Homeschooling Association Leader Feels Forced to Move to Finnland

Country: Sweden

Date of incident: March 2, 2012


Jonas Himmelstrand, who is president of the Swedish Association for Home Education (ROHUS), has left the country saying, “the safety of my family could no longer be guaranteed,” and that the government of the town of Uppsala was “threatening” him.

“The threats from Uppsala municipality were too many, too brutal, and every invitation to dialogue was turned down,” Himmelstrand said. “The actions of the Uppsala local government could hardly be interpreted in any other way than as a hidden message of deportation.” ROHUS writes that the Himmelstrands were being harassed and threatened with fines of up to $26,000, which Jonas Himelstrand says was far beyond a normal penalty for the “crime” of educating one’s child at home. “It is hard to interpret this excessive amount in any other way than as a punishment for being President for ROHUS and for my international criticism of Swedish family policies,” Himmelstrand said. ”It is not possible to live in a country where leading politicians are ready to financially ruin a family for the sake of ideology, and threaten families with the sometimes incompetent, but always powerful Swedish social authorities. Beyond that, they have refused every invitation to meet and discuss the situation. It is not healthy to live under such stress,” he added. ROHUS writes that Himmelstrand was told that the safety of his family could not be guaranteed if they remained in Sweden. Himmelstrand and his family have joined several other Swedish homeschooling families on the Finnish Aland Islands, where the right to homeschool is recognized by the government. He says he feels an “incredible relief” and adds that “only now are we starting to understand the degree of pressure we have lived under for many years.” ”At the same time it is an almost surreal experience to be forced to leave Sweden for an issue which in most of the democratic world, and by the UN, is regarded as a human right,” Himmelstrand said. Source: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/swedish-homeschooling-leader-flees-country-following-alleged-persecution?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=9842e8341e-LifeSiteNews_com_Intl_Headlines_03_02_2012&utm_medium=email