It’s not only disingenuous but insulting to Finland, migrants, and minorities that an MP and vice chairperson of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party parliamentary group, which has been on the racist rampage in July, states publicly that we shouldn’t be so touchy about comments that don’t intend to be “really racist.”
From July 15-21, a number of PS politicians like MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, Matias Turkkila and Sebastian Tynkkynen have gone out of their way to target migrants, especially Muslims. Hakkarainen and Tynkkynen have suggested, among other things, that Muslims should be kicked out of Finland.
The PS share power in government with the Center Party and National Coalition Party (NCP).
On Monday, NCP MP Ben Zyskowickz reacted in tabloid Ilta-Sanomat to what Tynkkynen said.
“The question is for how long the Perussuomalaiset party, which is a member of the government and has agreed to oppose racism [while in government], continuously offers the opportunity to political figures who incite people’s views against Islam and who are guilty of outright racism,” he said.
Antti Kaikkonen, chairman of the Center Party parliamentary group, echoed Zyskowickz’ concern in Helsingin Sanomat.
“Racist writings must once and for all end,” he said. “It’s high time that we must put a stop to hate speech.”
Elomaa’s response to Kaikkonen’s remarks is quite incredible: “One shouldn’t be so touchy,” she said. “Each of us must stand certain things. It was certainly nobody’s aim to be really racist.”
________________________________________________________________________________
PS MP Kike Elomaa tells Center Party MP Antti Kaikkonen that he shouldn’t be so touchy because it wasn’t anyone’s aim to be “really racist.”
__________________________________________________________________________________
PS MP Elomaa’s respons shows again how parties like the PS play down racism and why such a social ill has grown instead of retreated in Finland.
It shows as well that the debate on racism in Finland is very much a discourse between white Finns and where’s there little to no room for migrants and minorities.
Read full story here.
* The Finnish name for the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The English names of the party adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We, therefore, prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings. The direct translation of “Perussuomalaiset” is “basic” or “fundamental Finn.”
