Fixing Your Heart

So, you believe Hamas should hand over its hostages, and this justifies Israel's brutal actions? What, then, do you think about the nearly 12,000 Palestinian men, women, and children that Israel has taken as hostages since October 7 last year? And that's just since then—prior to that, Israel already held around 5,000 Palestinians in detention. Or what about the nearly 800,000 Palestinians arrested by Israel since 1967, often without charge or due cause? And what about the 35,000 Palestinians killed by Israel since 1967? Or the estimated 150,000 to 200,000 who have realistically been killed just since last year? Or the 5.7 million Palestinians displaced from their homes since 1967? The land confiscated from those who lived there. The hospitals destroyed, the schools bombed, the mosques leveled, and the homes reduced to rubble. This is not speculation or radical rhetoric. These are facts—confirmed by organizations such as the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, Amne...

What is happening in Palestine today is not an isolated incident. It is neither the first nor the only instance of mass slaughter in modern history. But it is perhaps the most well-documented, most visible, and most brutal in recent years. The sheer scale of the devastation—the targeting of civilians, aid workers, and children, the deliberate destruction of water supplies, food trucks, medical facilities, and equipment—is barbaric in a way that feels unprecedented because we are witnessing it in real-time. What makes this even worse is how complicit our governments and media are in enabling this horror. Misreporting, minimizing, or outright ignoring the atrocities turns the situation into a surreal nightmare—a collective gaslighting of the global public. Yet many of us, the so-called ordinary people, also choose to look away. Why? I believe the answer lies in two forces: apathy and fear . Apathy Apathy is perhaps the most pervasive of these forces. The scale of the crisis is so vast, ...

When faced with illness, do you treat the symptoms or address the root cause? Symptoms are often visible, tangible, and easily acknowledged. Most of us can agree that they demand attention—though there are always those who insist, "’Tis but a scratch!" But let's talk about climate change. As someone involved in the climate movement, I’ve seen how it draws people from diverse walks of life, even across political divides. It’s a cause that rarely meets outright hostility; the most common reaction from passersby at demonstrations is indifference rather than anger. In many ways, it feels like a comforting and unifying cause. Yet, I find myself growing uneasy, even disillusioned, with its limitations. Why? Because I believe the movement treats the symptoms rather than the disease. The underlying cancer driving the climate crisis is the very system we’ve come to accept as normal: an insatiable, industrial-scale culture of consumption. This system is the lifeblood of the Western...

The vast and diverse lands of North America, home to millions of Indigenous peoples, were systematically stolen. Where the settlers of Western Europe, armed with steel, gunpowder, and the backing of empires, carved out colonies on lands that were not theirs to claim. The people who had lived there for centuries were displaced, massacred, or left to survive on the margins of a new and alien society that viewed them as obstacles to progress. The survivors, those who managed to endure this relentless onslaught, lived as second-class citizens—outcasts in their own ancestral homes. Their languages, traditions, and ways of life were crushed under the weight of colonization. Yet, to mask the horrors of this conquest, to soften the brutality of what had transpired, a new story was told. A myth was created, one that framed these acts of violence as a tale of peace and unity. A day of remembrance was established—a "day of thanks." This day, Thanksgiving, reframed the colonization of Am...

Since the ICC announced its arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, I have been reflecting on the broader implications of who is being accused and why. While the ICC appears to be acting on a clear moral imperative by indicting those responsible for ongoing atrocities, it raises pressing questions about who is being accused and why. In Sweden, an article in Expressen ( link ) made a provocative comparison between Netanyahu's indictment and that of Russian President Vladimir Putin, portraying Putin as the true villain while framing Israel as a self-defending nation falsely accused of wrongdoing (s ide note: One of the authors suggested that recognizing the state of Israel should become a prerequisite for obtaining Swedish citizenship—a proposal that has no comparable precedent in Swedish law. ) Setting aside the authors’ apparent moral bankruptcy, which makes their opinions on such matters both in...

There’s a quote, often misattributed to Mark Twain but no less powerful in its message: "The truth has no defense against a fool determined to believe a lie." It speaks volumes about the human condition, especially in a world where truths and lies are often tangled in a web of history, ideology, and trauma. So, what is the truth when it comes to Israel's actions in Palestine? How does Zionism shape its role in what many see as a perpetuation of genocidal crimes against the Palestinian people? To begin with, the roots of this conflict are deeply historical and profoundly traumatic. The Jewish people endured centuries of persecution, culminating in the horrors of the Holocaust during World War II. That unspeakable tragedy left scars so deep that they have shaped not only Jewish identity but also the ideological foundation of Zionism. Since 1948, however, that trauma has been tragically mirrored in the suffering inflicted on the Palestinian people—a shift from being victims...

Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, all accused of crimes against humanity. Many have celebrated this as a significant victory, and while it is undoubtedly progress to see international institutions affirm that the actions in Palestine constitute war crimes and genocide, I remain cautious when the focus shifts from the crimes themselves to the criminals. Accountability is essential—perpetrators must face justice, including leaders of Hamas. Yet, this emphasis on individuals risks obscuring the systemic oppression and societal frameworks that enabled these figures to rise and act unchecked. It’s a pattern we’ve seen throughout history, from Adolf Hitler to Donald Trump: casting a single individual as the embodiment of evil oversimplifies the issue and lets the underlying systems of power escape scrutiny. By giving the devil a face, we inadver...

I understand why people who only consume mainstream media would sympathize with Israel and its “right to defend itself.” They have only one side of the story to rely on. It's understandable—if I were in their shoes, I would likely believe it too. But I’ve seen more. I’ve read more. I’ve investigated more. And there’s so much more to this story than what mainstream media wants to convey. Why is this one-sided narrative so prevalent? Is it about money or power? Has Israel gained such a hold over the U.S., and in turn, the U.S. over the rest of the world, that this propaganda has become the norm? Or is it something else—fear of being labeled anti-Semitic, perhaps? Fear of appearing to support what has been branded as terrorism? Let’s not forget the irony here. Nelson Mandela, a man now celebrated worldwide, was once labeled a terrorist for his resistance against apartheid in South Africa. Today, the same label is used to delegitimize Palestinian resistance. Even the Pope has openly re...

Genocide doesn’t occur in isolation—it requires the complicity of silence. And silence is secured in two ways: obfuscation and fear . Obfuscation is the deliberate act of making the issue seem complex, impenetrable, or “controversial.” This strategy ensures people hesitate to form clear opinions, let alone speak out. It’s tied deeply to the second tactic: fear . Fear is wielded as a weapon to suppress dissent. Those who dare to speak out against genocide are publicly shamed, misrepresented, and vilified. The message is clear: stay silent, or face consequences. Fear of losing jobs, relationships, or social standing becomes a powerful tool to keep people compliant. But here’s the thing: the facts are undeniable. Genocide is not a matter of opinion or interpretation—it defines itself. It doesn’t matter who you are, who I am, or what narratives we’ve been taught to believe. The act itself stands beyond debate. And no, it doesn’t even matter if someone tries to frame this atrocity as “jus...

Hope is a complex thing—both deeply personal and profoundly collective. As a species, we’ve shown incredible resilience, creativity, and capacity for change. We’ve adapted to crises, overcome monumental challenges, and demonstrated extraordinary acts of compassion. Yet, alongside these triumphs, humanity’s darker tendencies—greed, apathy, shortsightedness—persist, often steering us toward destruction. Wars rage, exploitation festers, the planet warms, and inequality grows. The systems perpetuating these crises feel immovable, and it’s easy to wonder if we’re capable of the profound transformation our survival demands. But what is hope? It’s not a passive feeling, waiting for something to change. It’s a verb, something we create through action, no matter how small or futile it seems. Yet, as I reflect on my own perspective, I find myself questioning the very idea of a better future. I do not have the courage to dream of it because I don’t believe it exists. The evidence of planetary des...

Idag, den 23 november, är det global manifestationsdag för Rebellmammor och Rebellpappor – en rörelse med rötterna i Extinction Rebellion. Denna organisation arbetar för att skapa uppmärksamhet kring klimatfrågor genom att vädja till föräldrars kärlek och styrka, deras engagemang för sina barns framtid. Det är en fantastisk rörelse som jag är privilegierad att vara en del av. Jag är stolt rebell och komemr sitta på torget i min hemstad för att visa mitt stöd. Men samtidigt känner jag att det inte räcker. Det räcker inte att bara stå upp och protestera mot politikers och företags ovilja att genomföra den omställning som krävs för en grönare framtid. Det handlar om att agera motstånd på alla fronter. Vi kan inte nöja oss med att bekämpa symtomen – vi måste identifiera och adressera de bakomliggande orsakerna till den kris vi står inför. --- Här kommer vi till ett välbekant spöke: kapitalismen. Men är det verkligen så enkelt? Vad betyder egentligen kapitalism, och hur identifierar vi någo...

We live in an era of global feudalism, where a privileged few feast in the mad king’s court while the  rest of the world toils and suffers under the weight of the empire’s insatiable hunger. This empire is not a distant relic of history; it is the very system we inhabit—a capitalist, imperialist structure that extracts wealth and labor from the Global South, crushes ecological systems, and perpetuates inequality on a staggering scale. And we, the beneficiaries of this system, are not innocent bystanders. Whether explicitly or implicitly, we are complicit in its perpetuation. To live within the empire is to be cloaked in privilege, a privilege built on exploitation. The devices in our hands, the clothes on our backs, and the food on our plates are stained with the labor of those who remain unseen—workers in sweatshops, miners in perilous conditions, and farmers displaced from their lands. This is the unspoken truth of global capitalism: it thrives on the suffering of those outside i...

In the shadow of an ongoing genocide, the pillars of our world seem to be buckling under the weight of  moral compromise, shifting priorities, and the awakening of the working class to the true face behind the mask of civilization. Imperialism and unbridled capitalism are now laid bare for all to see. It is becoming painfully evident that the institutions and powers once believed to uphold "good," "truth," and "decency" instead serve masters whose moral and ethical frameworks are profoundly warped. This collapse of trust is not limited to the silence of our governments, which refuse to condemn atrocities out of allegiance to the Empire and its sprawling network of interests. It extends to the very media we in Sweden once held as a paragon of impartiality, anchored by public service values. In reporting on Gaza and the West Bank, Swedish news media have consistently downplayed, sanitized, or cast doubt on the truth of events. This has become a shameful modu...

Over the past year, I’ve been labeled " extreme " or " radical " for my views on the genocide in Palestine. Simply calling it genocide—a word that accurately describes the mass violence and systemic destruction—seems to break some unspoken rule, making people recoil. Amid this alienation, as friendships have faded and close relationships dissolved, I’ve started questioning what it truly means to be "radical" or "extreme" in today’s world. Recently, I came across an article in Flamman where Karin Rågsjö (V) noted that members of Sweden’s most prominent left-wing party had become “ extremely radicalized ” in their rhetoric about Palestine. To me, this accusation highlights the growing importance of international humanitarian issues for a movement struggling to define its opposition to Sweden’s current far-right regime. The indecision and passivity of this so-called opposition have created a vacuum—a space now filled by those genuinely willing to ...

The world is watching as unimaginable horrors unfold in Gaza. Too often, discussions veer into who the victim is or who the perpetrator might be, but this focus distracts from the most crucial truth: the act itself is the crime. The unspeakable cruelty we are witnessing must be addressed as an act of genocide—not filtered through the lens of religion, ethnicity, or nationality. The identity of those suffering or those inflicting suffering does not change the nature of the act. The act defines itself. Genocide is not a matter of debate. Children are dying. Doctors, trying to save lives amidst destruction, are dying. Journalists, reporting truths others would rather keep hidden, are being intentionally targeted. These are not abstract statistics; they are real, lived horrors. These are the acts. These are the crimes. We can argue endlessly about the "why"—why this is happening, why one group feels justified in their actions, and why the world allows it to continue. But all of t...