“Racism is like a Cadillac, they bring out a new model every year.”
Malcolm X
Even if far-right politicians of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) were yelling victory because the city of Vantaa had prohibited – according to them – the niqab and burqa, it was a now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t moment.
Even if PS politicians said the prohibition was aimed at the niqab and burqa, the Vantaa school district denies this. “The policy applies to covering the face during the school day, meaning that students are not allowed to cover their faces with any type of clothing or mask,” said Tua Tähkapää, a communications specialists for the city of Vantaa, who replied to Migrant Tales’ questions sixteen days later.
Tähkäpää continues: “The city of Vantaa has not banned the wearing of any specific type of clothing. It would be against the law to ban, for example, specifically the niqab or burqa. The policy applies to covering the face during the school day, meaning a student may not cover their face with any type of clothing or mask. We are not aware of any complaints.”
If the measure by the city of Vantaa was not singling out Muslims, why wasn’t this mentioned in the first stories?
PS Finance Minister Riikka Purra exposes the final aim of the prohibition”…the PS wants to prohibit the niqab and burqa in Finland and everyone.”
The policy in Vantaa, which is epxected to be adapted in Espoo and Tampere comprhensive schools, follows a debate about face-covering clothing in public schools. The imatter got national attention last year when some politicians especially from the PS and National Coalition Party raised the possibility of in broader restrictions on the usage of the burqa and niqab.
National Coalition Party Minister for Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen wants the niqab and burka banned at comprehensive schools.
The toxic debate prompted the Finnish Muslim Community to release a statement last year: “Finland must be a country where every person has the right to freedom of religion and equality, and where the symbols of minorities are not used as political weapons. We need more dialogue and understanding, not populist bans that only divide society.”
Finland’s Islamophobic network has grown and strengthened in the past years. The list of politicians above is not inclusive. The list is even longer since we have not mentioned Joakim Vigelius, Matias Turkkila, Miko Bergbom, Teemu Keskisarja, Pekka Aitakumpu, Sanna Antikainen, Ari Koponen, Mauri Peltokangas, Jari Ronkainen, Saara Seppänen, Jaana Strandman, Simo Grönroos and many, many others.
Even if comprehensive school boards are not singling out directly the prohibition of the niqab and burqa, we could ask what was the motive of the Vantaa comprehensive schools even if there was only one reported case of a student using a niqab, according to unconfirmed reports?
Are we on a slippery slope towards more restrictions that will target Muslims?
The decision by the city of Vantaa and its unclear message has offered far-right parties like the PS the opportunity to single out and victimize Muslims.
The now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t Muslim dress is a classic case of how to rebrand racism by bringing a new Cadillac model as Malcolm X observed.
