Magneettimedia editor and owner, Juha Kärkkäinen, will stop publishing anti-Semitic opinion pieces in the free newspaper, according to Helsingin Sanomat. The publication, which advertises the department store’s products, is published online as well.
“A decision has been made with the board and the content [of the publication] must be more market oriented and we must avoid publishing these types of radical stories [in the future],” said Kärkkäinen but added that restricting the publication of such columns “infringes on free speech.”
While public opinion and challenging directly anti-Semitism can prove useful as the Magneettimedia case shows, it should be applied to all groups. We can achieve a lot by working in a concerted manner against intolerance.
Islamophobia, which is only a modern version of anti-Semitism during the Nazi regime, is rife these days in Europe. The same arguments used by the Nazis against the Jews, but in a different time frame and historical context, are used today against immigrants and visible minorities.
In Finland, the most visible anti-immigration and anti-Islam party is the Perussuomalaiset party.
We can slow its path and cut intolerance’s wings if there is enough public outrage and resolve.
Magneettimedia is a case in point.
Read full story (in Finnish) here.
Some of the anti-Semitic writings that have been published in previous issues of the publication are by extremists like Ted Pike, David Duke and even cartoons that are similar from the former Nazi tabloid, Der Stürmer (1923-45).
The deputy state prosecutor has filed ethnic agitation charges against J Kärkkäinen’s Magneettimediaa for anti-Semitic writings that have appeared in previous issue of the publication.
Numerous anti-Semitic articles have been published in previous issues of Magneettimedia. These include:
- The Jews Who Control the Media
- Who Owns the Media in 2012?
- A Great Video Shows What a Cheat Albert Einstein Really Was!
- Zionist Terrorism in Norway
- CNN, Goldman Sachs and Zionist Control
- How to Break Down and Dominate the Zionists
The last two writings were written by former Ku Klux Klan wizard, Duke.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center – Europe expressed concern in a letter to President Sauli Niinistö about the columns that appeared in the publication.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center reveals the content of the letter to President Niinistö in a statement:
“The letter pointed to “the latest edition of July 2013 that sinks to a new low, featuring an article entitled ‘The Great Rabbi Rape Cover-Up’ (translated from the rantings of a so-called Oregon Pastor, Ted Pike). This is accompanied by a vicious antisemitic cartoon, that could have been taken from the 1930’s Nazi ‘Sturmer.’”
And adds at the end: “It behooves Finland to contain this revival of concepts once current during the 1941-1944 Finnish alliance with Nazi Germany. Mr. President, we expect your response to be prompt and unambiguous,” concluded [Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon] Sammuels.”
The organization that hunts Nazi criminals and challenges anti-Semitism globally believes “scapegoating” to be the reason why Kärkkäinen is publishing anti-Semitic columns.
In 2011, Kärkkäinen had to reschedule a 37-million euro debt, according to The Simon Wiesenthal Center statement.