UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s policy nurtured a climate of suspicion called today the “hostile climate” in which people are deemed guilty unless they can prove themselves innocent.
Does Finland have a hostile climate against migrants like in the UK? One could answer in the affirmative after listening to a long list of politicians who don’t have anything better to do but to label migrants, especially Muslims, as “problematic” to Finnish society.
It is no coincidence that three National Coalition Party politicians, President Sauli Niinistö, Speaker of Parliament Paula Risikko, and Interior Minister Kai Mykkänen, perpetrate the hostile environment with their coded comments charged with suspicion and contempt.
When was the last time you heard them say something nice about migrants and how they contribute to the economic wellbeing of Finland?
Instead of saying something positive and inclusive, they create a climate of suspicion – like in the UK – of migrants, especially Muslims.
If we are fair, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä did surprise us in his New Year’s speech by stating that crimes committed by a few individuals should not stigmatize whole groups. Better late than never or too little too late?
Instead of talking about how bad migrants are, why didn’t President Niinistö mention a study published in November by the European Agency of Fundamental Rights (FRA) that concluded that Finland was the most hostile country to blacks ou of 12 EU countries surveyed? Why didn’t he tell us how we are going to combat racism in general and racism in particular against black people?
In his traditional New Year’s speech, Niinistö prefered to label migrants in a negative light by suggesting that they should take responsibility by “exerting control” over the actions of their members. Are such controls possible if migrants are a diverse group made up of different individuals?
What about the speaker of parliament, Risikko, who spoke about eight suspects in a sexual assault case who are Muslims and how laws on residence permits should be tightened as a result of these suspects? Why does she only talk about crimes committed by migrants and doesn’t say a word about similar sexual crimes committed against minors by white Finns?
Watch the full interview with Speaker of Parliament Paula Risikko here.
Why didn’t she say anything about our Islamophobia problem and a study published in May by the Pew Research Centre that revealed almost two-thirds (62%) of those Finns surveyed believe that Islam is incompatible with the culture and values of Finland?
Why didn’t they talk about the findings of a study, “The Stopped – Ethnic Profiling in Finland,” which showed that ethnic profiling is widespread and systematic among he police, Finnish Border Guard, and security guards?
Why didn’t she apologize for giving the far right Finland First extremists the thumbs up?
The answer: Parliamentary elections in April and the National Coalition Party must show that they are tough on migration and Muslims.
White Finnish privilege #57
It is clear that there is in Finland a hostile environment against migrants and minorities. It is nurtured and spoon fed by politicians like President Niinistö and others. Such hostility and suspicion see non-white Finns as guilty unless they can prove themselves innocent. That hostility sometimes spills over into violence as well as in high unemployment and social exclusion.
The media is too often the messenger boy or girl of that hostility. They should know better but, like the politicians, are clueless because they also see a blind spot of their racism blurred by white privilege and power.
Malcolm X once said that racism is like a Cadillac because “they bring out a new model every year.” In Finland, racism is the same social disease that Malcolm X cited but it is a new model Škoda Octavia.
See also:
- Defining white Finnish privilege #1: I have it and you don’t
- Defining white Finnish privilege #2: Third culture children versus “pupil with immigrant background”
- Defining white Finnish privilege #3 No history, no doctrine, no heroes and no martyrs
- Defining white Finnish privilege #4 Holding the short end of the stick
- Defining white Finnish privilege #5 It’s ok to be a racist
- Defining white Finnish privilege #6 Not having a voice and the media
- Defining white Finnish privilege #7 A definitive guide
- Defining white Finnish privilege #8 Underrated and less intelligent
- Defining white Finnish privilege #9 Mohammad Ali’s insight
- Defining white Finnish privilege #10 I can victimize and make up any story I like about migrants because I’m white
- Defining white Finnish privilege #11: Case Teuvo Hakkarainen
- Defining white Finnish privilege #12: Case Tom Packalén
- Defining white Finnish privilege #13: Case Matti Putkonen
- Defining white Finnish privilege #14: Losing sight of the real issue
- Defining white Finnish privilege #15: Case Halla-ago on the PS
- Defining white Finnish privilege #16: Rosa Emilia Clay and my history versus yours
- Defining white Finnish privilege #17: The Perussuomalaiset and our civil rights
- Defining white Finnish privilege #18: Labeling others according to your prejudice
- Defining white Finnish privilege #19: My rape statistics about your group
- Defining white Finnish privilege #20: Labeling Others to strengthen “us” and “them.”
- Defining white Finnish privilege #21: Who can be a Finn?
- Defining white Finnish privilege #22: From racist, fascist to a politician without memory
- Defining white Finnish privilege #23: Greater police powers to monitor migrants and minorities
- Defining white Finnish privilege #24: Becoming a heartless accomplice in wars and people’s suffering
- Defining white Finnish privilege #25: This land is my land, this isn’t your land
- Defining white Finnish privilege #26: Are you an ethnic Finn?
- Defining white Finnish privilege #27: White versus Other media
- Defining white Finnish privilege #28: Are you an ethnic Finn (Part 2)?
- Defining white Finnish privilege #29: Your family is worth less than mine
- White Finnish privilege #30: Whitewashing and racializing the news
- White Finnish privilege #31: The Soldiers of Odin and the Finnish media
- White Finnish privilege #32: The white Finnish police and “them”
- White Finnish privilege #33: Appropriating our narrative to maintain the status quo, amass more power and privilege
- White Finnish privilege #34: Building a political career on privilege and nativist nationalism
- White Finnish privilege #35: Case Sampo Terho and the ministry of (dis)culture
- White Finnish privilege #36: Hate speech and censorship
- White Finnish privilege #37: The master of near-everything
- Defining white Finnish privilege #38: Cultural appropriation and racism are quaint discussion topics between white Finns
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #39: The Hollywood ending of racism that will never happen in Finland
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #40: To whitewash or to disenfranchise
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #41: An Islamophobic politician and gender equality
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #42: Labeling and shaming
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #43: White versus dark skin
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #44: Defending Nazis’ rights to march is ok as long we agree on the common enemy
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #45: Do blondes have more fun?
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #46: Teuvo Hakkarainen = white racism and sexism
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #47: President Sauli Niinistö’s “culture inside four walls”
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #48: Allow me to smear your religion so mine can shine
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #49: When white privilege backfires
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #50: Caving in to white narratives
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #51: The police are the defenders of white power and privilege
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #52: Having no privilege is dangerous
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #53: Plan Finland’s unplanned pregnancy campaign #ProtectBlackGirlsToo #Whatofme
- Exposing white FInnish privilege #54: Disguising your racism, bigotry, and prejudices effectively
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #55: It’s that time of the year – Christmas!
- Exposing white Finnish privilege #56: How Islamophobic is Finland?