I’m surprised that the media and politicians are surprised by far-right Finns Party (PS)Interior Minister Mari Rantanen’s double-talk about favoring Christians over Muslims in next year’s quota refugee pick.
Rantanen’s fishy denials that next year’s selection of quota refugees had anything to do with preferring Christians over Muslims, prompted the non-discrimination ombudsman to do some investigating, and guess what they uncovered: There was a plan after all to prefer Christian quota refugees over Muslims.
But let’s not take Rantanen’s or her temporary replacement, Lulu Ranne’s word. It is a clear matter that one of the Perussuomalaiset’s (PS) aims is to stop Muslim and other asylum seekers from coming to Finland.
In an Interview with the tabloid Iltalehti in 2023, PS chairperson Riikka Purra acknowledged that she aims for zero asylum seekers, like Denmark, from Muslim countries. Speaker of parliament, Jussi Halla-aho, who was convicted for ethnic agitation in 2012, has repeated the same aim.
One of the motivating factors behind the US Republican’s wish to promote anti-abortion is the fear that white USAmericans will become a minority in an ever-ethnically diverse country.
The PS expresses the same fear and motivation. They also believe that Finland will be “Islamized” and taken over by non-white people. Such a phobia is one of the biggest motives for the PS’ xenophobic migration and zero-tolerance refugee policy.
It’s still too early to see what political impact Rantanen’s lies will have on the party and trust in the rule of law in Finland. Like a slippery slope after the passage of the pushback law in July, which emboldened xenophobes in the government, was it a factor that encouraged the PS to introduce changes in the quota refugee system in Finland?
As the PS and government tear down the rule of law and stain our international and national image, all of this is done to feed the voracious hunger for racism and bolster sagging opinion polls.
Read the original posting here.