Swedish minister to Syria: No aid if situation of Christians not guaranteed
The Swedish government has signaled a notable change in its foreign policy following a recent visit to Syria by Sweden's minister for International Development Cooperation Benjamin Dousa and Foreign Trade minister Johan Forsell.
Apart from meeting with Syrian government representatives, the ministers also held talks with several representatives of ethnic and religious communities, among them Assyrian patriarch Aphrem Karim II, head of the Syriac Orthodox Church.
Upon their return to Sweden, minister Benjamin Dousa announced in an interview with the local newspaper of Södertälje, which hosts a sizable Assyrian community, that the Swedish government will condition state aid to Syria on the country’s treatment of its Christian inhabitants, many of whom are Assyrians.
"We stand side by side with the Christian groups and we will not accept that whatever happens to them", he is quoted as saying.
Responding to a question about his impressions of the current situation for Christians, Dousa replied: "It wasn't an optimistic impression at all. One can describe the situation as insecure, cautious and that they really need international support. And this is where Sweden wants to play a role. We want to support these groups directly."
The Swedish minister further explained that he has made it clear to the Syrian government that Swedish aid comes with conditions. "Personally, I was very clear towards the Syrian government; if you want support to rebuild the country, then we expect you to take these issues in all seriousness", Dousa said, adding: "If we see more attacks against minorities or of if they push Christians out of Syria they will not receive Swedish taxpayers money."
A notable change in policy
The words of the minister, a member of the Moderate Party, a liberal-conservative, centre-right political party, have startled Assyrian-Swedish observers. Swedish governments, long dominated by the Social Democratic Party, Socialdemokraterna, have refused any meaningful support to Assyrians despite Sweden’s large Assyrian diaspora, which has been vocal on such issues.
An individual with knowledge of community advocacy efforts, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that they were consistently met with the argument that Sweden cannot offer preferential treatment to certain groups, even as it was evident that Assyrians were being targeted specifically. "Our people back home are being targeted and oppressed specifically for being indigenous and Christians and meanwhile the Swedish government was telling us that they could not help them precisely because they are indigenous and Christians. It was and remains absurd, especially for a country claiming the moral high ground in humanitarian issues", the source said, adding: "This recent change is very much welcomed, and it needs to be applied to Iraq as well".
