Sweden?...Why?

Not that terrorist acts ever make much sense, but some cases are totally incomprehensible. I refer in this case to the suicide bomber from Sweden and Luton who decided to spread his pitiful mortal remains on Stockholm’s pavements.

Taimour Abdulwahab al Abdaly's

 only claim to fame?

Had this act of madness occurred in Palestine, Iraq or Afghanistan, it would have made a lot more sense to me; but Sweden? The land of the fair and free?

I don’t believe it has anything to do with Lars Vilks cartoon mocking Muhammad or even Sweden’s involvement in Afghanistan. The real reasons go much deeper than that.

Swedish artist Lars Vilks says he believes the

 suspects arrested in Ireland and the U.S. in an

 alleged plot to kill him were not professionals

Too right they were not professionals; they are deranged, brainwashed, unstable and unable to think for themselves.

Islam is being hijacked by deluded psychopaths who mistakenly believe they are waging war in the name of Allah. The whole idea of “suicide bombers” beggars belief. Only the mentally unstable are capable of committing suicide.

Sweden is probably the last place on earth I would expect to be targeted; for a number of reasons.

Sweden is, according to UN statistics, one of the nations with the most satisfied population in the world.

The Swedish people are free, forward-thinking, tolerant, and well looked after by the state, after decades of good social policies that have enhanced the quality of life for all its citizens.

Sweden is also successful and affluent, democratic and fair, unlike the nations these pitiful terrorists think they represent. And here, I suspect, lays the main reason for these acts of violence.

I think it is all to do with envy. Yes, ENVY.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, envy seems to be the driving force in this unholy war, or more precisely, culture clash. Envy at the fact that Sweden has (along with other western nations) broken away from the shackles of religion and created fair democratic and decent conditions for their people. So much so that vast numbers of Muslims, year on year try, to immigrate to these very same nations. It is after all, one-way traffic.

But societies these terrorists think they represent are often the complete opposite; barbaric, oppressive, unjust and backward-looking, whose peoples are governed by medieval laws. They are societies that openly discriminate against gender, sexual and religious freedoms and pay no attention to human rights.

It’s now up to the decent Muslim people around the world to rise up and fight the cancer within their midst.

Here is a demonstration by the Muslim decent

majority soon after the attack. A lot more

 needs to be done to convince the world.

Will this silent majority really rise to the challenge? I have my doubts. But if they don’t, they will inevitably pay the price of burying their heads in the sand.

:(

All I want for Christmas is...Part II

Flight is booked for the 23rd!

Courtesy of the very generous management at my new job. Thanks guys for the extra time off.

Off to Sweden I go for 5 days, some where not too far from Lapland.

so very cozy and quaint...

It’s at times like these that I wish I still believed in Santa Claus. ( I don’t actually remember ever believing ) I could’ve paid him a visit! As it stands, seeing real-life reindeer and real snow will do for me.

traditional Swedish Christmas fayre - Smörgåsbord

But what I want to see most of all is not reindeer and snow but M. I am just dying to see her after 5 whole weeks apart. Five weeks that seem more like 5 years. We may also get a chance to see Stefan, Linn and Kim for good measure. That would be very nice indeed.

Christmas market in Stockholm

It will be my first Christmas knee-deep in snow. Lots of snow I am told and temperatures down to -20. Brrrrrrr. Apparently Swedish mould wine keeps the cold at bay. I reckon beer and Absolut Vodka also do the trick. I’ll try them all anyway. No doubt I will...

:)

Postcard from Sweden

Back in the UK after 8 days in Sweden!! What a beautiful place!! Sweden is the last known "wilderness" in Europe, a vast country of some 450,000 Km2 (twice the size of UK) , scarcely populated with 9.3 million people, draped in lakes that resemble small oceans and where every other car is a Volvo...

I already knew a fair bit about Sweden, it's politics, quality of life, etc. but still, I was amazed at it's calmness, it's law-abiding motorists, it's fresh unpolluted air despite the fact that Sweden is a heavily industrialized nation, and last but not least, it's coffee. Yes, coffee!!

Never mind the meatballs and lingonberry jam, the great cakes and cookies, the reindeer meat, the beautiful girls and the vast fairy-tale forests, it's the coffee that impressed me most ...(...hummm!?!)

The Swedish people are the world's biggest consumers of coffee and now I know why. I tried dozens of coffees, in cafes, petrol stations, home and restaurants and failed to get a bad cup! Even machine coffee is wonderful !! How do they do it?? Coffee doesn't even grow in Sweden!!!

The day trip to Stockholm was another highlight. I loved this great uncluttered city, bathed by the sea and soaked knee-deep in history. Culture and tradition pours out of every ancient but proudly elegant building in the Old Town, mingling with the unforgettable aroma of fresh pastries and coffee. Tree-lined promenades, parks, bridges,lakes,canals,14 main islands (and 24,000 smaller isles) and the absence of sky-scrapers makes Stockholm the most beautiful city I have seen.

A return visit is a must as there is so much more to see.

Hejda, vackert land... det var ett noje att traffa Madeleine's familj. Ett sarskilt tack till Mormor och Soren ... Kramar till alla.