HS: Perussuomalaisten ohjelmajohtaja haluaa puolueet päättämään taiteesta

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: I once sat next to True Finns elected MP Vesa-Matti Saarakkala at a panel last year and was disappointed that such a young man had his head stuck stuck so deep in prejudice. Saarakkala, who is vice chairman of the True Finns, was one of the thirteen who signed last year the Nuiva immigration proposal,  which was drafted by the far-right Suomen Sisu wing of the True Finns.

Helsingin Sanomat recently reported that some of the books that Suomen Sisu has on its shelves are by Nazi war criminal Alfred Rosenberg and David Duke, the former head of the Klu Klux Klan.

Another “threat” that Saarakkala sees Finland facing is art. In an interview in Helsingin Sanomat below, he reiterates that the state should stop funding post-modern art. He feels that more funds should be earmarked for art that strengthens Finnish identity. These include the Kalevala and artists like Edelfelt, Gallen-Kallela and Sibelius, which he felt are losing ground in Finland.

Thanks to Saarakkala and the True Finns, this blog has never seen such a growth in daily hits. Thousands have visited us recently, even publications like Time magazine have cited Migrant Tales. 

The aim of this blog “is to debate some of the salient issues facing the immigrant and minority community in Finland. It aims to be a voice for those whose views and situation are understood poorly and heard faintly by the media, politicians and public.”

With the True Finns having entered the political landscape now, that voice is needed more than ever.

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Teemu Luukka

Perussuomalaisten eduskuntavaaliohjelmassa on poliittiseksi ohjelmaksi harvinaisen pitkä kulttuuripoliittinen osio. Kulttuuri on 14-osaisen ohjelman alussa heti aatelinjausten jälkeen – siis paljon ennen talous- tai sosiaalipoliittisia osioita. Kulttuurista kirjassa kirjoitetaan yhtä paljon kuin veropolitiikasta.

Read whole story.

Finland election: Where are the True Finns heading?

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By Enrique Tessieri

After the fanfare dies down a Herculean task awaits the True Finns after their Sunday election victory: Which direction should Finland be heading if it sits in a coalition government with Kokoomus and the Social Democrats?

One of the first biggest challenges that True Finns’ chairman Timo Soini now faces is the political inexperience of most of his 39 MPs. Such inexperience may lead to infighting, serious undercurrents and intrigue which the tabloids and media will exploit to the fullest.

True Finns parodies have already emerged. Thank you Paavo for this link (in Finnish).

Even though it is difficult to find e suitable adjective to describe Soini’s party, it is a hodge podge of far-right elements, Islamophobists, small businessmen, nationalists and even socialists.

Probably a suitable description is “protest” party.  Swedish researcher Liisa Bjurwald, who published on Monday Europas skam – rasister på frammarsch (Europe’s shame – the rise of racism), sees the True Finns as an “anti-immigration right-wing populist” party.

An analyst I spoke to Monday said: “The True Finns have their work cut out for them. Their inexperienced MPs are no match for the veteran politicians of Kokoomus and Social Democratic parties. Keeping all these political currents in the party flowing in same direction will prove difficult (for Soini).”

If we look at the far-right wing of the True Finns led by Suomen Sisu members like Jussi Halla-aho, their problem will be Finland’s underwhelming immigrant and refugee population. Even if they are obsessed by Somalians, there aren’t enough of them to exploit indefinitely.

Halla-aho’s future as a politician paradoxically depends on how many Muslims and Somalians move to Finland. With the present negative climate, I doubt that many immigrants in general will want to bring their skills to this country.

Another factor that voters will be watching closely during the next four years will be if the True Finns can play ball with the other parties. As mentioned, group unity and inexperience will weigh heavily on the party.

Another factor we must keep in mind it that despite the fact that about 20% voted for the True Finns in the election, 80% voted for traditional parties. Xenophobic groups like Muutos2011 and Vapauspuolue did miserably in the election.

Time will tell as many things about the True Finns and their policies. What it may reveal at the end of the day may be very different from our present expectations and fears.

guardian.co.uk: Attack on ‘blasphemous’ art work fires debate on role of religion in France

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: In the 1960s in the United States there was a TV show called To Tell the Truth where you were supposed to figure out during 20 minutes who was the correct person out of three guests with the same name. At the end of the show the commentator stated: “Will the real Mr. X please stand up.” Figuring out how secular countries like France are is a bit of a retake of that famous show.

If the True Finns used their anti-immigration stand to lure votes in Sunday’s election, the same shameful opportunism is being used elsewhere by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to improve his election bid in 2012.

The article below shows how religion and politics don’t mix.

Controversy has followed artist Andres Serrano ever since he placed in 1987 a crucifix in his own urine (Piss Christ) and photographed it. His work has been the target of attacks by Catholic fundamentalist.

Serrano states that Piss Christ is a statement on the misuse of religion.

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By Angelique Chrisafis

• Intruders vandalise photo day after Christian protest
• Exhibitor blames Sarkozy speech for inflaming issue

When New York artist Andres Serrano plunged a plastic crucifix into a glass of his own urine and photographed it in 1987 under the title Piss Christ, he said he was making a statement on the misuse of religion.

Read whole story.

CNN: Burqa ban turns a right into a crime

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Comment: Below is a well-balanced opinion-piece on the Burqa ban in France that some True Finns’ Islamophobists should take the time to read before they decide to go on a similar path in Finland. 

The following statement summarizes well the “problem” in France:  “The full force of the state is coming down on fewer than 2,000 Muslim women out of a population of 6.5 million French Muslim citizens. For what purpose? We are told it is for security, the preservation of “French values” and to alleviate the oppression of women.”

I personally believe in a secular society but I respect those that may disagree with that view. Our liberal, democratic and Western society permits us to make lifestyle choices that are exclusively our own. 

Banning dress or other forms of cultural expression should never be the role of the state except for in exceptional circumstances.  

Moreover, undermining civil liberties is an attack on our own values and usually ends up becoming a Pyrrhic argument.

Do you agree?

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Sarah Joseph*

London, England (CNN) — The ban imposed by French President Sarkozy on wearing a face-covering veil, or niqab, is simply dangerous gesture politics, representing little more than pandering to the far right in France.

Read whole story.

*Sarah Joseph OBE is the CEO and editor of emel Media. She is a regular contributor to public and governmental discussions pertaining to Islam and was listed by Washington’s Georgetown University as one of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims.

Soini’s probable hello-goodbye-thank-you-ma’m kiss to xenophobia

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By Enrique Tessieri

Will we see in the comming weeks a gentle hello-goodype-thank-you-ma’m kiss from True Finns chairman Timo Soini to the xenophobic wing of the party? A total of six people who signed the xenophobic Nuiva manifest last year got elected to parliament. The best-known of these are Jussi Halla-aho and former Finnish State Railways (VR) employee James Hirvisaari.

I personally would be pretty surprised if Soini allowed these far-right crusaders get a dominant position in the party. They could be the very ones that can challenge Soini’s leadership and force the party to implode.

We’ll know the answer to what kind of kiss Soini will give these far-right representatives if the True Finns form part of the next coalition government.

The other four “Nuiva gang” members that got elected are Vesa-Matti Saarakkala, Juho Erola, Olli Immonen and Maria Lohela, who isn’t too fond of Muslims.

Finland 2011 election: A perilous watershed

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By Enrique Tessieri

Sunday’s election in Finland was historic for many reasons. For one it ushered in a populist party with far-right and xenophobic elements to the Eduskunta (Parliament). In order to comprehend the new political landscape of Finland, we must use hindsight to understand what has happened.

While some like the Social Democrats blame ever-growing social inequality in welfare state Finland and globalization for the convincing victory of the True Finns, I believe it has its roots deep in the cold war period. Even if Finland paid a high price for allying itself with Nazi Germany in the Continuation War (1941-44) and for waging war against the former Soviet Union, far-right nationalism in this country was never challenged.

This type of nationalism was maintained with the help of our hatred of the Russians and our general perceptions of other cultures based unfortunately on myths and racism.

One has only to look at the number of immigrants during the cold war era and the foreign investment laws to understand that at least in the laws Finland was an off-limits country for outsiders.

Apart from passing its first Aliens Act in 1983, or 65 years after we gained independence in 1917, Finland kept foreign investment on a very short leash through the Restricting Act of 1939. With the help of the law, equity ownership was capped at 20% and, with special permission up to 40%.  Foreigners could not own land and weren’t allowed to establish companies in the following sectors: forestry, mining, shipping, refining and securities trading.

If you were a so-called alien before 1983, you did not even have the right to habeas corpus. Soviet refugees were returned back to the USSR as well to face long-term imprisonment in asylums.

Is the True Finns’ victory a return to the cold war preiod or a twenty-first version of it?

One of the first statements on television by the anti-immigration wing of the Perussuomalsiet (PS)* led by Jussi Halla-aho, who got elected in Helsinki, was on immigration. He interpreted the True Finns’ victory as a vote against Finland’s immigration policy and the European Union.

It is kind of odd that while 2.9% of the population of Finland are non-Finns, Halla-aho and his followers are steadfast on tightening immigration policy. Is this a first preview of Denmark a la Danish People’s Party? We don’t know.

In neighboring Sweden, where 14% of its population consist of non-Swedes,  the xenophobic Sweden Democrats got 5.3% of the vote.

Even though Sunday’s election is a clear indication that about 20% of the Finns are fed up with the government’s EU policy, immigration and the weakening of the comprehensive social welfare state, it does not mean that the majority of the Finns are on a protest-vote warpath. The majority gave their support to the traditional parties and their values of our society.

The election will stand out as a dangerous watershed for Finland. As Finland finds it more difficult to finance its social welfare state with the help of borrowed money, thus fuelling social inequality, matters will get worse before they improve.

Far-right populism is an illness inflicting Europe at present and it now has a beachhead in Finland.

* The Finnish name of 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.

Finland election: True Finns score big but Kokoomus wins

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By Enrique Tessieri

The True Finns should thank their historic victory on troubled countries like Greece, Ireland, Portugal as well as those embattled immigrants, refugees and their children that have had to put with the hostility of such parties. Maybe Timo Soini should thank globalization as well and the ever-increasing social inequality in our country for his victory.

When I started this blog in May 2007 I started to write about immigration and prejudice. The first critics that swarmed on my blog were steadfast about one matter: There was no racism or it was only a minor problem in Finland. These bloggers should take a look at Sunday’s result and what it means.

My hunch in 2007 was correct but it does not make me happy. I would have wanted to have been proven wrong: bigotry and far-right populism are an issue in this country.

With 100% of the votes counted here are the final results: Kokoomus (20.4%/44 seats), Social Democrats (19.1%/42), True Finns (19.0%/39), Center Party (15.8%/35), Leftwing Alliance (8.1%/14), Greens (7.2%/10), Swedish People’s Party (4.3%/9), Christian Democrats (4.0%/6), and ÅS  (0.4%/1).

In Finland the party that wins the election forms government. In this case it is Kokoomus.

Halutaanko Suomi umpioida?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Alain Minguet ja Enrique Tessieri

Tulevien huhtikuun 17. päivän vaalien myötä on nousut paljon keskustelu maahanmuuttajien ja uusien tulokkaiden roolista yhteiskunnassamme.

Monet Etelä-Savon ja Pohjois-Karjalan eduskuntaehdokkaat ovat kampanjan aikana ilmaisseet halukkuutensa kiristää maahanmuuttopolitiikkaa.

Siihen toivottaisiin selityksiä, sillä muun muassa YLEn vaalikoneen vastaukset ovat epätoivoisen kierteleviä ja ympäripyöreitä.

Viime vuosien aikana on hankaloitettu mm. turvapaikanhakijoiden työhön pääsyä, on lopetettu inkerinsuomalaisten paluumuutto-ohjelma, eri korkeakoulut ovat ilmoittaneet aikomuksensa periä vaihto-opiskelijoilta lukukausimaksuja, on vaikeutettu perheenyhdistämistä, ja edelleenkin suurin osa turvapaikanhakijoista saa kielteiset päätökset.

Mutta on ollut myös edistystä. Vuoden vaihteessa tulleessa uudessa laissa kotouttamispalvelujen piiriin pääsi laajempi joukko maahanmuuttajia, vaikka itse kotouttamispalvelut jäivät edelleen varsin epämääräiseksi käsitteeksi ilman tarkoin määriteltyä sisältöä.

On täysin ymmärrettävää, että jotkut suomalaiset näkevät maahanmuuton uhkana suhteellisen uutena ilmiönä. Historiakin selittää osaltaan joitakin ennakkoluulojamme muukalaisia kohtaan. Aika voi korjata näkemyksiämme, mutta joidenkin poliitikkojen “irtopisteiden” toivossa harrastama muukalais- ja pakolaisvastainen pelon lietsointa on täysin sopimatonta.

Muukalaisvihan nousu ja maahanmuuttajia koskeva retoriikka on ollut erityisen huolestuttavaa. Suomi voi vielä joutua maksamaan kalliisti siitä, että pitkän tähtäimen tavoitteet raivataan lyhytnäköisten hyötyjen tieltä romukoppaan.

Kuka tänne tulevaisuudessa haluaa muuttaa, jos Suomesta tulee Tanskan tapaan avoimesti muukalaisia vihaava yhteiskunta? On aika selvää, että näin likinäköisen toiminnan suurimpia häviäjiä tulevat olemaan Suomi ja tulevat sukupolvemme.

Koska taloutemme on kasvun ja hyvinvoinnin osalta riippuvainen globaaleista markkinoista, on vain luonnollista, että maamme, ja Etelä-Savon tai Pohjois-Karjalan kaltaiset maakunnat erityisesti, tarvitsee maahanmuuttajia, joilla on tietoja ja taitoja. Tarvitsemme myös pakolaisia.

On tärkeää, että voimme olla ylpeä yhteiskuntamme, että täällä kunnioitetaan ihmisoikeuksia ja tältä saa hakea turvaa. Pakolaisissa on myös hyvin koulutettuja ja työosaavia ihmisiä. Selän kääntäminen maailmalle olisi kohtalokas virhe, koska se kyseenalaistaisi ja heikentäisi arvojamme.
Mielestämme Suomen tulisi näyttäytyä tulokkaille samanlaisena yhteiskuntana kuin se on suomalaisillekin: avoimena ja oikeudenmukaisena. Avainkäsitteenä tulijoista puhuttaessa tulisi olla joukkoon kuuluminen eikä eristäminen pelon lietsomisen avulla. Tarvitaan molemminpuolista hyväksyntää, tasa-arvoa ja yhtyeenvertaisia mahdollisuuksia.

Kysymme kansanedustajaehdokkaita siis tarkentamaan, mitä muutoksia tarvitaan jo Suomen maahanmuuttopolitiikkaan, ja mistä vielä aiotaan ruuveja kiristää, jos Suomea halutaan umpioida?

BBC: EU bail-out nerves as Finland holds general election

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Comment: Here is another story by the BBC on today’s election. 

The end of the story puts the election result in context: “Whether the True Finns will really [emerge] as champions of the elections is still uncertain but I think we will clearly get a more nationalistic, more conservative, less European-oriented government in Finland,” ING senior economist Carsten Brzeski told Reuters news agency.”

If the True Finns election result turns out to be lower than what some opinion polls suggested it will fuel a lot of debate on the role of such polls in Finnish elections. Unfortunately, the media and the public have accepted the results of these opinion polls as the final result of the election.  We all know that the ballot boxes have the final say.

If the True Finns get less than 20 seats it will be an upset for Timo Soini’s party.

What do you think?

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Finns have gone to the polls to elect a new parliament in a vote that may affect future EU bail-outs if a rising nationalist party does well.

Read whole story.

Finland election today: What future awaits us and Europe?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Today Finnish voters will head to the polls. What their collective message may be for the direction Finland will take in the following four years remains to be seen. One of the most tragic aspects of the campaigning to April 17 is how some, like the True Finns and individual members of all the parties in this country, have used fear-mongering of immigrants and refugees to further their political careers.

This type of chicanery is unacceptable in a country where IT-technology is king and where its students enjoy one of the best educational systems in the world.

If xenophobia gets the best of us after the polling stations close today at 8pm local time, then all the Nokias and Pisa exams will have little meaning. We must now begin to invest in stereotypes, ethnic myths, intolerance and see our society consisting of  “us” (good guys) and “them” (evil people).

Another matter that has surprised me is the sheer ignorance of some of the candidates who should know better. Even if there are politicians who have been quite outspoken on racism and xenophobia, there are PhDs who speak of other cultures in the same level as elementary school dropouts. They are the children of  Rolf Nordenstreng’s teachings in a twenty-first century context.

Contrary to the nineteenth century racist, its twenty-first century counterpart is more astute and hides his fanatism by carefully chosing his/her words to avoid being sued for incitement against a religious or ethnic group.

These types of candidates masquerade behind soundbites like “guardians of  freedom of speech and western values” while they bash and send other groups to the twenty-first century gas chambers of hatred, where one survives but is imprisoned by walls of hostility.

If we allow the new fanatism to get the best of us, we will be setting the groundwork for future wars. Wasn’t that the whole idea of the European Union when it was founded in the 1950s?

Good trade and business relations will keep our countries busy in more productive things than spreading hatred and war.

Resolving and winning the challenges we face as a region will be the icing on that cake.