Migrant tales - Page 289 of 536

Alan on Alan: A picture is worth a thousand words

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Migrant Tales

Alan Anstead

We had the same name, Alan. But apart from that our worlds were completely different. Alan Kurdi was a Syrian Kurd, escaping with his family from war and terrorism. I’m a working class Peckham (London) boy and 50 years older than my namesake was. What the photograph of Alan’s lifeless body washed up on the Turkish beach did was to change public opinion about the biggest movement of refugees since the second world war, in a way that no media article, opinion piece or political speech had been able to do.

Read full opinion piece here.

The situation in the UK before a photo of Alan’s body appeared on the front page of every UK newspaper was one in which the UK government and right-wing media were describing the refugee movement as Africans seeking a better life as “economic migrants”, and describing people in the Calais ‘jungle’ in the most inhumane way possible – “swarms of people” said the Prime Minister, “Migrants marauding around the area” said the Foreign Secretary. Statements designed to frame the issue to suit a government’s anti-migrant policies. In technical terms this communication amounts to propaganda – the intent was untruthful and it was designed to mislead the population.

Continue reading “Alan on Alan: A picture is worth a thousand words”

Reija Härkönen: Terveisiä ääripäästä!

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Migrant Tales

Reija Härkönen

Ministereiden määritelmän mukaan taidan kuulua ääripäähän. Kuulun siis siihen ääripäähän, joka suhtautuu maahanmuuttoon neutraalisti: toivoo, että rajavalvonta on kunnossa, tänne töihin ja asumaan tulevat ihmiset eivät kohtaa liian suurta byrokratiaa vaan pääsevät jouhevasti kiinni työhön ja elämiseen uudessa kotimaassa. Toivon myös, että maahamme saapuvat pakolaiset ja turvapaikanhakijat saavat ystävällisen, kunnioittavan kohtelun, heidän asiansa käsitellään mahdollisimman nopeasti ja heidät autetaan uuden elämän alkuun.

Rasismia en siedä, politiikassa ja kaikissa yhteiskunnan julkisissa toiminnoissa on oltava rasismia kohtaan nollatoleranssi. Sellainen ääriaktivisti minä olen.

Nyt, kun me ääripään ihmiset olemme innokkaasti tukeneet entisten pakolaisten vilkasta, hyväntuulista Facebook-kampanjaa, #ennenolinpakolainen, jossa he julkaisevat kuvansa ja kertovat lyhyesti tarinansa, olemme olleet todella iloisia. Tuntuu hyvältä nähdä, kuinka monilla entisillä pakolaisilla on hyvää kerrottavaa omasta sopeutumisestaan, edistymisestään opinnoissa, työuralla tai elämässä yleensä. Vieraaseen maahan muuttaminen on aina koko perheelle raskas prosessi. Pakolaisena, ilman mitään omaisuutta, joskus ilman perhettä tulleelle se on aina selviytymistarina.

Continue reading “Reija Härkönen: Terveisiä ääripäästä!”

A red herring called Timo Soini and the PS

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Migrant Tales

Do you think that Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairman and foreign minister, Timo Soini, never mind his party, would care less about refugees if most of their energy goes into finding arguments on how to stop Finland’s ever-growing cultural diversity?

Soini attempts in his latest blog to raise awareness of refugees of Christian and Yazidi origin by throwing mud at Syrian Muslims and why we shouldn’t open our arms and hearts to such people fleeing war.

Even if Soini wants Europe to give priority to Christian and Yzidi refugees isn’t that what we’re doing? Aren’t refugees being accepted in Europe irrespective of their religious, ethnic or national background?

Soini gets caught again with his hand in the red herring jar.

As mentioned in an earlier blog entry, Soini and the PS are trying their hardest to steer Finland in the direction of Eastern European countries like Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and the Baltic States.

Prime Minister Juho Sipilä’s pledge to offer his home to refugees Satursday was a clear snub at Soini and his view of how the refugee crisis should be handled, which would mean closing our borders and letting tens of thousands of people out in the cold.

Continue reading “A red herring called Timo Soini and the PS”

Finland’s PM offers his home to refugees – how long will it take for the PS to exit government?

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Migrant Tales

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s announcement Saturday that he’d offer his home to refugees is not only a good attempt by the government to steer Finland back to the direction of other Western European nations in the refugee ongoing crisis but a clear show of leadership that has been lacking.

The decision to offer refugees temporary shelter in his home is a clear snub at its anti-immigration partner, the Perussuomalaiset (PS),* which would be more than happy lead Finland in the direction of the Baltic States, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in the ever-growing humanitarian crisis.

When asked Friday what Europe should do to resolve the refugee crisis, PS chairman and Foreign Minster Timo Soini gave the same answer as Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. He said that the EU should enforce its border controls and not permit people from entering the EU.

If it was difficult for the PS to approve the bailout package to Greece, how is the anti-immigration party, which has promised to resolve the “Somali and Muslim problem” in Finland, going to explain to its voters that it forms part of a government that let in a record number of refugees?

What excuse, as with the bailout package to Greece, will the PS tell their voters?

Read full story here.

What was the stick the broke the camel’s back or was it broken at all?

Did Sipilä get encouraged by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said this week that “there sill be zero tolerance for those who put in question the dignity of other people?”

What exactly made the prime minister make such a pledge?

Was it a subtle way by Sipilä of telling the PS to either shape up or ship out?

Continue reading “Finland’s PM offers his home to refugees – how long will it take for the PS to exit government?”

Tuomas Enbuske says he doesn’t like the term Islamophobia because he considers himself to be one

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Migrant Tales

Did anyone watch Friday’s Pressiklubi with writer Jari Tervo, Left Alliance MP Silvia Modig and Tuomas Enbuske? Tervo shun with his comments against racism while Enbuske was a flop.

The host, Ruben Stiller, asked all three guests if the’ve ever felt fear or uncomfortable around foreigners.

See full program (in Finnish) here.

Enbuske has hosted twice extremist politicians like former MP James Hirvisaari, who was sentenced for ethnic agitation, and advertised on his television show headlines like “Why do Somalis rape?” Continue reading “Tuomas Enbuske says he doesn’t like the term Islamophobia because he considers himself to be one”

Finland is slowly waking up to the humanitarian refugee crisis in Europe

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Migrant Tales

You know that President Sauli Niinistö said something wrong about the humanitarian refugee crisis in Europe if Perussuomalaiset (PS)* spokesperson Matti Putkonen quotes the head of state to reinforce his party’s xenophobic and anti-cultural diversity policies and stand.

Putkonen quoted Niinistö’s statement on the “Years of Danger,” a period in the late-1940s when Finland was close to having a Communist coup, to describe the ongoing humanitarian refugee crisis in Europe, according to YLE in English.

The PS spokesperson said that those “Years of Danger” that Niinistö mentioned where for him “Months of Danger” to describe the present crisis, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö has given in the past ambivalent statements concerning the refugee crisis in Europe and about our ever-growing culturally diverse society.

Continue reading “Finland is slowly waking up to the humanitarian refugee crisis in Europe”

Dear little boy washed ashore…

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Migrant Tales

All it takes is a picture or an unexpected spark to action that changes everything instantly. If it isn’t this picture below there will be other other ones that will at the end of the day expose these politicians for what they are.

In May we learned about a Dear little girl at sea who was kind enough to look the other way as she floated lifelessly in Mediterranean waters.

Now there has appeared a Dear little boy washed ashore, lifeless on the beach. He’s also considerate to our indifference. His face is half covered by his arm.

Contrary to the Dear little girl at sea we are going to put him in a warm bed and imagine for a moment that he’s ok.

We wrote back in May:

Mark my words, all it takes is a picture, an action, that will spark the demise of xenophobes and heartless politicians and force their lies to come down in flames.

Whose lies are we speaking of?

Those very politicians and people that German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked you not to follow those that put the dignity of other people in question.

She said explicitly: “Don’t follow their leaders or those who have prejudice, coldness, even hate in their hearts.”

Since I live in Finland I will name a few of them in this post. We have one party in government, the Perussuomalaiset (PS),* that bases its popularity on xenophobia and on getting rid of the Somali and Muslim “problem” in Finland. You can find such politicians in all of Finland’s parties.

Timo Soini, Jussi Halla-aho, Olli Immonen, Juho Eerola, Laura Hauhtasaari, Maria Lohela, Teuvo Hakkarainen, Päivi Räsänen, Tom Pakaclén, Maria Tolppanen, Mika Niikko, Vesa-Matti Saarakkala, Kari Rajamäki, Pia Kauma, Wille Rydman, Simon Elo, Sampo Terho, Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo, Hanna Mäntylä and many, many others.

The post below may contain a disturbing image and text to some. Viewer discretion is advised.

Continue reading “Dear little boy washed ashore…”

Our indecision and indifference to the humanitarian crisis facing Europe is the greatest threat

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Migrant Tales

In the face of the humanitarian refugee crisis that we are seeing today in Europe, some leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel are offering leadership while others are frozen with indecision and indifference.

It is disappointing that Finland, which had to relocate over 400,000 of its own refugees after hostilities ended with the former Soviet Union in 1944 is one that is gripped by hesitation and have, like other Eastern European countries, meekly answered Merkel’s call.

What did the German chancellor say?

“There will be zero tolerance for those who put in question the dignity of other people,” she said warning people to stay away from far right and xenophobic rallies. “Don’t follow their leaders or those who have prejudice, coldness, even hate in their hearts.”

Why does she say this? Because Germany hasn’t forgotten those rivers of blood that flowed in World War 2 and the Holocaust.

Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö’s and Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s lack of leadership in the face of the humanitarian crisis isn’t a coincidence. Both of them reveal with their lack of resolve why this country has become in recent years fertile ground for xenophobia and ultranationalism.

Read full story (in Finnish) here.

Continue reading “Our indecision and indifference to the humanitarian crisis facing Europe is the greatest threat”

UPDATE (August 30): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link.

August 30

Suomen Sisun jäsenmäärä räjähti – päivittää monitulkintaisena pidetyn periaateohjelmansa – (MTV3)

What’s wrong with this story? Let’s begin with the headline, which claims that membership of Suomen Sisu, a far right white Finnish supremacist association, has “soared.” What do they mean by “soared” anyway? The story claims that the association got 390 new members after Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Olli Immonen, who is chairman of Suomen Sisu, made his declaration of war in Facebook against “the nightmare of multiculturalism.” In my book 390 isn’t much unless you compare it with 100 members. Is that the case? Even so, 390 is a small amount that looks bigger and more sensational thanks to the term “soared.” Another problem with the story is the MTV3 reporter, who interviews Teemu Lahtinen, a former chairman and vice chairman of the association well known for his links with far right and neo-Nazi groups like Kansallinen Vastarintaliike, is that nowhere in the story does the journalist bother to question these facts critically never mind get in touch with other sources that could give some context concerning Suomen Sisu, Lehtinen and Immonen. This story is in my opinion an unfortunate example because it offers Suomen Sisu the opportunity to showcase itself as something “normal” when in fact its agenda is racist, far right and white Finnish supremacist. Lazy and uncritical journalism at its worst.

Some good advice to journalists: When interviewing people like Lahtinen and far right associations like Suomen Sisu, it’s important to be critical. Critical means asking uncomfortable questions and publishing them. It also means using other sources to balance the story. If you rubber stamp what the person says then you become a mouthpiece of these politicians and groups. You help spread their message of hate.

* The Finnish name for the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The names adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We therefore prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings.

M. Blanc: My Finnish experience

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Migrant Tales

M. Blanc*

I’m a non-muslim Persian student in Finland and this is my story. I was born in Iran but due to the strict islamic rules and the islamic belief I couldn’t fit in from the early ages. I moved to Cyprus as a young teenager and after a while I came to north. I moved here 3 years ago for studying in the university (liiketalous) but shortly after I started working part time as well. Finland is a beautiful country. I like all the snow and the sauna and stuff. During winters it gets a bit on the nerves because of the dark but in general it’s fine… I’m more comfy with the cold than sun. My main goal at first was to study and work hard and try to integrate and be part of this society but later Finns have showed me that they are not really accepting the idea of foreigners in Finland.

I have made many Finnish friends, Spent time with Finnish families and learned the language as much as I could. Even though I never took any courses but I still have better understanding in Finnish than the foreigners around me. Also I had a chance to get a basic knowledge of Swedish. To be honest I liked Swedish language way more and I believe it sounds better and makes more sense. The point is, even if you are in Finland for 20 years and you have kids people still call you and your kids the “mamu” word behind you or in your face. But in countries like UK, Denmark or Sweden if you have lived in the nation for long enough and integrated successfully, you will be call British, Dansk or Svensk but hey, never in Finland! In here instead it is more likely a joke if someone considers a foreign background person a “Finn”. I have had a lot of good and bad experiences. But you always forget the stuff that you should remember and you remember the things that you should forget…That’s just the way it is and when I think about Finland and Finns I just remember the bad experiences. Like when I got attacked by THREE drunk person after a night of clubbing. They abused me and when the Police arrived they didn’t do or asked anything… They just took me in the car and made me sleep in the police station for the whole night. Those guys simply just walked away!!! I have a nervous condition and I take 1000mg of some pill at nights in order to function. I asked the police many times that let me at least get my medication from my wallet but they just ignored me in that cold cell for the whole night. The next morning I told them I WILL SUE YOU AND YOU WILL SUFFER. The guy said “You can’t prove anything”. That is only one of the very few experiences that I had… In the eyes of Finnish police if you are not Finnish looking person a possible suspect unless the opposite is proven.