Comment: A middle-aged man stepped in front of the speaker of parliament (Kokoomus), Ben Zyskowicz, and tried to attack him, according to tabloid Iltalehti.
Zyskowicz was quoted as saying that the unidentified man got in front of him started to call him a Jew and act aggressively. “There was a clear racist motive for the attack,” he said.
The recent incident against Zyskowicz is another lamentable example of how racist-motivated crimes have become more common in the country after the Perussuomalaiset won the April 17 election.
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Tommi Parkkonen
Eduskunnan puhemiehen Ben Zyskowiczin (kok) kimppuun käytiin myöhään keskiviikkoiltana Helsingin ydinkeskustassa. Zyskowicz oli tulossa hallitusneuvotteluista Säätytalolta yhdessä kokoomuskollega Kimmo Sasin kanssa, kun keski-ikäinen mieshenkilö yritti yllättäen lyödä häntä.
This attack is outrageous.
It is also quite outrageous how you once again connect the PS party to this news as if there were somehow to blame for this.
–It is also quite outrageous how you once again connect the PS party to this news as if there were somehow to blame for this.
Tell me Arto what kind of country was Finland before the PS came crashing into parliament? I had never in my years of living in Finland seen an MP like Teuvo Hakkarainen speak his mind in such a way about blacks. I never thought that Finland would elect people like Jussi Halla-aho and his group that are members of Nazi-spirited associations like Suomen Sisu. In English we say calling a spade a spade. I am outraged by what is happening in Finland and many people as well.
Or why do you think all this racism has surfaced in Finland?
Zyskowicz has been pretty populistic and hypercritical in his critique of migration minister Astrid Thors (who was carrying out the mutually agreed policies in the government programme to which Zyskowicz party subscribed to also and was a part of forming) in the last parliament. Perhaps now he realises what kind of atmosphere such talk creates. He has not been innocent in its creation.
–Perhaps now he realises what kind of atmosphere such talk creates. He has not been innocent in its creation.
Maybe it is an unfortunate wake up. Can you imagine living in a country in the 1930s with this kind of an atmosphere. I think it would have been pretty easy to convince people that fascism is ok.
Jonas: I am truly amazed to read text like that. So Zyskowicz somehow at least almost deserved to be attacked? The last government finally and fortunately made some improvement to immigration policy, despite of minister Thors.
“I had never in my years of living in Finland seen an MP like Teuvo Hakkarainen speak his mind in such a way about blacks. ”
I think you give too much value on Hakkarainen. He is a clown and everyone can see that. He can never have true influence even though he is an MP (execpt as part of a larger group). But I must say I should find out about his campaign – how did he get those voters?
“I never thought that Finland would elect people like Jussi Halla-aho an his group that are members of Nazi-spirited associations like Suomen Sisu.”
I was quite sure Halla-aho will be elected and I believe it is good he did – since I still do not see or believe any “Nazi-spiritness” or racist about him. I have never seen him write about Nazis in other ways than as a terrifying example of what can happen to civil rights. I hope Halla-aho will never turn out to be something different from what I think he is.
I don’t quite believe that racism has really increased so much as one would understand by reading your blog. However, I acknowledge that some people may have voted PS on racist grounds, since they think PS will do what they want – even if it was for different reasons than racist ones. And unfortunately there is always a large portion of people who are not clever enough to see the difference between racism and other critical attitude towards immigration.
Nevertheless, it is unfair to blame PS on any racist attacks – even Teuvo Hakkarainen has never told anybody to use violence against immigrants, despite the fact that his statements have otherwise been awkward.
Enrique: “Maybe it is an unfortunate wake up. Can you imagine living in a country in the 1930s with this kind of an atmosphere. I think it would have been pretty easy to convince people that fascism is ok.”
I think you largely exaggerate the problem. Take a deep breath for a while and think if you really have correct proportions in your thinking.
By the way, I have confronted racism and xenophobia in a quite interesting way a couple of times: my wife does not look like a typical Finn and often people think she is a foreigner. Some “neo-Nazi-spirited” young men have started to pick a fight on her, and in a grocery store, a guard used to start following her constantly. This was years ago. Despite of what you think about my writings, I am strongly against racism and have some, personal enough experiences about it. The problem needs to be addressed but not exaggerated.
I would also like to add that many PS MPs have been threatened. Some people who are against them seem to have quite fascist ways to show it. This is another reason why I encourage you, Enrique, to be more careful of how you write about PS. Some people may actually believe they are Nazis by reading your blog and might end up doing something really stupid. After all, we all remember the political murder of Fortuyn in Holland.
More information about the Pim Fortuyn case:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pim_Fortuyn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkert_van_der_Graaf
What a disgusting thing to happen in Finland but it’s not unexpected. Open racism and racist attacks has been on the increase since Hala-aho and his band of merry fascist Neo-Nazis started spreading their anti-multiculturalism message.
Ben Zyskowicz is speaker of parliament so it gets to make news but what about all those of us darker skinned people who have to endure increased racist incidents daily without any consequences?
Arto, no, he did not deserved to be attacked. Absolutely not and that is certainly not what I said. As for minister Thors, she was criticised for populist reasons by many people during her time as Migration Minister in the outgoing government. From the opposition parties (especially True Finns), this was perhaps to be expected. However, that it also came from members of her own government was extraordinary and a new low for vote-fishing. Finnish government ministers work according to commonly agreed government programmes, thus Kokoomus as a party that was member of the last government had signed up to those policies she was enacting. To criticise her is thus hypercritical. Centre party members in the last government were even worse.
I’m not in anaway defending what happened or ANY type of violence but one should still remember what is the actual state of anti-semitism in Europe and who are the main culprits:
http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20110601-35381.html
“Pressure grows on Left over anti-Semitism”
http://www.thelocal.se/24632/20100127/
“I’m not saying we don’t have problems with neo-Nazis, but the threats aren’t as concrete,” he explained.
“More often it’s the far-left that commonly use Jews as a punching bag for their disdain toward the policies of Israel, even if Jews in Malmö have nothing to do with Israeli politics.
http://www.thelocal.se/32094/20110216/
““I can understand that Jewish people feel threatened in Malmö,” hate crimes specialist Gosenius explains.
“We have a huge population from the Middle East, West Bank and Gaza and most (Jewish) victims describe their perpetrators as young Muslim men.”
Hmmm , I wouldn’t buy all that your’re saying. I think manu Jews in Sseden were very concerned by the rise of the Sweden Democrats, which were a neo-Nazi group a whole back.
So, Arto, what will you be commenting when Zyskowicz is shot next time for being Jewish?
Your line of reasoning is, as always, twisted and completely disgusting!
Jonas, I am glad to hear that. Your original post just easily gives a different impression… “Perhaps now he realises what kind of atmosphere such talk creates.” So talking critically about immigration policy would create a racist atmosphere? Is it then a reason for not to talk about it?
Even if immigration policy is written to government program, certainly the responsible minister has influence on many details while doing her work, and there can be disagreement within the government.
“So, Arto, what will you be commenting when Zyskowicz is shot next time for being Jewish?”
Now I said that the attack against Zyskowicz was outrageous. I also said it is unfair to blame the PS party about the attack. Did I say something wrong?
“Your line of reasoning is, as always, twisted and completely disgusting!”
Thank you. Although I am quite confused to read that since you are not more specific about this accusation of yours.
Neo-nazis or ufo men, that’s besides the point. The reality in Europe still seems to be that it is not the right wing that is the main culprit of anti-semitism. It seems to be the case also on political violence.
BZ has created an interesting case for the police and public prosecutor. If the offence is classified as petty assault, then the prosecutor may not press charges without the victim’s consent. On the other hand, if the offence is ordinary assault (including the attempt), then the consent of the victim is irrelevant to any prosecution. Here we have a premeditated racially motivated offence directed specifically at a very prominent politician who also holds high public office. To classify this as petty assault may set a dangerous precedent.
Anyway, we have been assured by many experts here that there is no racism in Finland, so perhaps the police and the prosecutor will go after BZ instead for filing a false criminal complaint.
“Jonas, I am glad to hear that. Your original post just easily gives a different impression… “Perhaps now he realises what kind of atmosphere such talk creates.” So talking critically about immigration policy would create a racist atmosphere? Is it then a reason for not to talk about it?
Even if immigration policy is written to government program, certainly the responsible minister has influence on many details while doing her work, and there can be disagreement within the government.”.
Of course there can be disagreements with the government. It would be strange if there were not in a government of multiple parties. However, the criticism of Thors that we saw during the last parliamentary term was often extraordinary in its personal nature. I certainly don’t recall any debate in my memory that was so disgustingly personal in its nature than that during the process of the new migration law in parliament. It was more than just criticism of policy. Thors as a person was vilified. She is a relatively minor minister in government, yet has to have one of the biggest Police protections.
“Anyway, we have been assured by many experts here that there is no racism in Finland”
Which experts? Where? Such a claim would be quite extraordinary in any country.
@ Hmmm
A Jewish politician in Finland is attacked in public for being Jewish and all you can think of is how you can deflect attention. This picture and many similar ones were widely circulated prior to the PS election victory. http://oi52.tinypic.com/nnuu8o.jpg
It is certainly no joke and it has consequences in the real world. You may continue to stick your head in the sand and try to deflect attention from the fact that native Finns are responsible for anti-semitism and racism in Finland.
Singaporean: !? You say that image is not a joke? What is it then? I have never seen it before but it cannot be anything but either a joke, or an attempt to mock the PS party.
-“Tell me Arto what kind of country was Finland before the PS came crashing into parliament? I had never in my years of living in Finland seen an MP like Teuvo Hakkarainen speak his mind in such a way about blacks. I never thought that Finland would elect people like Jussi Halla-aho and his group that are members of Nazi-spirited associations like Suomen Sisu. In English we say calling a spade a spade. I am outraged by what is happening in Finland and many people as well.
Or why do you think all this racism has surfaced in Finland?”
Ah, now you are asking a good question! But again your answer is WRONG.
WHY are PS gaining support? Answer is simple.
FAILED IMMIGRATION! People see problems of immigration in their daily lives but idiots with rose tinted glasses who think “multiculti is cool” refuse to see them and assume that pretending problem does not exist makes it go away.
You want to get rid of PS party? Fix the problems caused by immigrants Enrique. Start talking to your immigrant buddies and tell them to adjust to society.
Tell them to spend more time learning Finnish, less whining that it is unfair that in Finland Finns want to speak Finnish.
More time learning useful skills, less time whining that Finland does not offer jobs for people who have no skills to offer which are in demand.
And teach your buddies that in Finnish culture, woman is not property and neither does “no” mean “yes” if she has offered coffee.
Are you aware that abour HALF of suspected rapists were immigrant origin in 2010?
Unless immigrants learn to change their attitude, you will not see PS-party lose popularity.
I would also like to see your proof for Nazi association of Suomen Sisu? Is this actual fact or yet another one of your baseless accusations without proof… I recall you like doing those.
Enriqe, maybe you should spend more time discerning truth and coming to terms with it and less time trying to spread lies and hatred towards Finns. Because… You are a racist.
Regarding attack on Ben, it is unacceptable and should be prosecuted. Just like threats towards PS-party representatives.
–Enriqe, maybe you should spend more time discerning truth and coming to terms with it and less time trying to spread lies and hatred towards Finns. Because… You are a racist.
One of the methods used by anti-immigration groups is to call those that challenge their thin arguments is “that he/she is a racist.”
Usually I won’t comment on your hearsay and accusations but they reveal one of the biggest problems in the ongoing debate: Lack of respect and the unwillingness to even acknowledge the other side. You are a good example. I have mentioned before that when people read your threads they don’t need any more proof to see the face of an ever-growing social ill in Finland.
You better get in touch with KRP and Supo about Suomen Sisu.
“A Jewish politician in Finland is attacked in public for being Jewish and all you can think of is how you can deflect attention.”
No, that is only your perception, and a false one. I clearly stated that I don’t approve of any such actions, and I don’t see how you can see it as an attempt to “deflect attention”. The only thing I wanted to express is that “anti right-wingers” should not bury their heads in the sand and look away from the evils of left-wing extremism (which at the moment seems to be a bigger problem in Europe) . Now, could you tell me how you perceive that I’m trying to say that native Finns are not guilty of racist acts? Your perception of my motives is just BS.
PS. the picture you linked was a joke, right? It clearly has an anti PS message.
There is a very interesting twist to this story. It has fallen off the press radar a little, but my hint to readers is to focus on “There was a clear racist motive for the attack”.
Honestly, the sheer amount of racism seen in this particular thread makes me ponder demanding a police investigation on some of the comments’ authors. Idiocy is one thing, but saying that BZ deserved to be attacked crosses a line.