Muslim member of Sweden's coalition Green Party resigns

By Atilla Altuntas

STOCKHOLM

The head of Sweden’s Islamic Youth Federation resigned from one of the country's governing parties on Wednesday because of attacks on his religious beliefs.

Yasri Shamsudin Khan, who had been a candidate for the Green Party’s executive, quit following criticism over his refusal to shake a female journalist’s hand on a local TV program.

“I couldn’t shake the female reporter’s hand because of my religious beliefs,” Khan, 30, told Anadolu Agency in Stockholm following his resignation. “I saluted her by putting my hand on my chest. Because of this move, I was subjected to a lynch-campaign from both inside and outside the party.”

Khan said he had been criticized for his religion and felt he had to resign from the party, which currently forms a coalition government with the Social Democrats.

“Swedish mainstream media and the editors-in-chief are publicizing their prejudice against Muslims to the public,” he added.

The Turkish-born housing minister, Mehmet Kaplan, resigned on Monday following criticism of comments made in 2009 on Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

A former spokesman of Sweden’s Muslim Council, Kaplan said he had done nothing wrong and said the criticism was interfering with his ability to perform his job.