Kristersson responds to Minister who said mosques should be "demolished"

Shafaq News / Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has condemned far-right Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson for saying mosques should be demolished, calling the statement “disrespectful.”

“In Sweden, we don’t tear down places of worship,” Kristersson said on Monday, Swedish outlet SVT reported.

Åkesson came under fire on Saturday for saying that Sweden should ban the establishment of new mosques, while suggesting it should also demolish existing ones in the country.

“We also need to start confiscating and demolishing mosque buildings where anti-democratic, anti-Swedish, homophobic, antisemitic propaganda or general disinformation about Swedish society is spreading,” he said during a speech.

While not an official part of the ruling coalition, the Sweden Democrats offer crucial support to the government, which includes center-right minority parties Moderates, Liberals and Christian Democrats.

Åkesson’s comment drew backlash from across the Swedish political scene, including from former Prime Minister and Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson, who warned that Åkesson’s statement “worsens the image of Sweden, does not facilitate our NATO application, and further increases polarization in our country.”

On Monday, Kristersson told SVT that Åkesson’s words give “an inaccurate picture of what Sweden stands for internationally.”