The organizers long strived to keep politics aside, but global tensions have often imposed themselves on the contest, and things are no different this year.
Violence from religious extremists has been a problem in Sweden for several years now, and the war in Gaza has escalated the situation even further. I’ve a family member living in a larger city whom I worry about - particularly because they choose to be open about their jewish identity. There have also been threats against the university I study/work at, and against public transit - one of the many reasons that I no longer use it. As such, I tend to keep these sorts of considerations in mind.
However, I’m glad you don’t have to worry about such things.
…and plenty of other attacks in the past ten years.
Furthermore, Säpo (security police) estimates there are roughly two thousand salafists in Sweden willing to use violence to overthrow democracy and institute sharia law.
For context, given the Swedish population of 10 million, that’s roughly one per five thousand. Quick math makes it ten in my hometown and thirty in the city where I work/go to university - odds are that I’ve met at least one.
It has happened and there are plenty of people willing to perpetrate new attacks. I’m willing to bet a lot of money that it will happen again, maybe not at eurovision, but it will happen. So, yes, I worry and I take precautions (similarly to how I wouldn’t walk in certain parts of town at night).
Okay? And? What’s the point of worrying about what they’re going to do when? You can’t predict or stop it.
I live in the U.S., land of mass shootings and many religious extremists of many stripes. I don’t spend my time worrying about where and when the next mass shooting will be. What’s the point? What good does it do?
I’ll second what @Tobberone@lemm.ee wrote, and also elaborate.
Violence from religious extremists has been a problem in Sweden for several years now, and the war in Gaza has escalated the situation even further. I’ve a family member living in a larger city whom I worry about - particularly because they choose to be open about their jewish identity. There have also been threats against the university I study/work at, and against public transit - one of the many reasons that I no longer use it. As such, I tend to keep these sorts of considerations in mind.
However, I’m glad you don’t have to worry about such things.
I don’t “have” to worry about such things because I don’t bother worrying about things that haven’t happened and that I have no evidence will happen.
“There are lots of extremists here” doesn’t mean “one of them is going to bomb Eurovision.”
Two known foiled attacks in Sweden during 2023;
https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/terrorplanerna-mot-sverige-som-har-stoppats
Along with an attack in Brussels specifically targeting swedish citizens (two shot dead)
https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/kristersson-m-allt-pekar-pa-att-terrordadet-var-riktat-mot-sverige
…and plenty of other attacks in the past ten years.
Furthermore, Säpo (security police) estimates there are roughly two thousand salafists in Sweden willing to use violence to overthrow democracy and institute sharia law.
https://sv.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_i_Sverige#Radikalisering_och_salafism
For context, given the Swedish population of 10 million, that’s roughly one per five thousand. Quick math makes it ten in my hometown and thirty in the city where I work/go to university - odds are that I’ve met at least one.
It has happened and there are plenty of people willing to perpetrate new attacks. I’m willing to bet a lot of money that it will happen again, maybe not at eurovision, but it will happen. So, yes, I worry and I take precautions (similarly to how I wouldn’t walk in certain parts of town at night).
What precautions exactly?
Yes, one of them will one day blow something up out of frustration. That’s what extreme Islam looks like.
Okay? And? What’s the point of worrying about what they’re going to do when? You can’t predict or stop it.
I live in the U.S., land of mass shootings and many religious extremists of many stripes. I don’t spend my time worrying about where and when the next mass shooting will be. What’s the point? What good does it do?
What’s the point in waring a seatbelt when you cannot prodict or stop the next accident?
And the equivalent of the seat belt here would be what?
Worrying
I’m pretty sure worrying won’t save any lives in a catastrophe, so that’s a very poor analogy.
Worrying could lead to measures which might help to avoid/reduced impact/midigate destruction of the next incident.