New book on Somali community of Finland highlights what we’ve known for long: social hostility and blatant discrimination

Posted on by Migrant Tales

A new book called Suomen somalit  by Yusuf M. Mubarak, Eva Nilsson and Niklas Saxén reinforces what has been already known about some of the challenges that Finland’s Somali community faces: racism and social exclusion. 

“I have never felt that I am a Finn,” said Suleqo Yusuf,  23, a Somali Finn, was quoted as saying in the book. “Here you’re always an outsider and different, never a part of society.”

The feeling of being an eternal outsider in Finland is felt by many migrants and minorities as well.

Migrant Tales recently spoke to a Somali Finn who said that she does not identify with a country like Finland because of its hostility towards her.

“I am a citizen of the world,” she said. “Not a Finn. I don’t identify with this country [even if I was born and bred here].”

You don’t have to have a PhD in sociology to understand where some of the problems lie. If the Somali community has been in Finland since the early 1990s. Check the discrimination and hostility that the Romany minority, which has lived in Finland for about 500 years, has suffered at the hands of the white Finnish majority.

While matters are improving, the Roma in Finland continue to face discrimination and racism daily.

Mubarak, one of the three authors of the book, states that its clear that a lot of problems will arise if children are told that they are equal to white Finns but rapidly find out that this isn’t the case.

somalit

 

So what is the value of such a book and what does it reveal?

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Institute of Race Relations: One nation – but whose?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Frances Webber

The first of a post-election three-part series on civil liberties in the UK examines the government’s proposal to replace the Human Rights Act by a British Bill of Rights.

Prime minister David Cameron was quick to don the mantle of ‘One Nation Toryism’ after his party’s election victory. But the Tories’ priorities set out in their manifesto would suggest that Cameron’s version of ‘One Nation’ owes more to Thatcher and Bush than to its inventor Harold Macmillan.

iPhoto-kirjastoUN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

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Finland’s attitude and experience of cultural diversity lag thirty years behind other European countries

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Watching YLE’s A-studio, which was aired Wednesday, is a prime example why we are still far away in Finland of having an inclusive society that is fair to everyone irrespective of their background. Spotting the red herrings in the debate on such a talk show isn’t easy but not impossible.

If National Coalition Party MP Wille Rydman argues that Finland needs structural changes in its economy and labor market, it really needs a major attitude overhaul on how it sees immigration and cultural diversity. Finland is at least 30 years behind other European countries like Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom in this respect.

Na?ytto?kuva 2015-5-21 kello 9.27.37Watch Wednesday’s A-studio (in Finnish) here.

The latter means in practice that we’re debating the same things and using the same false arguments and fears that were proven wrong at least three decades ago in other European countries. Debate is highly inflamed and hostile for those migrants and minorities living in Finland today.

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Migrant Tales (December 9, 2013): Fadumo Dayib – Run, Nigger, Run

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Fadumo Dayib

I came to this country as a refugee in 1990, at the time of recession and when foreigners where a rarity. As a result, we had become a “Somali shock” overnight. It was common at the time to hear racial slurs, to wake up to the sounds of “perkele”, to drink tea to “mutakuono” and to dance to “vitun neekeri”. People would stop to gawk on the streets, kids yelling “look mommy, a nigger”. Grandmothers would ambush me in the swimming hall shower and scrub me down, hoping to wash the color off. Others, after a few pints, would come over to touch my hair and make inappropriate propositions. I went from being an individual, with aspirations, feelings and rights, to a degraded sub-human: a “mud face”, “nigger”, “whore”, and “social loafer”.

Näyttökuva 2015-5-21 kello 9.18.28

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Tino Singh: Kuinka kulttuuriälykäs toimittaja olen?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Tino Singh

Toimittamani sisältö koetaan epäreiluna. Väitetään, että en ollut objektiivinen tai etten miettinyt miten julkaisemani sisältö vaikuttaa yhteiskuntaan ja niiden elämään joita sisältö koskee. En ole tietoinen epäreiluudestani tai vahingosta, jota sisältö on sattunut aiheuttamaan. En myöskään tunnista olevani asenteellinen tai rasisti. En ainakaan tahallani.

Näyttökuva 2015-5-21 kello 7.50.34

Tarkoituksenani ei ole parjata ihmisiä tai tuhota heidän elämäänsä, mutta kellon tikittäessä kohti määräaikaa on välillä mentävä aidan kaatuneesta kohdasta. Voi olla, että tiedostamattomien ennakkoluulojeni tai olettamusteni (eli vahvistusharhani) myötä syntyy sisältöä, jonka seuraukset voivat olla varsin kohtalokkaat tuotokseni kohteena olevalle tai hänen edustamalleen ryhmälle, mutta en ole kuullut sellaista tapahtuneen.

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How hate crime goes unreported in Finland

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The European Network Against Racism (ENAR), an anti-racism NGO, reported the previous week that there were in 2013 a total of 47,210 racist crimes reported by NGOs throughout Europe. It claimed that those reported cases were only the tip of the iceberg of all recorded hate crimes.

Migrant Tales was informed recently about a case in Helsinki of an African man who was attacked in public by three white Finns. His case is a good example as any of why hate crime goes unreported in this country.

After visiting the hospital to treat his wounds, the victim went to the police to report what had happened to him. According to a source who knows and spoke to the victim,  he said that the police didn’t take what he said seriously and decided to drop the whole matter.

The person who was attacked was supposed to speak to Migrant Tales about what happened but didn’t do so possibly due to fear.

 

Näyttökuva 2015-5-19 kello 21.32.10

 

Read full ENAR report here.

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While the rest of the world moves forwards towards gay rights, the Christian Democrats of Finland go the Putin way

Posted on by Marshall Niles

Päivi Räsänen has a lot to say for herself. As a god fearing, christian woman, Minster of Interior for the Finnish government, and the official representative of the Christian Democrats, Her party managed to hold on to 6 seats, the lowest number amongst any Finnish political party.

Yet, as we read this, instead of wondering what might have made her party so unpopular that it was scraping the bottom of the election barrel for votes, She has decided to continue with her Anti gay rhetoric, with statements like, “the sanctity of marriage is between a man and a woman only”, and then stating, “Preventing social exclusion is a top priority”.

In todays times, countries like Canada, many states in US of A, Ireland amongst many others, are all progressing forwards, recognizing that homosexuality is a natural evolutionary trait that has nothing to do with social norms, diseases or psychological issues. These countries have carved into their history their willingness to respect human rights. Legalizing gay marriage separates the state form the church, and openly displays that the bond between two people cannot and should never be dictated by anyone else.

However, (I love this word), our dear friend Päivi, has decided to turn a blind eye to progress, and go backwards in league with Russian anti gay policies. Gays are being tortured, abused and prosecuted unfairly in many third world countries, from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran to Russia. Apparently Päivi wants to join them.

Now, Päivi loves using the Christian bible to make her points. Bible this, bible that. OK!! Here is a cease and desist from the bible itself. Read and weep!

Timothy 2:12 does not permit a woman to teach or assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.

Not to mention she should have her head covered all the time, according to the bible. She should also be her husbands servant, amongst many other things. A little double standard, eh Päivi?

Facebook: The “True Finn” versus the Saami woman

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales insight: What is this party that steals and hogs Finnish identity for itself and decides who is or isn’t a “true Finn?” They are called the Perussuomalaiset in Finnish, which means something like “basic” or “fundamental” Finn. After calling themselves True Finns in English they went for it all by calling themselves “the Finns Party.” 

Members of the PS say some pretty horrible things about migrants and minorities. One of these is MP Teuvo Hakkarainen in the picture. 

So who IS the True Finn?! 

_______________________________

Näyttökuva 2015-5-16 kello 22.09.27

 

Photo credits.
1. Racist man who is ruining Finland’s international reputation – Wikipedia commons (http://upload.wikimedia.org/…/co…/3/3f/Teuvo_Hakkarainen.jpg)
2. Woman dressed in traditional Sami garments – Ellen Ripa (http://www.skandihome.com/ellen-ripa-interiors/)

This Facebook posting was reprinted by Migrant Tales with permission.

The new Finnish dream: Become a member of the PS and speak out against migrants, minorities and cultural diversity

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Live by the sword die by the sword.

The saying found in the Gospel of Matthew, verse 26:52 is dedicated to Perussuomalaiset (PS)[1] chairman Timo Soini, who is also a devout catholic. This saying, live by the sword die by the sword, must haunt Soini. If I were him it would give me the creeps. 

Some are predicting gloomy days for the PS, even  the party’s implosion. The same anti-immigration rhetoric that made it into the second biggest party in parliament threatens to destroy it today.

The saying by Jesus quoted in the Bible says in pretty clear language that if you use violence, or other harsh means against other people, you can expect the same ending happening to you.

Everybody knows that the PS is hostile to migrants, minorities and to our ever-growing culturally diverse society. You don’t need to be a rocket sicentist to understand that.

The Finnish Dream

Meanwhile, blinded by media attention, power and money, one rapid way of becoming rich and famous in this country is to join the PS and become a populist with a clear anti-immigration message. You could even become a good cop like Soini by claiming that you’re against racism while supporting racism.

One way of attaining the new Finnish dream, like the USAmerican dream,  is membership in the PS, lots of imagination to make up and turn out urban tales about migrants and minorities faster than they are disproven. If you succeed you’ll become famous and well off.

Disagree?

The PS got last year 6.630 million euros in support from tax payers last year. That is a far cry from smaller parties like the Swedish People’s Party and Christian Democrats. In 2007, the PS were in the minor political leagues as the latter parties with only five MPs elected in 2007.

Näyttökuva 2015-5-17 kello 12.23.09

 

Read full story (in Finnish) here.

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