Month: August 2011

YLE: Rasismin lisääntyminen huolestuttaa Iisalmessa

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: The racism that has raised its head in Iisalmi, a city located 480km north of Helsinki with 200 immigrants, is a case in point what is wrong with some parts of this country.

According to YLE, the problem in Iisalmi appears as racist “graffiti on walls, social media, yelling and even physical violence.”  In August, two local inhabitants attacked with a steel rod a foreign woman.

Some may continue to deny that racism is a problem in Finland. Apart from being a serious social ill, it will impoverish Finland economically and socially.

Helsingin Sanomat recently reported about the rise of racism in Savo and Karelia.

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Rasismi on nostanut päätään Iisalmessa. Maahanmuuttajia on Iisalmessa alle 200 ja heistä suurin osa Virosta ja Venäjältä. Kohteeksi joutuvat lähinnä ihonväriltään kantasuomalaisista poikkeavat ihmiset, vaikka he olisivat syntyperältään suomalaisia.

Read whole story.

YLE in English: Roma evicted from Kalasatama camp assemble at Senate Square

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: This is an ongoing story that has no end. Most of the time when the politicians and city authorities attempt to find a solution to the problem of how to deal with a few Roma that have set up camp in Helsinki, the more lost they become. This should not surprise us, however, because it is has been the  way that the Finnish authorities and public have treated the Romany question in Finland for centuries.

Some of the most incredible measures that politicians tried to impose on this group of Romany was to prohibit begging in public. Even if they made a few euros a day begging in the streets of Helsinki, some had the nerve to claim that they were working for organized crime. 

The handling by the police and authorities of the foreign Roma in Helsinki is unfortunate and reveals a wider problem in Europe on how we deal with minority issues and poverty.

The treatment of these people should inspire others, like especially the Finnish Romany, to stand up and begin asking for their long-overdue acceptance by Finnish society.

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About 40 police officers descended on the Kalasatama area in Helsinki to evict a camp of itinerant foreign Roma. The operation came at the request of the Helsinki City Public Works Department. In the evening, dozens of Roma who had been forced to leave Kalasatama, and a number of local supporters assembled at Senate Square in the centre of the city.

Read whole story.

Finnish hate blogs’ toilet graffiti attack (or toilet democracy)

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

It is a positive sign that more politicians and organizations like the Council for Mass Media (JSN) are finally taking a strong stance against hate speech and racism that is rife on the net. These types of opinions, usually done anonymously and on sites like Hommaforum, Scripta and others, resemble racist peeping Toms writing graffiti on public toilet walls.

Some guidelines have to be put in place but the question is if they will bite. The JSN will make public its new recommendations on September 5.

“Hate speech was included in the guidelines, ” said JSN chairperson Risto Uimonen. “It would have been odd after what happened in Norway if we would not have done so.”

For too long the Finnish media, too many politicians and the public at large have shown a remarkable lack of leadership with respect to the rising hate speech and popularity of parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS).  It seems that the majority of our best leaders and most enlightened citizens are ready to forfeit our values for hate speech.

Why have politicians reacted so late? Have they become more tolerant to immigrants or does it only hinge on Norway and how mass killer Anders Breivik was  a serious wakeup call?

Migrant Tales predicted after the tragic events that gripped Norway at the hands of a mass killer on July 22 that a major watershed was crossed.  The new JSN guidelines and less tolerance for hate speech have put parties like the PS on the defensive.  The Norwegian Labor Party, for example,  is expected to make big gains in next month’s the municipal election at the cost of the anti-immigration Fremskrittspartiet, of which Anders Breivik was a member.

A social ill like racism is no light matter. If it were up to the likes of PS MP Halla-aho and his cronies, immigrants would suffer the same exclusion that the Romany have endured in Finland for hundreds of years.

We cannot let something like that to happen ever again.

The sooner Finns can distinguish between racism and constructive criticism on issues like immigration policy, the faster we will be able to put this social ill on the defensive.

Ten steps to tame the beast of racism and prejudice in Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Like alcoholism, racism is a social ill that exists but is rarely recognized as a problem. In countries like Finland we are still debating whether racism and prejudice is a problem or not.  How much must racism grow for us to accept it as a serious problem that threatens our present Nordic way of life?

In Europe, the Nordic region was seen as an island of tolerance when compared with the treatment of immigrants and minorities in other parts of the continent. Xenophobic and far-right parties like the Danish People’s Party, Sweden Democrats, Perussuomalaiset (PS) and mass killer Anders Breivik have dented that image recently.

Racism and prejudice are close relatives. One good definition of racism is that it is institutionalized while the other one is personal suspicion against a group.

The term “institutional racism” was coined by Stokely Carmichael (later known as Kwame Ture) in the 1960s. According to him, institutional racism is the “collective failure of an organization to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their color, culture, or ethnic origin.”

While these two social ills exist in all political parties, they have found a home in the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party.  The questionable views of PS MPs like Jussi Halla-aho feed people’s prejudice which in term fuel institutional racism in our society.

Thus we can, thanks to these arguments, justify not hiring and not accepting certain groups as equals in our society because we loathe them. If we let matters to parties like the PS, institutional racism and prejudice would survive for hundreds of years as is the case with the Romany in Finland.

While this list below is far from complete, here are some things we can do:

1.  The first step is to accept that it exists and is a threat to our society;

2. Stop ignoring history when it is uncomfortable like our relationship with Nazi Germany in the Continuation War (1941-44);

3. Teach our children what terrible wars and suffering racism and prejudice has brought on humankind;

4. Demand an end to silence by politicians. Expose politicians who vacillate on this issue of racism and prejudice;

5. Don’t be afraid to speak out. Start your own blog and/or association to spur debate to expose these social ills;

6. Join a political party or start a social movement that challenges institutional racism and prejudice. Be ready to use all of your democratic rights  like organizing demonstrations, hunger strikes and active lobbying;

7. Speak to those who suffer from these social illnesses and forgive their ignorance. People change;

8. Report all racist harassment and hate crimes to the police. If the police treat you unfairly report it as well;

9.  Have zero tolerance for racism and prejudice. Be passionate about fighting racism;

10. “Never, never, never give up (Winston Churchill).”

 

Note: If you still believe that racism isn’t a big problem in Finland, check out these sites and read the threads: Are you a target of racism in Finland and Racism in Finland.

HS in English: Concerns about growing racism in Savo and Karelia

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment:  We all know that racism is a problem and that immigrants and other minorities are targets of attacks. Ask many visible immigrants in Finland if they have ever been a victim of racist harassment or a hate crime the answers you get may surprise you.  Some immigrants may play down these incidents while others are quite candid about them. 

A good rule of thumb in the town that I live in is the visible immigrants usually visit a bar with two other friends. Going alone could put you in harm way especially when alcohol has a role in the matter. 

YLE reports something that has been known for a long while: “In Iisalmi, in the north of Savo, police have had reports of residents of immigrant background being targeted by verbal abuse. Racist graffiti has been seen in public places, and in one case, a young woman was threatened with physical violence.”

So what gives and why is racism “growing more than usual” in Savo and Karelia?

The police do not give us a clear answer. 

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Police in North Karelia and North Savo are concerned about increasing manifestations of racism in the area. Police in the eastern town of Lieksa were informed that young people in the area had been invited on Facebook to convene on Tuesday evening in a suburb with a large immigrant population under the heading “Who’s afraid of a black man?”

Read whole story.

Migration patters among Jews – Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: The first Jew to receive a permanent residence to live in Finland in 1832 was Jakob Weikaim, a tinsmith who moved from Latvia in 1799 at the age of 14.He was the first Jew that was allowed to move to Finland without converting to Christianity.

Until 1809, when Finland was still a part of Sweden, its former ruler promulgated a number of laws that permitted Jews to only settle in the following Swedish cities: Stockholm, Gothenburg and Norrköping.  

The size of the Jewish community of Finland has always been small. In 1870 there were 460 in the country and today it totals under 2,000.

Sounding much of the arguments used by some parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS) today,  Finnish-language newspaper Uusi Suometar wrote in 1833 that Finland’s Jewish population would reach half a million within a hundred years due to high birth rates.

One of the most uncomfortable relationships that affected the Finnish Jewish community during the Continuation War (1941-44) was when Finland aligned itself with Nazi Germany. Even though Jews fought in the Finnish army sometimes alongside the Germans, it was pretty clear to some what would happen to them if the Nazis would have won the war. 

While persecution of Jews in Finland was a far cry from Germany of the 1930s, there was anti-Semitism.  Another factor that kept matters from escalating on this front was the fact that there were so few Jews.  As in other parts of Europe,  Jewishness was not encouraged.

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Finland’s Jewish community is small, but active. Its small size and unique characteristics allow us to understand the migratory patterns of this community and to use the data to extrapolate the migration patterns in Finland to larger Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. Finland aligned itself with Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union 1941-1944. Finnish Jews fought in the Finnish army, occasionally side by side with the Germans.

Read whole story.

Why don’t Finnish politicians challenge urban myths hard enough?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

In Ireland, where the immigrant population has grown very rapidly in a span of ten years, there are concrete steps to address urban myths about migrants, refugees and Muslims. In Finland it appears to be a totally different story. 

Below are some myths that a brochure about migrant workers and their families. Why isn’t there a similar campaign in Finland by the government?

As far as we are concerned, the term Ireland below could be replaced by Finland.

01 Do Migrant Workers take jobs from Irish people?

  • There is always the possibility of displacement in a competitive economy but most available research shows that migrant workers replace rather than displace workers in Ireland.
  • There are many reasons why it can be hard for unemployed people to find work, e.g. lack of childcare, and disability access, discrimination, racism, deskilling, educational disadvantage.
02 Are Migrant Workers a drain on the economy?
  • Migrant workers expand the economy by allowing businesses to grow and by investing their own skills and money in enterprises.
  • Of the 162,200 additional jobs created in the Irish economy from 2004 to 2006, non-Irish national entrepreneurs and companies accounted for 53% of these jobs.

03 Do Migrant Workers bring down wages?

  • Wage levels including the minimum wage have consistently risen over the past decade.
  • Migrant workers should not be blamed for employers who do not pay minimum wage and who violate employment legislation for their own profit.

04 Are Migrant Workers a burden on public services?

  • Migrant workers tend to pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits. It is estimated that around 200,000 migrant workers provide an annual surplus in income taxes of around half a billion Euro.
  • Despite unfounded fears of “welfare tourism”, less than 1% of the country’s migrant workers are dependent on social welfare. Social welfare is important for any worker as a safety net in times of illness and unemployment.

At the beginning of the brochure reads: “Migration is the mother of progress and invention. (…) Our world today is shaped by the industry of immigrants.”

 

How to battle racism in Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

A student from an African country asked me about moving to a city in Eastern Finland. “Is it a nice place?” he said, meaning if there was a lot of racism. Since we can never predict when racism will strike, one good way of confronting this social ill in Finland and Europe is by not running away from it.

Things have been so bad in many parts of Finland that some ethnic groups fear going to a night club alone. Usually they visit these places with a group but never alone.

One may ask how is it possible that some ethnic groups would not chance being in a night club alone for fear of being attacked. What kind of country are we living in? Why do public officials and the police play down this social ill?

The reason why most cases of racism and harassment go unreported in this country is because there is a strong culture of denial in the police for these types of crimes.

A policeman from Mikkeli told a group of foreign students that if they are yelled at and harassed in public they should ignore these insults and not report it to the police. He compared racist harassment with the type of jokes people throw at him as a policeman when he visits his home town.

Certainly another cause for not reporting racist crimes in Finland are immigrants themselves. This has to change not for the sake of the victim but for their children and grandchildren.

It doesn’t matter what “official Finland” thinks about racism. It is what we think of it and how we will react to it.

There are many ways skinning racism but one of them is not running away from the problem.

Boycott “The Finns”

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Migrant Tales had decided in April to ditch the English-language name “True Finns” for the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party because it was a horrible translation. By calling a party “True Finns” one is insinuating that those that don’t support this right-wing populist party are “phony Finns.” The new English-language name, The Finns, stoops even lower.

There is a way to put an end to the manipulation and nonsense of a party like the PS when it comes to a name like “The Finns.” Boycott it and refuse to use it.

Over 9,000 people have signed a petition on Facebook about “The Finns.”

I recommend that foreign journalists throughout the world follow what is done on Migrant Tales. We call Timo Soini’s party the Perussuomalaiset, or PS.

It’s that easy.

Politiken.dk: Opposition well ahead in Denmark –bad news for anti-immigration DPP party

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: The most revealing news about the poll by Politiken and TV2 of Denmark is that the days of the Danish People’s Party (DPP) appear to be coming to an end as a powerful anti-immigration voice in the country. The DPP has played a key role in Danish politics since 2001 by supporting governments consisting of the Liberals and Conservatives. In exchange for the DPP’s support, the government has offered to pass tougher anti-immigration laws. 

Denmark has today one of the strictest immigration laws in the EU.

As the poll shows, the tide is turning against the rhetoric and hardline stance of the anti-immigration DPP. Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen vowed to voters that if  the Liberals and Conservatives got re-elected to government, the DPP would not form part of the new cabinet.

The DPP is a good example of the possible fate of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party. Anti-immigration rhetoric has its limits politically, even if it has helped keep some far-right parties like the DPP in power for a number of years.

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With widespread rumours that the prime minister will be calling an election next week, the latest Megafon opinion poll for Politiken and TV2 puts the opposition alliance firmly ahead.

Read whole story.