Arabic-language social media reshapes Sweden's election along ethnic lines

Ahead of Sweden's September 13 election, Arabic-language social media is mobilizing voters along ethnic and religious lines, reframing the vote as a struggle for Muslims' future in Sweden rather than traditional policy issues. This ecosystem, growing on Facebook and Instagram, blends party politics, activism, and religious networks. It amplifies narratives that right-wing migration policies and citizenship revocation proposals mean naturalized Swedes can never be secure, while also exploiting lingering distrust of social services. The Gaza conflict serves as a key loyalty test for parties, and the Nyans party explicitly organizes Muslims as a separate bloc. While no foreign state controls this campaign, authorities must counter it with concrete Arabic communication, and parties should address voters as citizens, not as competing tribes.