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Saudis restore envoy to Sweden after Swedes apologize for insulting Islam

Mar 29, 2015 2:36 pm By Robert Spencer

Sweden Saudi ArabiaSharia blasphemy laws continue their move West. No one in the West cares about the erosion of the freedom of speech. Before too long, no one will even remember what it was.

“Saudi Arabia restores ambassador to Sweden following diplomatic dispute,” i24 News, March 28, 2015 (thanks to Jerk Chicken):

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Sweden will soon return to Stockholm, Swedish officials said Saturday, more than two weeks after he was recalled home amid a diplomatic spat over human rights.

“I’m very pleased that we can resume our normal diplomatic ties,” Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstroem told reporters.

The announcement followed a visit to Riyadh by Swedish government envoy Bjoern von Sydow on Friday, where he met with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.

According to Swedish news agency TT, von Sydow relayed messages from Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Prime Minister Stefan Loefven during the meeting.

“We can … welcome the Saudi ambassador back to Sweden (and) we can clear up the misunderstanding that we have insulted the religion of Islam,” Wallstroem added.

Lofen is reported to have apologized for comments which offended the kingdom but added that he hoped Saudi Arabia would understand Sweden’s honest concerns regarding human rights.

Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf who had offered the government his help in defusing tensions, spoke to Saudi King Salman about the strong relations between the two countries, Al Arabiya reported.

Sweden had been seeking to quell an unprecedented diplomatic spat over human rights with Saudi Arabia which saw ambassadors recalled and arms sales cancelled, drawing comparisons with Denmark’s Mohammed cartoons controversy.

Stockholm’s relations with Riyadh had nosedived since leftist Foreign Minister Margot Wallstroem told parliament in a February speech the oil-rich state was a “dictatorship” that violated women’s rights and whipped bloggers.

Sweden’s government announced a “feminist” foreign policy when it took power in September.

Rights groups accuse Saudi Arabia of meting out brutal punishments to dissidents and religious minorities, and excluding women from most areas of public life.

The crisis in relations between Stockholm and Riyadh was cemented earlier this month when Sweden ended an arms agreement with Riyadh, despite warnings from business leaders about the potential impact on exports to the Gulf state, worth about $1.3 billion (1.2 billion euros).

Wallstroem has throughout the diplomatic row maintained that she has the support of the Swedish people in expressing her position.

And she told daily Expressen on Saturday: “I do not regret my choice of words.”

Von Sydow said he had stopped short of an apology during his talks with the king.

“I said we were very sorry if there were feelings of misunderstanding about what was said from the Swedish side, and said that we want to have a dialogue,” he said.

“Sweden wants to have a dialogue on all questions, including those where we have different opinions,” he added.

Wallstroem said her comments — including calling Saudi Arabia’s whipping of dissident blogger Raif Badawi in January “medieval” — were never directed against Islam for which she had “the greatest respect”….

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Filed Under: blasphemy, Featured, free speech, Saudi Arabia, Sweden Tagged With: Bjoern von Sydow, King Salman, Margot Wallstroem


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Comments

  1. Caroline says

    Mar 29, 2015 at 2:53 pm

    I have no truck with Wallstroem, she is part of the EU dictatorship, but no one can argue with the truth of her comments. Sweden’s Islam problem is even worse than ours here in Britain as they have a much smaller population. This left-wing pandering to the ROP will be the death of us all. I guess Saudi money buys a lot of obedience.

    • umbra says

      Mar 29, 2015 at 11:15 pm

      Wallstroem is only half correct. While saudi arabia is mediaeval, it is so because of islam.

    • Lia Wissing says

      Mar 30, 2015 at 5:29 am

      Speak the truth: and kings & prime ministers bow down to apologise for your bad behaviour.

  2. Lee Hicks says

    Mar 29, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    Making a deal with the devil is always a bad thing, and this time will be no different.

    Satan is the real false god behind the transparent mask of Allah, and everything that he does is designed to not only further his own power base and influence, but also to bring as many people as he can down to the hell that he knows awaits him.

    Countries that backpedal and give in to Islam think that they are somehow buying peace, which reveals their absolute ignorance regarding the nature and goals of Allah and Islam. The only “peace” that any of Islam recognizes is that which comes by either the eradication or subjugation of anything that does not serve Allah.

    Moves like this are destined for failure, and simply open the door for Jihad, whether it is in the form of Cultural Jihad, Political Jihad, or the use of oppression and violence. The foolishness and naive mindset of so many in the west is appalling and inexcusable.

  3. mortimer says

    Mar 29, 2015 at 2:55 pm

    Grovel, grovel, grovel.

    Yes, master.

    • particolor says

      Mar 30, 2015 at 10:53 pm

      ” I mean Monster “

  4. jewdog says

    Mar 29, 2015 at 3:16 pm

    I’m sure that Saudi Arabia’s oil wealth has about as much to do with Sweden’s craven cave-in as Islam has to do with whipping critics – actually, quite a bit.

  5. Georg says

    Mar 29, 2015 at 3:27 pm

    Fuck Saudi Arabia.

    • particolor says

      Mar 30, 2015 at 11:13 pm

      Guided Muscle needed ! 🙂

  6. Darren says

    Mar 29, 2015 at 3:38 pm

    I’m rooting for the Iranian proxies in the Yemen conflict. I never thought I’d be rooting for an Iranian proxy, but I’d love to see the entire Saudi Royal family slaughtered, since they have so much blood on their hands, not to mention were involved in 9/11. Come on team Shiite, allah is warming up his virgins just for you.

    • Charli Main says

      Mar 29, 2015 at 4:22 pm

      Saudi royal family ???? my dog is more royal than these desert goat shaggers.
      If it wasn´t for the trillions of Western dollars that have poured into that barren shit hole in exchange for oil, the ” royal ” Saudis would still be living in goat skin tents.

      • Darren says

        Mar 29, 2015 at 4:46 pm

        I agree. Even though the people who replaced the Saudi royals would most likely be cut from the same cloth, I just want to see the Saudi family overthrown. and crushed without mercy. Our wonderful ally in the region who funds jihadists world wide, who would kill or imprison a Christian for having a bible in the country, and who funds Wahabi mosques all over the world.

        People talk about the Israeli influence on our government, and even if some of it is true, Israel’s intent at lobbying government is simply to survive and find allies, since they are surrounded by the barbarian hordes. The Saudi and muslim brotherhood influence on our government is far more insidious and dangerous, yet you never hear the liberals or conspiracy theorists who are more concerned about Reptilian Rabbi from Remulak galactic domination ever mention this. As to living in goat skin tents, I wish I could live to see the day when they run out of oil, what will do then, since muslim society isn’t known for being industrious or inventive.

        • voytech says

          Mar 29, 2015 at 8:26 pm

          The sooner the oil runs out the better

    • kelster170 says

      Mar 30, 2015 at 5:25 am

      I could not agree more.

      • particolor says

        Mar 30, 2015 at 10:58 pm

        Me either !!

  7. Wellington says

    Mar 29, 2015 at 4:55 pm

    The Swedish Foreign Minister, Margot Wallstroem, is still guilty of incorrect and inconsistent thinking because one can’t criticize the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia and mention other human rights abuses there like flogging (hey, about criminal penalties for someone just bringing a Bible into Saudi Arabia?) and then say, as she did, that you have “the greatest respect for Islam.” Nope, doesn’t work.

  8. somehistory says

    Mar 29, 2015 at 5:15 pm

    “were never directed against Islam for which she had “the greatest respect”….

    She has *the greatest respect* for the very beast that is causing people to be killed, left and right, men and wome, and children,.. Lunacy is manifest in all of the different ways people are giving in to the beast that is demanding worship.
    Just what does she believe is the real cause of what the saudis are doing to people? It’s just so very hot in that country….it’s the cars made of diamonds and gold…it’s the table cloth headwear…just what is the cause? Top answer for the feud: islam, the beast of satan.

    • terry says

      Mar 29, 2015 at 5:46 pm

      “greatest respect for Islam”!!!

      That’s really depressing to see and hear, after being exposed to all this wealth of knowledge about Islam and its doctrines’ world wide horrible results, western leaders still engaged in this kind of stupid and empty talk.

      The fear of losing $1.5 billion in arms sales doesn’t justify talking such sh*t!

  9. Sam says

    Mar 29, 2015 at 6:45 pm

    Faster Europe goes Moslem, sooner America wakes up (MAYBE) BYE BYE Sweden.

    • gravenimage says

      Mar 29, 2015 at 11:11 pm

      An Islamized Europe will make *nothing* safer, Sam.

      • umbra says

        Mar 29, 2015 at 11:30 pm

        True, any european country taken over by islam would not be any safer from islam. However, the first european states that abruptly turn islamic – culturally, politically – may compel other western countries (those that have not been excessively infiltrated) to reexamine the reality and consequences of an islamic takeover. If sweden is hellbent – by her on volition through the support of a majority of swedes – on being islamised, then she would serve as a useful reality check for others. In such an instance, the destruction of the swedish nation and culture may serve to preserve other european nations and cultures.

        • gravenimage says

          Mar 31, 2015 at 2:19 pm

          With respect, Umbra, I disagree. I believe an Islamized Europe would just “normalize” the situation for other countries, and that our having to deal with such entities diplomatically would just further skew things in our own countries and further Muslim influence here.

  10. gravenimage says

    Mar 29, 2015 at 11:21 pm

    Saudis restore envoy to Sweden after Swedes apologize for insulting Islam
    ………………………………

    Doesn’t anyone realize what the Saudis are admitting here—that expressing concerns over human rights is “insulting Islam”?

    But then, with so much willful ignorance in play, I doubt the Swedish authorities have even noticed…

    Such appeasement will just further embolden them.

  11. Champ says

    Mar 30, 2015 at 12:46 am

    …dang table clothes aren’t just for picnic tables o_O

  12. profitsbeard says

    Mar 30, 2015 at 12:47 am

    The Swedes are known for their historically long spoons.

    • particolor says

      Mar 30, 2015 at 11:05 pm

      What ? And no “Great Respect” for Satan 🙁

  13. Gary fouse says

    Mar 30, 2015 at 3:08 am

    Between the Saudis and the Swedes, there are no heroes in this absurd saga.

  14. Avi15 says

    Mar 30, 2015 at 5:45 am

    Bye, bye Sweden. You’re doomed.

  15. peter weber says

    Mar 30, 2015 at 7:25 am

    Is the weapon deal back on already?

  16. TheTruthExposed says

    Mar 30, 2015 at 1:21 pm

    The world’s greatest exporter of misandry (Sweden) up against the world’s greatest exporter of misogyny? Sweden is going to lose. Their Vikings were castrated decades ago; hence the quick apology by the Swedes.

  17. Joe Shmo says

    Mar 30, 2015 at 1:28 pm

    Hmm, on the one hand very depressing that a Western liberal democracy would apologising to these medievalists, just for speaking the truth. On the other hand, it seems like more and more cracks are starting to show where even some hard-line Eurocrats can’t reconcile their conflicting beliefs.

    “[…]the oil-rich state was a “dictatorship” that violated women’s rights and whipped bloggers.”

    Objectively so.

  18. jay says

    Mar 30, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    So who will have the honor of being the first white Western nation to willingly surrender and live as slaves to foreigners who barely even know what running water is? Sweden or the UK the race is on!

    • Caroline says

      Mar 31, 2015 at 5:00 am

      Sweden has a tiny population compared to Britain. The British people are waking up to the threat and we will fight the creeping menace of Islam. There are still around sixty five million of us and three million of them. My favoured solution is voluntary repatriation to a Muslim hell-hole of their choice. For starters. Maybe not voluntary sometime in the future.

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