Author, teacher, editor, and human rights activist Enrique Tessieri
Here is the Finnish version of Indian novelist, human rights and environmental activist Arundhati Roy’s quote*:
“Instead of writing editorials about the threat of populism in Finland, the media prefers to spend a lot of time publishing polls that show the rise of populism or waiting for Halla-aho to be the country’s next prime minister. And the danger with that kind of obsession with a single party and a single person is that you don’t see the society that produced them.”
*People spend so much time mocking Trump of waiting for him to be impeached. And the danger with that kind of obsession with a single person is that you don’t see the system that produced him.
The far-right anti-immigration populist party, the Perussuomalaiset, is leading the polls. What does the success of an Islamophobic party reveal about Finnish society and how can we contain it?
From left to right: Rodolfo Walsh, Harriet Tubman, James Baldwin, and Mercedes Sosa.
One matter that surprises me about labor discrimination is how some employers believe it is ok to exclude people because of ethnic background. The most recent case involves the Nokkakiven amusement park near Jyväskylä that stated on its job openings page that “if your appearance is clearly from another culture, people who look clearly foreign” might have problems getting hired.
Apart from the employer claiming that gender equality (tasa-arvo) is important in Finland, but it is ok for the company to discriminate based on ethnic background, it is amazing that these types of stories continue to pop up.
One of the most incredible stories that Migrant Talespublished was in 2011, when an entrepreneur from Joensuu published on the Te-services employment page that people “with the wrong skin color” need not apply.
The entrepreneur was slapped with a 645-euro fine for publishing such a racist ad.
Another case happened in 2018, when a woman of color was told that she not of the right ethnicity for the job. The women from Rwanda said she was about the get hired until the employer found out that she was black.
In 2014 we reported that a Muslim woman who wore a headscarf to work on her first day was fired. The managers of the Guess clothing store deny that the woman was fired because she is a Muslim but were fined by a Helsinki District Court. The ruling was the first-ever based on religious attire.
In Scotland, Sweden, Minnesota and in other parts Muslim women are allowed to wear hijabs. In Finland, a Muslim woman in 2014 was not admitted to the police training school because she would not take off her headscarf during working hours. The woman was so disappointed with the rejection that she even contemplated leaving Finland.
Sikh bus driver Gill Sukhdarshan Singh’s long fight to wear a turban at work ended in a victory for him in 2014. Singh said that he went to work on that historic Friday (February 21) at 10am. Even so, he had been struggling with his employer for about a year to have the right to wear a turban at work.
Labor discrimination is not the only form of hostility that migrants and minorities face daily in Finland. Even Finnish fitness centers advertised in 2015 that migrants needn’t apply as members.
The list of discrimination cases in this story is only a microscopic tip of the iceberg. The question we should ask, if we are serious about challenging discrimination in Finland is if the authorities are doing enough.
Do they have sufficient resources to tackle such problems? Are they serious about challenging racism and discrimination?
Migrant Tales wrote back in January a moving story about a Turkmen Iraqi family of three who feared deportation. Their brave 13-year-old daughter, Ilayta S., who speaks five languages, got in touch with me this month. She gave me the good news: Her family was granted a residence permit to stay in Finland.
One of the matters I asked Ilayta to do, if she wanted, was to write a letter to Finland about this important moment in their lives.
For four years the family has lived in constant uncertainty and in the last stages with deportation hanging over their heads. After such an ordeal, it is revealing that Ilayta would write about the discrimination they’ve suffered and “don’t judge people based on their appearance because you can never know what they’ve gone through.”
“Voi olla hyvää jos noi ulkomaalaiset ei olisi täällä! Älä arvostele toisi niiten ulkonään perusteella, et voi ikinä tiedää ne on kokenut!” Translation: “It may be a good matter if those foreigners weren’t here. Don’ judge others based on their appearance since you can never know what they have gone through!
Finland needs people like Ilayta who can make Finland a better country for everyone irrespective of their background.
A racist is an individual, always an individual, who does not like people based on race – must be conscious – and who intentionally seems to be mean to them.
Robin DiAngelo, sociologist
THIS STORY WAS UPDATED
Using DiAngelo’s definition, the Perussuomalaiset (PS),* their politicians, their voters, and followers are racists because through such a party they consciously and intentionally aim to harass and bully people they don’t like based on their ethnic and/or religious background.
Disagree?
Take a look at the near-endless attacks against asylum seekers, Muslims, and terms used by the PS’ leader Jussi Halla-aho who calls such migrants “harmful.”
The PS would not exist and get support without its hateful Islamophobic message and rhetoric. Under Halla-aho’s leadership, the PS has forged close ties with neo-Nazis and ethnonationalists.
Finland needs pushback to such ludicrous rhetoric unless we want the next prime minister of Finland to be from an Islamophobic and extremist party like the PS.
Helsinki City Councilperson Abdirahim Husu Hussein’s tweet was just the pushback and wake up call this country needs. It is a long-overdue and honest discussion required in Finland about racism.
The fact that racism, discrimination, hate speech, and hate crime have worsened in Finland is proof that the present debate, which is mostly carried out by white Finns, is ineffective and intended to maintain the present system and change matters very little for people of color and other minorities.
“Was yesterdays tweet too much for you? Let me be more concrete. All of the Perussuomalaiset and their voters/supporters are racists. Yes i said it. Do you need proof? Look at your history and how you were elected as Finland’s second-biggest party [in parliament].”“Finland is a racist country. This has to be said out loud and not look for excuses why matters are this way. Only this way we can find a solution. Let’s admit the problem and maybe then we can find solutions to some things.”
Mostly white Finns, who are the least affected by racism, debate and give their opinions about the social ill;
Contrary to what Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s government claimed, Finland’s integration program is not a failure. What failed and made matters worse was the tightening of immigration policy and fueling the hostile environment against migrants and minorities;
Too many people who work with migrants are incompetent, even hostile to groups like Muslims and have racism issues. Since there is little follow up of their work by competent people, the same mistakes persist;
Our society speaks of two-way adaption but in reality, it is one way;
Such officials offer too often simplistic solutions to complex matters like integration. Their usual advice to migrants is: “learn the language” and/or get a job, which will solve your integration problems;
Such advice by the authorities is deceptive and do not help address labor discrimination and social exclusion in general;
To conclude: The aim of Finland’s integration program is to adapt people to a white Finnish society that has no idea or wish to share public spaces with other cultures.
So why make such a big deal about Hussein’s tweet and racism in general?
To save Finland from a lot of social problems and headaches today and in the future.
We need to wake up from our denial.
* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017, into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. In the last parliamentary election, Blue Reform has wiped off the Finnish political map when they saw their numbers in parliament plummet from 18 MPs to none. A direct translation of Perussuomalaiset in English would be something like “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” Official translations of the Finnish name of the party, such as Finns Party or True Finns, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and racism. We, therefore, at Migrant Tales prefer to use in our postings the Finnish name of the party once and after that the acronym PS.
The picture of the girl in Joutseno’s immigration removal center was taken by a detained Iraqi family in 2017. If there is a picture that represents the injustice of Finland’s heartless immigration “service” authorities, it is this picture of the girl gazing at her future from a barred window with barb wire.
You can check the video of the detained family here.
After this ordeal, and after a lot of pressure placed on the Finnish Immigration Service, the family of nine was not deported but given a residence permit to stay in Finland.
The video above can be watched through the link. The girl in the picture said: “Me olemme Joutsen(ossa). Ovet kiinni…ja ikkunat kiinni. Jos tarvitsemme asia paina ovikelloa…sitten poliisi tule. Ja siellä on kamera. Ja emme osamme ulos.” (We are in Joutseno. Door closes..and windows are closed. If we need something we press the doorbell…then the police comes. And there’s a camera. And we don’t know how to go outside). Source: Iltalehti.
A racist is an individual, always an individual, who does not like people based on race – must be conscious – and who intentionally seems to be mean to them.
Robin DiAngelo, sociologist
DiAngelo’s definition of racism incriminates the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* with their hand in the racist cookie jar. The whole political message of the PS hinges on consciously being mean to people of color, especially Muslims and Somalis.
There are countless examples of how PS politicians and their supporters consciously say and encourage their followers to say disrespectful things that polarize our society. Several PS politicians, like its leader Jussi Halla-aho, have convictions for ethnic agitation.
Helsinki City Councilperson Abdirahim Husu Hussein’s tweet, claiming that all PS politicians, voters and supports are racist is a long-overdue discussion needed in Finland unless you want the next prime minister to be the leader of a far-right Islamophobic party.
The reaction of the PS and of a Nurmijärvi councilperson to Hussein’s tweet offer a good example of white Finnish fragility.
Maiju Tapiolinna’s Facebook post is a good example of the hostility that white Finnish fragility brings out in some people. She states: “Somalis should leave the country if they don’t integrate.” The Nurmijärvi PS politician has asked to police to investigate Hussein’s tweet in order that the police file charges against him. For what? The PS is not an ethnic group. Source Facebook and Sakari Timonen’ blog.
Halla-aho’s reaction to Hussein’s tweet about the PS was expected. He said in Uusi Suomi, an online publication that gives the PS a forum to spread their far-right ideology: “In a country that abides by the rule of law, it is paramount that the law protects all individuals and groups alike.”
The PS leader, who hears no hate speech/fascism or see no hate speech/fascism, is crying about white people needing the same protection as minorities. Considering that hate speech laws are intended to protect vulnerable groups like Muslims, Halla-aho’s comment has white privilege painted over it.
Halla-aho’s logic is in the same league as one used by his party in the past, which argued that the Finns are “an indigenous group” threatened by immigration.
The biggest threat to the PS’ future is to fail at becoming a “normal” racist far-right party.
Will Halla-aho and the PS succeed at becoming a “normal” party while spouting anti-immigration and far-right rhetoric to its supporters?
It all hinges on what our reaction to the PS’ balancing act (seeming like a “normal” party whose politicians and supporters are consciously racist).
Migrant Tales was quoted in Time Magazine right after the 2011 parliamentary election when the PS gained 39 seats from 5 previously. Back then, former PS chairperson Timo Soini said: “We are not extremists so you can sleep safely,” and we were quoted right after: “Far-right populism is an illness inflicting Europe at present and it now has a beachhead in Finland.”
* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017, into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. In the last parliamentary election, Blue Reform has wiped off the Finnish political map when they saw their numbers in parliament plummet from 18 MPs to none. A direct translation of Perussuomalaiset in English would be something like “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” Official translations of the Finnish name of the party, such as Finns Party or True Finns, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and racism. We, therefore, at Migrant Tales prefer to use in our postings the Finnish name of the party once and after that the acronym PS.
Social Democratic Party Helsinki city councilperson Abdirahim Husu Hussein tweeted that all the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and their supporters are racists. If you think of it, he has a point. The PS is not only an Islamophobic party, but it is also a far-right party as well.
A PS councilperson from Nurmijärvi, Maiju Tapiolinna, filed charges against Hussein. She writes in a blog post: “However, this has to be thoroughly investigated since recently in Finland there is strong opposition to racism. I believe this is a very good matter, but we need to eradicate racism against Finns.”
She continues: “I will follow the accusations against Hussein to the end. It is my duty to the party and to my constituents.
Two questions arise from Topiolinna’s blog post: (1) Are these charges for real? A white Finn who claims there is racism towards people of her group? (2) are the PS an ethnic group?
Apart from the absurdity of Toppolinna’s charges against Hussein, they are a perfect example of what sociologist Robin Diangelo describes as white fragility.
Diangelo states in her best-selling book, “White Fragility,” that most white people “are absolutely not receptive to finding out their impact on other people.” She also mentions that the reaction caused by white fragility is nothing fragile but hostile.
https://youtu.be/kzLT54QjclA
The response to people like Hussein, who remind white Finns about their racism, is so hostile that many people of color prefer to remain quiet than get into a discussion about racism.
Tapiolinna’s plan to press charges against Hussein is, therefore, a good example of how white Finnish fragility reacts.
I commend Hussein for speaking out. If he wouldn’t speak out against the racism that has spread and been encouraged by the PS this decade, who would?
* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017, into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. In the last parliamentary election, Blue Reform has wiped off the Finnish political map when they saw their numbers in parliament plummet from 18 MPs to none. A direct translation of Perussuomalaiset in English would be something like “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” Official translations of the Finnish name of the party, such as Finns Party or True Finns, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and racism. We, therefore, at Migrant Tales prefer to use in our postings the Finnish name of the party once and after that the acronym PS.
Today marks the day when a white Norwegian terrorist called Anders Breivik murdered in cold blood 77 people. Mentally deranged? This is how some want to interpret such a vile act of terrorism.
One of the matters that the monstrous attack by Breivik has proven eight years after it happened is that we have a great ability to forget and cover up our racism with the help of collective amnesia with denial.
The system also produced Anders Breivik and 22/7. Source: Facebook.
But what can you expect? We have had centuries of training. European history is proof: initial horror is always covered up by collective amnesia.
Disagree?
Where are the news stories remembering this day of infamy?
After the horrors of World War 2, the Holocaust, genocide, and the persecution of minorities, we are witnessing in Europe today the rise of populist parties and politicians (with the toothless approval of mainstream parties) that parrot the same hatred that brought the same horrors of the past.
Wake up Europe or succumb to the horrors and wars of the past. People like Breivik is a toxic warnings that are watered and fed by our denial and racism.
From left to right: Rodolfo Walsh, Harriet Tubman, James Baldwin, and Mercedes Sosa.
Shirlene Green Newball is an Afro-Nicaraguan activist who moved to Finland 13 years ago and lives today in the capital Helsinki. Shirlene tells us in the interview about her life in Finland and those of Afro-Nicaraguans and other minorities. Is Finland a good country to live in if you are a black woman from the Caribbean region?
