Nation in Mourning

It has been a very sad couple of days in Sweden. Our Foreign Minister Anna Lindh died yesterday after having been stabbed by a lone attacker inside NK, a department store right in the middle of Stockholm in broad daylight. It shocked the whole country into a sort of paralysis, disbelief. "How could this happen in Sweden?" they ask.

Unfortunately, this question was a repetition of what happened almost two decades ago when Olof Palme was shot in the streets of Stockholm. Neither him nor Anna Lindh had bodyguards around them at the time of the murder. The so-called "open society" is put into serious question now. How do politicians continue to be close to the people while maintaining their personal safety? For the Swedes who value so much the transparent way the government is run, they might have to radically switch to a different scenario. To me, the politicians definitely should drop their gullibility and heighten their alertness a great deal.

It seems that outspoken, brave and colorful politicians who dare to be different have a tentancy to be hated and even killed here in Sweden. Even back in the 18th century, King Gustav III, who was gay, very colorful, flamboyant, culturally minded and wanted to give more power to the common people, was assassinated. I certainly hope that this would be the last of such tragic fates.


Flowers for Anna Lindh outside of the Swedish Parliament today. I went into the parliament reception area and signed the condolence book. There was her photo, a candle and a red rose on the table. Everyone who signed was looking very solemn and sad.

The weather was gloomy the whole day, with a few drizzles, and so are the mood of people in the streets. Most Swedes prefer silence as a way of mourning. I did see some tourists happily taking pictures near the parliament, as if nothing had happened.

So far the suspect has not been identified yet, and police is working hard on security videotapes and on finding witnesses who can provide clues. It is frustrating to know that the murderer is still at large. I certainly hope it will not be like the Olof Palme case, where the murderer and the motive of the murder is still unknown.

It is sad that tragedies like this often seem to throw a message right in our faces: that we are surrounded by evil forces, that we cannot always be sure of the goodness of the world.

But at the end of the day, I still believe that love and light will drive away darkness. Without darkness we'll never know what light means. So is the same with evil in this world. Somehow they are necessary to tell us what is good, and to remind us of what we should appreciate in our lives. We each need to light a candle in our heart, and start the peace process within us.

My thoughts are to Anna Lindh's family - her husband and two young sons (9 and 12). May Anna rest in peace. And I pray for a world of peace.