Maahanmuuttajataustaisten poliitikkojen nousu suomalaisessa politiikassa on tärkeä ja tervetullut kehitys, mutta se ei ole ongelmatonta. Heidän asemansa vähemmistöjen edustajina on monimutkainen, ja siihen liittyy useita haasteita, jotka vaikuttavat sekä heidän omaan toimintaansa että heidän edustamiinsa ryhmiin. #Vähemmistöjen niputtaminen yhdeksi ryhmäksi– syrjivä ajattelutapa Vähemmistöjen niputtaminen yhdeksi homogeeniseksi ryhmäksi on yleinen ja haitallinen ilmiö. Kun erilaiset maahanmuuttajaryhmät…
Month: November 2024
Finland’s different shades of denial and racism
Racism is like a Cadillac, they bring out a new model every year. Malcolm X Few these days deny that Finland has a racism problem against Muslims, people of color and Third Worlders, the Romany and Russian-speaking minority, the third largest after Finnish and Swedish speakers. The serious student of society does not only look…
Linkedin: The Russians are coming!
The Finnish media, including Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, have attacked in mob fashion Kimmo Kiljunen, member of the Social Democratic Party and chairperson of the foreign affairs committee, for speaking candidly to representatives of the Alexander Union, a Finnish-Russian association, about the Finnish-Russian border as well as other matters. Today, an editorial by Helsingin Sanomat…
Linkedin: Finland’s Interior Minister Mari Rantanen: Liar, liar, pants are on fire, your nose is longer than a telephone wire
I’m surprised that the media and politicians are surprised by far-right Finns Party (PS)Interior Minister Mari Rantanen’s double-talk about favoring Christians over Muslims in next year’s quota refugee pick. Rantanen’s fishy denials that next year’s selection of quota refugees had anything to do with preferring Christians over Muslims, prompted the non-discrimination ombudsman to do some…
SomaliFinnPodcast #3: Build bridges instead of walls
In the podcast, Mahad Sheikh Musse, who has been a youth social worker in Helsinki for over 20 years, offers some sound advice on how why looking beyond stereotypes and our biases can help us to look past ethnic labels, which keeps us from treating youths with migrant backgrounds with for what they are: full…
SomaliFinnPodcast#2: Everyone should be heard and respected
In Finland, immigrant-background families are often treated differently than other families when it comes to seeking help for their children. Mahad Sheikh Musse, a multicultural youth work professional with over 20 years of experience, contends that this practice creates inequality and alienates families from support services. He emphasizes that cultural backgrounds should not dictate the…
SomaliFinnPodcast #1: Challenging our prejudices of youth with migrant backgrounds
Mahad Sheikh Musse is a youth social worker with over 20 years experience. Apart from his social work, he is an avid writer who speaks out against discrimintion of youth with migrant backgrounds. In the first podcast, Musse speaks about how to tear down racist structures in society that reinforce discrimination. He said that one…
Linkedin: Islamophobia is on the rise in Finland: What is the role of the government?
If this question were asked to Prime Minister Petteri Orpo of the National Coalition Party, we would not have to guess his answer. Pointing to the anti-racism plan and a “very good” government program, Orpo would dodge the question in his usual style by sweeping the issue under the rug. In other words, his response…