Migrant Taleswrote Monday a piece about the catastrophic election result of the Danish People’s Party (DPP) this month and why the result sent shivers up the Perussuomalaiset’s (PS)* spine.
In early June, the DPP saw its popularity nosedive by 12.4 percentage points to 8.7% (16 MPs) from 21.1%(37 MPs) previously.
The PS and DPP are cosy ideological allies.
Certainly, the result in Denmark shows that populist anti-immigration parties are immortal and vulnerable and can be beaten in their own Islamophobic game.
Another matter it shows is that issues like climate change, which explains the rise in popularity of the Greens, is taking over immigration as a top concern of voters.
Islamophobia and xenophobia have their limits, too. You can tighten immigration policy to the extreme but where will it take you? Is the final phase using boxcars to transport people to concentration camps?
The firely Islamophobic langauge and aims of the Danish People’s Paty.
It may well be that immigration in the next parliamentary election in Finland in 2022, which is a pet topic of the PS, may be taken over by climate change.
If I were a member of the PS, I would be worried, very worried about the future of the party.
Doesn’t the PS deny climate change?
This will not go down well with the voters.
* 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.
After the good showing of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* in April’s parliamentary election, it is surprising how little media attention the national media gave to the dismal showing of the anti-immigration Danish People’s Party (DPP) in this month’s election in Denmark. The DPP, which is a close ideological ally of the PS, lost 21 of its seats to end up with 16 seats.
“It’s great that the Danish People’s Party suffered such a loss in the election and it is a new chapter in Danish politics,” a Danish Muslim told Migrant Tales.
The election in Denmark was significant for two reasons: It showed that if traditional parties use the same anti-immigration rhetoric of populist parties they can win elections; populist parties can be beaten in their own Islamophobic game.
Apart from cries by PS vice chairperson Riikka that the party will win the next parliamentary election, the result in Denmark must have sent shivers up hers and the party’s spine.
What is worrying about the Social Democratic election victory in Denmark, and the defeat of the DPP, is that it may offer Finland’s Social Democrats an option to take the wind out of the PS’ sails.
Looking at the ever-anti-immigration rhetoric of the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), it is already happening.
The rise of populism and anti-immigration parties in the Nordic region reveal that racism is a powerful political force and that present politicians are at a loss on how to confront it or, possibly, don’t care to challenge it.
* 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.
In Finland, there are parties and groups whose sole aim is to defend Finnish white supremacy, a concocted lie to justify one’s racism and oppress and exclude people of color.Who are these groups and how do they operate?
In Finland, there are parties and groups whose sole aim is to defend Finnish white supremacy, a concocted lie to justify one’s racism and oppress and exclude people of color.
The Association of Finnish Culture and Identity (Suomalaisuuden liitto), responsible for whitewashing cultural diversity in Finland, and Suomen Sisu are prime examples. The Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo), Finnish Criminal Police (KRP), academics, and the Council for the Mass Media (JSN), labeled Suomen Sisu a “Nazi spirited” association.
“The traditional role of the Association of Finnish Culture and Identity is to awaken and strengthen knowledge and the way of thinking as well as in every way promote Finnishness, especially Finnish-language based culture. ” The statement should, however, read: “The traditional role of the Association of Finnish Culture and Identity is to whitewash diversity in Finland by promoting Finnish white culture.”
Finland’s second-biggest party in parliament, the Perussuomalaiset (PS),* is where these far-right ethnonationalist groups have found a platform and springboard to expand and normalize their ideology.
One matter that unites them ideologically is that they live in a cultural time warp where culture remains near-stagnant and is under threat by migration and minorities.
Suomen Sisu’s mission statement reads: “Finnishness cannot be redefined, it can only be maintained and developed, or it will be displaced.”
While Suomen Sisu, an association that is openly against Finns marrying and hostile to non-Finns, has caused little outrage and is a source of concern.
Whenever you talk about your group as “a tribe” you start to flirt or flirt with racism. The PS Youth, which had their funds cut this year due to a racist tweet, is a prime example.
The logo of the association gives the impression that Finnish women walked around in ethnic costumes at a time where many people could not afford proper clothing.
The PS Youth’s logo. White women and romanticism for a period where most Finns could not afford to have Finnish costumes. Source: Perussuomalaiset nuoret.
The PS held on Saturday its annual congress where it reelected Jussi Halla-aho as their chairperson and three vice presidents, Arja Juvonen, Riikka Purra, and Juha Eerola.
While Halla-aho and all of the vice presidents of the party have built their political careers on the anti-immigration message, its newly elected party secretary, Simo Gönroos, is a member of the ethnonationalist Suomen Sisu and the Association of Finnish Culture and Identity.
Apart from his anti-immigration stance, Grönroos is the executive director of the Suomen Perusta Foundation, whose aim is to “prove” that immigration is costly and harmful to Finland.
Grönroos, an ethnonationalist to the core, was quoted in Helsingin Sanomat by giving his views of Finnishness and Finnish identity. He stated that “the starting point is that one is born a Finn.”
Then he offers a typical Halla-aho interpretation to justify the latter claim.
“If a Finn moved to Somalia, he will not become a Somali,” he reasoned. “If a Somali moves to Finland, he will not become a Finn even if he could be a Finnish citizen.”
This is exactly the same copy-and-paste response that Halla-aho gave in a YLE interview in February. “If I would for some reason go to Somalia and become a Somali citizen would that make me a Somali,” he asked.
In the search for terms to maintain white Finnish supremacy, Halla-aho, like Grönroos, want to separate so-called “ethnic” or white Finn from Finn just like the terms English from British.
“The question who is a Finn is [an] interesting [question],” Halla-aho was quoted as saying in the YLE interview. “The problem is that in Finnish we don’t have a term that classifies who is an ethnic Finn and a Finnish citizen.”
If the above isn’t an example of white Finnish supremacy and relegating Other groups as second-class members of society living as eternal outsiders without history, nothing is.
A clarification to Halla-aho and Grönroos: None of us want to be white like you never mind hold the same racist views as you. That would be horrible. However, everyone, irrespective of their background, is an equal member of society that defines Finnishness in the way he or she wishes. Finnishness does not and never will mean being white.
In order to understand how misplaced Halla-aho’s and Grönroos’ views are, we could apply them to countries like the United States, Canada, Argentina, and others.
The result: Minorities and Other groups would be outraged because it is justifying the whitewashing of their history and white supremacist ideology.
* 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 nativistnationalism 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.
“Mikäs mies tuo Enriikke Tessieeri on olevinaan? En oikein tykästynyt miehen teksteihin, tuntui vähän siltä että näppäimistöön kajotessaan Enriquella on alkanut pyryttää pahemman kerran.
Eipä sillä, varmasti Suomessa on syrjintää, ryssävihaa, sovinismia ynnämuuta, mutta mitä sitten? Eikö niitä voitaisi jo laskea suomalaiseen kulttuuriin, on niistä niin kauan valitettu. Ja kun ne olisivat virallisesti meidän kulttuuriamme, voisimme vedota silmät vetistäen tiedostaviin tahoihin että meidän kulttuuriamme on suojeltava maahanmuuttajien vastaavalta. Se luultavasti toimisi….Ai ei?”
The Iraqi family with two children aged 6 and 5 will meet in Tampere with a representative of the Red Cross at noon. The family was evicted from the Red Cross-managed Kemi asylum reception center after the Finnish Immigration Service said their asylum process was over and had to leave the country.
The father said that he was worried if his family would get the same treatment as in Kemi.
The city of Kemi turned its back on the family by granting only 10 days of room and board in two 5-day installments.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Asylum seekers (from left to right): the father, son, daughter, and wife.
Isabela Mihalache, who is an expert on the Roma in Europe and who works at the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), Europe’s largest anti-racism NGO, speaks to Migrant Tales editor Enrique Tessieri about the situation of the Romany minority in Europe.
The ongoing debate in Finland if the so-called Isis wives and their children, who are Finnish citizens, should be given assistance and allowed to return to the country is another example of the former government’s lofty disdain of Muslims, human rights, and the rule of law.
It is shameful that a country like Finland, which stands by its laws and institutions, would put obstacles by prohibiting its own citizens and their children from returning to the country.
“Finnish citizens shall not be prevented from entering Finland or deported or extradited or transferred from Finland to another country against their will.”
The reason some ministers of former Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s government (2015-2019) have difficulty grasping Section 9 of the Constitution, is that politics and their prejudices against Muslims get in the way of their good judgement.
Petteri Orpo, the chairperson of the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) tweets: “Finland should not help Isis wives to return. I have no sympathy for them, who left Finland voluntarily to serve in a terrorist organization. The situation of the children is different and should be looked at on a case-by-case bais.”
Sakari Timonen, one of Finland’s most popular bloggers, would put it in the following words: First take away one group’s rights and eventually it will be your group’s turn later.
Orpo is the same politician who was interior minister responsible for tightening immigration policy against asylum seekers, who were mainly Muslims.
He belonged to the same government that wanted to water down civil and human rights even of Finnish citizens. Orpo has led Kokoomus in becoming, after the populist Perussuomalaiset*, the most anti-immigration party in Finland.
We should not be discussing whether a Finnish citizen has the right to assistance and if he or she can return to the country. If a person committed crimes while in Isis, that person should face justice. In our country, everyone is innocent before proven guilty by a court of his/her peers.
Comments by ministers of the former government sound like lynch-mob leaders that want to score the maximum amount of political points.
After over twenty years working as a journalist and foreign correspondent in countries like Finland, Spain, Italy, Argentina, and Colombia, it becomes routine to spot fishy stories that are fake.
Fake news can encompass a lot of things. One area where it appears a lot is in stories about asylum seekers, migrants, especially people of color, and other minorities.
In 2016, Migrant Tales published throughout 2015 a list of stories that were biased and racist. In my opinion, the one below is one of the worst examples of Finnish journalism. There are, unfortunately, many more.
The above story appeared in September 2018 on state-run Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle).Yle changed the picture of the story shortly after it was published. The story was a poll about different parties’ views on migration and migrants. There are no “niqab” or Muslim parties in Finland. The Muslim woman in the picture does not represent a party. Source: Yle.
Migrant Tales offers an easy guide to spot these types of stories. Below, is a “classic” trick used by populist anti-immigration politicians over and over again. When they get away with it, you can hear them laughing all the way to the bank.
Case #1
A politician makes an outrageous claim to a journalist, who doesn’t even bother to question its veracity. Eventually, the journalist may do some investigating and find out that he or she was fed malarkey. By then it’s too late because the story is already out there.
One example of the latter is when National Coalition Party MP Pia Kauma got a lot of media attention five years ago by claiming that welfare is obligedto buy new baby carriages to Somali mothers (sic!) while Finnish women were more “ecologically conscious” because they didn’t mind using used babby carriages.
Migrant Tales’ racist and biased news test
If you answer YES to any two, the chances are that you are reading a racist and biased story. If you answer YES to three or more, you are reading a racist and prejudiced news. If you answer NOT SURE three or more times ask a knowledgable person what he or she thinks about the story.
* 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.
Migrant Tales understands that an Iraqi couple with two children who were forced to leave the asylum reception center and granted a five-day stay at a hotel is without money and will be homeless by Tuesday. The man, 29, who came to Finland in 2015, has a wife, 31, and boy and girl aged 6 and 5, respectively.
The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) and the police have asked him to leave the country after getting nine rejections for asylum.
“I am worried because I don’t know where my children are going to sleep [after tomorrow] and where I am going to get them food,” he said. “I would go to Helsinki but I don’t have any money for the bus fare.”
According to the man, the Red Cross asked him to leave the reception center with his family and paid five days boarding at a Kemi hotel. The last time he received an allowance from the state was in May, according to him.
“I am very worried,” he concluded. “I don’t know what to do and what will happen to us.”
