Islam Times - Swedish MPs physically threatened, abused in 2011: Survey

Islam Times - A recent survey shows that more than a third of Sweden's parliament members had been physically assaulted, threatened or harassed in 2011.

The survey released on Monday by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention was conducted by asking all 13,845 ordinary politicians nationwide, including 349 parliament members, if they had been exposed to threats, crimes or other harassments during 2011.

It was reported that 68 percent of those contacted answered the questionnaire, with 36 percent of the country's members of parliament stating that they had been harmed.

Also, 16 percent of the politicians said they had been abused.

“We have already too few, who are engaged in politics today. It is dangerous if we fall into a downward spiral, in which we start to apply self-censorship. Many feel their liberties are limited, even intellectually,” said Democracy Minister Birgitta Ohlsson.

According to the survey, it is not only a safety problem it is also a threat to democracy since almost 10 percent said they have changed their behavior or routines due to the abuses or concerns of being harmed.

About 2 percent have either partly or completely left their political missions after being violated or concerned of being threatened.

The perpetrators are mostly men, acting alone, not affiliated with a special interest group and not all are outsiders, about 14 percent said they had been abused by another elected politician.

In 1986, former Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot down in Stockholm and Foreign Minister Anna Lindh was stabbed to death while shopping in 2003.