September 2022 - Page 3 of 3

PS MP Juha Mäenpää warned that asylum seekers could spark a civil war in Finland

Posted on September 7, 2022 by Migrant Tales

US President Joe Biden warned in a recent speech that his country’s democracy is in peril. He pointed the finger at former President Donald Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again or Make Attorneys Get Attorneys) followers.

We asked in a recent posting if Biden labeled MAGA Republicans “semi-fascists,” why couldn’t we call the far-right Perussuonalaiset (PS)* the same?

Even if the PS’ and other radical-right followers have not yet stormed Parliament like on January 6 at the Capitol, the party’s far-right brand of rhetoric has caused a lot of harm to our democratic institutions. The hate speech they spread against migrants and minorities is one of many examples.

True, the PS wants to sanitize its hateful rhetoric because they want to form part of a next government after the April parliamentary election.

Who is Mäenpää? He’s the PS MP who called asylum seekers “invasive species” and did not face an ethnic agitation charges since his parliamentary immunity was not lifted.

Should we be surprised that the Finnish police forced Muslim women to remove their hijabs? Not.

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Migrant Tales

The incident of Finnish police brutality, where they physically forced Muslim asylum seekers to remove their hijabs, is not surprising in the least, taking into account the year (2017) and the Häme region of Finland.

Seven months after the incident with the Muslim women, Migrant Tales published a story about how the police gave tacit approval to the questionable role of far-right vigilante groups like the Soldiers of Odin.

At that time, Detective chief inspector of southern Finland, Markku Tuominen, surprised many people In January 2016 when he was quoted as saying that Finns should avoid contact with foreigners. In December, we even read that the police service of Häme welcomed street patrols in the town of Asikkala, according to Hämeen Kaiku.

Asiakkala is located between Hämeenlinna and Lahti.

Apart from supporting far-right vigilante gangs, several asylum reception centers attacked many arson (terrorist?) attacks in 2015. One of these was razed to the ground in Kankaanpää, where five white Finnish suspects were held last year for suspected far-right terrorist charges.

Adding another element to the country’s hostile environment towards asylum seekers and migrants, the Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* were in government. Their presence spearheaded numerous laws that tightened Finland’s already restrictive immigration law.

Entrevista con Migrantes News: La xenofobia y el racismo en Europa

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Migrant Tales

Tuve el placer de ser entrvistado por José León Toro Mejías, editor de Migrantes News. El está en la Argentina y yo en Finlandia. Aunque la distancia entre nuestros países es enorme, los temas de migración son bastantes parecidas. La xenofobia y el rasismo no reconoce distancias.

Muchas gracias León por la entrevista.

Primera part

Enrique; ¿entre la migración, xenofobia y racismo, ¿dónde está el problema?

Segunda parte

Su trabajo de periodista le permitió recorrer varios países, mientras sus profesiones le han hecho mirar las fibras en los valores sociales de los lugares que ha visitado.

Finnish police physically forced Muslim asylum seekers to take off their hijabs

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Migrant Tales

A group of Muslim asylum seekers in May 2017 charged seven police and security guards with assault and misconduct in the line of duty when they forced the women to take off their hijabs, according to Yle.

Apart from the questionable action of the police, it is interesting to note that the court case is happening today, or over five years ago when the incident took place. Moreover, the incident occurred shortly after over 30,000 asylum seekers came to Finland in 2015.

Migrant Tales has documented numerous cases of the poor treatment of asylum seekers by the police and staffers at asylum reception centers.

Even if the women objected, citing their religion, the police forced them to take their hijabs off.

“According to the prosecutor, the women were shouting and screaming, and the accused, among other things, pushed them chest first against the wall,” writes Yle. “Finally, the defendants took off the women’s scarves and took the pictures without them.”

The actions of the police caused injuries to the women. These included headaches, scarring, and redness all over their bodies.

The defendants claim they are innocent of any wrongdoing.

If Biden calls MAGA Republicans semi-fascists, why can’t we call the Perussuomalaiset the same?

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Migrant Tales

Like many analysts, US President Joe Biden’s “semi-fascism” remark did not go far enough. He should have just dropped the word semi and called them fascists. Taking into account how much the US democracy is in peril, shouldn’t it be time to call out the enemies by their real names?

The MAGA Republicans, who have Perussuomalaiset (PS)* followers like MPs Jussi Halla-aho, Veikko Vallin, Vilhelm Junnilla, and many others in Finland, are made from the same toxic brew.

There is nothing semi about MAGA Republican fascism. It’s the real thing, fair and square.

“MAGA Republicans want to take America backwards, backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love,” President Biden said.

In the same light, the PS is threatening and marginalizing minorities and migrants who should have limited civil rights. It’s clear that after the party passes now-unconstitutional laws to ensure that minorities and migrants are second-class members of society, they will go after other minorities like the Roma, Saami, gays, and others.

Racism makes my blood boil – why doesn’t yours?

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Migrant Tales

I have often wondered why racism some people in Finland are not moved by racism. Racism is a traumatic experience that remains inside of you. Some don’t react or care because they have never been a victim of such a social ill.

When racism jabs or throws a violent punch and your colleague or friend doesn’t react, it is the worst insult. Even worse is if the person denies completely racism or claims that you are overreacting.

Racism is such a profitable disorder that politicians use it to gain power and attention. Even so, the worst racists are the ones who do nothing, remain silent, and keep the structures of institutional racism intact.

Racism is a monster that you learn to live with but constantly plan on slaying it.