Sweden's latest attempt to flex its muscles as a humanitarian and feminist superpower ended in a diplomatic disaster last week.
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On March 9, the country's Social Democratic Foreign Minister, Margot Wallström, was to address the foreign ministers of the Arab League assembled in Cairo.
Raif Badawi, who was convicted of "insulting Islam," and that she had criticized the status of women's rights in the Gulf kingdom.
On March 10, the Swedish Minister of Defense Peter Hultqvist announced that Sweden would not extend its agreement to sell arms to Saudi Arabia.
On Wednesday, March 11, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Stockholm.
Following the Saudi cancellation of
Wallström's speech at the Cairo conference, her press secretary, Erik Boman, told the Swedish News Bureau TT, "They [the Saudis] are trying to save face."
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The Foreign Minister appears to have been unaware that "human" and "women's" rights are anathema in a great number of Arab States including Saudi Arabia. She also seems innocent of the 1990 Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, according to which any human right must be compatible with Islamic sharia law -- meaning that there are no "human rights" as thought of in the West, but only human obligations as imposed by Allah and his prophet. Whatever is inside sharia law is a human right. Whatever is outside sharia law is not a human right.
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criticizing Islamic sharia customs
Evidently, Sweden's Foreign Minister was unaware that that by criticizing Islamic sharia customs, such as flogging a blogger a thousand times and the ill-treatment of women, she was, in fact, seen as turning against Islam itself.
There appears to be a genuine but concerning lack of knowledge in the Swedish government about Islam and Islamic affairs.
"It makes no difference what she says. In Islam, it is for Muslims to determine whether or not one has criticized their religion." — Johannes J.G. Jansen, author and historian of Islam.
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In sharia law, there are no "human rights" as thought of in the West, but only human obligations as imposed by Allah and his prophet. Whatever is inside sharia law is a human right. Whatever is outside sharia law is not a human right.
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Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, which states that all human rights must be based solely on sharia law, and rejects human rights as expressed in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Saudi Arabia did not, in fact, sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It abstained, claiming the Declaration violated sharia law. [1]
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there appears to be a genuine but concerning lack of knowledge in the Swedish government about Islam and Islamic affairs.
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The prominent Dutch Islam expert, Professor Johannes "Hans" J.G. Jansen -- author of an influential biography of Muhammad -- said he does not think Margot Wallström knows what she has gotten herself into.
Asked if the Swedish Foreign Minister can criticize Saudi sharia practices such as flogging, and call them "medieval," without offending Islam, professor Jansen says that this would be impossible.
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Gatestone: "But now she claims that it had not been her intention to criticize Islam?"
Jansen: "It makes no difference what she says. In Islam, it is for Muslims to determine whether or not one has criticized their religion. From a Muslim perspective, the Foreign Minister's worst transgression is to have labeled Saudi practices 'medieval.' Muslims never use that term when talking about themselves. They only use it with reference to other parts of the world, for example Europe. The Saudis see themselves as the inheritors and custodians of Islam's Golden Age in the seventh century, which must not be labeled medieval."
Jansen notes that from a Muslim perspective, any criticism or infringement of sharia law and Muslims' obligation to wage jihad [war in the service of Islam] is a violation of their freedom of religion.
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You represent Sweden and not yourself you have to be careful any select word special you are responsible of the international relations of Sweden and your job to develop the relation with out side world and keep the common interest of Sweden with saudi
انت تمثلين السويد وليس نفسك يجب ان تكوني حريصة باختيار كلامتك خاصة انك مسؤلة عن العلاقات الدولية للسويد فانت تضرين القطاع التجاري للسويد ومصالح السويد
ان وجودك في الخارجية السويدية يضر علاقات السويد مع العالم الاسلامي
There is increasing talk among observers that Wallström will have to step down, and that Sweden will have to accept a global role more commensurate with its knowledge of world affairs.
Ingrid Carlqvist and Lars Hedegaard are editors-in-chief of Dispatch International.
[1] Nisrine Abiad (2008) "Sharia, Muslim states and international human rights treaty obligations: a comparative study. BIICL. pp. 60-65 ISBN 978-1-905221-41-7
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Denouncing Margot Wallström
After the diplomatic debacle in Cairo, Arab foreign ministers denounced Wallström in a statement: "Arab countries totally reject Wallström's statement as irresponsible and unacceptable. ... Saudi Arabia's Constitution is based on the Shariah that protects the right of people and safeguards their blood, wealth and honor."
The Saudi cabinet, chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman, had rejected on March 9 any denunciation of Saudi judiciary, whose decisions are based on Islamic law and "implemented impartially to maintain the country's stability and security".
If Margot Wallström had attended diplomacy school, she would have realized that she and her government have fired three missiles at the Arab world and at Saudi Arabia in particular:
Sweden refuses to extend its agreement to sell arms to Saudi Arabia.
Margot Wallström wants to lecture the Arab League on human rights.
Wallström's spokesman accuses the Saudis of wanting to save face.
As a result of recent developments, Sweden has now lost influence in the Middle East and probably most of the Islamic world.
Through its recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state, and following years of anti-Israeli propaganda, Sweden has made itself terra non grata in Israel -- and now Saudi Arabia does not like it either.
An EU member state that sees itself as the universal purveyor of peace and love, without understanding what is actually going on the world, will of course lose credibility and influence where real policy is made: Washington, London, Berlin, Brussels, Moscow, Beijing, Cairo and so on.
One wonders where the Swedish government will go next to find takers for its uninformed, idealistic world policy.
Ingrid Carlqvist and Lars Hedegaard are editors-in-chief of Dispatch International.
Sweden's Foreign Minister Reviled as an Enemy of the Prophet
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5423/sweden-saudi-arabia-wallstrom
Sweden's Foreign Minister Reviled as an Enemy of the Prophet
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5423/sweden-saudi-arabia-wallstrom
Margot Wallström
Sweden's foreign minister failed in the first lesson of international relations
http://aljazeeraalarabiamodwana.blogspot.com/2015/03/blog-post_45.html
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