We read about the brutal assault against a Perussuomalaiset (PS)* campaign manager Pekka Kataja. There was great interest in what happened when he mentioned that the suspect(s) were probably “Arab-looking.” Silence befell the PS after Kataja changed his story by claiming that the attackers were probably from the far-right. One question that arises here is…
Month: July 2020
The Pekka Kataja account of his attackers’ identity changes again
THIS STORY WAS UPDATED The Pekka Kataja story, the Perussuomnalaiset (PS) councilor of Jämsänkoski, is constantly changing. First, he claims that “Arab-looking” men assaulted him. That has now morphed into “possibly” it was the far right or far left. Kataja even claimed that he was attacked due to his opinions of an asylum reception center,…
Islamophobe warning: Look out for the “Arab-looking” and “bearded minor!”
THE STORY WAS UPDATED On Friday, we read about an assault against a Perussuomalaiset (PS) politician in Jämsänkoski. Pekka Kataja, who was rushed to the hospital to treat his head wounds, broken ribs, and a concussion. The PS politician, who has made a name thanks to his anti-Muslim opinions, claims that the men who attacked…
Condemn the attack, but don’t blame “Arab-looking” people
THE STORY WAS UPDATED Pekka Kataja, a Perussuomalaiset (PS)* campaign manager from Jämsänkoski, was brutally attacked Friday at his home by what he called two “Arabian-looking” men. He claims that the attack was political because, as an ardent Islamophobe, he was in favor of shutting down the Jämsä asylum reception center. While all forms of…
Helsingin Sanomat editorial on the police service and media raises questions
According to a new survey on the police service, an editorial in Finland’s largest daily Helsingin Sanomat claims today that trust in the police runs high, even if the survey showed that confidence in the police had fallen by four percentage points to 91%. The editorial also puts in a favorable word for the media, which it…
HSL: Systemic racism and systemic denial in Finland
THE STORY WAS UPDATED We have recently read about two cases where security guards use force to handle a passenger that does not have a ticket. In both these cases, there is a link: both are black passengers. Both passengers were also on a transport or at a station operated by the Helsinki Regional Transport…
Facebook (Faith Mkwesha): My child “can’t breathe”
Migrant Tales insight: Dr. Faith Mkwesha’s child was was held and mistreated by security guards who handcuffed him and resting his knee on her child’s back. Apart from being a traumatic experience for her child and the mother, all of this happened because he did not have a valid metro ticket, which he thought incorrectly…
QUOTE OF THE DAY: I trust the laws of this land, you trust institutional racism
A recent column by Seida Sohrabi exposed, in my opinion, how people justify racism and social inequality. I and many others trust the law of this land while people like her have faith and trust institutional racism. Sohrabi claims to have a master’s in political science; she is an elementary school teacher and gives talks…
Facebook (Hotel & Spa Resort Järvisydän): virhe asiakaspalvelussa romaniasiakkaiden kohdalla
Mielestäni, syrjintä Hotel & Spa Resort Järvisydänmessä on hyvä esimerkki siitä kuinka rasismia romaneja vastaan toimi Suomessa. Se on jopa niin yleistä, että työntekijä voi kieltä palvelemassa ihmisiä, koska “he ovat romaneja.” Toinen asia on kuin Hotel & Spa Resort yrittää Facebookin kautta puolustella mitä oli tapahtunut. Mutta sitten kun uutinen savutti valtakunnan median mittoja,…
The assault that happened in Teuva against a Muslim should be treated as a hate crime
THIS STORY WAS UPDATED The mayor of Teuva Veli Nummela, the town’s newspaper Tejuka were straightforward about the attack against a Muslim in early June in the western Finnish town of Teuva. Nummela wrote in a blog about the anti-racism work done at the town’s schools. “We will evaluate these practices [anti-racism] at the beginning…