July 2016 - Migrant tales

Finland’s shameful asylum policy should be changed

Posted on July 31, 2016 by Migrant Tales

Some Finnish politicians from parties like the Swedish People’s Party, Greens and Left Alliance have expressed concern about the government’s ever-tightening asylum policy and a recent decision by the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) to deny an Iraqi asylum.

Writes YLE News: “According to the decision, first made public when it was posted on social media Wednesday, the [Iraqi] man was able to successfully prove to the Finnish Immigration Service that his home in Mosul had been bombed, the army had tortured him and that ISIS was persecuting him.”

Even if some may seem surprised by the latter, it’s “business as usual” considering that the anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party are calling the immigration policy shots in government.

The PS shares power in government with the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP). In exchange for its support for the Center Party’s and NCP’s austerity policies, the PS has been given a virtual free hand to tighten immigration policy as it sees fit. As long as the PS remains in government the plight of migrants and minorities in Finland will worsen.

Tighter family reunification laws is one sad example of the latter never mind the party’s near-constant racist comments that continue to poison the atmosphere for migrants and minorities in this country.

One question that tighter immigration policy raises is if they are constitutional. According to Section 6 of the Finnish Constitution guarantees that “everyone is equal before the law.” Moreover, the EU Convention of Human Rights (Article 8) and Article 16 of the UN Declaration of Human rights guarantees that “the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.”

Professor of Public International Law Martin Scheinin also criticized the decision, saying that he has reason to believe that Finland’s tougher asylum policy may be in conflict with the country’s constitution.

Read full story here.

Even if some Finns correctly point out that we were the first country to grant women the right to vote in 1906, we were the last country in Europe together with Romania to grant Jews political rights in 1917.

Continue reading “Finland’s shameful asylum policy should be changed”

Facebook: Argentina in context and the struggle for social justice

Posted on July 29, 2016 by Migrant Tales

One of the matters that Argentineans can be proud of is its history, especially those that never gave up their hope for social justice. Reading Argentinean history especially from the 1880s to the present is like reading a novel of an ongoing and never-ending struggle.

What does that history tell us? It reveals to us of a people who have won and lost and won and lost again in their hope to build a country that is based on social justice.

One of the biggest instigators of change in Argentina were the millions of immigrants who came here like my great grandparents.

In light of the latter, it is surprising that the present discourse in Finland tends to show that immigration and immigrants are “a problem.”

That is how off base the debate is in Finland is and how little we know about our own immigrant history. Over 1.2 million Finns emigrated between 1860 and 1999. They

Over 1.2 million Finns emigrated between 1860 and 1999. They

They too led the way and gave us roots, which, unfortunately, aren’t still acknowledged in Finland.

The PS claws to racism and bigotry because it has lost its vain hope to keep Finland white

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Migrant Tales

The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is fuming attempting to get the maximum political mileage from its recent racist and bigoted outbursts by playing down such social ills and by propping up its poor standings in the polls.

Vice-president of the PS parliamentary group, MP Kike Elomaa, stated that we shouldn’t get so touchy about racism, while MP Laura Huhtasaari said that criticism of the party’s racist comments by others should stop and equated them to “childish sandbox games.”

On July 25, National Coalition Party (NCP) MP Ben Zyscowickz reacted to a suggestion by PS MP Teuvo Hakkarainen that Muslims should be kicked out of Finland.

“The question is for how long the Perussuomalaiset party, which is a member of the government and has agreed to oppose racism [while in government], continuously offers the opportunity to political figures who incite people’s views against Islam and who are guilty of outright racism,” he said.

That was followed by the chairman of the Center Party parliamentary group, MP Antti Kaikkonen, who echoed Zyzkowickz’ concern.

The PS shares power in government with the Center Party and NCP.

As far as I can tell, the racist outbursts of the PS are a clear sign that the party is irreversibly dying. It is also the best indication yet that the anti-immigration party has lost, like Don Quixote chasing windmills, to do away with its demons and keep Finland white.

This painting by Pablo Picasso shows Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. The PS’ lost attempt to keep Finland white is as futile as when Don Quixote attacked windmills. Source: Google.

Continue reading “The PS claws to racism and bigotry because it has lost its vain hope to keep Finland white”

The Finnish Perussuomalaiset and their poker-face-racist remarks

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Migrant Tales

Why would a television station like MTV3 invite a person like Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Youth leader Sebastian Tynkkynen to a talk show about the racist and bigoted statements he’s made about Muslims and migrants? Why would a journalist, who appears to be in the dark about what racism is, treat such a politician with a degree of understanding?

The only answer I can come up with is that the national media continues to be lost about a social ill like racism. It is not only lost about how adversely racism and bigotry impact our society but gives such social ills its tacit approval.

Read full story here.

Offering bigotry, racism and stereotypes the opportunity to showcase themselves as something “normal” is like being a surgeon. Say the patient has a heart condition but instead the surgeon decides to castrate the person. It’s the wrong diagnosis for the problem. Inviting Tynkkynen to give his opinions about cultural diversity is similar to the example of the surgeon.

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PS MP Kike Elomaa’s response to the party’s racist statements is disingenuous and insulting to Finland

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Migrant Tales

It’s not only disingenuous but insulting to Finland, migrants, and minorities that an MP and vice chairperson of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party parliamentary group, which has been on the racist rampage in July, states publicly that we shouldn’t be so touchy about comments that don’t intend to be “really racist.”

From July 15-21, a number of PS politicians like MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, Matias Turkkila and Sebastian Tynkkynen have gone out of their way to target migrants, especially Muslims. Hakkarainen and Tynkkynen have suggested, among other things, that Muslims should be kicked out of Finland.

The PS share power in government with the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP).

On Monday, NCP MP Ben Zyskowickz reacted in tabloid Ilta-Sanomat to what Tynkkynen said.

“The question is for how long the Perussuomalaiset party, which is a member of the government and has agreed to oppose racism [while in government], continuously offers the opportunity to political figures who incite people’s views against Islam and who are guilty of outright racism,” he said.

Antti Kaikkonen, chairman of the Center Party parliamentary group, echoed Zyskowickz’ concern in Helsingin Sanomat.

“Racist writings must once and for all end,” he said. “It’s high time that we must put a stop to hate speech.”

Elomaa’s response to Kaikkonen’s remarks is quite incredible: “One shouldn’t be so touchy,” she said. “Each of us must stand certain things. It was certainly nobody’s aim to be really racist.”

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PS MP Kike Elomaa tells Center Party MP Antti Kaikkonen that he shouldn’t be so touchy because it wasn’t anyone’s aim to be “really racist.”

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PS MP Elomaa’s respons shows again how parties like the PS play down racism and why such a social ill has grown instead of retreated in Finland.

It shows as well that the debate on racism in Finland is very much a discourse between white Finns and where’s there little to no room for migrants and minorities.

Read full story here.

* The Finnish name for the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The English names of the party adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We, therefore, prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings. The direct translation of “Perussuomalaiset” is “basic” or “fundamental Finn.”

A belated response to racist comments by a member of the PS is half a response

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Migrant Tales

Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party has been (surprise, surprise) on the racist rampage against migrants and minorities in the past two weeks. The first one was lodged on July 15 by PS MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, who suggested that Muslims should be kicked out of Finland, followed by comments by Matias Turkkila (17.7), PS Youth leader Sebastian Tynkkynen, who parrots Hakkarainen’s call on July 19.

It doesn’t end here, however. On July 21, a day before the fifth anniversary of 22/7, when Anders Breivik killed 77 people in Norway in cold blood, PS Youth put out a statement suggesting that punishable offenses like ethnic agitation and breaching the sanctity of religion should be stricken off the penal code.

In other words, the PS Youth and Tynkkynen want to legalize hate speech.

While spreading racism and nativist nationalism are the clear trademarks of the PS, this populist party isn’t just any party making such bigoted remarks. The PS is in government and shares power with the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP).

Read full story here.

Even if opposition parties have spoken out against such racist remarks, the silence of the Center Party and NCP has some scratching their heads. This changed on Monday, when NCP MP Ben Zyskowickz ( note: not by the head of the party, Petteri Orpo) finally reacts in tabloid Ilta-Sanomat to what Tynkkynen said.

Continue reading “A belated response to racist comments by a member of the PS is half a response”

Authorities should look at factors like social exclusion, third culture and school bullying for what happened in Munich

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Migrant Tales

As the dust settles over what happened in Munich on Friday, when Ali Sonboly took the lives of nine people and injured tens of others, there are a lot of questions that are taking our eyes off the ball. Instead of talking about “Islamic terrorism,” why are we not talking about some other motives that could have played important roles in the tragedy?

In Finland, an interview hosted by Sanna Ukkola of YLE with police service chief inspector, Timo Kilpeläinen, and an unknown authority on geopolitical conflicts, Alan Salehzadeh, reinforced how lost we are in finding solutions to mass killings and terrorism.

The whole talk show revolved around Islam, radical Islam and terrorism when, in fact, it should of asked more important questions.

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Read full story here.

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The Guardian writes:

“One of the questions facing authorities is whether Sonboly, who was bullied and isolated at school, intentionally set out to kill other young people. The dead included seven teenagers, a 20-year-old and a 45-year-old woman.”

Continue reading “Authorities should look at factors like social exclusion, third culture and school bullying for what happened in Munich”

White Finnish privilege #30: Whitewashing and racializing the news

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Migrant Tales

On the fifth anniversary of when Anders Breivik went on the rampage in Oslo on 22/7 by killing 77 victims, we saw another gunman in Munich follow his footsteps. We now know with pretty much certainty that there is a connection between what the shooter did in Munich and what happened in Norway exactly five years ago.

Reports the BBC: “Munich police chief Hubertus Andrae said there was an ‘obvious’ link between the new attack and Friday’s fifth anniversary of Breivik’s attacks in Norway, when he murdered 77 people.”

Apart from the fact that nine people died and 27 were injured at the hands of a person who appears to like mass shootings and terrorists like Breivik, Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Youth chairman Sebastian Tynkkynen said in a statement a day before that punishable offenses like ethnic agitation and breaching the sanctity of religion should be stricken off the penal code.

Considering the role that hate speech had in the killing of victims in 22/7 and yesterday, Tynkkynen’s and the PS Youth’s suggestion to scrap hate speech from the penal code sounds reckless and dangerous.

Definition #30

Gavan Titley exposes with three sentences how the media interpreted what happened in Munich Friday. He writes on his Facebook wall:

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Terrorism och våld

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Beri Jamal

Fredags mys med film och snacks kanske finns hos de som tycker att livet är härligt.

Då våldet börjar komma allt mer närmare oss här i Europa. Först Frankrike, sedan Belgien, sedan Frankrike igen och ny Tyskland… visst är det skrämmande?

Att hör att sju dödades i München och Tyskland meddelar om akut situation i staden då vet du att det börjar bli allt mer skrämmande..

Jag själv börjar tycka att det börjar bli allt mer skrämmande.. o vem kan du lita på och var kan du röra dig? Borde du undvika platser med människor samlingar?

Vilka är det som ligger bakom all terror som händer nu i Europa? Vilka är de “dåliga och farliga” “muslimerna?

Jag ska berätta saker som borde inte sägas för det nämns aldrig vilken nationalitet dessa terrorister har. Men för att återgå till vilka är de dåliga “muslimerna” så skall jag berätta lite vad jag vet.

Continue reading “Terrorism och våld”

Five years after 22/7 the Nordic region continues to bleed hatred

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Migrant Tales

Is it a coincidence that Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Youth leader Sebastian Tynkkynen wants to make hate speech possible by doing away with laws that prohibit it? Is it a coincidence that he states openly and publicly, like PS MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, that Finland should rid itself of Muslims?

PS Youth put out a statement a day before the fifth anniversary of the mass killings in Norway by Anders Breivik that asks those punishable offenses like ethnic agitation and breaching the sanctity of religion should be stricken off the penal code.

Not only has the PS remained silent and in holiday mode in the face of what Tynkkynen and Hakkarainen said, but there’s been total silence as well from the leaders of the Center Party and National Coalition Party.

Considering that the 77 deaths committed by Breivik in 2011 were and still are the worst case of terrorism to strike the Nordic region, it is shocking how rapidly we have forgotten and allowed hate speech, racism, and bigotry to grow in the past five years.

The monument at Utøya island in Norway to the victims of 22/7. Source: designboom.

Even if many have forgotten what happened on 22/7 and would care less about hate speech, we and many others haven’t forgotten.

* The Finnish name for the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The English names of the party adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We, therefore, prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings. The direct translation of “Perussuomalaiset” is “basic” or “fundamental Finn.”