Wikipedia

Richard Jomshof

Richard Johannes Jomshof, né Lohikoski, (born 6 July 1969 in Helsingborg) is a Swedish politician affiliated with the Sweden Democrats (SD) party and former pop musician. He served as Secretary-General of the Sweden Democrats from 2015 to 2022 and has been a Member of the Riksdag since September 2010. In 2022, he was appointed as chairman of the Justice Committee in the Riksdag.

Richard Jomshof
SD
Richard Jomshof during the Almedalen Week in July 2016
Secretary-General of the Sweden Democrats
In office
11 January 2015 – 17 October 2022
LeaderJimmie Åkesson
Preceded byBjörn Söder
Succeeded byMattias Bäckström Johansson
Member of the Riksdag
Incumbent
Assumed office
19 September 2010
ConstituencyBlekinge County (2014-present)
Gävleborg County (2010-2014)
Personal details
Born
Richard Johannes Lohikoski

(1969-07-06) 6 July 1969 (age 55)
Helsingborg, Sweden
Political partySweden Democrats
SpouseLinda Jomshof
Alma materMalmö University
Lund University

Biography

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Jomshof was born in 1969 in Helsingborg to a Swedish mother and a Finnish father.[1] He studied history and social studies at Malmö University before attending the university's affiliated teacher training college and subsequently worked as a primary school and then a secondary school teacher.[2] As a teacher, Jomshof was according to himself dismissed from two jobs for being part of Sweden Democrats.[3]

After his teaching studies, Jomshof became a musician, co-founding and playing in the Swedish synthpop band Elegant Machinery. In a 2013 interview with Side-Line, he spoke about his involvement in SD and what effect it has had on Elegant Machinery.[4] When asked what he thought had improved in Sweden the latest 20 years, he said it was the music.[5]

Political career

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Jomshof's original political background was in the Moderate Youth League and he had also previously voted for the Swedish Social Democratic Party. He first became active in SD in the late 1990s. During the 2009 European Parliament election, Jomshof stood on the SD's list but was not elected.[2] Since the 2010 Swedish general election, Jomshof represents the Gävleborg constituency in the Riksdag.[6] He was also responsible for drafting the SD's education policies in the party manifesto ahead of the 2010 election.[2]

In 2012, he succeeded Kent Ekeroth as SD's spokesman on legal affairs, and in January 2015 he was elected as party secretary, succeeding Björn Söder.[7] In 2021, he was appointed the SD's spokesman on education policy.[8]

Following the 2022 Swedish general election, Jomshof was appointed chairman of the Justice Committee in the Riksdag.[9] In September 2024, he temporarily stepped down as chair of the Justice Committee after Swedish police announced an investigation into whether Jomshof republishing two image posts on X – from an account run by Indian satirist Imtiaz Mahmood which depicted caricatures of Muslim and Pakistani refugees as villains – constituted a hate crime following complaints from members of the justice committee. The Social Democrats, Left Party, Centre Party and Green Party all demanded Jomshof's resignation from the post.[10] In his defense, Jomshof said that he had tweeted the cartoons as satire rather than to provoke hate.[11] Jomshof was later reinstated as chairman of the justice committee after the preliminary investigation was dropped. The prosecutor in charge of the investigation – Joakim Zander – said the cartoons were not an "incitement against an ethnic group".[12][13]

Political beliefs

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Domestic politics

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Jomshof has served as the SD's policy spokesman on school policies. He has called for teachers to take on non-pedagogical tasks while increasing the number of nurses and mental health councilors working with schools. He also believes Swedish should remain the official language within the state school system. Jomshof also said that he previously was a political liberal and that much of his current beliefs and decision to join the SD were formed after working in Swedish schools in the late 1980s and stating that he was already witnessing issues surrounding discipline, language and cultural segregation between immigrants and Swedes.[2] Jomshof has called for a more restrictive immigration policy.

Foreign policy

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Jomshof is a supporter of Israeli politics and has visited the country and posed with the Israeli flag on several occasions.[14][15][16] On 31 October 2023, he wished IDF "good hunting" in its war against Hamas, which sparked criticism in Swedish media.[17][18]

Opinions on Islam

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Jomshof has received media attention for his statements about Islam and Muslim immigration to Sweden and has been accused of Islamophobia by political opponents, but has claimed he is not opposed to immigrants.[19][20][21][22]

During a speech in the Swedish parliament in 2013, Jomshof said that Islam, unlike Christianity, is immoral and violent. During the same speech he compared Islam to Nazism and claimed that they both have no place in Western society.[23] In 2021, Jomshof appeared on a Swedish TV show Sverige möts, where he allegedly called Islam a "disgusting religion." His remarks drew media attention and he was subsequently criticized by Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson and former Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven. Jomshof later stated that his comments had been misinterpreted and taken out of context.[24] In 2023, in response to a call by the Muslim Association of Sweden for dialogue over the 2023 Quran burnings in Sweden, Jomshof controversially tweeted that there was a need for dialogue over "how we democratise the Muslim world," calling Islam an "antidemocratic, violence-promoting and misogynistic religion/ideology" and calling Muhammad a "warlord, mass-murderer, slave trader and bandit."[25]

In January 2024, Jomshof ignited controversy in Sweden by proposing the prohibition of the Islamic star and crescent.[26][27] He drew parallels to the ban on the Swastika, claiming that both symbols represent something dangerous.[28][29]

Opinions on other politicians

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Jomshof was involved in a controversial polemic against MP Daniel Riazat of the (Left Party) in 2024. The incident started when Riazat stated that he did not want an apartment alocated to Riksdag members in the same building as SD politician Mattias Karlsson and referred to the SD as "Nazis" on Twitter. At the time, Riazat had also come under criticism from Moderate Party parliamentarian Fredrik Kärrholm for refusing to shake hands with opposition politicians following a Riksdag debate, which is often the custom.[30][31] Jomshof suggested that Riazat should leave Sweden, calling him "a disgrace to the Iranian diaspora." Riazat responded by saying Jomshof's comments led to a wave of racist insults against him on social media.[32]

References

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  1. ^ "SD:n Richard Jomshof uskoo äänimäärän kaksinkertaistuvan". Sisuradio (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d Orrenius, Niklas (16 October 2005). "Sparkad för sina åsikter". Sydsvenskan. Archived from the original on 22 November 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  3. ^ "SD-lärare tar plats i riksdagen". Skolvärlden. 28 September 2010. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Elegant Machinery's Richard Jomshof speaks out on being a member of the Sverigedemokraterna". Side-Line. Archived from the original on 6 September 2013.
  5. ^ Liljestrand, Jens (8 April 2015). "En udda fågel bland Sverigedemokraterna". No. 8 Apr 2015. Expressen. Archived from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Val till riksdagen - Valda - Gävleborgs län". val.se. 23 September 2010. Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  7. ^ Taylor, Adam (27 January 2015). "Swedish far-right leader says Islamism is a bigger threat than Nazism". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  8. ^ Holmqvist, Hanna (25 October 2021). "Hela listan – SD:s nya talespersoner" [The whole list – SD's new spokespersons]. Altinget. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Sweden: Right-wing party get 4 chairmanships in parliament". Associated Press. 1 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  10. ^ Löfgren, Emma (13 September 2024). "Sweden Democrat justice committee chair steps down over hate crime suspicion". The Local Sweden. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  11. ^ Holmgren-Larson, Christina (16 September 2024). "Swedish MP Facing Criminal Charges for Reposting Satirical Cartoons on X". The European Conservative. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  12. ^ Russell, Dave (25 September 2024). "Hate crime investigation dropped – Sweden Democrat back as head of justice committee". Sveriges Radio. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  13. ^ Waterton, Becky (25 September 2024). "Sweden Democrat justice chair returns to post after hate crime probe dropped". The Local. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  14. ^ "Jag är nationalist, men också en stor vän av Israel. Och?".
  15. ^ ""Judiske" mannen på SD:s valvaka var ingen jude". Dagen (in Swedish). 18 September 2014. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  16. ^ Byström, Ingrid (22 May 2023). "(+) SD-toppar besökte Israel – mötte Knessetledamöter". www.varldenidag.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Jomshof önskar Israels militär "Good Hunting"". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 2 November 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  18. ^ Nilsson, Johannes (1 November 2023). "Jomshof önskar Israels armé "god jaktlycka" – då rasar Ramberg - Nyheter Idag". Nyheter Idag - Du vet att vi behövs! (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  19. ^ Orrenius, Niklas (16 October 2005). "Sparkad för sina åsikter". Sydsvenskan. Archived from the original on 22 November 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  20. ^ "10 islamofobiska uttalanden från Richard Jomshof (SD)" [10 Islamophobic statements from Richard Jomshof (SD)]. Dagens ETC (in Swedish). 22 March 2021. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  21. ^ SKMA (16 May 2022). "Hatet mot muslimer speglar kärnan i det sverigedemokratiska projektet" [The hate against Muslims reflects the core of the Sweden democratic project]. Swedish Committee Against Antisemitism (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  22. ^ Nilsson, Erik (13 May 2022). "'Varför skulle det vara islamofobiskt?'" ["Why would it be Islamophobic?"]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  23. ^ "Allmänpolitisk debatt 16 oktober 2013"". Riksdagen. 16 October 2013. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  24. ^ "Jomshof står fast vid uttalandet: "Ja, islam är en avskyvärd religion"". TV4. 12 March 2021. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  25. ^ "Opposition calls for Sweden Democrat to resign over Mohammed tweet". The Local Sweden. 27 July 2023. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  26. ^ Ericson, Adrian (22 January 2024). "Strömmers svar: "Det är inte aktuellt"". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  27. ^ "Swedish Democrats come up with proposal to ban Islamic symbols". Azernews.Az. 23 January 2024. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  28. ^ Nilsson, Johannes (23 January 2024). "C rasar mot Jomshof: 'Hatpredikan'". Nyheter Idag (in Swedish). Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  29. ^ "Jomshof: Förbjud halvmånar likt hakkors". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 22 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  30. ^ "This week's row: The wine witch, the sossefetto and Daniel Riazat". Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  31. ^ "Jomshof's attack on the V member: "Should move"". Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  32. ^ "Richard Jomshof blir upprörd och vägrar svara på frågor". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 27 February 2024.

Sources

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