Syrian journalist and writer Nour Mallah is struggling to reach the Swedish parliament, to put an end to the persecution and racism suffered by the Muslim minority, after she was forced to emigrate from her home country due to the injustice inflicted on her family by the ruling regime.

Nour Mallah said - in an exclusive interview with the "Sanad" agency for monitoring and news verification in Al Jazeera network - that she and her family immigrated to Sweden in late 2012 after the outbreak of the Syrian revolution, and despite the freedom and promising future she found in her, the ideal picture of the European state was not complete because I discovered it later from racism and anti-Muslims.

Mallah added, "When I began to engage in society, I noticed unpleasant phenomena, such as anti-Muslims, apparent hatred and racism, and discrimination in workplaces, the right to work, and waiting roles for housing."

As a result of what she saw as the increase in racism and Islamophobia, Nour decided to run for parliamentary elections in Sweden to address the injustice and discrimination facing the Muslim minority, and to promote their civil rights through a political force that represents them.

Nour ran for the Swedish "Nians" (Different Colors) party, which is the only political party that seeks to solve the problems of the Muslim and other minorities in Swedish society, according to her.

Founded in 2019 under the leadership of Swedish politician Mikael Yuksel, the Nyans party aims to promote the values ​​of tolerance, freedom and equality for minorities in Swedish society, such as Muslims and Arab and African immigrants.

Strengthening the political representation of minorities

Regarding the changes that the Nyans party seeks to achieve, Mellah affirms that it "demands that the Muslim minority be protected in accordance with the Swedish constitution, and that the Swedish government recognize Islamophobia, racism, Afro-phobia and xenophobia as serious problems that require a solution."

Nour Mellah also seeks, through her candidacy for Parliament, to instill political awareness among Muslim and immigrant minorities in Swedish society and to persuade them to participate in voting in the elections for the political candidates they represent, because their participation will make a significant contribution to defending their rights.

She stated that "one of the most important and biggest challenges is for Muslims to see the importance of their participation in elections and political activity, and the importance of having a political force that represents them and defends their rights. We must unite in a political party that has political power and influence."

The parliamentary candidate stressed the importance of enhancing openness and acceptance from others, and the meeting of the minority and the majority in society and the Swedish government alike, to confront intolerance, Islamophobia and other problems that affect a large segment of society.

Nour also calls for Swedish society to be "more democratic, accommodating and open to all components, regardless of their religion and ethnicity," amid the increasing political climate in "disregard for the feelings and rights of Muslims and hostility towards them," she said.

Who is Noor Mallah?

Nour Mallah was born in the city of Aleppo in the midst of an educated family that "does not accept injustice and dictatorship," according to her. She added that the injustice that her family suffered under the rule of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad pushed her to emigrate to the Gulf countries when she was young.

Mallah returned to her homeland to study philosophy, education and psychology in Syrian universities, but the outbreak of the Syrian revolution, and what she said she had endured of war, bombing, repression and persecution, led to a repetition of the suffering of emigration from the homeland for her and her family.

Mallah refers to the Syrian revolution, the events of which erupted in 2011, as a dream come true. "The Syrian revolution liberated me and made me go towards my goals in life, in defending the truth and opposing injustice," she said.