The Baloch of Sweden () or Swedish Balochs () consist of

Baloch people The Baloch ( ) or Baluch ( ; , plural ) are a nomadic, Pastoralism, pastoral, ethnic group which speaks the Western Iranian, Western Iranic Balochi language and is native to the Balochistan region of South Asia, South and Western Asia, encompas ...

who have settled in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, as well as Swedish residents and citizens of Baloch heritage. Most Baloch people in Sweden live in the capital

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

or in

Uppsala Uppsala ( ; ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the capital of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inhabitants in 2019. Loc ...

. A majority of Baloch political refugees and students choose Sweden as their host country and therefore they have a cultural presence in Sweden.

Background and Culture

Many Baloch people have settled in Sweden as refugees or immigrants and seeking safety and better opportunities. The Baloch in Sweden strive to maintain their cultural identity while integrating into Swedish society. They often participate in cultural events and community gatherings to celebrate their heritage. There is a Sweden-based Balochi Radio to support the Baloch community, promote cultural awareness, and advocate for human rights.

Uppsala University Uppsala University (UU) () is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. Initially fou ...

offers a course titled Balochi A, which provides basic knowledge of the phonetics and syntax of the

Balochi language Balochi (, romanized: ) is a Northwestern Iranian language, spoken primarily in the Balochistan region of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. In addition, there are speakers in Oman, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, Turkmenistan, East Afr ...

. This course also includes a brief overview of the history of the Baloch people. The course is conducted in English and is available as a distance learning option, making it accessible to a broader audience interested in learning about the Balochi language. This initiative aims to create and promote a standard literary language for Balochi. It involves collaboration with various organizations and institutions focused on linguistic research and cultural preservation. Carina Jahani is a prominent Swedish

Iranologist Iranian studies ( '), also referred to as Iranology and Iranistics, is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the research and study of the civilization, history, literature, art and culture of Iranian peoples. It is a part of the wider field ...

and professor of

Iranian languages The Iranian languages, also called the Iranic languages, are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family that are spoken natively by the Iranian peoples, predominantly in the Iranian Plateau. The Iranian langu ...

at Uppsala University, deeply researching in the study and preservation of the Balochi language. In December 1997, he also traveled to

Zahedan Zahedan (Balochi language, Balochi and ; ) is a city in the Central District (Zahedan County), Central District of Zahedan County, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, th ...

and stayed there for a week. After that, he began researching the Balochi language, which is why he dedicated his doctoral thesis to the Balochi language and the work and proposals for creating a unified script to advance the Balochi language and

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

and unify its writing. She has many Baloch students in Sweden. The Baloch community in Sweden also engages in promoting their traditional Balochi music and arts, contributing to the multicultural landscape of Swedish society. Rostam Mirlashari is a Balochi singer, based in Sweden. He makes songs in Balochi, Swedish and some Iranian languages. Mirlashari also studied at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm. FC Baloch Sweden is a football club established by members of the Baloch community in 2012. It provides a platform for cultural expression through sports and social gatherings. Homayoon Mobaraki is a Swedish Baloch film director and produce high-quality social media video content. He was also the founder of RozhnTV (Balochi program broadcast) from 2008.

Political representation

The Baloch community in Sweden has been active in raising awareness about issues affecting

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...

, including human rights abuses. Demonstrations have been organized to protest against the execution of Baloch prisoners and other injustices faced by the Baloch people. Various organizations exist within Sweden to support the Baloch community, promote cultural awareness, and advocate for

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

. Sajid Baloch a prominent case within the community is that of Sajid Baloch, a journalist who disappeared under mysterious circumstances after moving to Sweden. His case highlights ongoing concerns regarding the safety of Baloch activists abroad. There have been calls for the

Swedish government The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden () is the national cabinet of Sweden, and the country's executive authority. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and their cabinet ministers (). The Government is responsible for its actions ...

to take more proactive measures in addressing these concerns, particularly regarding cases like that of Sajid Hussain Baloch. On Saturday May 17th 2023, a demonstration was held in Stockholm, in protest against the execution of Baloch prisoners and in support of women's rights movements. This event was organized by the Balochistan Women’s Voice Organization.

References

{{Baloch diaspora Swedish people of Baloch descent Ethnic groups in Sweden Middle Eastern diaspora in Sweden

Diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...

Background and Culture

Political representation

See also

References