Tag: Perussuomalaiset

By Enrique Tessieri

If the Nazi-spirited Suomen Sisu and Perusuomalaiset (PS) MPs were an onion, what would we find at its center? A twenty-first century version of the solution without the scary adjective “final?” Racism in its most hostile form? A huge factory turning out urban myths about immigrants and minorities?

Helsingin Sanomat exposed on Sunday just how this minority within the PS operate.  During April and May, five bus drivers of immigrant background were attacked in the Helsinki region.  Since the number of hate crimes reported by the Finnish media grew after the PS election victory in April, PS MP Jussi Halla-aho attempted to play down these reports.

The PS MP claimed that it wasn’t immigrant bus drivers that were being attacked but Finnish ones in greater numbers. What Halla-aho didn’t tell us was that he lumped all bus drivers as Finns, even those that were Finnish citizens with immigrant backgrounds.

In another story published today by tabloid Iltalehti of Mambo group singer Tero Vaara, we are starting to see the real face of the beast.   On the popular Finnish singer’s website he let’s it all hang out in the classical Suomen Sisu and Hommaforum anti-immigration style. In the interview, Vaara equates multiculturalism to communism.

The latter catchphrase is one of the many favorites used by the anti-immigration crowd in Finland.  I highly doubt many like Vaara know what multiculturalism means.

In the most general terms, a good synonym for multiculturalism is cultural diversity.  When people like Vaara claim they oppose multiculturalism are they stating that they want Finland to remain white? What about those that are of other ethnic backgrounds? Don’t they have a right to embrace and cherish Finnish culture on their terms like everyone else?

Like a rising sun behind Vaara, Suomen Sisu appears conspicuously in the following quote on Iltalehti:  “I don’t believe that multiculturalism in its present form is a good thing (and) that the result of the complete mixing of cultures and religions would be only positive.”

What is wrong with this statement? For one, does cultural diversity mean that everyone is mixing? Isn’t it, however, normal that cultures mix? With whom and how much depends on the person.

Some may still ask why the Finnish Criminal Police (KRP) and Supo see Suomen Sisu as a Nazi-spirited associaiton. The answer lies in their ideology, which is based on the myth of  ethnic and cultural purity. This same view is held by the American Nazi Party, Klu Klux Klan and other associations that are openly hostile to immigrants and minorities.

A Suomen Sisu t-shirt promoting “racial hygiene” in Finland. Source: Vallan vahtikoira.

One of Suomen Sisu’s recommended authors on their reading list is Alfred Rosenberg. This Nazi party pseudo-philosopher promoted ideas that were the antithesis of cultural diversity. The argument was simple: People like the Jews and others who did not or could not share the Nazi ideology were dangerous to Germany and hindered the Aryans from becoming the master race.  The fewer Jews that lived in Germany the better.

If we take this latter claim and look at it in a present-day context, we will find striking and scary similarities.  Hint: Replace Jew for Muslim.

So what are the Suomen Sisu and anti-immigration crowd telling us? What is their message?

Do away with cultural diversity, water down civil rights, acceptance and recognition of immigrants, Finns and minorities of different backgrounds.

Comment: The one-sided debate in Finland on immigrants, refugees and immigration to Finland has been an exercise in finding suitable scapegoats by anti-immigration groups like Hommaforum and parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS).  In the column by Mikko Heikka below, the bishop of the Lutheran Church  argues how Finland’s poor have been driven against immigrants.

“One of the key topics that arose after the election was immigration,” he writes. “…Immigrants are seen as enemies that eat from the tables of Finns.”

One of the biggest problems in the ongoing debate in Finland is the lack of leadership by politicians of the mainstream parties.  Since public figures are not speaking out strongly enought against racism, it makes it more acceptable among some Finns. 

It is, however, a good matter that the Lutheran Church is standing up to this social ill that is threatening the country.

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Mikko Heikka

Köyhyys nousi huhtikuussa pidettyjen eduskuntavaalien tärkeäksi teemaksi. Myös hallitusneuvotteluissa asia on nähty keskeiseksi. Köyhyys ei kuitenkaan ole uusi ongelma. Jo vuosia kirkon tutkimukset ja piispojen puheenvuorot ovat tuoneet esille kasvavan köyhyyden seuraukset erityisesti pitkäaikaistyöttömien, lapsiperheiden ja yksinelävien arjessa. Näitä puheenvuoroja ei ole kuultu.

Read whole story.

By Enrique Tessieri

Perussuomalaiset (PS) Rovaniemi city councilman Hemmo Koskimies’ blog entry, ”Justified racism – a ‘n-word’ lives alone in a 75m2 home,” (the blog post was deleted by Uusi Suomi) still appears without any correction despite emails to Uusi Suomi’s editor-in-chief Markku Huusko and owner Niklas Herlin. A number of phone calls were made to Huusko but they were never returned by him.

Migrant Tales published on June 7 an entry on Koskiniemi’s blog writing.

The only person that answered my phone calls was Jarmo Koponen, an Uusi Suomi producer. He was helpful but told me that the net publication is not responsible for what their bloggers publish.

Good ethical standards in writing should apply to bloggers as well.  In the case of Koskiniemi, Uusi Suomi should require him to put out a correction or ask him to take the entry off the blog.

Neither of these have been done concerning the entry published on May 21, where Koskiniemi accuses the immigrant of getting special advantages at the cost of the city, state and a single Finnish father with two children.

Migrant Tales did get in touch with the City of Rovaniemi to find out if what the PS councilman wrote is correct. It is evident from the email reply from the city that Koskiniemi is exaggerating to say the least. The city claims no wrongdoing.

This case is of interest to us for a number of reasons: (1) It shows how politicians can make irresponsible bigotted statements with near-impunity; (2) stereotypes and racism are reinforced as a result and affect the whole immigrant community; (3) the response to these types of misinformation and “justified racism” show how prejudice and hatred of immigrants have mushroomed on the net and in Finnish society as of late.

The Koskiniemi case reveals as well how publishers, editors, even politicians, turn a blind eye and even take part in these types of spiteful writings.

Since I sent the first email to Uusi Suomi on June 1 to Huusko, and three more to him, Koponen and owner Herlin,what else is there to do?

Should we throw in the towel or send the matter to the Council for Mass Media in Finland (JSN)?

Since Koskiniemi is a public figure of Finland’s third-largest political party, he is not only responsible but accountable for what he says.

Whatever the response of the JSN is, like the near-silence from Uusi Suomi, it will be highly revealing. It should, at least, give us some indication how to react to racist misinformation on the net by public figures.

At least it will tell us why this social ill is alive and kicking on the net.

By Enrique Tessieri

Most Finns know that this is a preposterous statement but some would agree that Adam and Eve were Finnish. This minority claims that since Finns have not mixed with anyone culturally never mind ethnically, the Garden of Eden must have been Finnish.

Some Finns who are pushing these pseudo-theories and myths of Finns and  Finland are well-known politicians who belong to parties like the Perussuomalaiset and associations like Suomen Sisu and Suomalaisuuden Liitto.

The problem with these types of parties and associations is that their arguments are based on brittle myths.  They use all types of underhanded tactics to defend their arguments with the help of racism and xenophobia, among others.

I will now proceed to drop a bombshell on them with a simple question: If you trace your family back twenty generations, how many ancestors would you have? How wide of an area would they be spread apart?

Check out this video clip for the answer.*

* You would have over a million ancestors, or 1,048,576 to be exact. Are you certain we’re not related?