According to the news agency Siren, some of the companies receiving Swedish taxpayers' money are controlled by individuals who have fought for Daesh* in the Middle East and al-Shabaab* in Africa. Terrorism researcher Magnus Ranstorp stressed that great gains are to be made in financial crime, with very little risks.
Companies run by Islamists in Sweden have received over one billion kronor through deals with municipalities and the Swedish state, the newspaper Aftonbladet reported, citing a review that mapped Islamists' economic connections to the Swedish state.
According to the review by the news agency Siren, there are 550 individuals in Sweden affiliated with extreme Islamism, including people who have been part of Daesh and al-Shabaab as well as fundamentalist Salafists who want to introduce sharia law.
Furthermore, according to Siren, about 50 companies and organisations that feature Islamist capital or management, have done business or entered deals with the Swedish state or municipalities. The list includes everything from moving companies to independent schools run by Islamists. From 2015 to 2019, their transactions amounted to 1.2 billion SEK ($140 million).
Above all, it is about agreements between independent schools and municipalities. The Safir School in Gothenburg and the Norrland-based parent cooperative Bilaal have raised the most money. More than SEK 150 million ($17.3 million) has been secured through municipal agreements…