Israel/Palestine
Related: About this forumSwedish Muslim fights anti-semitism
I'm posting this here for a couple of reasons: YNet is an Israeli news outlet and I/P issues figure into the truly awful situation in Malmo.
As a young Muslim of Azeri origin who lives in Malmö, Sweden, Siavosh Derakhti founded Young People against Antisemitism and Xenophobia: 'It is absolutely terrible to be Jew today in Malmö.'
Siavosh Derakhti, 24, a young Muslim of Azeri origin who lives in Malmö, Sweden, well-known for openly fighting anti-Semitism in his country, is currently visiting Israel.
"If you are a Jew, people blame you for everything going on in Palestine. Everybody hates Israel. I don't accept this and do everything I can to build bridges between Jews and Muslims through education, Derakhti stated.
Derahkti, director of Young People against Antisemitism and Xenophobia, is considered very unusual in Sweden. Among his activities are organizing demonstrations in support of Jews and organizing delegations of young Swedesincluding Christians, Muslims and Jewsto the Nazi death camps. He has a good relationship with the Israeli Embassy in Sweden and even takes part in various programs run by the embassy.
"It is absolutely terrible to be Jew today in Malmö", said the Swedish Muslim. "Anti-Semites believe in conspiracy theories that (Jews) rule the world. I organized pro-Jewish demonstrations and helped protect our cousins. If Jews cant live in Sweden I feel it's a personal failure."
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read:http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4817065,00.html
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Derahkti met with US President Barack Obama during his visit to Sweden in 2013. He won the prestigious Raoul Wallenberg award for this activities, and was recently selected by Forbes magazine to be included in the list of 30 most influential people in the world until the age of 30. He's a public figure in Sweden, and frequently appears in local media.
He was invited by Forbes magazine and the Schusterman Foundation to deepen his relationship with Israel in April, as well as his knowledge of the Holocaust and the fight against anti-Semitism. "My special relationship with the Jews began when I was 13," recounted Derhakti. "My best friend in school was a Jew and I always protected him."
My friend suffered from anti-Semitism, and one day he came running to me and said, 'there are five people who want to beat me. I told him, 'There is absolutely no way we are running away. I physically fought with those guys for my friend. I told him I would fight for him, and this story has been etched in my memory.
Six years ago, Derhakti read articles about how Jews in Sweden were being attacked just because of their religion. "I decided to do something in my city, Malmo. I founded an organization against anti-Semitism and xenophobia. We organize tours of young people, including Muslims, of the extermination camps. After they return to Sweden, I see a big change in their attitude. At first, some of them tell me they hate Jews, but after they see what happened to the Jews in history - they tell me they love Jews. I sympathize with the suffering of the Jewish people."
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Little Tich
(6,171 posts)(perhaps even bigger than meeting with Obama), and he's doing an excellent job.
I hope we'll see more of him in the future.
6chars
(3,967 posts)a role model!