This cartoon by Muhamed Abdimajed Murshid was published seven years ago (18.5.2013) in Otavan Sanomat, a magazine project by the students of Otava Folk High School. The cartoon shows what a lot of migrants face when studying and learning to speak Finnish.
Picture one: Studying Finnish in the beginning.
Picture two: Two years later… Do any of you know basic Finnish grammar?
Picture three: At a job interview…You have learned Finnish but your accent doesn’t sound Finnish.
*The story was originally published in Migrant Tales on May 18, 2013.
Piia Kattelus-Kilpeläinen is the latest example of the bedfellows of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party. The councilperson from Seinäjoki, where she works as a police officer, offers an odd New Year’s greeting, all with a fascist Lapua Movement, Lapua like, (1928-1932) pullover, an ax, and a chain.
A publicity stunt of a media-hungry person craving for attention. Yes, true. Moreover, a person who would care less about the police’s image.
The PS has had several politicians who are from the police force. How could we forget Olli Sademies, convicted of ethnic agitation, Leena Meri, Tom Packalén, Mika Raatikainen, and others?
Former Helsinki substitute councilperson Sademies played dumb in court about his racist comments.
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” he was quoted as saying in 2017 by Demokraatti . “What is that ethnic group anyway that I have agitated? Charging me is absurd, and it’s a racist opinion.”
So what did Sademies actually say about Africans and Muslims?
Sademies’ post in May 2015 on Facebook suggested that since Africans threaten to destroy Finland’s social welfare system because they have so many babies. Therefore it “would require forced sterilization of African men [after three children], which would stop such a flood [of people coming to Finland] from obtaining a better living standard by shagging.”
Writes Kattelus-Kilpeläinen: “During the following year [2021], the Perussuomalaiset will become trendy and will be able to walk on Bulevardi street [in Helsinki] with a coffee with the colors of the Lapua Movement [a fascist group that was dissolved in 1932 after attempting a coup] [in Helsinki] without creating a commotion.”
All of the above-mentioned police officers who are PS politicians are known for their anti-Islam stances, which are so blatant at times that one wonders if it forms part of their police training.
Choosing the key figures in the Islamophobic and Afrophobic Hall of Shame wasn’t difficult even during a year ravaged by Covid-19. The task was to choose the most obvious culprits and other ones in the media that fuel and maintain such a toxic environment.
In putting together this year’s Hall of Shame, I was quickly overwhelmed by many politicians and other players of Finland’s Islamophobic and Afrophobic network.
We are looking at Islamophobia and Afrophobia because it is the most common and vile form of racism found in Finland. This has been well documented by The European Islamophobia Report 2019 and The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), and others.
One matter that Islamophobia, Afrophobia, and other forms of racism seek is to exclude others from enjoying their equal rights. Their narrative and actions are based on reinforcing prejudices and placing all types of obstacles.
Source: Islamophobia-definition.com. See also European Islamophobia Report 2019, which states: “When talking about Islamophobia, we mean anti-Muslim racism. […] Islamophobia is about a dominant group of people aiming at seizing, stabilizing and widening their power by means of defining a scapegoat – real or invented – and excluding this scapegoat from the resources/rights/definition of a constructed ‘we’Source: European Network Against Racism.
Thus politicians, political parties, and the media build their racism and stereotypes on the wings of lies, those that cause harm to not only its victims but to society in the erosion of human rights and democracy. The list of the central figures of Finland’s Islamophobic and Afrophobic network is published to challenge their toxic narrative and to never forget who they are.
Central Figures
Political Partiesand Politicians
The most Islamophobic and Afrophobic political grouping in Finland is the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, with the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) and Christian Democrats getting close honorable mentions.
Key parties in Finland’s Islamophobic and Afrophobic network are the PS, National Coalition Party, and Christian Democrats.
Under its former leader, Timo Soini, the PS discovered that there is a lot of potential for growth by capitalizing on racism targeting Muslims and Somalis. It is the only modern party in Finland that has exploited this social ill to gain political power. Their moment came in 2011 when the party gained in the parliamentary election 39 seats from 5 previously.
Even if it would be challenging to find a PS MP who did not use the Islamophobia card to get elected, the same applies to the whole party. The PS gets part of its hate fuel from its ties with far-right and neo-Nazi groups. The few that aren’t Islamophobes in the party are the pins in a haystack.
If the story about youth crime committed by so-called people of migrant backgrounds had been published in the United States, many would be considered misleading and racist.
One in November about youth crime ended up labeling all youths of migrant origin as dangerous or potential criminals. The other one, published this month, was about the suspected cold-blooded murder committed by 16-year-old white Finns.
Why are the angles of both stories so different?
One story labels a whole group of youths while the other one doesn’t.
How do you think Helsingin Sanomat, or the national media, would have treated the latest tragedy if the murder were committed by “youths of migrant backgrounds?
For one, all hell would break loose. Reporters would have a field day, as in the past, stoking the fires of prejudice and racism.
The story on the left raises alarm bells about youth crime committed by so-called youths of migrant background, which the one on the right does not label all white Finnish youths. Sources: Helsingin Sanomat
Migrant Tales will publish on Wednesday, December 30, people, politicians, the media, and political parties that spread Islamophobia and Afrophobia during 2020.
If you would like to participate in the making of this list, please send your suggestions to [email protected].
Who made it to Finland’s Islamophobic and Afrophobic Hall of Shame in 2020.
We believe that social ills like Islamophobia, Afrophobia, and all forms of racism should be a source of scorn and not a feather in one’s cap as MP Ano Turtiainen infamously said in 2019.
The Perussuoalaiset (PS)* party’s tactics are in a desperate mode as the days in office of their US political mentor, President Donald Trump, ends on January 20.
PS MEP Laura Huhtasaari, a staunch Trump supporter who nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, is one of Finland’s most representative white supremacist politicians.
Her aide, Olli Kotro, is also well known for his absurd statements and views. The latest one was seen on Saturday when he claimed that the words “Finland Suomi” did not appear on passports issued in Finland.
Kotro, who commonly uses fake news to drive home his extremist views, claimed that the source was a post on Instagram, whose identity he could not reveal for fear that the person would suffer attacks on social media.
Olli Kotro claims that the picture on the left is authentic. When asked (right picture) if it is authentic, he states that the picture is of a private person whose identity he wants to keep a secret.Source: Twitter
Kotro’s narrative is a copy-and-paste job of his boss, Huhtasaari, who in term constantly copy and pastes Islamophobic and alt-right diatribes. The strategy of far-right politicians like Kotro and Huhtasaari is not truth but raising the absurdity level to get attention. Their followers are like chronic fast-food consumers.
Their followers don’t mind since they are gullible if the fake news reinforces their prejudices.
Huhtasaari is such an avid white supremacist that she must spend hours shining her whiteness with the help of hair dye and makeup.
Pictures of showing the distinct phases of Huhtasaari’s “whiteness.”
Laura Huhtasaari in “good” company together (left) with far-right politicians like Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini. With US Vice President Mike Pence and the “nice” members that comprise (right) the EU’s far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) parliamentary bloc. Surprisingly, the Finnish media forgets to mention the PS’ membership in the ID bloc. Source: Facebook
Following on and off news about the repatriation of Finnish citizens from the al-Hol refugee camp raises a lot of questions about our society. The opposition, namely the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and National Coalition Party (NCP), are working overtime to score brownie points with the voters and fearmongering.
The commotion is now stirred by the repatriation of two women and six children. Considering that Finland is a country that claims to abide by social justice and the rule of law, some politicians’ behavior is shameful, self-centered, and cowardly.
Even if the path to repatriating the women and their children is a winding and difficult road for the government of Prime Minister Sanna Marin, the best matter that could be done is to repatriate all the Finnish citizens.
Why?
According to a statement by the ministry of foreign affairs, “Under section 22 of the Constitution of Finland, Finnish public authorities are obligated to safeguard the basic rights of the Finnish children interned in the camps insofar as this is possible. The basic rights of the children interned in the al-Hol camps can be safeguarded only by repatriating them to Finland.”
Forgetting that in our society, a person is considered innocent before proven guilty, politicians from the PS, NCP, and Supo, the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service are busily in lynch-mob mode.
The tweet below by Orpo on Sunday reads: “The repatriated adults [two women] are, according to Supo, a security risk to Finland. The government has the responsibility to ensure that those who committed crimes and involved in terrorist activities face justice and that the safety of the Finns isn’t endangered.”
Has anyone noticed how National Coalition Party head Petteri Orpo changed his look using different glasses and haircut? Orpo before (left), with less hair, and on the right with more har and thicker glasses. What kind of image do the two pictures evoke? Despite these image stunts, the National Coalition Party continues to do poorly in opinion polls. Sources: Yle and Helsingin Sanomat.Continue reading “Mayday, Mayday! Two women and six children entering Finland”
Valtakunnan politiikassa on joukkio, joka esiintyy räyhäkkään rasistisesti, hyökkäävästi ja syrjivästi. Media kohtelee tätä sakkia pehmeästi, jopa hyväksyvästi. Vain harvoin käytetään heitä selkeästi kuvailevia termejä: rasistit, rasistipuolue, uusfasistit, uusnatsit, eduskunnan häiriköt, kansanryhmää vastaan kiihottajat.
Termi, jota media usein käyttää, on ”populisti”. Sana on niin mukavan pyöreä ja pumpulinen ja kuulostaa ihan popmusiikilta. Moni persu julistaakin ylpeästi kuuluvansa populistipuolueeseen. Kirjoittihan persuperustajakin gradunsa populismista. Mutta medialta se on määrityksenä rimanalitus, kun keskustellaan puolueen rasistisista ulostuloista. On totta, että kansaa voidaan kiihottaa ja houkutella myös rasismin avulla, mutta sitä ei voida pitää normaalina tai hyväksyttävänä tapana.
Populistiset ”isänmaan puolustujat” eivät uskalla näyttää naamaansa julkisuudessa. Media on lähtenyt leikkiin mukaan ja julkaisee kuvia takapuolista. Savon Sanomat/Lehtikuva/Antti Aimo-Koivisto
Toinen perussuomalaisista ja muista rasisteista usein käytetty termi on ”maahanmuuttokriitikko”. Se on rasistien itse itselleen kehittämä ja median huojentuneena käyttöön ottama ilmaus. Medialle se on niin miellyttävä! Päästään puhumaan koko rasistisakista siten, että sen toiminta kuulostaa ihan asialliselta. Näin ei loukata ketään, vaikka kirjoitetaankin perussuomalaisten rikollisista toimista.
Yksi varsin harhaanjohtava, rasisteista usein käytetty termi on ”konservatiivi”. Konservatiivisuuteen kuuluu toki perinteisten arvojen korostaminen ja usein uudistusten vastustaminen tai hidastaminen, mutta konservatiivi ei ole rasisti. Jotkut puolustavat rasistisiin ulostuloihin syyllistynyttä ystäväänsä: ”No se nyt vaan on niin konservatiivinen, ei se mikään rasisti ole”. Normaalijärkinen konservatiivi oppii vielä vanhanakin olemaan käyttämättä rasistisia ilmaisuja ja lallattamatta mulliturpaloruja.
”Kansallismielinen” on myös termi, jonka taakse toimittaja usein kätkeytyy, kun pitää kirjoittaa henkilöistä, jotka eivät halua päästää maahan suomalaista miestä tummempaa ja naisiakin vain hyväksikäyttötarkoituksessa. Suomen itsenäisyyteen ja oman kulttuurin kehittämiseen noita ajatuksia ei mitenkään saa nivottua.
Kaikken ristiriitaisin termi rasismilla retostelevasta joukkiosta käytettynä on ehkä kuitenkin ”isänmaallinen”. Eiköhän liene niin, että vain maamme yhteisiä asioita eettisesti ja moraalisesti kestävällä tavalla hoitavia poliitikkoja voidaan kutsua isänmaallisiksi.
Miksi te toimittajat lähdette tällaiseen? Ettehän te murhaajiakaan kutsu oman käden oikeuden käyttäjiksi tai henkikriittisiksi.
Isänmaallista kuvastoa Jussi Halla-ahon Facebook-seinällä.
For decades, Finland has been such a far-flung country that it still does not have any good word for inclusion, never mind any willingness to promote it to newcomers. The same happened to the word “integration,” which became part of the Finnish language in the late-1990s.
Those were the good old days when foreigners and minorities were excluded and how white Finnish society monopolized all social, political, and economic power.
In Finland, we too often confuse these two words: equality (yhdenvertaisuus) and equity (oikeudenmukaisuus). Without equity, there is no social equality. Source: MF.
I would go as far as to state that a good Finnish term for inclusion does not exist because outsiders are expected to be indefinite outsiders.
A word like “inclusion” reveals volumes about Finnish society and how we see Others and keep them excluded. If you want people to integrate or be equal members of society, Finland should promote inclusion instead of integration.
But that is a tall order. By promoting inclusion, you are effectively giving real power, whereas, by integration, people accept the status quo.
Who could forget the former minister of immigration and integration, Inger Stojberg? Apart from her Islamophobic rhetoric, she is also remembered with a cake celebrating in 2017 the 50th tightening of Danish immigration laws.
There seems to be no shortages of Islamophobic politicians in Denmark.
The former minister is in a lot of hot water today for misleading parliament on the illegal order of separating certain married couples at asylum reception centers, reports The Local.
Writes The Local: “A further conclusion of the report is that the former minister, during the parliamentary hearings, ‘gave a different impression of the directive as it was communicated to the (immigration) service than was the case (in reality).’”
Bashy Quraishy, an anti-racism activist, wrote on Facebook: “Shouldn’t Inger Stjoberg be disqualified from her political position, and the law should punish her as Erik Ninn Hansen was after the Tamil Case?”
When he was minister of justice, Hansen tried to hinder Tamil refugees’ family reunification despite their legal rights as stipulated in Danish law.
The scandal led to the resignation of Poul Schlüter’s government in 1993.
Cartoon (left): Former minister of immigration and integration, Inger Stojberg tells the little girl if she does not have arms, she cannot have any cake.
