Category: Enrique

Pekka Siikala: Three types of immigration critics in Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Pekka Siikala is a blogger of the Green Party who writes stinging commentary about anti-immigration groups in Finland.  In his latest blog on Uusi Suomi, Three type of immigration critics (Kolmen sortin maahanmuuttokriitikoita), is no exception.

(I personally don’t use the term “immigration critic” because it is a red herring that hides the true nature of the beast: anti-immigration and Islamophobia in the most extreme cases. Click here to get a better explanation in Finnish.)

The most visible of the three groups cited by Siikala are the ones that see religion as the key issue. This groups, led by Jussi Halla-aho and James Hirvisaari, hate Islam and in practice Somalis. He considers this group to be the most dangerous to Finland because it is made up of religious fanatics.

The second group comprises of those that simply fear foreigners. Their main argument hinges on skin color and dress. Like the first group, this one is also highly suspicious of Muslims and Somalis. Their favorite motto is “conform to our country or leave.”

The third group is worried about the chances of immigrants adapting to Finland. They are critical about immigrants moving to our country because they believe that we  do not have the resources to integrate them in our society. This group is less visible and the smallest of the three mentioned by Siikala.

In my opinion, there are two big groups concerning those that take part in the immigration debate: those who see immigration as beneficial/positive and those that see it as a threat/negative.  The arguments that ensue from these two views are only “background information” supporting the former or latter group’s stance directly or indirectly.

Do you agree?

Etelä-Suomen Sanomat: Ulkomaalaisten rikokset kuohuttavat

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Here is an interesting story about crime and immigrants. Human rights activist and lawyer, Hussein Muhammed, gives his take on the problem. One of the big issues whenever an immigrant commits a crime is that the whole groups is labelled.

One way of lowering crime would be a more effective family reunification policy, which Finland wants to tighten.

Do you agree?

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Maahanmuuttajilla on täysi syy vastustaa rikoksia, koska yhden ulkomaalaisen syyllistyminen lainvastaisuuksiin voi leimata kaikki muutkin, arvioi ihmisoikeusaktivisti ja lakimies Husein Muhammed.

To keep on reading story click here.

Dear Anti-Immigration groups

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

My great-grandfather was a refugee from Italy. I admire and respect him so much that I gave one of my sons his first name. I have lived in many countries as an immigrant and I am proud of this as well.

Moreover, over a million Finns left this country to other parts of the world. I raise my hat to them for their courage and ambition.

I was born in Argentina, one of the first nations in the world that opened its doors to immigration in the mid-1850s. I grew up in California, where I saw great changes take place during the civil rights movement thanks to Martin Luther King.

In Finland I heard from my grandparents and mother  how a country with little resources held its own against a ruthless neighbor.

I think I know a little about what it means to be an immigrant. One thing I and millions of others do not deserve are your insults and ignorance fanned by the flames of hatred.

Do not throw dirt on our names, please.

We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are (Anais Niin).

Tunisia and Egypt are a blow to Islamophobia

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

The joy and the historic day celebrated this evening in Egypt after the resignation of Hosni Mubarak can be felt everywhere.  The emancipation of the Egyptians, after thirty years of rule by an autocratic and corrupt regime supported by the West, is contagious and will certainly spread to other parts of the region. People power in the Arab world will also be a long-term blow to the pet topic of far-right parties: Islam.

Building a country from the rubbles of a corrupt and autocratic regime will not be easy. But if the Egyptians, Tunisians and other countries succeed in the region it will not only bolster their national self-esteem but win further admiration of the Europeans and people throughout the world.

Like Latin America in the Cold War, the US and the West has had the same goal in the Arab world: Have a key say in the internal affairs and control vital resources.

The biggest losers to democracy in the region will be the Islamophobic far-right parties of Europe and radical Islam.  It will also force Israelis to rethink their relationship with their neighbors.

BBC: Do Denmark’s immigration laws breach human rights?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Denmark has tightened its immigration and integration laws an umpteenth time, according to the BBC.  The Danish case is a cause for concern since it may involve a breach in human rights and EU laws.  The political power balance is held by the far-right Danish People’s Party, who have voted for legislation in return that the government tightens immigration laws.

The question to ask about Denmark is what is the end-game? Will immigrants embrace Danish society when the country’s laws are hostile to this group of people? Does it promote inclusion?  Does it create the groundwork for a new healthy generation of Danes of  different ethnic backgrounds?

If you asked DPP’s Pia Kjaersgaard she’d probably tell you to go fly a kite.

Two important matters are at play with respect to the rise of far-right parties in Europe: the so-called war on terror waged by former President George W. Bush after 9/11 and the financial meltdown of September 2008.

Some see strong anti-immigration sentiment in Denmark as a blow to the country’s image. Can we speak of Denmark being a liberal, enlightened Nordic welfare state?  Probably the correct description would be reactive, far-right and populist at least when it comes to immigration.

Do you agree?

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By Chris Bowlby, BBC Radio 4

Critics of Denmark’s tightening rules on immigration and integration say the country is violating European norms, including human rights legislation. How much has Denmark’s approach to these issues been transformed under pressure from a right-wing populist party?

To keep on reading click here.

 

Suomen Kuvalehti: Totuuspuntari: Onko turvapaikanhakijoiden määrä nelinkertaistunut nykyisen hallituksen aikana?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Here is a good example of the political opportunism of the True Finns. They are using every dirty tricks in the book to get attention to their  mono-campaign platform. Jussi Halla-aho alleged that the amount of refugees to the country has (hold your breaths!) risen by four-fold during the present government. He, however, forgets to use the 2010 figure, which falls by 33.8% from the previous year.

Suomen Kuvalehti states in the article below that the figures provided by Halla-aho are  misleading. If we look at asylum seekers given refugee status between 2000 and 2010, we see a 25% rise.

The interesting question to ask about Halla-aho’s claim is a big “so what?” What if the amount of refugees has risen? Even if they have, you can never compare with Sweden or Norway, which take in many more refugees than Finland. Is  Halla-aho trying to make it a crime to take refugees to Finland?

Furthermore, what is the point? Oh yes, I understand. Halla-aho wants to show us at all costs that the Finnish authorities are a bunch of incompetent softies that let in criminals to the country and that immigrants living in Finland are suspect. If he gets elected, he’ll set the refugee and immigrant house in order.

God help us.

Update (10.2): Here is another True Finns Halla-aho follower, Freddy Van Wonterghem, who only conveniently publishes the 2009 figures. These types of tricks by the True Finns’ candidates have one aim: to secure votes and spread fear. You can read his blog by clicking here.

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Jukka Ukkola

Väite:

Turvapaikanhakijoiden määrä on nelinkertaistunut nykyisen hallituksen aikana.

Perussuomalaisten helsinkiläinen kansanedustajaehdokas Jussi Halla-aho on väittänyt blogissaan otsikolla Tiedote eduskuntavaaleihin 2011 liittyen, että turvapaikanhakijoiden määrä on nelinkertaistunut vuodesta 2007, jolloin nykyinen hallitus aloitti toimintansa.

To keep on reading click here.

Aamulehti: Ylänurkka: Maan tapa leviää Euroopassa

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Here is a column published in the Tampere-based Aaamulehti that attempts to give credibility to Angela Merkel’s, David Cameron’s and Jutta Urpilainen’s statements that conveniently blame immigrants for not integrating.  Fine, thank you Merkel, Cameron and Urpilainen.  Now tell us what we have to do? Did you have a plan before you pinned the blame on immigrants? Are your statements only a ploy to hide the failures of present and past governments?

Aamulehti has become one of the most reactive dailies in Finland with respect to immigration. I always thought that the structure of a good editorial, and even a column, is the following: statement of problem, background information and solution. We have the first two in the column but there is nothing, absolutely nothing, on how to move forward.

When you read about the anti-immigration rhetoric, keep a close watch for solutions. Why are they missing? Because they have no credible plan to offer.

Here is a rebuttal to Cameron’s statements by Migrants’ Rights Network.

Do you agree?

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Suomen sosiaalidemokraattisen puolueen puheenjohtajalla Jutta Urpilaisella, Saksan kristillisdemokraattisella liittokanslerilla Angela Merkelillä ja Britannian konservatiivisella pääministerillä David Cameronilla on ainakin yksi yhteinen piirre.

Continue reading the column by clicking here.

Ny Tid: Islamofobins idéhistoria

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Here a very long story about the origins of Islamophobia in Europe reported in Ny Tid.  The article states that throughout the centuries Europeans have looked for scapegoats to lash out against a common enemy. The Jews, Roma and Islam are recent tragic examples.

The Migrant Tales blog is a mirror of what some people think in Finland and Europe. Some prefer to stress over and over again how “incompatible” some groups are to our culture. That supposedly gives them an automatic carte blanche to hate others.  It is odd that none of these bloggers who have such strong opinions comment with their real names.

Even though people have the right in Western society to make fun of any religious group, Denmark appears to have gone over the brink.  A Somali man was convicted of “terrorism” for breaking into the home of Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who had made fun of the Prophet Muhammad. The man was sentenced to nine years in prison, according to AOLNews.

Probably this is the type of country that the True Finns want for Finland: tough laws founded on hatred of other cultures. In sum, living in denial to the world.

Do you agree?

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Om man alls vill begripa den hets mot muslimer som likt vinterns isvindar för närvarande sveper över Europa bör man läsa Mattias Gardells bok Islamofobi – det slår Lars Sund fast

To keep on reading click here.

Savon Sanomat: Rasismin tutkija: Maahanmuutto on Halla-ahon ainoa vaaliteema

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Researcher Vesa Puronen says in the Kuopio-based daily Savon Sanomat article below that immigration will be a big campaign issue in the April elections.

The attention and the appeal that Jussi Halla-aho’s followers and their Islamophobic statements have got in the media reveal a worrying trend.  Even if their hostile and offensive remarks may be hailed by some, sensible Finns, immigrants and refugees should be outraged by them because they are based on hearsay.

Even though the True Finns may have a good election result in April, it does not mean that their xenophobic rhetoric will be endorsed by Finns.

Do you agree?

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Pasi Ahtiainen

Tutkija Vesa Puuronen uskoo maahanmuuttopolitiikan nousevan teemaksi kevään eduskuntavaaleissa.

– (Jussi) Halla-aholla ja kumppaneilla ei mitään muuta vaaliteemaa ole, joten maahanmuuttopolitiikkaa nousee varmasti esille.  Click here to continue reading the article.

Saying enough is enough to the True Finns

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

It seems incredible that a populist, anti-immigration and anti-EU party can appeal to some Finns. Apart from not having any workable model for the demographic and economic challenges facing Finland, what is unacceptable of the True Finns is the party’s wholesale blacklisting of immigrants to drive home their populist agenda.

A recent example of how some True Finns fuel anti-immigrant sentiment was reported by Helsingin Sanomat. A True Finns’ candidate had placed a sign at a construction site in Helsinki claiming that a mosque would be built.

Even though these types of pranks in Helsinki reveal the opportunism of the candidate to get votes, it is surprising that nobody in the True Finns’ leadership condemns these types of shenanigans.

While the True Finns may think they are in an envious position due to their rising popularity in the polls, the big challenge that it faces is how to turn its popularity into votes and new MPs. This will be easier said than done.

Some have for good reason pictured the True Finns as a volatile bubble ready to burst at any moment. Will its bubble pop after a disappointing election or after it is clear that the party cannot deliver on its empty promises?

Immigrants are not worried about the True Finns per say. What annoys some is the negative message, xenophobic rhetoric and flagrant political opportunism: It’s ok to bash freely hard-working immigrants in Finland since it translates into votes.

The only way to deal with populism and xenophobia is to challenge it head on.  The big three parties in Finland, Kokoomus, Social Democrats and the Center, have learned the hard way that silence is the most ineffectual way of combating the rise of xenophobia and racism in Finland.

True Finns: enough is enough.