Category: Enrique Tessieri

Introducing presidential hopeful Laura Huhtasaari, the Islamophobe with the kindergarten teacher smile

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The far-right anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party announced Friday that their first vice president, Laura Huhtasaari, is their candidate for the 2018 presidential elections. The announcement didn’t surprise anyone but it did raise a lot of media and social media interest. 

There are many things we could say about Huhtasaari. The short description below will give you a taste of what she is:

Huhtasaari is an avid Islamophobe, a Donald Trump supporter, a creationist who wants to see Finland shut its doors to asylum seekers and wants keep the country white and ditch the EU. Her white image and her bigoted comments have earned her the title at Migrant Tales of the Islamophobe with the kindergarten teacher smile.

Even if Huhtasaari is a special needs teacher and she should know better, Reija Härkönen revealed in January how she shamelessly plagiarized other people’s text.

Some believe that if she can copy other people’s text with such ease, the same could have happened in her master’s thesis, which was on multicultural classrooms.

Huhtasaari’s thesis could be accessed on the Internet a few years ago. That is no longer possible.

Helsingin Sanomat writes that experts say that Huhtasaari is a different type of presidential candidate since she is an under-40-year-old woman with no foreign policy experience and a creationist.

What does Huhtasaari represent and what does it say about the far right in Finland?

Even if her candidacy attracted a lot of attention a recent poll gave showed her popularity at 1%. That compares with 62% for President Sauli Niinistö and 11% for Green Party hopeful Pekka Haavisto. Continue reading “Introducing presidential hopeful Laura Huhtasaari, the Islamophobe with the kindergarten teacher smile”

Neo-Nazi activist Tornianen’s presence at a HIFK-HJK football rally and game raises concern

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Neo-Nazi Kansallinen vastarinta (SVL) activist, Eppu Tornianen’s presence at a rival football HIFK and HJK rally and game Monday, raised concern. He was seen carrying an HIFK banner in the front row and then watching the game with other fans.  

In September, Tornianen committed manslaughter when he gave a massive kick in the chest of a young man, who fell head first on the pavement next to the Helsinki Railway Station. The young victim,  Jimi Karttunen, was sent unconscious to the hospital where he died six days later from cerebral hemorrhages.

Torniainen got a two-year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter, but the prosecutor is appealing the sentence.

Karin Creutz, a sociologist, admitted that the presence of people like Tornianan at football rallies raise concern.

“Certainly we should be worried about their presence, but there is no indication that they are today actively trying to get new members,” said Creutz.

Tornianen has a history of violence as a member of the SVL. He was recently banned from going to the stadium for a year for violent behavior.

Over the weekend, a football fan was sent to the hospital after he was roughed up on Saturday in Kirkkonumi, a city located 28 kilometers of Helsinki.

Jarkko Fräntilä tweets about Eppu Tornianen’s presence at an HIFK fan rally before the game Monday. HJK beat HIFK 2-0.

Continue reading “Neo-Nazi activist Tornianen’s presence at a HIFK-HJK football rally and game raises concern”

Wednesday was a good day for racism in Finland: Pia Kauma and Gleb Simanov

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Wednesday was a good day for racism in Finland. National Coalition Party (NCP) substitute MP Pia Kauma, who accused migrant women three years ago of demanding social welfare to buy new baby carriages, took over as MP after Alexander Stubb started his tenure at the vice-president and member of the management committee of the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Kauma’s appointment was overshadowed two days earlier by Gleb Simanov, who videotaped and published on Facebook Somali minors for allegedly attempting to bum a ride on the bus. Simanov got fired as a result but was hired Monday by Onnibus.

While both persons come from different backgrounds, their racist actions are the same: Both targetted Somalis to show without proof how they abuse the system. Both are politicians and their actions and comments helped label and stigmatize migrants by reinforcing stereotypes.

Kauma, who based her claim on hearsay, and even if she apologized for what she said,  is an example of how politicians use the racist card to get attention and votes. First, they make outrageous claims that are later disproven by journalists. By then it’s too late because the fake news is out there.

The scandal ignited by Kauma kicked off with the following statement in Länsiväylä: “Why must migrant families get social welfare  to buy new baby carriages  if [white] Finnish families recycle used  baby carriages?”

When asked Wednesday by Helsingin Sanomat about what she said, Kauma claimed it helped her to understand why politicians are so careful about what they say. “There would be a better debate if we’d express our opinions openly,” she added, suggesting that she can use her power as an MP to label and stigmatize migrants even on the basis of fake news.

Migrant Tales considers Kauma’s statement and her apology in 2014 as disingenuous.

 Kauma is all smiles for white Finns and all scorn for migrants and minorities.   Continue reading “Wednesday was a good day for racism in Finland: Pia Kauma and Gleb Simanov”

Musta Barbaari’s mother and sister charged by the police in “ethnic profiling” case

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Singer Musta Barbaari’s mother and sister are going to be charged for resistance to cooperate with law enforcement officials and insubordination, according to YLE.  In a highly publicized case in social media last year, Musta Barbaari, whose real name is James Nikander, wrote that plainclothes police officials stopped his mother and sister in downtown Helsinki.

According to a then-Helsingin Sanomat story, the singer’s sister refused to show her passport and asked the police why they were arbitrarily stopped and questioned.

“The plainclothes police didn’t answer [my sister’s question] but proceeded to handcuff both of them rudely and forced my mother to lie on the ground,” he wrote. “My sister asked once again why they were being treated in such a way and what they had done but didn’t get an answer from police. My mother feared for her life and thought she was going to be beaten since the behavior of the police was very rude!”

The police were cleared of all wrongdoing in the case and went further by clearing the police of ethnic profiling while monitoring migrants in 2016, according to YLE News.

One of Musta Barbaari’s latest videos called, “Who’s afraid of the dark?”

In the spring of 2016, the police carried out spot checks with the Finnish Border Guard on “foreign-looking” people in the Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa.

The idea that officials are looking for people who “look foreign” should raise some questions. One of these is what is a “foreign-looking” person look?

The University of Turku will publish the findings of Finland’s most comprehensive study about ethnic profiling in 2018.

Up to now, the police service has denied that it ethnically profiles people.

 

Disingenuous Timo Soini should take a long look in the mirror

Posted on by Migrant Tales

If there is a power-hungry politician who will do almost anything to gain power and lose it in an instant, that politician is Timo Soini. Apart from being a disingenuous politician who saw his populist creation inflate and implode, he is a sore loser as well.

In an interview in Tampere-based daily Aamulehti, he claims that the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* “is no longer the party he founded” and that the party he ruled for 20 years is now “an anti-human” party under its new chairperson Jussi Halla-aho.

Read the full story (in Finnish) here.

Soini, the PS, and the new PS, or Siniset, have a long history of lying to the public.

The PS has always been a so-called “anti-human” party because it has victimized migrants and been hostile to cultural diversity and difference.

If you disagree, how come Soini turned to people like Tony Halme and Halla-aho to get more support for the party?

His political creation, the PS, is like from the classic 1931 movie Frankenstein, when the monster kills its master.

The same happened with Soini and the PS.

* After the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13 into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. Despite the name changes, we believe that it is the same party in different clothing. Both factions are hostile to cultural diversity.  One is more open about it while the other is more diplomatic. 

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

Just call them the New Perussuomalaiset and Old Perussuomalaiset

Posted on by Migrant Tales

As politicians like MP Simon Elo try to assure us of their questionable political credentials after he and nineteen others ditched the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party on June 13,  the new party’s name, which has changed three times in less than two months, is nothing more than a snow job. 

Let’s go back to see what happened in early June. Former chairperson Timo Soini, who chaired the party for twenty years, backed Sampo Terho to head the PS. Sampo loses against Jussi Halla-aho, and it caused the PS to implode three days later.

PS MPs that give the thumbs down to Halla-aho form a new parliamentary group called New Alternative, Uusi vaihtoehto, which is later called Blue Reform and on Monday it changes the name for a third time to Siniset.

Changing the name so many times is confusing to say the least. The public isn’t buying it as the latest polls show below for the New and Old PS.

Note that the Old PS (Finns) and New Alternative (N. Alt) see their standings in the latest poll by YLE plummet by 1.6 percentage points.

Instead of allowing a new party to make up its mind what it wants to call itself, just call both blocs the “Old” Perussuomalaiset and “New” Perussuomalsiet to avoid confusion.

What differentiates the Old from the New Perussuomalaiset from each other?

Apart from their common bigotry, hostility and Islamophobic views, the New Perussuomalaiset is no different from the Old Perussuomalaiset. The difference, however, is that the former look acceptable from the outside but inside their views of Finnish society is racist and hostile to cultural diversity.

 

Continue reading “Just call them the New Perussuomalaiset and Old Perussuomalaiset”

One of the things I dislike most about what politicians say about racism

Posted on by Migrant Tales

When politicians claim that hard economic times explain why there’s a spike in racism, why people are racist, it is nothing more than an excuse to approve racist behavior. They endorse such behavior because they don’t have any issues about their voters venting their hostility towards migrants and minorities. 

Racism has existed for a long time in our societies. It exists because we approve one way or another this kind of behavior.

Racism is an undercurrent where toxic attitudes flow and gush out whenever the time and place is right.

There is no time when racism is appropriate – it is always unacceptable and inappropriate.

 

Six years after 22/7: What can one person do?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Anders Breivik committed a horrendous act six years ago on July 22. While anti-immigration groups want us to forget what happened, we can never forget. Breivik is the smoking gun that proves that those that preach hatred have the potential to spread fear and death. 

One must ask what the end-game of those that spread racial, ethnic and cultural hatred is? We have many examples but, like what Breivik did six years ago, society and some politicians want to forget. Every time we forget, we edge closer to the peak of the hate pyramid where hatred has the potential of turning into genocide.

What can one person do?

We can do a lot to prevent the likes of Breivik and his fanatical followers from taking us on the same path of our moral demise as a society.

Thank you, Jori Eskolin for the imaginary interview you did with “Haura Luhtasaari,” who must be Perussuomalaiset* Vice President Laura Huhtasaari.

Continue reading “Six years after 22/7: What can one person do?”

Finland’s far right cowardice and bravado. Why do they hide behind fake names and spread fake news?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Gleb Simanov, the fired bus driver who thought it was a good idea to post racist videos of his customers and published them on a far-right website managed by Paavo Tajukangas (a fake name), is a perfect example of cowardice and bravado.

When the chips are down, racists and their followers run and hide. They rarely come to each other’s rescue.

After Simanov got fired Thursday, the former bus driver has appeared on populist and far-right social media platforms. He gives his account of what happened but conveniently forgets to tell us why the bus company sacked him for “inappropriate and racist behavior.” There is no mention of his ill treatment of Somalis on his bus and that he calls them liars, among other things, without a shred of proof.

He gives his account of events but conveniently forgets to tell us why the bus company sacked him for “inappropriate and racist behavior.” He makes no mention of the ill treatment of Somalis on his bus and that he caleds them liars, among other things, without a shred of proof.

One young Somali woman wanted to pay for the fare, but Simanov kicked her off the bus with her friend calling her a liar.

Simanov’s arguments are nothing more than red herrings. He uses Somalis, who allegedly want to bum a ride without offering any proof of his claims, as a pretext to expose his hatred for them.  It is a common far-right strategy.

Who is “Paavo Tajukangas?”

There is another person who is trying to hide for cover by washing his hands of what happened. I wouldn’t be surprised if he and Simanov planned the whole thing that got the bus driver fired. Simanov videotaped and Tajukangas published them – and later took them down – on his blog and YouTube.

The fact that aka “Tajukangas” states that “we” took them down from his blog and YouTube is pretty revealing.

Tajukangas says that he’s not a member of Suomen Sisu, a far right white supremacist association, or belongs to either the political right or left.

Let’s give, if we can, Tajukangas the benefit of the doubt. What do the two pictures and links to a neo-Nazi association below reveal about himself?

You be the judge.

“Paavo Tajukangas” speaking at a Suomen Sisu event. He claims he’s not a member of Suomen Sisu. Note the sunglasses. Source: YouTube.

If the picture and video don’t speak volumes about his far-right ideology, what does the picture below tell us?

Continue reading “Finland’s far right cowardice and bravado. Why do they hide behind fake names and spread fake news?”

The fired bus driver who seeks fame with his racist videos will end up forsaken, jobless

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Racism is a sickness, and as a disorder, it has consequences for the victim and the perpetrator. We learned about a bus driver and Peurssuomalaiset (PS)* politician called Gleb Simanov, who thought up the “bright” idea to videotape and insult Somalis while at work in three videos that he posted.  

On Thursday Simonov’s fortunes changed when he was fired from Nobina, a bus company.

His sacking reminds me of what happened in 2015 to a woman called Martta Petman, who worked at the Tikkurila congregation. She was fired after she wrote on Facebook that she spat in the porridge that she served asylum seekers.

Petman might have raised some attention with her questionable actions, but she was quickly forgotten. Nobody came to her rescue never mind helped her find a new job. Sakari Timonen, one of Finland’s best bloggers, said that racists are the last people to come to another racist’s rescue.

The same is happening to Simonov. He may have caught the attention of the anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and other xenophobic groups, but he too like Petman will be forgotten and left without a job.

In the Facebook posting below, Simanov thanks his supporters. He even thanks a person for giving him 10 euros.

For a single father with two children, ten euros isn’t going to take you very far.

One of the interesting questions to arise from what happened is Paavo Tajukangas’ role. Tajukangas is a far-right white supremacist and a member of Suomen Sisu, an association that wants to keep Finland white.  Continue reading “The fired bus driver who seeks fame with his racist videos will end up forsaken, jobless”