Muslims are not fully human, Swedish politician says

A Swedish politician has been forced to resign after saying that Muslims are not fully human.

"On one end of the scale, you are 100 percent human, a person, everything that’s part of that concept. At the other end, you are 100 percent Mohammedan," Martin Strid, who was part of the Sweden Democrats party until his resignation this week, said, according to The Local. 

"All Muslims are somewhere on that scale," Strid said, arguing that members of terror organizations "are close to being 100 percent Mohammedan".

"If you are an ex-Muslim you have come quite far towards being fully human," he said.

So, according to Strid, a Muslim can only hope to become almost "fully human" after they reject their religious beliefs entirely. Because logic?

Fortunately, others in Strid's political party were quick to condemn the remarks and distance themselves from his Islamophobic position.

The secretary of the Sweden Democrats party, Richard Jomshof, called the comments exactly what they are, racist.

"Everyone has fundamental human worth, the same for everyone. If you think that someone has a worse value based on a certain skin color or the community they are part of, that is racism for me. We will not accept that," said Jomshof, according to The Independent.

Aron Emilsson, an MP and board member of the Sweden Democrats also criticized Strid's deeply offensive comments.

"It is a statement we, from the party leadership, take a clear distance from. Categorising people and human values based on what religious beliefs you have is a way we cannot argue," Emilsson said, according to SVT. 

“It is contrary to our basic view of human dignity.”

For his part, Strid offered what appeared to be an attempt at an apology, saying: "It was very unfortunate and I expressed myself very clumsily".

He also tried to justify himself by saying he has Muslim friends...

"I know a lot of Muslims and am good friends with a lot. People are people, of course," he said.

Hours later, The Local reported that he had quit his political party.

Islamophobic politicians and political movements are on the rise across Europe.

Some 60,000 demonstrators from Poland – and across Europe – joined a massive demonstration against immigrants, refugees, and the religion of Islam earlier this month.

Among the signs carried at the rally were xenophobic messages such as: "Clean Blood." "White Europe." "Refugees Get Out!" "Pray for an Islamic Holocaust."