Sweden's proposal to make sex education classes, which include teaching students about safe sex, mandatory has angered Muslim immigrants. Free condoms, Sydney, July 25, 2007. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters)

Coming home from school with strawberry condoms

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Mandatory sex education classes for 14-year-olds anger Muslim immigrants in Sweden.

By Marcus Oscarsson — Special to GlobalPost
Published: June 29, 2009 05:20 ET

STOCKHOLM — Proper condom use, sex positions and same-sex relationships are all part of the curriculum for 14-year-old students in Swedish high schools.

But many Muslim immigrants, who require their daughters and wives to wear head scarves to ensure modesty, have prevented their children from attending the classes.

A new law proposes to change that by abolishing a provision that was initially created for Catholic and Jewish students looking to get out of religious education classes. All students were allowed to opt out of subjects if they wanted.

Without that provision, Muslim parents would no longer be able to stop their teenage children from participating in the mandatory sex education, or in sports lessons.

"All students have the right to take part in the compulsory school education, regardless of whether their parents approve or disapprove," said Sweden's education secretary, Jan Bjorklund.

Muslim parents who grew up in conservative Middle East countries have reacted with shock when their daughters and sons come home from school with condoms handed out by their biology teachers.

Teenage girls said their parents prohibit them from participating in school lessons because they contradict the family's religion or culture, according to a new survey from Stockholm University. Twenty-seven percent of immigrants’ daughters are kept from participating in some school subjects.

“My parents do not think that the school should run any sex education at all. They say it is not the school’s business. But I think it is exciting. I do not show the condoms for Mum or Dad,” said Fatima Omed, 14. Her parents moved to Sweden from Turkey, but she has lived in Sweden her entire life. “I do not plan to use the condoms anytime soon,” she added, laughing.

The number of students prevented by their parents from attending sex education classes increased during the Iraq war, when many Muslim families immigrated to Sweden. The Scandinavian country, with 10 million inhabitants, granted full refugee status to 24,799 Iraqis between 2003 and 2007, compared with 260 by Britain. Sweden's right-wing government said the increase in students opting out called for action.

Muslim parents who were born in Sweden have not used the exemption nearly as much as parents who are immigrants. Families where both the parents and children are immigrants have expressed the most anger.

“It is a problem and usually it is the father who is protesting the most, especially when it regards a daughter,” said Magnus Ericsson, a teacher at one of Stockholm’s largest high schools.

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Posted by Jim Lacey on June 29, 2009 11:02 ET

The larger question is whether immigrants should accept the laws of their host country. It would not be unreasonable to insist that they should.

Posted by Geoff on July 7, 2009 05:29 ET

Iftikhar is a pain in the butt - he regularly spams sites with his drivel then is never seen again to answer replies until the next time he pontificates uselessly and boringly.

'Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods.' -- Why? Neither Germany nor any of the other (of the many) countries he rails about are Muslim countries. He should get over himself.

Posted by BlancaDeBree on June 29, 2009 13:51 ET

Didn't these immigrants choose to live in Sweden over another country? Last I checked, America was the big melting pot, not Sweden. If they want to live in Sweden, they must accept her culture, sex education and all.

Posted by jadal on June 29, 2009 19:21 ET

If you were an Iraqi(presuming you're not) escaping a war in your home country, would you want to move to the country that declared war on it? Would you want to move to a place where you're more likely to experience a hate crime. I don't know. It has a statistic right there that Britain only let 260 immigrants from the Middle East compared to Sweden 24,799. I think they go to the West where they have a policy that will grant them residence. Last time I checked, the United States doesn't have that much of an open door immigration policy.

Posted by Dr Martin on June 30, 2009 01:58 ET

While this article maintains usage of the word "Immigrant" I believe this is only semi-correct. Most of these people are refugees, which are directed by the United Nations as to their country of habitation and have no choice as to where to relocate. They are people ripped from their home countries as a result of war and strife. It is my belief that we should afford them some leniency until they are prepared to return to their homes when the problems forcing them to leave have subsided. On the other hand, I believe people expecting to stay for an extended period (permanent habitation) in Sweden should prepare for the ability to interact in their new environments.

Posted by Ifti on June 30, 2009 03:57 ET

Muslim parents teach their children to respect their teachers. From a very young age, we are taught that Islam teaches us that after our parents, our teachers are most deserving of respect.
It must be an extremely confusing time for the Muslim parent in Leytonstone, London. For up to 30 parents may face prosecution for withdrawing their children from school, disobeying the teachers in the school, simply to secure a decent moral upbringing for their children. The school had decided to have a week of lessons about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history. Part of this was a special adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet retitled Romeo and Julian as well as fairytales and stories changed to show men falling in love with men. Rather than filling the heads of impressionable boys and girls with fatuous drivel about gay penguins, schools should be ashamed of the fact that they are sending children out into the world barely able to read, write and add up properly. Muslim children are leaving schools without learning their cultural roots and linguistic skills.

The action was being taken against the parents as part of a policy of ' promoting tolerance'. So why not tolerate parents, who, for sincerely-held reasons, consider their children too young to be taught about gay relationships? This isn't education, its cultural fascism. A record numbers of pupils persistently played truant in 2006-07, with around 272,950 pupils persistently absent in 2007, missing more than 20% of school. We rarely see councils prosecute the parents of these persistent truants. Yet, the parents who removed their children as a one-off to protect their morality may be prosecuted!

If the local council does decide to go through with a prosecution, it would be in line with the government's approach to the Muslim community. Muslims who believe homosexuality is a sin would be labelled as extremists. Liberal totalitarianism is a growing phenomenon in Britain and the west in general but many people will be shocked that the school can override a parent's view of what's appropriate or inappropriate to teach their children.

This latest episode should be a wakeup call for Muslim parents. Muslim parents MUST explain our moral standards to schools and be prepared to take steps to protect our children’s morals and values from a growing agenda to impose liberal values upon them. This is an eye opening for those Muslim parents who keep on sending their children to state schools to be mis-educated and de-educated by non-Muslim monolingual teachers.

The solution of all the problems facing Muslim children is state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers. Those state schools where Muslim children are in majority may be designated as Muslim community schools. Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods.
Iftikhar Ahmad
www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

Posted by Loren on July 4, 2009 08:43 ET

No, this should serve as a wake-up call that your religion is out of line with the society you are living in. If you don't like the society, leave!

Posted by socaldanidanielle on July 1, 2009 12:52 ET

Sweden's policy of comprehensive sex education has led to one of the highest levels of health among teenagers and women in the world. Islamic customs result in the worst. While these religious parents may want to perpetuate their customs and beliefs in their new home, I would hope that Sweden would hold the line and insist that their new citizens be encouraged to allow their children to live up to a better life, rather than dragging a highly successful public health policy down into the dangerous past. They can talk about "modesty" all they want at home. Common sense and solid experience insist that science, not religion, is the only measure by which should guide sex education and public health. One look at the public health statistics in religiously dominated countries of origin should be sufficient for any public official debating this issue. It is patently absurd that this should even BE debated in this century. I hope Sweden holds the line and serves as an example to the rest of the countries in the world, including the US.

Posted by M.Alouane on July 4, 2009 11:19 ET

Muslim parent and sex education

Posted by M.Alouane on July 4, 2009 12:25 ET

A liberal society is also one that is democratic, functions and legislates within European and international legislative framework. While the teaching of sex education seem to be fairly acceptable to most parents, the minority have also the right to express their concerns,for moral and safety reasons, vis-a-vis the content and the delivery of Sex Education.

Your sentence “Islamic customs result in the worst.” reflects stereotyping, but most importantly, your lack of understanding of Islam’s position with respect to Sex Education, embedded in morality, and common sense. The subject is not offensive to most Muslim parents and children, but rather where, how and by whom Sex Education is delivered. In fact, Islam provides guidance on all aspects of life, including the teaching and learning about sex.

The delivery of Sex Education programmes in a mixed class, or by a male teacher in a single-sex class (girls) would undoubtedly result in a negative learning experience for Muslim children /students, and probably for many children from other main faiths.

You put more emphasis on “high levels of health “, but it remains to be seen if you statistics reflect or match safety (think about pregnancy cases among teenagers).

In conclusion, unless sex education teaching, or even any subject, is delivered in appropriate learning environment, by appropriate teaching staff, and according to health and safety satisfaction, and parents’ wishes, (within reason), in particular, Muslims may perceive Sex Education as threatening and subverting Islamic teaching a propos the value of family life

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