-titta, en finne igen i fyllan! -satans finjävlar! -look, (a) drunken Finn! -damn Finnish devils! The infamous saying, en finne igen, yet another Finn, can be found in Urban Dictionary. The statement was used by Swedes to claim that Finns are “violent, primitive savages” because some have issues with learning Swedish and alcohol. After World…
Month: September 2014
Defining white Finnish privilege #11: Case Teuvo Hakkarainen
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Teuvo Hakkarainen is a good example of white Finnish privilege. Here’s an MP that has issues with alcohol, racism and now dates teenagers as well as allegedly takes minors to bars. He has sent on his work phone pictures of his phallus and Image magazine claims in its latest issue that the PS MP drove…
Dr Gareth Rice leaves Finland today
Dr Gareth Rice, a brave man who highlighted unfair hiring practices in academia, left Finland Saturday and moved to Glasgow. He will be missed by many. While the path that Dr Rice took is known to many non-Finnish academics, he did something more: Put himself on the line by exposing what he saw as unfair…
Perussuomalaiset hate campaign against foreigners is in full swing
I was asked this week what I think is one of the best ways to tackle racism in Finland. One of the best ways, I responded, is challenging urban tales spread by politicians, the media and public. It’s clear that the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party’s hostility against foreigners with the help of urban tales is…
City of Ylivieska in Finland awards anti-Semite with distinction
Juha Kärkkäinen, who was fined by a Finnish court in the fall of 2013 45,000 euros for publishing anti-Semitic writings of the likes of David Duke and others, was awarded a distinction from the city of Ylivieska, according to Oulu-based Kaleva. Dan Kantor, executive director of the Jewish Community of Helsinki, told Migrant Tales that he…
Who spreads hatred in Finland: YLE or the PS?
Attempting to gain the maximum political mileage from the act of vandalism against the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* office in Helsinki on Thursday, party secretary, Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo, is pointing the finger at the “green-left alliance” (a favorite catchword that the party uses to describe its enemies) and YLE for comparing it to the anti-immigration far-right Sweden Democrats….
PS claims it has sacked all of its racists and fascists from the party (sic!)
Matti Putkonen said at a press conference Friday that comparing the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* to the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats was spreading hatred against the party. He went as far as to suggest that the attack against its office in Helsinki had something to do with such stories, reports tabloid Ilta-Sanomat. Putkonen, who was convicted for rape about…
New dissertation about migrants sheds light on our ignorance and prejudices
Two news stories published this week highlight in my opinion why intolerance continues to dominate debate in these parts. The latest story published by YLE was about a dissertation by Annukka Muurin, which showed that multicultural, or third-culture Finns, speak Finnish better than their parents’ language. Isn’t this a pretty obvious finding if the child…
THL survey in Finland says first-generation migrants more likely to experience bullying, physical and sexual harassment
A new survey shows that first-generation immigrants are more likely to experience bullying, physical threats and sexual harassment than white Finns, according to YLE in English, which cites the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The survey revealed some 32% of “immigrant” children found it difficult to access school welfare officers. Should the findings…
Will the Sweden Democrat victory give a boost to the PS in Finland?
The Swedish election result not only showed a shift and set for a minority-left government, but historic gains made by the far-right Sweden Democrats. Conservative Moderat Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, who conceded defeat late Sunday, said he will hand in his resignation Monday after eight years in power. Just like the anti-immigration Peerussuomalaiset (PS)* in…