Sveriges Unga Muslimer

{{Short description|Islamic youth umbrella organisation in Sweden}}

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| abbreviation = SUM

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| formation = {{start date and age|1991}}

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| formerly = Sveriges Muslimska Ungdomsförbund (SMUF)

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Sveriges Unga Muslimer (SUM), previously named Sveriges Muslimska Ungdomsförbund (SMUF), is an Islamic youth umbrella organisation in Sweden. The organisation was formed in 1991. SUM itself a member organisation of the following umbrella organisations: the Muslim Council of Sweden, Forum for European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) and Ibn Rushd studieförbund.{{Cite book|title=Islam och muslimer i Sverige : en kunskapsöversikt|author=Larsson, Göran|date=2014|publisher=Nämnden för statligt stöd till trossamfund|others=Sverige. Nämnden för statligt stöd till trossamfund.|isbn=9789198061161|location=Bromma |pages=81|oclc=941538793}} In 2016 it had about 4000 members.{{Cite news|url=https://www.svd.se/sveriges-unga-muslimer-hade-aldrig-hant-en-vit-politiker|title=Sveriges Unga Muslimer: Hade aldrig hänt en vit politiker |first=Jan |last=Majlard |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |date=2016-04-19 |access-date=2018-04-17|language=sv}}

SUM, along with other Muslim community organisations has its headquarters at Stockholm mosque.{{Cite web|url=http://www.stockholmsmoske.se/moskens-hyresgaster/|title=Moskéns hyresgäster {{!}} Stockholms Moské|website=www.stockholmsmoske.se|language=sv-SE|access-date=2018-04-18}}

SUM is a supporting organisation to Ship to Gaza Sweden.{{Cite web|url=https://shiptogaza.se/sv/st%C3%B6dorganisationer|title=Stödorganisationer|website=shiptogaza.se|language=sv|access-date=2018-09-01}}

The organisation has an annual conference in the Kista district of Stockholm, with about 800-1500 participants aged 15–25.{{Cite web|url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=3993&artikel=5052173|title=Svensk och muslimsk identitet på ung konferens |publisher=Sveriges Radio |first=Jenny |last=Hallberg |language=sv|access-date=2018-04-17 |work=Radio Sweden på svenska}}

In 1995, the organisation helped organise the Euro-Islam conference in Lidingö organised on a directive from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. This conference resulted in the founding of FEMYSO. According to French islamologist Gilles Kepel the youth section of this conference was dominated by participants with connections to the Muslim Brotherhood and similar forms of ideology, for instance the Young Muslims UK and Jamat-i Islami.{{Cite book |url=https://www.msb.se/Upload/Kunskapsbank/Studier/Islamisk%20aktivism%20i%20en%20m%c3%a5ngkulturell%20kontext.pdf|title=Islamisk aktivism i en mångkulturell kontext – ideologisk kontinuitet eller förändring? / MSB1188|last=Carlbom|first=Aje|publisher=Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency & Malmö University|date=March 2018 |isbn=9789173838108|pages=25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331050853/https://www.msb.se/Upload/Kunskapsbank/Studier/Islamisk%20aktivism%20i%20en%20m%c3%a5ngkulturell%20kontext.pdf |archive-date=31 March 2018}} However, it later turned out that his information was derived from a smear campaign commissioned by the United Arab Emirates.{{cite news |title=Dit schimmige bedrijf vernietigde reputaties van Europese moslims |language=nl |trans-title=This shadowy company destroyed the reputations of European Muslims |author=Wilmer Heck and Andreas Kouwenhoven |url=https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2023/07/07/dit-schimmige-bedrijf-vernietigde-met-succes-de-reputaties-van-europese-moslims-a4169074 |newspaper=NRC Handelsblad |date=July 7, 2023 |accessdate=July 7, 2023}}

In 2003, the organisation received a grant of 400 000 SEK from the Swedish Inheritance Fund for a project on Islamophobia as form of racism.{{Cite book|url=http://www.arvsfonden.se/sites/default/files/article_reports/utvarderingsrapport_-_islam_och_muslimer_i_sverige.pdf|title=Islam och muslimer i Sverige En utvärdering av trettio projekt finansierade av Arvsfonden 1994–2006|last=Mattias Gardell|publisher=Inheritance Fund (Sweden)|date=May 2010|pages=74 / Projet 24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811172626/http://www.arvsfonden.se/sites/default/files/article_reports/utvarderingsrapport_-_islam_och_muslimer_i_sverige.pdf|archive-date=11 August 2014}}

In 2010, the organisation invited Abdullah Hakim Quick to its annual conference, which was criticised by the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL) in a public debate because of his homophobic views. SUM claimed they did not know his opinions on homosexuality. SUM later cancelled the invitation.{{Cite web |url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=1646&artikel=3578989|title=Unga muslimer bjuder in homohatare |publisher=Sveriges Radio |work=P3 Nyheter |first=Ramin |last=Farzin |language=sv|access-date=2018-04-17}}

In 2011 SUM invited Yvonne Ridley to a seminar in Tensta.{{Cite book|url=http://www.mucf.se/sites/default/files/rapport_organisationen_sveriges_unga_muslimer_-_ideologi_och_koppling_till_antidemokratiska_miljoer.pdf|title=Organisationen Sveriges Unga Muslimer - ideologi och koppling till antidemokratiska miljöer|last=Sandelin |first=Magnus |publisher=Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society|year=2018|pages=16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411193701/http://www.mucf.se/sites/default/files/rapport_organisationen_sveriges_unga_muslimer_-_ideologi_och_koppling_till_antidemokratiska_miljoer.pdf |archive-date=11 April 2018}} She was invited again in 2013 to Muslimska Familjedagarna (translation: "Muslim family days"), an event organised by SUM, Islamic Association in Sweden and Ibn Rushd study company other Muslim community organisation, which was noted by anti-fascist magazine Expo due to Ridley's antisemitic views.{{Cite news|url=https://expo.se/2013/04/yvonne-ridley-i-samr%C3%B6re-med-judehatare|title=Yvonne Ridley i samröre med judehatare|work=Expo.se|access-date=2018-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421095618/https://expo.se/2013/04/yvonne-ridley-i-samr%C3%B6re-med-judehatare|archive-date=21 April 2018|language=sv}}

In 2016 SUM criticised that Mehmet Kaplan, a former chairman of SUM who later joined and rose in the ranks of the Green Party, had been forced to resign from his position as Minister for Housing and Urban Development after his connections to Turkish extremists and nationalists were made public.

In the spring of 2016, chairman Rashid Musa criticised the stricter anti-terrorism legislation in then coming into force in Sweden and alleged the legislation discriminated against Muslims in Sweden.{{Cite web|url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=1650&artikel=6398904|title=Debatt om konsekvenser av ny terrorlagstiftning |work=P1 Morgon |publisher=Sveriges Radio |language=sv |date=2016-03-28 |access-date=2018-04-17}}

The organisation received state aid from the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society (Swedish acronym: MUCF) in the years 2011-2015.{{Cite web |url=https://www.mucf.se/vi-har-fatt-bidrag?org=sveriges+unga+muslimer&projekt=&bidragsnamn=&bidragstyp=All&ort=&beviljatar=All|title=Vi har fått bidrag - Organisationsbidrag, Projektbidrag, EU-bidrag {{!}} MUCF|website=www.mucf.se|language=sv|access-date=2018-04-17}} SUM had to pay back the government funds for 2016 and 2017 due to the organisation failing to respect the ideals of democracy.{{Cite web|url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=83&artikel=6928652|title=Sveriges unga muslimer får inte statsbidrag |work=Dagens Eko |publisher=Sveriges Radio |language=sv |date=2018-04-11 |access-date=2018-04-17}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/sveriges-unga-muslimer-nekas-nytt-statsbidrag/|title=Sveriges unga muslimer nekas nytt statsbidrag|work=Expressen|access-date=2018-04-17|language=sv}} A report outlined how sympathisers and activists for extremist movements had leading positions of local chapters of SUM.{{Cite web|url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=83&artikel=6927472|title=Rapport kritisk mot Sveriges Unga Muslimer |work=Dagens Eko |publisher=Sveriges Radio |first=Bengt |last=Hansell |language=sv |date=2018-04-10 |access-date=2018-04-17}}

In 2017, chairman Rashid Musa led a seminar on Islamophobia organised by the Stockholm chapter of Swedish Social Democratic Youth League (SSU) where white people were barred from attending.{{Cite news|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/hard-kritik-mot-separatistiskt-ssu-mote|title=Hård kritik mot separatistiskt SSU-möte|last=Mattsson|first=Pontus |work=SVT Nyheter |date= 2016-09-09 |access-date=2018-07-14|language=sv}} Lena Rådström Baastad, the secretary of the mother party Swedish Social Democratic Party, commented that the social democrats would never organize an ethnically segregated event.