- Nyamko Sabuni
-
Nyamko Sabuni 
Minister for Gender Equality Incumbent Assumed office
6 October 2006Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt Preceded by Jens Orback Minister for Integration In office
6 October 2006 – 5 oktober 2010Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt Preceded by Jens Orback Succeeded by Erik Ullenhag Personal details Born 31 March 1969
Bujumbura, BurundiPolitical party Liberal People's Party Alma mater Uppsala University Religion Atheist Website www.folkpartiet.se/sabuni Nyamko Ana Sabuni (born 31 March 1969) is a politician, currently serving as Minister for Integration and Gender Equality in the Swedish government. She is a member of the Liberal People's Party. Sabuni was elected a Member of Parliament in 2002 and assumed the office of Minister for Integration and Gender Equality on 6 October 2006.
Contents
Personal life
Nyamko Sabuni was born in Bujumbura in Burundi where her father, a left-wing politician from Zaire, lived in exile. Sabuni's father is a Christian while her mother is a Muslim.[1] The family obtained political asylum in Sweden in 1981 and Sabuni grew up in Kungsängen, north of Stockholm. She studied law at Uppsala University, migration policy at Mälardalen University in Eskilstuna, and information and media communications at Berghs School of Communication in Stockholm.
She is married to a Swedish man with whom she has twin boys. She has described herself as non-religious.[2]
Political career
Sabuni was a member of board of the Liberal Youth of Sweden from 1996 to 1998. She has cited the murder of Ivorian refugee Gerard Gbeyo, committed by a Swedish neo-Nazi in the town of Klippan in 1995, as one of the reasons she became involved in politics.[3]
In a 17 July 2006 opinion letter published in the Swedish newspaper Expressen, Sabuni called for mandatory gynecological examinations of all schoolgirls in order to prevent genital mutilation (also known as female circumcision).[4] She has proposed a ban on hijab for girls under 15 and also advocated the inclusion of honor killings as an independent category within the Swedish criminal code.[5] In July 2006 her book Flickorna vi sviker ("The Girls We Let Down"), about women in Sweden living under the threat of honor violence, was published.
Sabuni states that practicing Muslims who live by the Qur'an "limit their own opportunities". She suggests that practices such as praying five times a day, or questioning music marginalize Muslims. Muslims respond by saying that Sabuni is singling them out, while avoiding issues concerning the Muslim community like unemployment.[2]
On 6 October 2006, the new Swedish coalition government which emerged from the election announced Sabuni's appointment as the new Minister for Integration and Gender Equality.[5] She is the first person of African descent to be appointed as Minister in a Swedish government.[3][5]
Sabuni's appointment as Minister for Integration and Gender Equality was met with protests from some Swedish Muslims, who accused her of Islamophobia and populism.[6] A petition against her appointment was signed by the Muslim Association of Sweden, reportedly the largest organization representing Muslims in Sweden.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Lyall, Sarah (January 13, 2007). "Sweden’s Lightning Rod in a Storm Over Assimilation". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/13/world/europe/13profile.html. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
- ^ a b "Swedish politician's advice to immigrants? Try to fit in". International Herald Tribune. 12 January 2007. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/12/news/sweden.php?page=1. Retrieved 13 April 2009.
- ^ a b Bratt, Peter (7 January 2004). "Dotter till vänsterman skarp röst i folkpartiet" (in Swedish). Dagens Nyheter. http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1042&a=220583. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
- ^ Sabuni, Nyamko (17 July 2006). ""Kontrollera underlivet på alla högstadieflickor"" (in Swedish). Expressen. http://expressen.se/1.386536. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
- ^ a b c Savage, James (6 October 2006). "Youth and diversity sets new government apart". The Local. http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=5138&date=20061006. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
- ^ "Protest mot utnämning av Nyamko Sabuni till Integrations och Jämställdhetsminister!!" (in Swedish). IslamGuiden ("The Islam Guide"). http://www.islamguiden.com/protester/nyamko/nyamko.html. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
- ^ "Arrangörer av protestet mot utnämning av Nyamko Sabuni till Integrations och Jämställdhetsminister!!" (in Swedish). IslamGuiden ("The Islam Guide"). http://www.islamguiden.com/arkiv/lista.html. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
External links
- Nyamko Sabuni at the Government Offices of Sweden (English)
- Nyamko Sabuni at the Liberal People's Party (Swedish)
- Nyamko Sabuni at the Riksdag (Swedish)
Preceded by
Jens OrbackMinister for Integration
2006 – 2010Succeeded by
Erik UllenhagPreceded by
Jens OrbackMinister for Gender Equality
2006 – presentIncumbent Cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt Current ministers Reinfeldt · Adelsohn Liljeroth · Ask · Bildt · Billström · Björklund · Björling · Borg · Ek · Carlsson · Erlandsson · Hägglund · Larsson · Ohlsson · Lööf · Sabuni · Tolgfors · Norman · Kristersson · Attefall · Hatt · Elmsäter-Svärd · Engström · UllenhagFormer ministers Borelius (2006) · Stegö Chilò (2006) · Odenberg (2006–2007) · Leijonborg (2006–2009) · Malmström (2006–2010) · Littorin (2006-2010) · Husmark Pehrsson (2006-2010) · Odell (2006-2010) · Krantz (2009-2010) · Torstensson (2006-2010) · Olofsson (2006-2011) · Carlgren (2006-2011)Categories:- 1969 births
- Living people
- People from Bujumbura
- Liberal People's Party (Sweden) politicians
- Members of the parliament of Sweden
- Swedish atheists
- Swedish people of Burundian descent
- Swedish Ministers for Integration
- Swedish Ministers for Gender Equality
- Swedish women in politics
- Uppsala University alumni
- Swedish people of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent
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