Many, if not most migrants who have moved to Finland, have heard the following claim: Learn the language, and presto you are integrated. While learning the language of your new homeland helps, it is only one of many things that will help you adapt to society. Erna Bödström’s dissertation, “Welcome to Fantasy Finland,” points out…
Month: September 2020
Two bullying cases in Finland, two standards by the police and society
Who can forget the 10-year-old girl allegedly bullied and physically attacked in a Northern Espoo school by her classmate(s) for wearing a hijab? When the incident occurred, the police quickly denied that racism was a factor in the bullying. Considering that too often the police months, if not years, to resolve racism cases, in the…
Rasismi voi johtaa itsemurhaan!
Rasismi ei vain ole ihonvärin erottelua. Rasismi on minulle turhanpäiväistä syrjintää. Syrjiä jotakuta sellaisen asian takia, mihin kukaan ei voinut vaikuttaa. Syrjintä joka voi johtaa itsemurhaan! Se kun jotakuta kiusataan vain, koska hän on musta. Kun joku ei saa töitä vain ja ainoastaan, koska hän on musta. Kun on vaikea saada asuntoa vain ja ainoastaan,…
When the police do not see (or want to see) bias motivation in a hate crime
Last year in Jämsä, an accompanied white Finn threatened an asylum seeker with a knife. Even if the asylum seeker does not speak Finnish well enough, he did make out the following words: vitun pakolainen (f**king asylum seeker) and vitun ulkomaalainen (f**king foreigner). The police did not mention the last two insults to the asylum…
Perussuomalaiset on vaarallinen äärioikeistopuolue
Perussuomalaisten jytkyn jälkeen v. 2011 kerroin blogissani kylmistä väreistä, jotka sain lukiessani Helsingin Sanomien julkaiseman artikkelin Hitlerin varhaisesta kirjeestä. Kolmekymppinen tuleva hirmuhallitsija ilmaisi suhtautumisensa juutalaisiin näin: “Vastenmielisyyden aiheuttajana on enimmäkseen henkilökohtainen kontakti ja vaikutelma, jonka yksittäinen juutalainen aiheuttaa – ja joka on lähes aina epäsuotuisa” Juuri samalla tavalla argumentoi tuolloin vasta valittu kansanedustaja, Jussi Halla-aho,…
Keyse Abdifatah Maalesh’s parents are unhappy with the involuntary manslaughter sentence. Plan to appeal.
THIS STORY WAS UPDATED It’s been close to five months after Keyse Abdifatah Maalesh, 18, lost his life at the Kannelmäki train station of Helsinki on April 26 when he was stabbed by a white Finn. Over two weeks ago on September 7, the suspect was handed a five-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter. Ilhan…
Helsingin Sanomat’s late editorial response to the threat of political violence sowed by the PS
THE STORY WAS UPDATED Helsingin Sanomat finally published an editorial about the Pekka Kataja case and the threat of far-right violence to our political system. While the editorial was long overdue due to the importance of the topic, why did it take Finland’s largest daily a week to form an opinion on its editorial page?…
Bedfellows Perussuomalaiset and the far-right: I’m surprised that you are still surprised
THIS STORY WAS UPDATED Playing dumb or dead to the threat of far-right groups is a political statement or reveals you are either lazy, naive, or white.. While it is a positive matter that the Finnish media is shedding light on two long-time bedfellows: the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and far-right groups, even so, the question we…
Now you see Riikka Purra, Ville Tavio and Sebastian Tynkkynen, now you don’t
Tero Ala-Tuuhonen is not a nice guy. Indeed, it depends on your perspective. If you sympathize with Nazis and all the far-right BS, then he is your man. Despite his background, there is a long list of Perussuomalaiset (PS)* politicians who like him. Is it the uniform he is wearing in the picture below, or…
PS MP Petri Huru and his ties with a far-right attempted murder suspect
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Petri Huru states in his Twitter account that his goal is to keep Finns safe. He is a chief fireman and a practical nurse. Noble professions but can trust Huru’s judgement? A question: What are you, MP Huru, doing smiling in a picture below with far-right activist Tero Ala-Tuuhonden? Isn’t he the…