The Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir is actively recruiting in the heavily migrant-populated no-go Stockholm suburbs of Rinkeby and Tensta.
The radical group, which operates in several European countries, including the UK and Denmark, has been recruiting new members in the no-go suburbs of Stockholm and has organised private religious lessons for followers.
An undercover reporter for Swedish broadcaster SVT infiltrated the group and secretly filmed the meetings, publishing footage on Monday.
According to the broadcaster, Hizb ut-Tahrir is attempting to recruit at least 20 people, and many homes in the Rinkeby area have received leaflets from the group. Police say they have also had complaints from locals who question whether the material’s messages are legal.
Martin Marmgren, group manager for the police in Järva, commented on the pamphlets, saying: “Some people are worried. This is an extremist message from an extremist organisation.”
Imam of the local Aysha Mosque, Nasir Ahmad Arif, spoke out against the leaflets, saying their content was not what he and his community stand for.
SVT notes that Hizb ut-Tahrir has been operating in Sweden since 2011, and the group has been running for years in some other European countries, such as neighbouring Denmark.
In 2015, the group called for Danish Muslims to abstain from voting, after claiming democracy was not compatible with Islam.
“We are committed to being active participants in our society, but it has to be on Islam’s terms, without compromising our own principles and values. Democracy is fundamentally incompatible with Islam, and it is a sinking ship,” the group said.
In 2019, the group faced off against anti-Islam protesters in front of the Danish parliament when activist Rasmus Paludan threatened to burn a copy of the Quran.
In the UK in 2018, Hizb ut-Tahrir was accused of using children to spread extremist literature that allegedly provided justification for suicide bombings and stated that women who leave home “uncovered” should be punished.