Al Jazeera 360 pushes back against Swedish claims film is ‘dangerous’

The squad down an Al Jazeera 360 documentary has rejected claims by the Swedish premier curate that a movie astir kid extortion laws successful Europe is “dangerous”.

The three-part investigative documentary Behind Closed Doors, produced by Al Jazeera 360 – a video-on-demand level that is portion of the Al Jazeera Media Network – follows families from assorted backgrounds and nationalities who person faced the traumatic acquisition of having their children forcibly removed by societal authorities successful Norway, Sweden, Germany and Luxembourg.

On November 10, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson likened the documentary to the alleged LVU campaign, a misinformation run that gained traction connected societal media successful 2022 that suggested Swedish authorities were kidnapping children from Muslim families.

But Awad Joumaa, caput of originals astatine Al Jazeera 360, said the attacks connected the movie were “misleading”.

“Al Jazeera 360 emphasises that the bid was developed to research a analyzable societal contented affecting families crossed bluish Europe,” a connection from Al Jazeera 360 said. “Behind Closed Doors presents divers families from assorted backgrounds and nationalities who person faced the traumatic acquisition of having their children forcibly removed by societal authorities. In immoderate cases, children were not lone separated from their parents but were besides divided up and placed successful antithetic cities, leaving parents unaware of their children’s whereabouts and with nary entree to them.”

SVT, Sweden’s nationalist broadcaster, besides criticised the documentary, saying that it omitted immoderate details connected the cases included successful tribunal documents.

However, Joumaa said that was misleading, adding that some tribunal documents and the reasons for the kid removals were prominently displayed connected the surface and that rulings oregon decisions that contradicted the families’ claims were shown, ensuring that the authoritative position was presented alongside the families’ narratives.

“This attack provided viewers with some perspectives, allowing them to signifier their ain opinions,” helium said.

‘Security consequences’

Swedish authorities declined to enactment successful the documentary, dissimilar those successful Germany, which provided an authoritative for comment.

However, the Swedish absorption to the movie has been vocal, with PM Kristersson penning connected societal media that Behind Closed Doors could beryllium “dangerous for Sweden”. He besides told the Swedish paper Expressen that it could pb to a heightened menace level against the country.

Sofia Bard, who heads the Swedish Institute, which analyses Sweden’s representation successful the remainder of the world, told SVT that the documentary could lend to a antagonistic representation of Sweden and impact the country’s power internationally.

She besides stated that it could person “security consequences”, referencing the LVU run and the Quran burnings that person occurred successful the Nordic federation and led to anti-Sweden protests successful respective Muslim-majority countries past year.

At the time, the Swedish Security Service (SAPO) raised its appraisal of the level of menace against Sweden to 4 connected a standard of 1 to 5 amid mounting planetary hostility implicit the burning of copies of the Quran astatine demonstrations.

Joumaa, however, says the Swedish absorption overlooks the film’s extent and the broader issues it seeks to examine.

“The assertion that Behind Closed Doors poses a information menace to Sweden seems to beryllium based solely connected the sentiment of 1 information analyst, who appears to person made a accelerated appraisal of the series, which really spans 3 parts,” Joumaa said. “This assertion overlooks the film’s extent and the broader issues it seeks to explore, focusing alternatively connected a constrictive position without afloat engaging with the content.”

He added that the accumulation squad made respective attempts to impact Swedish authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, offering them a accidental to contiguous their viewpoint.

While the ministry redirected the petition to the liable agency, the Ministry of Social Affairs rejected an interrogation petition and chose not to cooperate.

Joumaa added that the documentary did not effort to power its audience, and alternatively presented the grounds and adept opinions, leaving the judgement up to the viewer.

“We are simply putting the arguments and the position and the contented connected the table, and that full constituent of escaped statement has been missed,” helium said.

To presumption portion 1 of Behind Closed Doors (in Arabic), click here.