Teysir Subhi of the Swedish Feminist Initiative Party has stirred outrage after asking for tips to combine a "girl tour" to the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz, where over a million people perished during WWII, with good food and a spa.
In a now-deleted post, Subhi wrote she had been tasked with planning a trip to Auschwitz in early October. "We'd rather combine the trip with some good food and a spa. Has anyone been there and made this combination? We'd like to have the best tips," Teysir Subhi wrote, as quoted by the Danish equality portal Reel Ligestillning.
Subhi's post triggered many critical comments, calling her post "tasteless and unthinkable." According to user Eva Lindecrantz, the problem was not the desire to combine a visit to Auschwitz with other activities, but the tone of disrespect in her speech.
"In other words, we're off to Auschwitz for shopping, nice meals and a little spa treatment. Then we take a short tour over the extermination camp to pick up some goodness points and boost our ego," user Blanca wrote, suggesting that Subhi's career was over.
The Svenska Vykort Twitter account sarcastically honored Subhi's proposal with a graphic personal card. "Suitable for girl trips combining spa and extermination camps," the caption read.
Subhi's faux pas was also perpetuated in a sham election poster featuring the Feminist Initiative logo. "Have you ever tried the combination of tasty food, spa and extermination camps? Apply today for bespoke girl trips," the caption read.
Subhi herself wrote a very long Facebook post explaining her version of the story. While admitting that the post was "written in a hurry" and therefore "clumsily formulated" and "badly edited," Subhi claimed being stormed by "Nazis, racists and other right-wing extremists," whose hatred ultimately "forced her to remove the post." Subhi stressed that she has a long record of anti-racist work.
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"We still have widespread anti-Semitism in Sweden, which must be addressed. As an educator, politician and opinion maker, it is at the top of my agenda alongside the work against Afrophobia and Islamophobia that still permeates our society," Subhi wrote, apologizing for "being misinterpreted" and providing an interpretation space for the "forces of evil."
Feminist Initiative (abbreviated FI, Fi or F!) is a radical feminist political party in Sweden. So far, it is yet to garner seats in the Swedish parliament, but remains the most popular party outside of parliament with 3.1 percent of the vote. In 2017, FI gained international attention for becoming the first European party to sport a black leader, Ugandan-born Victoria Kawesa. However, she resigned the same year citing "personal reasons" after being charged with and found guilty of copyright violation.