Three people connected to mosques in Uppsala and Örebro have been suspended or have left their roles after SVT’s investigation into marriage advice. That is a justified immediate response to the reported conduct, but the investigation must not become a pretext for treating Swedish Muslims or mosques as a single bloc.
According to DN and SVT, Uppdrag granskning sent male reporters posing as married men seeking a second wife. DN reports that responses were recorded with hidden cameras at 15 mosques. Six refused to help and referred to the legal requirement for a marriage impediment review. In nine cases, the reporters received either an affirmative answer or a referral to someone who might assist.
Swedish law does not allow a person to marry more than one person. If religious representatives offer routes around that rule, or direct people to others who might do so, the institutions involved have a duty to address it openly. The removal or suspension of three people before the broadcast means the matter has already brought institutional consequences.
The evidence also sets firm limits on the wider conclusion. Six of the 15 mosques reportedly refused the request. A counsellor in Örebro later withdrew the answer and said, according to DN, that it was a misunderstanding. The supplied reporting does not show that an unlawful polygamous marriage was actually conducted or registered.
The appropriate conclusion is therefore narrow but important. People offering advice in religious settings must respect Swedish marriage law, and organisations must act when they learn of advice that conflicts with it. Accountability for reported conduct is necessary. Collective blame is not.
Sources
- Dagens Nyheter · Source date: 2026-11-11
- SVT Nyheter · Source date: 2026-11-11
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-11