Sorgenfrei. Photo: Anna Hartvig / Södertörn University The expert: Young Swedes are being radicalized
According to Simon Sorgenfrei, researchers can see that over the years it has become increasingly common for young people to find a religious context in social media.
– During the era of the Islamic State, we saw similar tendencies. That many were radicalized via social media rather than in mosque environments.
That young people convert to show their commitment and support has not yet reached Sweden to a greater extent.
But Simon Sorgenfrei sees other tendencies among Swedish youth after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 this year.
– Young people who were previously not religiously engaged find religion without social media. Their newfound interest is directly linked to the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Linked to anti-Semitism
The choice to convert is then often quick, says Simon Sorgenfrei.
– There is clearly a risk that this leads people to a radical and militant interpretation of Islam, which is then strongly linked to an expressed hatred of Jews and the state of Israel.
What can you do if you notice that a person close to you is on the way to radicalization?
– We must all be helped to keep track of these people. Imams and others in the mosques can be vigilant about this. If you notice that someone close to you suddenly has a religious awakening and expresses support for violence against, for example, Jews, it may be time to talk to the person and ask questions.
– For people who have been radicalized but want to get out of it, there is a helpline to call.