Month: July 2011

Spiegel Online International: European Right Under Pressure in Wake of Attacks

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: The fallout of Anders Behring Breivik’s outlandish killings in Norway on Friday has been felt by anti-immigration groups across Europe. Some very vociferous anti-Islam parties like the English Defense League and Freedom Party of Austria have condemned and distance themselves from the attacks.

One of the consequence of living in a post-22/7 Europe for far right and right-wing populist parties means closer public and police scrutiny of these groups. 

While the Spiegel Online International story states “European right-wing populist parties do not as a rule encourage violence,” their verbal attacks on immigrants and Muslims have an impact on society.  Fuelling racism and prejudice by demonizing a group is a form of violence.

Writes the German online newsmagazine: “Europe’s right-wing populists, it has become apparent this week, are not used to being on the defensive. For years, they have seen public support for their causes grow and are in parliament in several countries. Furthermore, as integration and demographics have risen to the top of worry lists in several countries on the Continent, the populists saw little reason to tone down their attacks.”

Do you believe that the tables have been turned for Europe’s far right and right-wing populist parties? How have matters changed for them?

________________

By Charles Hawley

Europe’s right-wing populists are not used to being on the defensive. But the perpetrator of last Friday’s horrific attacks in Norway was steeped in their anti-immigration, Muslim-skeptical ideology. They now find themselves in an uncomfortable position.

Read whole story.

THE DAY OF BREAKING THE SILENCE – HILJAISUUDEN RIKKOMISEN PÄIVÄ 31.7.2011

Posted on by Migrant Tales
Time
Sunday, July 31 · 3:00pm – 7:00pm
Location
Helsingin rautatieasema; all over Finland
Created By

Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=153433274732236

MIELENOSOITUS HILJAISUUDEN RIKKOMISEN PÄIVÄNÄ 31.7.2011 KLO 15.00

Hiljaisuus on vihan ja väkivallan hyväksymistä – me emme vaikene

“Jos yksi ihminen pystyy näyttämään näin paljon vihaa, ajatelkaa kuinka paljon rakkautta me kaikki voimme näyttää yhdessä.” – Stine Renate Håheimin, Utøyan selviytyjä

Me, tavalliset kansalaiset, järjestöt ja ruohonjuuritason aktivistit haluamme osoittaa tukemme Norjan hirmuteon uhrien omaisille järjestämällä rauhanomaisen solidaarisuuden osoituksen väkivallattomuuden ja rauhan puolesta sekä ääriryhmien vihaa ja väkivaltaa vastaan.

”Norjan tapahtumat osoittavat, että viha synnyttää vain vihaa ja ainoa, joka voi asialle jotain tehdä, katsoo peilistä – on siis aika tunnustaa väriä ja näyttää, minkälaisen yhteiskunnan haluamme.

Voimme jokainen vaikuttaa omilla teoillamme ja valinnoillamme: rikkomalla hiljaisuuden, puuttumalla vääryyteen ja ilmaisemalla ääneen ettemme pelkää emmekä hyväksy ääriliikkeiden vihaa ja väkivaltaa.”, toteaa Tino Singh, yksi tapahtuman järjestäjistä.

Tapahtuman tavoitteena on osoittaa mieltä rauhanomaisesti väkivaltaa vastaan ja purkaa jännitteitä, pelkoja sekä epäluuloja ihmisryhmien välillä.

Toivomme kaikkien poliittisten organisaatioiden, kansalaisjärjestöjen, yksityisen sektorin edustajien ja yksityishenkilöiden osallistuvan Helsingissä järjestettävään tilaisuuteen. Lisäksi toivomme, että aktiivitoimijat järjestäisivät saman tapahtuman muissa kaupungeissa samaan aikaan, ja kutsuisivat ihmisiä ottamaan osaa tapahtumaan tuen osoituksena tärkeän ja ajankohtaisen asian puolesta.

Helsingissä mielenosoitus alkaa 31.7. klo 15:00 Helsingin Rautatientorilta, edeten Mannerheimintietä Eduskuntatalolle ja jatkaen Finlandia-puistoon Töölönlahden rannalle, jossa on tarkoitus tutustua uusiin ennalta tuntemattomiin ihmisiin. Tilaisuus päättyy klo 19:00 mennessä.

”Esteen sattuessa tai jos paikkakunnalla ei ole vastaavaa tapahtumaa toivomme ihmisten osallistuvan Facebookissa tykkäämällä, jakamalla viestiä eteenpäin tai järjestämällä oman tilaisuuden paikkakunnan keskustassa sijaitsevassa puistossa tai torilla ja tutustumaan entuudestaan tuntemattomiin ihmisiin”, Singh kehottaa.

Osallistujia pyydetään ottamaan mukaan esim. seurapelejä ja soittimia. Tärkeintä on kuitenkin avoin, iloinen ja utelias mieli.

Mikäli organisaationne haluaa osallistua tai tukea mielenilmausta pyydämme olemaan yhteydessä koordinaattori Vaula Paunilaan, [email protected] / 050 365 6660

Lehdistöyhteydet: Annina Hirvonen, [email protected] / 040 726 7450

Lisätietoja: Tino Singh, [email protected]

Mielenosoituksen järjestävät:

Minun Suomeni on kansainvälinen- Facebook-sivu / Kansainvälinen Suomemme ry / www.minunsuomeni.fi – www.facebook.com/MyFinland
Tino Singh, Telle Vilkama Pintos, Vaula Paunila, Hannele Kosonen, Annina Hirvonen, Ilona Tikka, Pia Pirkola, Suvi Westling, Joni Pelkonen, Ali Jahangiri, Enrique Tessieri

Pääkaupunkiseudun monikulttuurijärjestöjen yhteistyöverkosto Moniheli ry. www.moniheli.fi
Abdirahim Hussein, abdirahim.hussein@moniheli?.fi, 041 4812322

Ulkomaalaisten ja suomalaisten verkostoitumisyhteisö Jolly Dragon www.jollydragon.net
Vivian Maar, [email protected], Paul Brennan, [email protected]

Interdisciplinary European student organization Erasmus Student Network Finland ry. www.esnfinland.eu
Joonas Niemi, President, Jani Hujanen, Vice President

DEMONSTRATION PÅ DAGEN DÅ VI BRYTAR TYSTNADEN 31.7.2011 KL. 15.00

Att inte säga något är att acceptera hat och våld – vi är inte tysta

“Om en person kan visa så här mycket hat, tänk då hur mycket kärlek vi kan visa tillsammans.”– Stine Renate Håheimin, Utøya överlevare

Vi, vanliga medborgare, organisationer och gräsrots aktivister vill visa vårt stöd för de anhöriga till offren i det fruktansvärda våldsdåd som skett i Norge genom att arrangera en fredlig demonstration för solidaritet, lugn och fred, samtidigt som vi tar avstånd till hat och våld. Demonstrationen arrangeras inkommande söndag, 31.7 kl. 15.00.

“Vad som hänt i Norge visar att hat föder hat och att det enda vi kan göra är se oss själva i spegeln – det är dags att visa din sanna färg och visa i ett hurudant samhälle vi vill leva. Vi kan alla, var och en, med våra egna gärningar och val påverka i ett hurudant samhälle vi lever: genom att bryta tystnaden, ge oss i och ljudligt lyfta fram att vi inte är rädda men heller inte accepterar det hat och våld som vissa extremrörelser påvisat”, konstaterar en av arrangörerna ,Tino Singh.

Målet med tillfället är att ge möjlighet åt folk att visa sin solidaritet och på ett fredligt sätt demonstrera och släppa ventilen på såväl den rädsla som de förutfattningar som finns folkgrupper emellan. Vi önskar att alla politiska organisationer, folkrörelser, personer ur den privata sektorn, folkaktivister och privatpersoner deltar i detta tillfälle i Helsingfors. Ut över detta önskar vi att aktiva i andra städer skulle organisera samma tillfälle på sin lokala ort under samma tidpunkt och sammankallar folk att delta för att visa sitt stöd för denna viktiga och aktuella debatt.

Demonstrationen i Helsingfors börjar 31.7 kl. 15.00 från Järnvägstorget i Helsingfors och går längs med Mannerheimvägen förbi Riksdagshuset till Finlandia parken vid Tölöviken där vi umgås med nya och gamla bekanta. Evenemang slutar senast kl. 19.00.

“I händelse av förhinder eller ifall det inte organiserats någon demonstration på den lokala ort du befinner dig önskar organisatören att folk deltar på Facebook eller ordnar en egen demonstration eller spontant går ut på gator och torg för att diskutera med våra medmänniskor”, konstaterar Singh.

Deltagare uppmanas att komma på plats med exempelvis sällskapsspel eller instrument osv. Det viktigaste är dock ett öppet och intresserat sinne.

Ifall Er organisation vill delta eller stöda demonstrationen ber vi Er vänligen kontakta koordinator Vaula Paunila, [email protected] / 050 365 6660

Press: Annina Hirvonen, [email protected] / 040 726 7450

Mera info: Tino Singh, [email protected]

Arrangörer:

Mitt Finland är internationellt – Facebook-sidan / Vårt internationella Finland rf / www.minunsuomeni.fi – www.facebook.com/MyFinland
Tino Singh, Telle Vilkama Pintos, Vaula Paunila, Hannele Kosonen, Annina Hirvonen, Ilona Tikka, Pia Pirkola, Suvi Westling, Joni Pelkonen, Ali Jahangiri, Enrique Tessieri

Pääkaupunkiseudun monikulttuurijärjestöjen yhteistyöverkosto Moniheli ry. www.moniheli.fi
Abdirahim Hussein, abdirahim.hussein@moniheli?.fi, 041 4812322

Ulkomaalaisten ja suomalaisten verkostoitumisyhteisö Jolly Dragon www.jollydragon.net
Vivian Maar, [email protected], Paul Brennan, [email protected]

Interdisciplinary European student organization Erasmus Student Network Finland ry. www.esnfinland.eu
Joonas Niemi, ordförande. Jani Hujanen, vice ordförande

DEMONSTRATION ON THE DAY OF BREAKING THE SILENCE 31ST OF JULY 2011 AT 3 PM

Silence is acceptance of hatred and violence – We will not remain quiet

“If one person is capable of displaying so much hate, just think how much love we can all show together.” – Stine Renate Håheimin, Utøyan survivor

We, ordinary citizens, organizations, and grassroots activists, want to show our support for the Norwegian terror act victims and their families by organizing a peaceful demonstration of solidarity on behalf of non-violence and peace as well as against extremist hate and violence.

“Norway’s events show that hate begets hate, the only person who can do something about it is you. It’s is time to show your true colours and create the change we want to see in the society. We can each influence through our own actions and choices for the kind of society we live in. We do this by breaking the silence, getting involved and being vocal that we are not afraid and that we do not accept extremism, hatred and violence.” states Tino Singh, one of the organizers of the event.

The aim of the event is to show solidarity and to demonstrate peacefully against violence and to diffuse tension, remove fear and suspicions between groups of people. We hope that all political organizations, NGOs, private sector representatives, civil society activists and individuals would take part in the event. We also hope that the activists would organize similar events in other cities at the same time, and invite everyone to take part in the event.

In Helsinki the demonstration will begin at the Central Railway Station Square (Rautatientori) and proceeding to Mannerheimintie past the Parliament House ending at Finlandia-park (Töölönlahti). The idea is to end the event with everyone meeting new people and interacting in friendly activities such as board games, music, etc. The event will finish by 19:00.

“In case you are not able to attend, or if there is no event organized in your community, we hope that you will show your support on Facebook by liking, commenting and sharing the event. Alternatively you can also organize your own event by going to a park or a square at the center of your community, and get to know new people”

Please come with an open mind and peaceful spirit and bring board games or musical instruments if you like, or just yourself.

If your organization wishes to participate in or support the demonstration, please contact the coordinator Vaula Paunila [email protected] / 050 365 6660

Press contact: Annina Hirvonen, [email protected], 040 726 7450

For more information: Tino Singh, [email protected]

The demonstration is organized by:

Our International Finland / My Finland is an international -Facebook page, http://www.minunsuomeni.fi?/ – www.facebook.com/MyFinland
Tino Singh, Telle Vilkama Pintos, Stathis Paunila, Hannele Kosonen, Annina Hirvonen, Ilona Tikka, Pia Pirkola, Suvi Westling, Joni Pelkonen, Ali Jahangiri, Enrique Tessieri

The Co-operation Network of Multicultural Organisations in the Helsinki Capital Region, www.moniheli.fi
Abdirahim Hussein, abdirahim.hussein@moniheli?.fi, 041 4812322

Jolly Dragon – Networking group for Foreigners and Finns, www.jollydragon.net
Vivian Maar, [email protected], Paul Brennan, [email protected]

Interdisciplinary European student organization Erasmus Student Network Finland ry. www.esnfinland.eu
Joonas Niemi, President, Jani Hujanen, Vice President

guardian.co.uk: Anders Behring Breivik had no legitimate grievance

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Another excellent analysis piece by the Guardian of London over the political impact of Anders Hering Breivik’s killings and how politicians are still refusing to stand up and show leadership. They prefer instead to eerily pin the blame on immigrants during these dire economic and political times for Europe. The analysis sites “the failure of multiculturalism” as “racism’s most elastic alibi.”

Write Gavan Titley and Alana Lentin: “Despite the fact that Anders Behring Breivik was not permitted to publicly justify his actions in public on Monday, a scrambling defence of his repertoire of prejudice is already in full swing,” they continue. “(Wall Street Journal writer  Bruce)Bawer blames mainstream politics for failing to address the corrosion of Europe by Islamicisation and multiculturalism, meanwhile The Jerusalem Post cautions that ‘Oslo’s devastating tragedy should not be allowed to be manipulated by those who would cover up the abject failure of multiculturalism.'”

As the economic situation worsens and our lives in Europe aren’t helped at all by what happened in Oslo, it is incredible how political leaders even in countries with small immigrant populations like Finland are blaming the “failure of multiculturalism” when, in fact, it is their own failure and of their policies.

One of the biggest answers that they have yet to give is what is the nexst step if “multiculturalism has failed or is dead?” How do we make our societies more acceptant of  cultural diversity and how do we avoid the mistakes and our past issues with racism?

_________________

Gavan Titley and Alana Lentin

Despite the fact that Anders Behring Breivik was not permitted to publicly justify his actions in public on Monday, a scrambling defence of his repertoire of prejudice is already in full swing. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Bruce Bawer, who is quoted by Breivik in his manifesto 2083: A European Declaration of Independence, emphasises his repeated warnings that a rightwing extremist may use violence to address “legitimate concerns about genuine problems”. Bawer blames mainstream politics for failing to address the corrosion of Europe by Islamicisation and multiculturalism, meanwhile The Jerusalem Post cautions that “Oslo’s devastating tragedy should not be allowed to be manipulated by those who would cover up the abject failure of multiculturalism”.

Read whole story.

Suomen Kuvalehti.fi: Terrorismintutkija: Breivik selittää tekonsa vasta-jihadilla – tästä on kyse

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment:  The analysis on Finnish newsmagazine Suomen Kuvalehti gives us a gruesome picture of the new face of fascism if you will in the twenty-first century. It is the same ideology that drove Anders Behring Breivik  on his crusade to “save Europe” by killing 76 innocent victims. It is the same ideology used today by the far right and right-wing populist groups.

According to researcher Toby Archer of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, the new ideology on found on the blogsphere is called the “Counter-Jihad,” which is not anti-Semitic nor does it associate itself with neo-Nazis. It is a sort of modern-day fascism without the heavy ideological baggage of its predecessor.

The new face of fascism is, in my opinion, the same beast but has aged eighty years from the 1930s.

Archer believes that Timo Soini’s Veikko Vennamo’s former Rural Party roots in the PS have weakened   since Halla-aho joined the party.

The researcher says that PS has become part of the international Counter-Jihad movement, of which the party’s rhetoric towards Muslims and immigration are very similar. 

You can read Archer’s full report here.

______________

Juho Salminen

Kun uhrit on laskettu, alkaa syiden pohdinta. Millaisella ajatusmaailmalla Anders Behring Breivik perusteli tekonsa itselleen ja yrittää tehdä niin myös muille? Breivik julkaisi perjantaina noin 1500-sivuisen manifestin, jossa hän muun muassa kuvailee valmistautumista terrori-iskuun. Hän kertoo vastustavansa islamia ja marxismia. Terrorismintutkija Toby Archer sanoo, että Breivik ei ole vain hullu. Hän on selvästi mielenvikainen, mutta hänellä on myös poliittinen viesti.

guardian.co.uk: The news coverage of the Norway mass-killings was fact-free conjecture

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Here is an interesting analysis on what happened in Norway and how some of us “experts” jumped the gun by pointing the finger at al-Qaida.

“Countless security experts queued up to tell me so,” Charlie Brooker writes. “This has all the hallmarks of an al-Qaida attack, they said. Watching at home, my gut feeling was that that didn’t add up. Why Norway? And why was it aimed so specifically at one political party? But hey, they’re the experts. They’re sitting there behind a caption with the word ‘EXPERT’ on it.”

What is most worrying according to the writer (and we have already noticed it on Migrant Tales) is a disturbing “but” appearing after we condemn the mass killings by Anders Behring Breivik. In other words, what this lunatic did was awful, but…

“These “but” commenters then go on to discuss immigration, often with reference to a shaky Muslim-baiting story they’ve half-remembered from the press,” continues Brooker. “So despite this being a story about an anti-Muslim extremist killing Norwegians who weren’t Muslim, they’ve managed to find a way to keep the finger of blame pointing at the Muslims, thereby following a narrative lead they’ve been fed for years, from the overall depiction of terrorism as an almost exclusively Islamic pursuit, outlined by ‘security experts’ quick to see al-Qaida tentacles everywhere, to the fabricated tabloid fairytales about ‘Muslim-only loos’ or local councils ‘banning Christmas.'”

Another disturbing matter are politicians like Jussi Halla-aho of the right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset (PS) party, whose writings appear to have inspired a deranged mass killer. Brevik mentioned how he agreed about Halla-aho’s views published in 2006 on “the cooperation of the left-wing and Islamists.”  

See Ossi Mäntylahti’s blog (in Finnish).

The PS appears to be the party that represented Brevik’s views the best in Finland.

Thank you JusticeDemon for the heads up!

________________

Charlie Brooker

I went to bed in a terrible world and awoke inside a worse one. At the time of writing, details of the Norwegian atrocity are still emerging, although the identity of the perpetrator has now been confirmed and his motivation seems increasingly clear: a far-right anti-Muslim extremist who despised the ruling party.

Read whole story.

Living in post-22/7 Europe

Posted on by Migrant Tales

It is ironic that those right-wing populist and far-right parties that have gone out of their way to warn us about the threat of multiculturalism and religions like Islam, have become the threat and Trojan Horses in our societies. In one horrific blow, Anders Behring Breivik did not only strike at Norway’s liberal democracy, but tore a hole in the argument of the anti-immigrant populists and fanatics.

In the Nordic region, living in a post-22/7 Europe and Nordic region means a serious loss of public face for those groups that have been the breeding ground for hatred towards immigrants and minorities. We know as well that Islamists are not the only ones who commit acts of terrorism, as the Guardian of London pointed out.

When these groups warn us today of the “threat of multiculturalism” and how it is acceptable to treat minorities with contempt, a killer called Anders Behring Breivik will haunt us in the back of our minds.

Every time these individuals and groups spread their usual rhetoric of hatred, we will stop to think and see Breivik’s eerie arguments and logic that drove him to become a mass killer.

When people go to the polls the next time in this part of Europe, some will see gruesome images of Breivik shooting down young members of the Labor Party. People will think twice whether to cast their vote for the Progress Party of Norway, Finland’s PS, Danish People’s Party and  Sweden Democrats.

They will ask if supporting a party that bases its popularity on anti-immigration rhetoric is feeding future homegrown terrorism.

Possibly what happened on 22/7 will be a wake-up call for these parties to think about the impact their provocative claims not only have on immigrants but on deranged people like Breivik.

Matters have changed a lot in post-22/7 Europe.

HS.fi: Hommaforum suljettiin Norja-keskustelun takia

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment:  A popular website visited by one of Finland’s most notorious anti-immigration crowd was closed Sunday until 10 pm due to the tragedy that hit Norway, reports HS.fi.

When one reads the views of people who speak against immigration and cultural diversity in Finland like Hommaforum administrator Matias Turkkila or a Persussuomalaiset party MPs like James Hirvisaari, the gist of their message must be read between the lines of the text.

“We wanted to calm debate,” Turkkila was quoted ast saying on HS.fi. “I am certain that it won’t calm down (the debate) but we wanted to make it clear that we in no way accept what happened in Norway.”

One of the matters that Anders Behring Breivik’s killing rampage exposed in the raw in other Nordic countries like Finland was the relationship it had with the hate speech commonly found on Hommaforum and blog entries by PS MP’s like Jussi Halla-aho and his followers. 

While Turkkila showed the needed respect that any sensible person should show in the face of such a tragedy that took place in Norway, it doesn’t speak too highly of the bloggers that visit Hommaforum. This link will give you some idea (in Finnish) what bloggers at Hommaforum think about what happened in Norway.

JusticeDemon, who gave the heads up of this story, wrote: “Suddenly they are concerned at how foreigners feel, but this begs the question as to why this particular discussion forum should identify so closely with this particular incident.”

Hirvisaari, who is Halla-aho’s faithful follower in parliament and who has become infamous for his hate speech on his blogs, reveals what he really thinks about what happened in Norway: “With a sound immigration policy we could cool tensions and prevent many problems like such atrocities (that took place in Norway).”

Even though Hirvisaari condemns terrorism and acts of violence, he somehow wants to blame immigration policy when, in fact, he should look the other way at what he and others write provocatively about immigrants and Muslims. 

The political fallout of what happened in Norway has impacted Finland and especially the loud and offensively vocal anti-immigration crowd. Norway has torn their arguments wide open and put them on the stand where I am certain Breivik’s 1,500-page manifesto would be a chief piece of evidence. In it he mentions how he agrees with Halla-aho’s writings in 2006.

See Ossi Mäntylahti blog on Uusi Suomi.

The monster that Halla-aho and his followers have sown has bit them hard.

__________________

Maahanmuuttokriittinen keskustelupalsta Hommaforum suljettiin sunnuntaina. Sulkemisen syynä oli Norjan terrori-iskuista käyty kiivas keskustelu. Hommaforum aukeaa sunnuntai-iltana kymmeneltä.

Read whole story.

Norway is a watershed for Finland and the Nordic region

Posted on by Migrant Tales

 By Enrique Tessieri

The horrific carnage that took place in Norway on Friday at the hands of a far-right extremist is a watershed for our societies. Even if the mass killer, Anders Behring Breivik, is in police custody his outlandish deeds continue to bully some of us into denial. 

Former President Martti Ahtisaari showed the kind of leadership we should not only expect of our politicians, but of ourselves as well. He was quoted in Mikkeli daily Länsi-Savo as saying that our silence has fuelled the rise of far-right groups and their language of hatred towards minorities.

“I always remember what Martin Luther King said when (we) wondered why blacks got their (civil) rights so late and why did inequality last for so long,” continued Ahtisaari. “King said:  The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”

Silence is a powerful force. Even military regimes that commit grave human rights violations rely on silence and enforce it through censorship.

The role of silence, or the lack of leadership against intolerance, has been seen throughout history.  Ahtisaari said that the silence of the majority was the faithful servant of undemocratic regimes in the Balkans and Nazi Germany.

“There is no place in the Nordic democratic system for extremist groups or inciting hatred against (other) nationalities or that prejudice is acceptable in any form, even in our speech” said Ahtisaari. “Nordic countries are the most tolerant in the world, therefore this development (growth of intolerance) is foreign to us.”

A fertile breeding ground for this type of hatred and intolerance has been websites like Homma, associations like Suomen Sisu and political parties like the Perussuomalaiset, which gained 19.1% of the votes in the April election.

An anonymous blogger published (in Finnish) on Uusi Suomi the reaction of some Homma bloggers on what happened in Norway.Denial is lightly putting it. According to them, the horrific events in Norway had nothing to do with our culture, religion, anti-immigration stances and racism. It was the work of a single psychopath that was totally disconnected from our values and the hatred so commonly seen in our societies today.

Norway is a watershed against our silence and those hate groups that have grown politically in Finland in recent years.

They are a menace to our values and society. Like Breivik showed, when you leave hatred and racism out of the cage it can bite you back in ways you never imagined.

HS.fi: Arkipäivän rasismi on huutelua ja ahdistelua

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: It is truly sad to read  about how some immigrants face racism in this country on a daily basis.

What is surprising in the HS story below is a comment by Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Tom Packalén.  A policeman by profession, Packalén claims that Finland isn’t a racist country. “When comparing the size of Helsinki for example there is very little racist violence compared with other countries,” he said.

Isn’t it interesting how it is always NOT the victim of racism that is playing down this social ill in Finland?

Pakalén’s denial and that of other people could reflect the low social position that immigrants have in Finnish society. Since immigrants are not important,  a good way of robbing them of their identity and a better place in society is by denying any serious problems in that community. In other words, denying racism could be a way of rejecting Finland’s cultural diversity.

Do you agree?

Thank you JusticeDemon for the link!

___________

Afrikkalaisperheen lasten rattaista löytyy koiran kakkaa, 18 vuotta Suomessa asunutta, töissä käyvää naista käsketään palaamaan kotimaahansa. HS kysyi toukokuun alussa lukijoiden rasismikokemuksista Suomessa. Siitä lähtien toimitukseen on saapunut useita kirjoituksia rasismista.

Read whole story.

Crossing a line in Norway and condemning it in Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

When does a person or group cross the magic line from right-wing populism to far-right? The tragic events that struck Norway on Friday should help us to distinguish better where that magic line is and what our reaction to it should be.

If Anders Behring Brejvik, the man who was responsible for the death of over 90 people on Friday, would have never carried out his outlandish deeds he’d be walking amongst us today visiting the numerous hate websites on the net.

What happened in Norway is a rude wake up call for us in Europe and Finland. It casts an eerie shadow on the role of those politicians, political parties and associations that spread a culture of hatred against immigrants and minorities and repackage it as patriotism.

Even though these groups are dazzled by the power of racism they soon notice that after the monster has been left out of the cage it can bite back at them.

Brejvik was chairman of the populist and anti-immigration Fremskrittspartiet party in Oslo West for about nine months and then on the local party’ board for about two years.*

Moreover, Brejvik was reported by TV1’s 20:30 news that he is an admirer of Perussuomalaiset MP Jussi Halla-aho, who is a mamber of the Nazi-spirited Suomen Sisu association.

The tragic events in Norway should embolden us to act and distinguish those groups and members in our society that want to change it at the cost of other people’s civil rights. Probably the reason why some of us haven’t branded some of them yet as far-right extremists is because we are in denial or dread admitting that there are these types of people and groups amongst us.

We need  a serious debate in Finland about the role of associations like Suomen Sisu in our parliament and the racism that festers in the Perussuomalaiset party.

The tragic events of Norway should strengthen our resolve to defend our Nordic way of life, which is built on social justice and equality for all. We should stand firm and be especially vigilant against those who want to destroy our noble values.

It is the minimum we can offer to the victims in Norway.

* Thank you Jonas for the heads up!