Richard Jomshof

Richard Johannes Jomshof, né Lohikoski, (born 6 July 1969 in

Jomshof was born in 1969 in Helsingborg to a Swedish mother and a Finnish father.[1] He studied history and social studies at Malmö University before attending the university's affiliated teacher training college and subsequently worked as a primary school and then a secondary school teacher.^[2] As a teacher, Jomshof was according to himself dismissed from two jobs for being part of Sweden Democrats.^[3]

After his teaching studies, Jomshof became a musician, co-founding and playing in the Swedish

Jomshof's original political background was in the Moderate Youth League and he had also previously voted for the Swedish Social Democratic Party. He first became active in SD in the late 1990s. During the 2009 European Parliament election, Jomshof stood on the SD's list but was not elected.^[2] Since the

In 2012, he succeeded Kent Ekeroth as SD's spokesman on legal affairs, and in January 2015 he was elected as party secretary, succeeding Björn Söder.^[7] In 2021, he was appointed the SD's spokesman on education policy.^[8]

Following the 2022 Swedish general election, Jomshof was appointed chairman of the Justice Committee in the Riksdag.^[9]

Political beliefs

Domestic politics

Jomshof has served as the SD's policy spokesman on school policies. He has called for teachers to take on non-pedagogical tasks while increasing the number of nurses and mental health councilors working with schools. He also believes Swedish should remain the official language within the state school system. Jomshof also said that he previously was a political liberal and that much of his current beliefs and decision to join the SD were formed after working in Swedish schools in the late 1980s and stating that he was already witnessing issues surrounding discipline, language and cultural segregation between immigrants and Swedes.^[2] Jomshof has called for a more restrictive immigration policy.

He was involved in a violent polemic against MP Daniel Riazat (Left Party) in 2024. He asserted that the latter, of Iranian origin, should leave Sweden, calling him "a disgrace to the Iranian diaspora". He then claims that Daniel Riazat refuses to shake hands with women in Parliament, insinuating that this is for religious reasons, although a video shows the opposite. Moreover, Riazat is not a Muslim. On social networks, his comments led to a wave of racist insults against Daniel Riazat.^[10]

Foreign policy

Jomshof is a supporter of Israeli politics and has visited the country and posed with the Israeli flag on several occasions.^[11][12][13] On 31 October 2023, he wished IDF "good hunting" in its war against Hamas, which sparked criticism in Swedish media.^[14][15]

Opinions on Islam

Jomshof has received media attention for his statements about Islam and Muslim immigration to Sweden and has been accused of Islamophobia by political opponents, but has claimed he is not opposed to immigrants.^{[16][17][18][19]}

During a speech in the Swedish parliament in 2013, Jomshof said that Islam, unlike Christianity, is immoral and violent. During the same speech he compared Islam to Nazism and claimed that they both have no place in Western society.^[20]

In 2021, Jomshof appeared on a Swedish TV show Sverige möts, where he allegedly called Islam a "disgusting religion." His remarks drew media attention and he was subsequently criticized by Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson and former Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven. Jomshof later stated that his comments had been misinterpreted and taken out of context.^[21]

In 2023, in response to a call by the

In January 2024, Jomshof ignited controversy in Sweden by proposing the prohibition of the Islamic star and crescent.^[23][24] He drew parallels to the ban on the Swastika, claiming that both symbols represent something dangerous.^[25][26]

References