Tag: Far-right parties

Tunisia and Egypt are a blow to Islamophobia

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

The joy and the historic day celebrated this evening in Egypt after the resignation of Hosni Mubarak can be felt everywhere.  The emancipation of the Egyptians, after thirty years of rule by an autocratic and corrupt regime supported by the West, is contagious and will certainly spread to other parts of the region. People power in the Arab world will also be a long-term blow to the pet topic of far-right parties: Islam.

Building a country from the rubbles of a corrupt and autocratic regime will not be easy. But if the Egyptians, Tunisians and other countries succeed in the region it will not only bolster their national self-esteem but win further admiration of the Europeans and people throughout the world.

Like Latin America in the Cold War, the US and the West has had the same goal in the Arab world: Have a key say in the internal affairs and control vital resources.

The biggest losers to democracy in the region will be the Islamophobic far-right parties of Europe and radical Islam.  It will also force Israelis to rethink their relationship with their neighbors.

Suomen Kuvalehti: Totuuspuntari: Onko turvapaikanhakijoiden määrä nelinkertaistunut nykyisen hallituksen aikana?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Here is a good example of the political opportunism of the True Finns. They are using every dirty tricks in the book to get attention to their  mono-campaign platform. Jussi Halla-aho alleged that the amount of refugees to the country has (hold your breaths!) risen by four-fold during the present government. He, however, forgets to use the 2010 figure, which falls by 33.8% from the previous year.

Suomen Kuvalehti states in the article below that the figures provided by Halla-aho are  misleading. If we look at asylum seekers given refugee status between 2000 and 2010, we see a 25% rise.

The interesting question to ask about Halla-aho’s claim is a big “so what?” What if the amount of refugees has risen? Even if they have, you can never compare with Sweden or Norway, which take in many more refugees than Finland. Is  Halla-aho trying to make it a crime to take refugees to Finland?

Furthermore, what is the point? Oh yes, I understand. Halla-aho wants to show us at all costs that the Finnish authorities are a bunch of incompetent softies that let in criminals to the country and that immigrants living in Finland are suspect. If he gets elected, he’ll set the refugee and immigrant house in order.

God help us.

Update (10.2): Here is another True Finns Halla-aho follower, Freddy Van Wonterghem, who only conveniently publishes the 2009 figures. These types of tricks by the True Finns’ candidates have one aim: to secure votes and spread fear. You can read his blog by clicking here.

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Jukka Ukkola

Väite:

Turvapaikanhakijoiden määrä on nelinkertaistunut nykyisen hallituksen aikana.

Perussuomalaisten helsinkiläinen kansanedustajaehdokas Jussi Halla-aho on väittänyt blogissaan otsikolla Tiedote eduskuntavaaleihin 2011 liittyen, että turvapaikanhakijoiden määrä on nelinkertaistunut vuodesta 2007, jolloin nykyinen hallitus aloitti toimintansa.

To keep on reading click here.

Vihreä Lanka: Suomalainen puolue järjestää Muhammed-hevitapahtuman: ”Mautonta!”

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: When I read this story in Vihrea Lanka my first reaction was how far extremist parties will go to get attention. They are like little children trying with their antics to get attention. Muutos 2011 is a party that hides its xenophobia and racism by claiming that it is in favor of direct democracy, which means in plain English taking the law into your own hands.

Like the True Finns, some of their members comprise of people on the outer fringes of society. They bash others to lift themselves socially.

But don’t worry, Muutos 2011 is a taxi party: all of its members can fit in the backseat of a taxi.

What do you think about parties that give Finland and Finns a bad name?

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Suomen islamilaisen neuvoston tiedottaja Isra Lehtinen pitää ”Crushing The Balls of Muhammad” -hevi-iltaa mauttomana.

Muutos 2011-puolue järjestää 28. tammikuuta Turussa ”Crushing The Balls of Muhammad” -hevi-illan, jossa mainoksen mukaan profeettojen pallit kilisevät. Mitä ajattelet tästä?

”Mitä tulee sanoihin ´crushing the balls of Muhammad´, mielestäni se on vain mautonta. Mainos viittaa siihen, että islamista – tai siitä, mitä he kutsuvat islamiksi – lauotaan aika räväköitä juttuja.

Tapahtuman ennakkotiedotteessa puhutaan uskontojen tasa-arvosta, kun vaaditaan valtion ja kirkon erottamista toisistaan, mutta se ja Muhammad-puheen sävy eivät sovi yhteen. Tulee mieleen, että puolueen riveissä on erityisesti islaminvastaisuutta.”

Kuinka reagoitte tapahtumaan?

”Lähetän ennakkotiedotteen nähtäväksi Suomen islamilaisen neuvoston hallitukselle. Toisaalta olisi hyvä, että ottaisimme julkisesti kantaa. Toisaalta voi miettiä, onko se kannanoton arvoinen.

Voisimme lähettää mielipiteemme Muutos 2011:lle, mutta voi käydä niin, että sieltä alkaa tulla kauheasti sähköpostia perään. Ei meillä ole aikaa ryhtyä mittavaan sähköpostikeskusteluun kahden palkatun työntekijän voimin.”

Muutos 2011 ehdottaa kirkon ja valtion erottamista toisistaan. Mitä mieltä olet siitä?

”En suoraan kannata kirkon ja valtion erottamista, koska äänet, jotka sitä vaativat, ajavat usein maallistuneemman yhteiskunnan asiaa. Jos erottamisen kautta yhteiskunnasta tulee moniuskontoisempi, siinä ei ole ongelmaa.

Ei muslimeillekaan ole riemun aihe, että paljon ihmisiä on eronnut viime aikoina kirkosta. Se on merkki maallistumisesta.”

Pelottaako perussuomalaisten huikea gallup-menestys?

”Huolestuimme siitä jo kunnallisvaalien alla ja Jussi Halla-ahon suosion myötä. Suomeen on tullut myös koulutetun keskiluokan rasismia, mitä täällä ei ole ollut aikaisemmin. Toisaalta jos perussuomalaiset päätyvät hallitukseen, kannanotot luultavasti maltillistuvat. Tutkimusten mukaan hallitusvalta tekee näin radikaaleille.

Huono puoli on se, että isot puolueet saattavat kosiskella perussuomalaisten äänestäjiä´ottamalla huomioon maahanmuuttokriittisyyttä´.”

Those who give freedom of expression a bad name in Finland

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

One of the most incredible claims by anti-immigration groups like the True Finns is that they are not allowed to criticize immigrants and Muslims in particular. When they bash and insult minorities they claim that all they are doing is exercising their right to freedom of speech.

I sometimes get really confused when I hear the True Finns and other anti-immigration groups’ reasoning. On the one hand they claim that nobody can criticize immigrants and religious minorities in this country because the law “protects” them.  A quick visit to their blogs would, however, reveal another reality.

Let’s get one matter straight: People who have been accepted in our country as legal immigrants or have refugee status are not perceived as a threat by society. If their backgrounds have been rigorously checked and double-checked by the authorities, why do some like far-right groups insist on seeing them as a threat?

When speaking of freedom of speech, there is a big difference  if we live in a country where the government abuses human rights. Censorship and self-censorship are never acceptable under such circumstances. Many anti-immigration groups treat and attack immigrants and refugees as if they were despotic regimes.  They do so because they don’t have the faintest idea of what it would mean to live in a totalitarian society.

Whenever you hear a True Finn or another candidate of the far-right claim that certain immigrant groups are being protected from their criticism they should take a  look at what they say publicly.

What you will see are their blatant and shameful remarks.

The True Finns and their red herrings

Posted on by Migrant Tales

A red herring is something intended to divert attention from the real issue. When it comes to immigration, the True Finns do not have one but many red herrings on their plate.

Red herring 1: We are not against immigration but against Muslims “invading” Finland and Europe.

A naïve or ignorant person would say great, after we rid Finland and Europe of the Muslim question everything will be ok. At the best such a sinister plan against our values and democracy would end up a Pyrrhic victory. We would sacrifice our democratic way of life in order to vilify and exclude other groups.

The Muslims are the first of many “enemies” of the far-right.  Moreover, they are a European minority.

Red herring 2: Why do the True Finns attack Muslims?

The reason why the True Finns only target Muslims for now is because it would be a hard sell to be against all immigration and immigrants. Their extremist views would become too obvious and voters would be turned off by them.

A story in Kansan Uutiset gave this view of the True Finns’ stance on immigration: Anti-immigration groups try to ensure over and over again that they are not against immigration but against immigration policy, which allows Muslims to move to Finland. In other words they don’t care about the blacks that have been allowed to move to Finland but the policy that allows them to immigrate here.

Red herring 3: We don’t want women to wear scarves because we are for gender equality.

This is one of the most hypocritical statements that I have read by parties like the True Finns. Let’s see what they are saying, in fact… They are ready to deprive people of their religious freedom and their right to their cultural identity in order to improve women’s rights. Does this make any sense?

Red herring 4: We are patriotic and therefore protecting Finland’s best interests.

So patriotism means excluding people from our society and insulting them in public in the name of “freedom of speech.” The type of society that the True Finns want to create (do they have a plan?) is where inequality would be the rule, not the exception.

Red herring 5: Immigrants should assimilate better to Finland.

This statement is that of a typical leader that directs battle from behind. The True Finns want immigrants to adapt to Finland and aim to water down and change our civil rights in order to do this. If you ask me, they sound more maladapted to Finland than immigrants.

Should the integration program for immigrants include members of the True Finns? It would not be a bad idea. This would give them the chance to learn about our laws, values and society.

The tale of two racist spray paintings in an eastern Finnish city

Posted on by Migrant Tales

A new association called Kansavinvälinen Mikkeli (International Mikkeli) was registered on September 23. One of its most important aims is to serve as a forum where Finns and immigrants can openly debate topics that affect each other and create a greater sense of community.

One of the first matters that the association tackled was racist graffiti on the walls of the Kattilansilta School and underpass in Mikkeli.  To our surprise, the disturbing messages of both spray paintings had been there for months. The first one, at the school for children with learning disorders, had been noticed by one of the teachers in spring. The second one had been seen for the first time about seven months ago.

This spray painting was first noticed in spring by a teacher at the school for students with learning disorders. The school states on its website the following: We aim to foster the development of young people by meeting their needs and giving them the confidence and competence to lead independent, purposeful and enjoyable lives.

Even though the work of these spray-paintings is that of a deranged person, the most worrying matter is that some of the teachers didn’t think it was an urgent enough issue to address immediately.

Here is a discussion I had with one of the teachers of the Kattilansilta School in September:

“That sign has been there since spring,” he admitted. “They don’t represent my values.”

After a brief silence, the teacher continues: “Why is it that groups such as the (anti-immigration) True Finns and Muutos 2011 are labelled racist whenever they criticize immigrants for getting more social welfare than Finns?”

I asked him how he knew that some immigrants got more social welfare than Finns. He responded the local media as his main source.

This case at the school and my brief discussion with one of the teachers is,  in my opinion, a case in point why racism is still acceptable among some circles in Finland. It is done through silent approval or disapproval. The reaction could be compared with what happens in countries where human rights violations are the order of the day. Nobody dares to say anything in the erroneous belief or fear that nothing will ever happen to them.

After a call to the principal of Vanamo Special School, the graffiti was pained over the next day. The principal has his office in Vanamo Special School,  which reveals that the teachers of Kattilansilta School never brought the matter to his attention.

Here is one of the walls of the school where two of the three “white power” graffiti was sprayed.

The “Niggers Out” (apologies for the racist content of the photograph below) is still on the wall of an underpass after the association had got in touch in early October with the municipality.

This graffiti was first noticed on a wall of a Mikkeli underpass about seven months ago.These spray paintings appear to be the work of a neo-Nazi sympathizer(s).

Immigration debate in Finland and Europe: Turning the lights off

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The eagle never lost so much time, as when he submitted
to learn from the crow.
William Blake (1757-1827)

I remember a long time ago reading an editorial by the Buenos Aires Herald on how the military coup of 1976 was able to shut off lights in Argentina and keep the country in an information blackout. It argued that since outdated infrastructure such as telephones and telecommunications were in a wretched state, it was easy for the junta leaders to literally turn off the lights and spoon feed information to its citizens anyway it wished.

Even though cell phones and IT infrastructure are today the best in the world, some of us in western countries such as Finland continue to live in our self-imposed information bubble about people from other cultures. We hate this group because they do this and we don’t like that group because they have different customs than ours.

What is paradoxical about these “champions of our western way of life” is that they would, if given the opportunity, be the first to impose the very autocratic measures that they claim to be fighting against. They would not waste any time in limiting civil liberties such as religious freedom and even freedom of speech by over-exaggerating and overkilling their cases.

The kind of world they wish to impose on Europe is the one that had caused so much bloodshed in the past century.

Europe, as well as other parts of the world, know first-hand what racial and ethnic strife can bring. Hopefully some understand better in other parts of the world that wise tales about other ethnic groups to suit myopic “racial theories” can only lead to disaster.

Thanks to the Internet and the free flow of information, however, their attempts to shut off the information lights of Europe will be an impossible task.

The far right strikes at immigrants in Finland and elsewhere

Posted on by Migrant Tales

There is an interesting (long) article in a recent issue of Time that writes about the rise of the far-right in Europe. One of the favorite shooting grounds of these parties are immigrants in general and Muslims in particular.

Parties such as the BNP (British National Party) of Great Britain won two seats in the European Parliament in June as did in the Netherlands Geert Wilders´Partij voor de Vrijheid (Party for Freedom, PVV) grab second place in the Euro poll.

The article continues: “Around Europe a ragbag of extremist parties, as varied as the countries that produced them yet united by a vehement nationalism that singles out minority groups as a growing threat, scored in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Romania and Slovakia. Confronted with sliding economies and disappearing jobs, voters kicked the mainstream parties they held most responsible.”

Even though the article only mentions Finland once, we know that the True Finns (Perussuomalaiset/9.79% of the votes, a +9.25% gain) were the biggest winners of the Euro Parliament elections, with the Center (19.03%/-4.34%) and Social Democrats (17.54%/-3.72%) taking a beating.

One of the interesting points in the article is that these far-right parties have remade themselves. Like in Finland, some do not admit openly that they are in the “extreme right” nor that they are racist as True Finn President Timo Soini has said repeatedly.

The article continues: “Now outfits such as the BNP are learning from past mistakes: they’re slicker, and combine old-fashioned grassroots activism with Internet campaign techniques borrowed from the Obama playbook. They’re also well placed to exploit the disillusionment with traditional politics that has seen voter turnouts in European and national elections plummet, and membership of big parties dwindle.”

Even though it is always easy and sexier to be in the opposition, I wonder what these parties would do if they held a majority in the legislature and government?

How much of our civil lberties would they shelve in order to promote their political agendas?

Would all hell break loose?