What being Swedish means to Mohamad
After many frightening experiences Mohamad Kanona came to Sweden in 2014.
– I've found a refuge here. I always express my gratitude to Sweden. To learn Swedish has been my most important goal.
His first proper job was at Kb Mosaik..
– That's where I really began to understand society.
His aim is to take his place in society.
– By asking questions such as: what does it mean to be Swedish, what is Swedishness, what is Swedish culture. I try to find answers, but it isn't easy. In order to become integrated you have to know more about society.
What Swedish culture is, is no easy question.
– On the one hand I believe that the values ”peace and consensus” are an important part of Swedishness. On the other hand culture is open towards other cultures.
Most Swedes speak English or another language, and they enjoy travelling around in the world.
”Swedes have great confidence in technocrats, experts and statisticians”Mohamad Kanina
He doesn't see anything strange in how Sweden is dealing with the pandemic.
– Swedes have great confidence in technocrats, experts and statisticians. Decisions are made after many discussions until consensus is reached. And the government cannot easily limit our freedom in society
”When I listen and understand what other people are saying , I feel happy”Mohamad Kanina
As far as he is concerned, the biggest change has been the language.
– And the best change. To begin with I learned Swedish out of gratitude to Sweden. And the language can be a key to finding a job and fixing different aspects of life.
– But now I think the language is part of me, it means belonging. When I listen and understand what other people are saying , I feel happy that there are no barriers between me and the rest of society, he says.
In March he began working at Sveriges Radio P4 Kristianstad.
– It's great. Here I can go on working as a journalist, but in a different way. It's another of life's challenges, but I'm going full steam ahead.
Mohamad Kanina
Age: 44.
Lives: in Kristianstad, came from Syria in 2014.
Family: wife and two children.
Job: journalist. Has found a trainee position at Radio P4 Kristianstad. Began as a proof-reader at Kb Mosaik in 2016. Was a journalist on the paper between May 2017 and December 2019.
Latest book read: Internet doesn't work:: Silicon Valley and the crisis in democracy. A book describing how the vision of Internet would strengthen democracy,but how it promotes dictatorship. Various radical and right-wing extremist groups make use of Internet.
