Finland’s police service: see no, hear no, speak no hate crimes

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Migrant Tales reported since the end of January some gruesome violent crimes against Muslims in Finland with the most recent one happening Wednesday. Two of these led directly to the violent deaths of a Somali and Moroccan native, both Finnish citizens.  None of these were hate crimes, according to the police. 

What is a hate crime and why do some visible immigrants disagree flatly with the police’s conclusions?

A Police College of Finland report states the following:  “The traditional definition of hate crime also entails the notion that there is no prior relationship between the offender and the victim. Hate motivation is easier to understand in connection with crimes committed by extremist groups; i.e. in instances where the suspect and victim do not know each other and the suspect’s agenda is to harm the victim on the basis of his or her membership of a specific [ethnic]group.”

And continues: “This traditional definition, however,  is not suitable for describing all crimes committed against minorities that include prejudice against a group. Crimes or harassment can also occur between people who already know one another, and such acts are not always based on one particular hate motivation.”

One matter that sheds a dubious light on the Finnish police is their claim that hate crimes fell  by 15% to 860 cases in 2010 compared with the previous year.

While we don’t have the competence nor the resources like the police to investigate a hate crime, we are members of the community that the police serves.

Even so, the ever-growing discrepancies between some immigrant and visible minority groups versus the police show a distressing trend: lack of credibility.  This can never be a good matter for the police never mind the immigrant community because the effectiveness of the police service hinges on trust.

Trust in the police service can be hindered by many factors. One of these can be the immigrant, who may came from a country where the police are more feared than criminals. In light of this fact the police in Finland must do more work to win over the trust of these groups.

A recent statement by a policeman investigating the death of the adolescent in Espoo show that credibility between the police and the Somali community are significant to say the least.

Instead of reassuring the Somali community that Finland’s streets are safe and that the police are out there to protect them, the police investigator blamed the Somalis for planting racial hatred by spreading false rumors about the murder, according to YLE.

Alan Bruce wrote recently (26.2.2012) on Migrant Tales the following:   ” For far too long many police services have been reactive and cut off from the needs of all they are supposed to serve – through inertia, sloppy standards, poor levels of training or [as in the stated findings of the Macpherson Commission in London] sheer ‘institutional racism.’”

Bruce continued: ” Tackling these problems by a radical program of training, policy and pro-active engagement with [and support for] immigrant communities, ethnic minorities, migrants, women and other minorities is not just protecting the rights of citizens [and non-citizens] but it is also about creating a professional police service that sets standards and proclaims values.”

The tragic deaths and attacks that we have witnessed so far this year should be a wakeup call.  In the present political climate in Finland, matters will unfortunately get worse before they improve.

The police must stop treating crimes against immigrants as routine matters.

Why is the Perussuomalaiset party riling mad at the Finnish media?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

You know that there is something wrong whenever a group, never mind a major political party like the Perussuomalaiset (PS), start accusing the media for their problems. This is exactly what Matti Putkonen and MP Jussi Halla-aho did Wednesday on  YLE, when they blamed the media for treating the PS unfairly compared with other parties.

This view was contested by Risto Uimonen, chairman of the Council for Mass Media in Finland and a guest on the show. He said that since the election, when the PS became the third-largest party in Finland, it’s only natural that it has come under greater media scrutiny.

Even though Putkonen, who was convicted of rape in the early 1990s, vows to restore the PS’ good name in the media, it’s pretty clear that any such attempt will end up in failure before it leaves the drawing board.

If we look closely at what Putkonen and Halla-aho said, it’s clear that the party is pretty much in the dark about the watchdog role of the media.  Statements by them and PS MP James Hirvisaari, who has called the media “bloodthirsty hyenas,”  should instead sound alarm bells.

I am certain that if these PS politicians had their way, they’d be the first to curtail press freedom in order that the media would write what they wanted. Putkonen said in a letter to journalists that the media should “serve the fatherland when writing the news.”

Does “serving the fatherland” mean distorting the news and self-censorship when reporting on the PS?

If the PS were fair and had a drop of self-criticism, they’d understand that much of the so-called negative coverage of the party is self-inflicted. Have they forgotten PS MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, sacked PS councilman Tommi Rautio, Ulla Pyysalo, Helena Eronen, Freddy Van Wonterghem and a long, long list of others?

Sad but true. Every month, sometimes every week, we are questionably entertained by some scandal that hits the front pages of the tabloids.

The ignorance and contempt that some PS members have for the media and for freedom of expression in Finland can be seen as well how the party addresses other issue like immigration and cultural diversity.

In their amateurishness and populist anti-democratic wishful thinking, they seek to rewrite history and move the goalposts of  society to fit their intolerant world.

The media is the best insurance that such a thing will never happen.

 

Robert Knox: Rotu on kaikista tärkein

Posted on by Sasu

by Sasu Xinkang Ölander*

Mikä on rotu yksi keskeisimmistä kysymyksistä mitä pitää kysyä. Käsitteenä rotu on hyvin nuori. Termi kehittyi 1600 ja 1700-luvuilla ”uudessa maailmassa”. Jos pitäisi määrittää jokin ideologia, joka olisi täysin eurooppalainen niin se olisi rasismi, nationalismi ja kommunismi. Muut ideologiat ovat enemmän tai vähemmän vain samojen vanhojen uskomuksien uudelleen muotoilua. Mitä muuta kapitalismi on, kuin hieno sana kuvaamaan ahneutta.

Rotu tarkoittaa ryhmää, joka voidaan erottaa pelkästään ulkonäöstään. Kun joku sanoo olevansa jonkin rotuinen, hän viittaa omiin fysiologisiin eroihin vain. Rotu käsitys on tietyssä mielessä vain yksi tapa luokitella ihmisiä eikä sinänsä ole mikään negatiivinen asia. Ihmiset aina luokittelevat toinen toisiaan. Jo silloin kun kävelemme kadulla, luokittelemme ihmisiä.

Tämän luokittelu tavan syntyyn vaikutti pitkälti ”löytöretket”. Kun Eurooppalaiset matkustivat ympäri maapalloa, he huomasivat selviä eroja itsensä ja ”löydettyjen” välillä. Jotta he kykenisivät ymmärtämään maailmaa paremmin, he alkoivat luokitella heidät ulkonäön mukaan. 1735 Carl Von Linnea Systema nature kirjassa määriteltiin ensimmäiset tieteelliset rodut ja näistä oli tuleva modernin rasismin perustus kivi(1).

Car Von Linnea luokitteli ihmiset neljään luokkaan: Europeaus albukse, Americanut rubescensiin, Asiaticu fuscukseen ja Africanut nigeriin. Näihin luokkiin kuului myös sarja personalaisuuden piirteitä. Eurooppalaisia hallitsee laki, amerikkalaisia tavat, aasialaisia mielipiteet ja afrikkalaiset ovat laiskoja. Johann Friedrin Blumenbachia lisäsi kauneuden osaksi rotuluokittelua. Hän katsoi, että kaukasialaiset olisivat kaikista kaunein rotu ihmisiä. Termi kaukasialainen on tullut synonyymi valkoisuudesta Amerikassa.

Heitä seurasi iso joukko filosofeja ja biologeja, jotka lisäilivät tai muuttivat rotuja. Ymmärtääkseen miksi rotu on niin tärkeä käsite, on meidän ymmärrettävä, mikä tarkoitetaan yhden pisaran (One Drop Rule) säännöllä. Sääntö juontaa suoraan Espanjaan ja 1400-lukuun. Kun Espanja oli takaisin vallattu muslimeilta ja kun Navarra ja Kastilia yhdistyi, nousi ongelma siitä mitä pitäisi tehdä muslimeille ja juutalaisille.

Ongelmasta nousi idea että tehdään ero puhtaiden ja saastuneiden välille. Takasin valloituksen aikana ja sen jälkeen tuhannet muslimit ja juutalaiset kääntyivät kristityiksi säästyäkseen vainoilta. Kristitty jolla ei ole muslimi tai juutalaista verta on tosi kristitty. Näin pyrittiin pitämään valta vanhoilla kristityillä.

Tämä idea siirtyi suoraan ”uuteen maailmaan”. Ajatus oli että valkoisten ja mustien ei kuuluisi olla minkäänlaisessa seksuaalisessa yhteydessä. Amerikan kaksoismantereella ajatus otettiin hieman eri tavoin vastaan. Pohjois-Amerikassa yhden pisaran säännöstä pidettiin tiukasti kiinni. Ei ole sattumaa, että vasta 1960-luvuilla seka-avioliitos tulivat laillisiksi. Latinalais-Amerikassa idea otettiin nihkeästi vastaan puhtaasti käytännöllisistä syistä. Espanjasta tulleet olivat enimmäkseen miehiä. Näin ollen heidän oli pakko ottaa Intiaani ja Afrikkalaisia vaimoja. Näistä muodostui populaatio, jota alettiin kutsua mulateiksi.

Rotu hierarkia rakentui tyydyttämään Eurooppalaisten omatuntoa. Hienommin sanottuna rasismi, joka juontuu rotu hierarkiasta, tyydytti Eurooppalaisten kognitiivista dissonanssia. Sen huipulla olivat valkoiset ja pohjalla mustat. Kaikki muut jäivät jonnekin sen välille.

Idea kulminoitui 1800- luvun Robert Knoxsin kuuluisaan fraasiin “race is everything,” eli rotu on kaikesta tärkein. Tärkeä asia mitä pitää muistaa on, että Robert Knox ja hänen kaltaiset tieteelliset rasistit eivät olleet hulluja. Adolf Hitlerin sosiaalidarwinistit olivat aikansa nerokkaimpia ihmisiä. He olivat kaikkialla ihailtuja ja heidän ennustukset värillisten rotujen luonnollisesta tuhosta oli sinfoniaa ympäri Eurooppaa.

Rotu käsitys nousi huonoon huutoon juutalaisten kansanmurhan jälkeen. Nyt tulee kysymys onko juutalaisuus rotu. Useimmat kovan luokan antisemitistit luokittelevat juutalaisuuden roduksi. Kun juutalaisuus oli luokiteltu roduksi, siihen voitiin kohdistaa tieteellisen rasismin menetelmät. Muistettavaa on silti, että Euroopan rotututkijat eivät luokitelleet juutalaisia roduksi. Antisementtiset  rotututkijat olivat oikeissa. Toinen muistettavaa on että samaan aikaan, kun rotututkijat väittelivät juutalaisten asemasta, valkoista rotua alettiin pilkkoa pienempiin alahaaroihin. Näihin alahaaroihin kohdistettiin eugeniikan oppeja, joita Adolf Hitler myöhemmin tulisi ”väärinkäyttämään”.

Kuinka monta rotua on maailmassa? Vastaus on, että niitä on loputtomasti. Rotu luokat tulevat ja menevät. Vaikka termimme vaihtuvat hierarkia on sama. Maailmalla on yhteisymmärrys siitä, että valkoinen on täydellinen. Valkoisuus nähdään maailmanlaajuisesti jonkinlaisena normina. Tämä ajattelu tapa on suoraan tullut Eurooppalaisilta. Tim Wise hienosti sanoi, että hallitakseen sinun on kolonisoitava hallittavien mieli. Tämä on yksi niistä haasteista johon värillisten löydettävä ratkaisu. (2)

Useimmat liberaalit sanovat varmasti, että se oli silloin mutta nyt rotu on kuollut. Tietyssä mielessä rotu on kuollut koska kukaan ei kehtaa sanoa sanaa rotu, etenkin valkoiset. Jos sinä sanot sanan rotu, on hyvin suuri todennäköisyys, että sinut huudetaan rasistiksi. Tämä on sitä värisokeaa rasismia ja poliittista korrektiutta. Toisaalta systeemi on pystyssä. Valkoisuudella on yhä hallitseva asema määrittämään mikä on normaalia ja kaunista. Samat syytökset yhä kaikuvat mitkä lausuttiin sata vuotta sitten.

Jotta asiaa ymmärtäisi paremmin, kannattaa rasismi jakaa kahteen kategoriaan. Ensimmäinen on individualistinen rasismi. Siihen kuuluvat kaikkia rasistiset liikkeet. Suomen Sisu, Skinheadit, Natsit ja heidän kaltaiset rasistit. Monet maahanmuutto kriitikot kuuluvat tähän, ei kaikki tietenkin. Osa maahanmuutto kriitikoista voivat kritisoida maahanmuuttoa ilman rasistisia motiiveja. Näitä vastaan on helppo taistella koska he eivät piilottele rasismia.

Toinen taso on yhteiskunnallinen ja kulttuurillinen taso. Tähän tasoon kuuluu iso nippu normeja, käytäntöjä, uskomuksia ja valtarakenteita joihin yksilö ei voi vaikuttaa. Tämän tason rasismi luo ja vahvistaa hierarkiaa joka asettaa värilliset aina friikki tai eksotiikka tasoon. Kulttuuria on kutsuttu usein vedeksi jossa kala ui. Rasismi on vesi jossa me kaikki uimme, mutta värillisten on välillä tultava maalle ennen, kuin palaa veteen niin kuin Sam Richard asian ilmaisi hienosti.(3)

*Kirjoittaja on 18-vuotias lukiolainen Helsingistä. Hän määrittele itsensä aasialais-suomalaiseksi.

Lähde:

(1)

101.s Kallonmittaajia ja Skinejä.Isaksson, Pekka

(2)

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=Internalized+Racism%3A+A+Definition%2C%22+Women%27s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDkQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thewtc.org%2FInternalized_Racism.pdf&ei=1wCcT_LRA8bN4QTM0oCqDg&usg=AFQjCNFJDhbJ5sxyOTrEUse26tzjqEp6zQ

Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing

(3)

Rotu luento

Migrant Tales Literary: ????? Garibeh (stranger, wanderer)

Posted on by Dana

?????  Garibeh (stranger, wanderer)

By Dana

????? ????? ?? ?????                                      ??? ?????? ???? ????? ?????

Where r u my sky full of stars                          Where r u Ms. Sun, u sweet darling

??? ?? ???? ????? ????                                      ??? ?? ??????? ??????? ???????

  Where r u my beautiful cute mother        Where oh my kind, my hospitable heart

??? ?? ??? ????? ?????                                               ??? ????? ????? ?????

Where r u oh grape garden of my land             Where beautiful oranges fruiting in spring

 ??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ??                                 ??? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?? ??

Where fragrant Jasmine, my Narcissus flower         Where have u gone Dana, u and everyone

??? ???? ??? ??????? ??                                        ????? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???

Where u gone fatherland, homesickness         Broken this heart of mine, give me ointment, a way

?????? ??? ?????? ??? ???                               ?????? ??? ??? ??? ? ??? ???

Cannot find a door, only walls and stone       Cannot find a way, paths are liquid and tight

?????? ????? ?? ?????                                                ????? ?? ????? ????? ???

I can’t find a pal oh god, key, compassion       not even a baby door, ah

??????? ??? ??? ???? ??                                           ???????? ??? ????? ?? ??

No-one kisses our cheeks                               No-one wants our Dana

?? ????? ?? ???? ?? ?????                                   ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?????

No armful, hugs, no mercy, no life                No seal, no thanks, not even a look

 ?? ???? ????? ????? ?????                                        ?? ???? ????? ??? ?????

No color, no essence, gem nor sweet words         No baba,* mother, nor even a message

??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???           ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ? ?? ??? ???

Oh God it’s hard being in a strange place in another country  it’s all sores, hurt and malevolent

??? ???? ????? ?? ?? ????                                          ????? ???? ????? ?? ????

Come mother, call for me now                         Free me from this eternal sleep of death

 ??? ????? ?????? ?? ?????                                             ??? ????? ??? ?????? ????

Free ur Dana, awaken me

  ??? ???????? ????? ?? ??

Father, I’m here in Helsinki, find me.

*Baba means father in Persian.

Update: Older woman assaulted at Myllypuro metro station in Helsinki

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Thanks to a tip off, Migrant Tales correctly reported that the  older woman who was attacked and beaten, allegedly by a group of white Finns, at Myllypuro metro station in Helsinki on Wednesday was a Somali. The woman suffered injuries to the face and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

These types of attacks, now apparently made by young men on older women, are an indication of the violence that some immigrants suffer in Finland.

Migrant Tales earlier reported three deaths of Muslims over a span of about three weeks. A Perussuomalaiset (PS) councilman, Tommi Rautio, boasted on Facebook that he would decorate the white Finnish male who killed the third victim and seriously wounded another before taking his own life in a pizzeria in Oulu.

Migrant Tales believes that attacks of the kind seen in Helsinki are the tip of the iceberg, even though the police reported that hate crimes had fallen by 15% in 2010 compared with the previous year.

The low number of reported hate crimes could be interpreted as a vote of little to no confidence in the police from certain immigrant groups.

Migrant Tales moves to http://migranttales.net on May 17

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Migrant Tales

I almost fell off my seat when I saw this message on my screen on March 29. The first thought that raced through my mind was that five years of hard work had come to an end. To ensure that nothing similar ever happens to Migrant Tales again, we will be moving to another domain (http://migranttales.net/) during May 15-19.

We  have seen unprecedented growth in traffic this year thanks to our readers. Our aim is a very simple one:  “…to be a voice for those whose views and situation are understood poorly and heard faintly by the media, politicians and public.”

Thank you for your support!

Migrant Tales’ was deactivated for about 13 hours on March 29-30. Some of our enemies were prematurely dancing and celebrating over our grave. To their surprise we were back the following day.

PS anti-immigration wing: “a new [Cadillac] model every year”

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Helena Eronen, the parliamentary aide who suggested armbands for foreigners, is what Malcolm X once said about racism and Cadillacs:  “They make a new model every year.”* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party’s far-right anti-immigration wing led by MP Jussi Halla-aho have a new model: Helena Eronen.

Hirvisaari was fined in December for hate speech, which explains why he chose Eronen as his aide to write and be his ideological alter ego.

Taking into account the outright rejection by the media especially after the election of the Counter-Jihadist writings of Halla-aho, Olli Immonen and Juho Eerola, it’s pretty clear that this group needs a fresh new face, and a new writing style to get across the same anti-immigration message. That person is none other than Eronen.

Even if Eronen claims no political affiliation, she used to advertise her affiliation to the far-right Muutos2011 on her Uusi Suomi blog. Many of her blog entries confirm her anti-immigration views, such as the last one published in Uusi Suomi and headlined, “What on Earth would you do about exotic- [skin-] colored rapists.”

Hirvisaari shines through in the text, and Eronen also mentions MP Olli Immonen, who inquired in Parliament about rapes committed by immigrants.

Eronen fails to share one absolute figure with the reader about how many rape cases have occurred. This is for obvious reasons, because we are talking about tens of cases and not discussing the white Finnish males who commit the lion’s share of rapes in Finland.

At the end of her blog entry she warns that two dailies, Turun Sanomat and Karjalainen of Joensuu, may not quote the text unless they want to pay a 100,000-euro fine. This shows how little Eronen understands and her utter ignorance of the media. It’s a pretty ludicrous warning: how can you write a public blog and forbid someone from quoting you?

We mustn’t forget that PS MPs Hirvisaari, Halla-aho and Immonen – and Eerola herself – are all social media creations.

Noting how much their racist writings and victimization of certain immigrant groups brought them money and a ticket to Parliament, it’s clear that they will not abandon social media as a platform for getting their anti-immigration message across to their followers.

*Thank you Sasu Xinkang Ölander.

Older woman assaulted at Myllypuro metro station in Helsinki

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

An older woman was attacked on Wednesday at Helsinki’s Myllypuro metro station, according to Metro’s April 26th edition.While the story does not state the ethnic background of the woman, Migrant Tales understands that the victim may be a Somali.

The woman, who suffered injuries to the face, was taken to hospital by ambulance.

The attacker, believed to be a young male, is still at large.

The police are expecting to determine the man’s identity by today.

Anti-immigration sentiment in Finland hinges in great part on the PS

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

The atmosphere for some immigrants in Finland has been an ever-worsening slippery slope. First the historic victory of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party last year and then the near-constant racist gaffes and foot-in-the-mouth shows.  

If you want to know what the PS stands on certain issues you have to watch for the but… in their sound bites. We are against racism but… We are against ethnic profiling but… We are for immigration but… We are for gender equality but…

It’s pretty clear that as long as an anti-immigration party like the PS remains the third-largest in parliament, matters will continue to worsen before they improve.

The PS are not only a threat to immigrants and visible minorities in this country, they are a tragedy for Finland. No matter from which angle at the situation, building a country on the populist ideology of the PS, which hinges on hatred, suspicion, racism and prejudice of other groups can never bring any type of prosperity to our country.

A story published by YLE Wednesday reinforced some disturbing news we already knew about immigrant youths. It states that immigrant youths have a five-time higher chance of being marginalized than Finnish- and Swedish-speakers.

It’s fair to say that the ongoing anti-immigration climate in Finland, thanks in part to the PS and to the economic situation, nothing far-reaching will be done to correct this situation.

The matter that causes youths and adults to be marginalized from society is a complex issue. Even so, the main culprit lies in between our ears.

Too many politicians, policy-makers, the public and even immigrants are content with the present untenable status quo. We agree on one matter and that is not to rock the boat.

It’s wishful thinking as well to believe that the integration and acceptance of immigrants and visible minorities in Finland will be easily solved by offering more Finnish-language course. It is a long process that will take generations and a lot of work from both sides. There are no easy fixes.

The role of mutual acceptance and respect are crucial if we aim to build a healthy and dynamic society in this century. At this moment there is too little of those important qualities.

The only way for Finland to shake off the present political nightmare and blow away those adverse anti-immigration winds blowing over our society is at the ballot box.

Fortunately time flies.

 

Aamulehti rape story: Minister Räsänen speaks out in favor of tougher sentences

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

The Aamulehti story that was published Wednesday, claiming incorrectly that 34% of all rapes are committed by foreigners, has Christian Democrat Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen now demanding in Iltalehti tougher rape sentences.  Nowhere in the Iltalehti story does Räsänen mention numbers. The only thing we can read in the story is that one third of all rapes are committed by foreigners.

The far-right anti-immigration wing of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party is attempting to get political mileage from the story. Helena Eronen, the assistant to PS MP James Hirvisaari who created quite a stir when she suggested armbands for foreigners, wrote in her Uusi Suomi blog about the matter.

Nowhere in her blog entry does she mention volumes.

Earlier today Migrant Tales got in touch with Hannu Niemi at the Justice Ministry, who said that as a rule of thumb, around 50% of all rapes by foreigners in Finland are committed by tourists. The rest are committed by permanent residents.

Let’s look at the rape statistics. Over the period from 2006 to 2009 24% — not 34% as claimed by Aamulehti — of rape sentences were given to foreigners. Technically this means that 12% (around 62 out of a total of 262 total cases) of all sentenced rapes in Finland were committed by immigrants who live here.

Aamulehti calculated only one type of rape case in its story. If we use all three types, then they average to 24%.

What is even more revealing are the 2010 and 2011 figures, which show suspected rape cases totalling 141 (foreigners accounted for 27.5% of the total)  and 109 (26%), respectively. If the majority of these cases are dropped and around half of them concern immigrants, then we are speaking of a really small number that is not big enough to start victimizing whole groups.

An honest question: Is this a story? Is it such a big story that Interior Minister Räsänen must come out publicly and add more fuel to the fire of racism in this country or stir the storm in the teacup further?

Räsänen does throw a bone to the immigrant community by asking people not to label all foreigners as a result of the statistics: “But we should not underestimate the problem; the majority of foreigners are well-behaved.”

This story by Aamulehti is a a good example of how immigrants are victimized in Finland.

When I read stories like these it not only makes me feel ashamed of my Finnish background but of some of my colleagues who are sloppy and eager for attention.