Month: May 2019

Case Perussuomalaiset Youth: The worst enemy of the far right is the far right

Posted on by Migrant Tales

THIS STORY WAS UPDATED.

The scandal that blew up in FPÖ leader’s Heinz-Christian Strache’s face and which brought down a government in Austria, Perussuomalaiset (PS)*Vice President Laura Huhtasaari’s participation in a meeting organized by Salvini in Milano with far-right leader Matteo Salvini, and the racist tweet below by the PS Youth are just one of many political setbacks. 

But that’s not all: PS’ Olli Kotro was quoted as saying in a Moscow-Putin friendly publication that the EU should do away with the Schengen agreement and end visa restrictions for Russia. Moreover, Marine Le Pen was pictured taking a selfie making a white power sign with a far-right Estonian EKRE member.

And let’s not forget newly elected MP Ano Turtiainen, who said that a conviction “in this group [the PS]” for inciting others to commit a crime was “a feather in one’s cap.”

And after all these setbacks for Finland’s far-right party, it’s youth wing lets its racism all hang out with the following tweet with a black couple smiling happily at their newborn child.

It tweets (see ad below): “Vote for the Perussuomalaiset so that Finland won’t look like this.”

The PS Youth have gained notoriety for their ethnonationalist and Islamophobic tweets:

 

The EU ad encouraging people to vote is the same one used by the PS Youth.

That tweet may end up costing the PS Youth dearly. Apart from possibly being guilty of ethnic agitation, the ministry of education and culture is considering axing the youth group’s annual 115,000 euros of state aid.

The tweet is just one example out of many of Finland’s hostile environment against migrants and minorities.

Continue reading “Case Perussuomalaiset Youth: The worst enemy of the far right is the far right”

Perussuomalaiset Youth: Spreading Finnish white supremacism with tax-payers’ money

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Where is Finland heading and why is the media silent to the new attack of racism by the Perussuomalaiset (PS) Youth?

A black couple is smiling happily at their newborn child. The PS Youth ad reads: “Vote for the Perussuomalaiset so that Finland won’t look like this.”

The PS Youth, which is part of the PS and the country’s second-largest party in parliament, does not have any problem is promoting and spreading racism.

Even the logo of the youth organization denotes some white supremacist tribe mixed with nostalgia for a carefree past that never existed except for war and genocide.

If you read Finnish, I recommend Sakari Timonen’s latest blog entry that raises the same points.

Indeed, there is always the danger of spreading such a toxic message by republishing. The aim of the PS Youth is clearly to raise attention with their extremism and ethnic ultranationalism.

All of this is the hostile environment that is fuelled and spread with tax-payers money.

The only politician who spoke out against the ad was Li Anderson of the Leftwing Alliance. All the rest are quiet, like Finland’s media that rarely if ever write about how racism is threatening our institutions and the Nordic way of life.

* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017, into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. In the last parliamentary election, Blue Reform has wiped off the Finnish political map when they saw their numbers in parliament plummet from 18 MPs to none. A direct translation of Perussuomalaiset in English would be something like “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” Official translations of the Finnish name of the party, such as Finns Party or True Finns, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and racism. We, therefore, at Migrant Tales prefer to use in our postings the Finnish name of the party once and after that the acronym PS.

 

 

Don’t vote for “let them drown” EU candidates, give them the thumbs down

Posted on by Migrant Tales

A total of 234 Euro election candidates answered Alma Media’s election compass, a total of 85 (36.3%) stated that they either “strongly disagree,” “disagree” or are “neutral” (have no opinion) about the following claim:

“Is it the obligation of the EU to save all those migrants who attempt to come to Europe and who are at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean?”

Of those parties that have a seat in the Finnish parliament, all of the 19 Perussuomalaiset (PS)* candidates strongly disagreed, disagreed or were neutral about the above claim. That was followed by the National Coalition Paty (9/45% of candidates), Center Party (7/35%), Swedish People’s Party (4/20%), Christian Democrats (4/20%) and the Social Democrats (1/6.3%).

Dark green, fully agree; light green, agree; grey, neutral/no opinion; red, disagree; dark red, totally disagree. SDP = Social Democrats; Kokoomus = National Coalition Party; Keskusta = Center Party; Cihreät= Green League; Vasemmistoliitto = Left Alliance; RKP = Swedish People’s Party; Kristillisdemokraatit = Christian Democrats. Source: Iltalehti.

Of the parties mentioned above, 44/152 (28.9%) disagreed or were neutral about people drowning in the Mediterranean.

Continue reading “Don’t vote for “let them drown” EU candidates, give them the thumbs down”

Migrant Tales omistaa videon suomalaisille “anna hukkua” eurovaaliehdokkaille

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Tässä kirjoituksessa jakamamme video, jonka Migrant Tales haluaa omistaa “anna hukkua” suomalaisille eurovaaliehdokaille. 

Tiestikö, että 36,3%* suomalaisista eurovaaliehdokkaista (85/234) vastasi ”täysin erimieltä,” ”erimieltä” tai ”neutraali” Alma Median vaalikoneen väitteeseen: “EU:n velvollisuus on pelastaa kaikki hukkumisriskillä Välimeren ylittävät Eurooppaan pyrkivät siirtolaiset.”

Selko suomenkielella tämä tarkoittaa, että kyseiset eurovaaliehdokkaat eivät välittäneet tai piitanneet jos ihmiset hukkuvat Välimerellä.

Heidän näkemys asiasta on häpeällinen ja paljastaa heidän poliittisen opportunismin ja jounittelun.

Perussuomalaiset

TÄYSIN ERI MIELTÄ (ANNA HUKKUA VAAN, SE ON HEIDÄN ONGELMA)

SIMO GRÖNROOS
TEUVO HAKKARAINEN
ILPO HELTOMOINEN 
LAURA HUHTASAARI
ASSERI KINNUNEN
LAURA KORPINEN
OLLI KOTRO 

MAURI PELTOKANGAS
MIKA RAATIKAINEN
MIRA NIEMINEN 
 SAMULI SIBAKOFF
SEBASTIAN TYNKKYNEN
TANJA VAHVELAINEN 
MATTI VIREN 

ERI MIELTA (ANNA HUKKUA)

ARTO LUUKKANEN
MINNA REIJONEN
PIRKKO RUOHONEN-LERNER

NEUTRAALI (EI MINULLA OLE KANTAA JOS IHMISET HUKKUVAT VÄLIMERELLÄ)

KARRI OLLILA
MINNA PARTANEN

Kansallinen Kokooums

TÄYSIN ERI MIELTÄ (ANNA HUKKUA VAAN, SE ON HEIDÄN ONGELMA)

PIIA KURKI

ERI MIELTA (ANNA HUKKUA)

HENNA VIRKKUNEN
LEENA ZITTLING
JYRKI KOIVIKKO
KIMMO SASI
SAMI YLI-RAHNASTO

NEUTRAALI (EI MINULLA OLE KANTAA JOS IHMISET HUKKUVAT VÄLIMERELLÄ)

EIJA-RIITA KORHOLA
JANIKA TAKATALO
MATILDA AF HÄLLSTRÖM

Continue reading “Migrant Tales omistaa videon suomalaisille “anna hukkua” eurovaaliehdokkaille”

Migrant Tales dedicates the following video to Finnish “let them drown” Euro election candidates

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Here is a video Migrant Tales would like to dedicate to the “let them drown” Euro election candidates. 

Did you know that 36.3% of Finnish MEP candidates who answered (85/234)  Alma Media’s election compass stated that they either “strongly disagree,” “disagree” or are “neutral” (have no opinion) about the following claim: “Is it the obligation of the EU to save all those migrants who attempt to come to Europe and who are at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean?”

In plain English, it means that these MEP candidates below don’t mind if people drown, or had no opinion if humans drown in the Mediterranean.

Their opinion is shameful. It exposes their political opportunism and chicanery.

Know the names of the candidates. Don’t vote for them.

Perussuomalaiset*

TOTALLY DISAGREE (LET THEM DROWN, IT’S THEIR PROBLEM)

SIMO GRÖNROOS
TEUVO HAKKARAINEN
ILPO HELTOMOINEN 
LAURA HUHTASAARI
ASSERI KINNUNEN
LAURA KORPINEN
OLLI KOTRO 

MAURI PELTOKANGAS
MIKA RAATIKAINEN
MIRA NIEMINEN 
 SAMULI SIBAKOFF
SEBASTIAN RYNKKYEN
TANJA VAHVELAINEN 
MATTI VIREN 

DISAGREE (LET THEM DROWN)

ARTO LUUKKANEN
MINNA REIJONEN
PIRKKO RUOHONEN-LERNER

NO OPINION (I DON’T HAVE AN OPINION IF PEOPLE DROWN IN THE MEDITERRANEAN)

KARRI OLLILA
MINNA PARTANEN

National Coalition Party

TOTALLY DISAGREE (LET THEM DROWN, IT’S THEIR PROBLEM)

PIIA KURKI

DISAGREE (LET THEM DROWN)

HENNA VIRKKUNEN
LEENA ZITTLING
JYRKI KOIVIKKO
KIMMO SASI
SAMI YLI-RAHNASTO

NO OPINION (I DON’T HAVE AN OPINION IF PEOPLE DROWN IN THE MEDITERRANEAN)

EIJA-RIITA KORHOLA
JANIKA TAKATALO
MATILDA AF HÄLLSTRÖM

Center Party

TOTALLY DISAGREE (LET THEM DROWN, IT’S THEIR PROBLEM)

None

DISAGREE (LET THEM DROWN)

JANNE KAISANLAHTI
ANNINA RUOTTU
PETRA SCHULZE STEINEN
ANNA SIRKIÄ

NO OPINION (I DON’T HAVE AN OPINION IF PEOPLE DROWN IN THE MEDITERRANEAN)

MIIKKAEL AZAIZE
RAUL KAJAK
OLLI NYBERG

Continue reading “Migrant Tales dedicates the following video to Finnish “let them drown” Euro election candidates”

Austria’s far-right scandal and Laura Huhtasaari selfies with Matteo Salvini

Posted on by Migrant Tales

THIS STOY WAS UPDATED

What a Saturday! Austria’s far-right FPÖ vice chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache resigns after a video published by two German newspapers offered damaging evidence of him allegedly offering government contracts in return for political support from Moscow, reports The Guardian. 

According to the Austrian news agency APA, new elections would be announced today by Austrian chancellor, Sebastian Kurz.

The video with Strache, filmed in Ibiza in 2017, was an investigative reporting project carried out by German dailies der Spiegel and Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Perussuomalaiset (PS)* vice-chairperson, Laura Huhtasaai, attended the meeting organized by Salvini in Milano and took a selfie with him offering a poker face in light of the FPÖ scandal and the Lega Nord leader’s close ties with Moscow.

At an election panel on Thursday, Huhtasaari, who appeared visibly encouraged by the PS’ good result in the parliamentary elections of April, gave her interpretation of the Universal Human Rights Declaration.

“All people have the same human value, but human rights are a matter of each state,” she said and which after all hell broke loose with the other panelists after her comment.

 

Source: Facebook.

Continue reading “Austria’s far-right scandal and Laura Huhtasaari selfies with Matteo Salvini”

Part 2: Mental impact and reality of everyday exclusion

Posted on by Migrant Tales

In a Migrant Tales’ recent article based on a Maailman Kuvalehti report about the mental suffering of daily racism, we promised some “no filtered” outtakes from interviews with those affected.

You can read the first piece, Part I: Racism causes trauma and mental suffering,here. 

Eight cases, eight migrants, eight stories, about life in Finland: 

“You meet a shared cult-like mindset at every level of this society. Denial of anything considered unattractive is so widespread that it feels like state-sponsored gaslighting. People here have been taught and convinced that what Finland offers is superior. You eventually realize it’s hopeless trying to get even a closest person to consider ‘other’. This inherent xenophobia and the resultant increasingly hostile environment denied to you is extremely isolating. A double whammy”.

Nicola, UK

“What’s truly maddening is not the absolute absence of process. While abusively deaf and delayed, the process does eventually exists, superficially. It’s that as a Finn your accuser’s unquestionable correctness – and therefore as a non-Finn, your necessary guilt – is assumed a priori from the very beginning. And the show trial and mock process exist to give the fake appearance that this wasn’t simply decided beforehand. The stretched and contorted parodies of a process to which you’re exposed impose more harm than simply never being offered them.”

Ben, UK

 

Migrants and minorities are subject to Finland’s hostile environment. Source: Flickr.

“I have experienced how nationalism here goes well beyond national pride, extending to willful denials of reality even in Finland’s Supreme court. This brings an uneasy fear, an imbalance. Justice makes us feel safe but having no recourse, in an assumed developed European nation has a shocking and traumatizing effect.”

Alexander, Belgium

Continue reading “Part 2: Mental impact and reality of everyday exclusion”

Vote in the European elections but not for the “let them drown” candidates

Posted on by Migrant Tales

EARLY VOTING: 15.-21.5. (FINLAND) 15.-18.5. (ABROAD)
ELECTION DAY: 26.5.

36.3%* of Finnish MEP candidates who answered Alma Media’s election compass stated that they either “strongly disagree,” “disagree” or are “neutral” (have no opinion) concerning the following claim: “Is it the obligation of the EU to save all those migrants who attempt to come to Europe and who are at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean?”

In my opinion, such an answer is shameful and washing one’s hands of the problem. Statement #13 of the election compass reveals to us without a doubt what politicians think about human dignity.

Source: Facebook.

Vote in the European Parliament elections but not for “let them drown” candidates (see list below).

Here is Migrant Tales’ “let them drown” list of shame:

Perussuomalaiset [1]

TOTALLY DISAGREE (LET THEM DROWN, IT’S THEIR PROBLEM)

SIMO GRÖNROOS
TEUVO HAKKARAINEN
ILPO HELTOMOINEN 
LAURA HUHTASAARI
ASSERI KINNUNEN
LAURA KORPINEN
OLLI KOTRO
MAURI PELTOKANGAS

MIKA RAATIKAINEN
MIRA NIEMINEN 
 SAMULI SIBAKOFF
SEBASTIAN RYNKKYEN
TANJA VAHVELAINEN 
MATTI VIREN 

DISAGREE (LET THEM DROWN)

ARTO LUUKKANEN
MINNA REIJONEN
PIRKKO RUOHONEN-LERNER

NO OPINION (I DON’T HAVE AN OPINION IF PEOPLE DROWN IN THE MEDITERRANEAN)

KARRI OLLILA
MINNA PARTANEN

National Coalition Party

TOTALLY DISAGREE (LET THEM DROWN, IT’S THEIR PROBLEM)

PIIA KURKI

DISAGREE (LET THEM DROWN)

HENNA VIRKKUNEN
LEENA ZITTLING
JYRKI KOIVIKKO
KIMMO SASI
SAMI YLI-RAHNASTO

NO OPINION (I DON’T HAVE AN OPINION IF PEOPLE DROWN IN THE MEDITERRANEAN)

EIJA-RIITA KORHOLA
JANIKA TAKATALO
MATILDA AF HÄLLSTRÖM

Center Party

TOTALLY DISAGREE (LET THEM DROWN, IT’S THEIR PROBLEM)

Continue reading “Vote in the European elections but not for the “let them drown” candidates”

ERR News: Le Pen caught “unaware” of the meaning of the white power sign

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The leader of the far-right Front National Marine Le Pen was caught “unaware” of the meaning of a white power sign in a selfie taken with Estonian far-right EKRE member Ruuben Kaalep, according to ERR News of Estonia.  

Kaalap removed the selfie from his Facebook page.

What is fishy about the story is that Le Pen claims to have not known the white power sign even if she leads a party that gets it popularity from defending white power and privilege in France and Europe.

Read the full story here.

Le Pen, who was in Tallinn on Tuesday meeting with EKRE members and other far-right parties to ally with far-right groups to set up a new European parliamentary group, thought that the white power signal “means ok,” she was quoted as saying in AFP.

“I was later told that it may have an alternative meaning,” she added. “As soon as I became aware of that, I immediately asked that the photo be removed from the Facebook account.”

The latest white power debacle in Estonia points to one matter: Too many politicians are using it in that country.

In the tweet above, the anti-immigration and anti-EU EKRE ministers gave the white power sign in parliament in April. On the left is Martin Helm, the finance minister, and on the right his father, Martin Helm, the interior minister.