Tag: Perussuomalaiset

Neo-Nazis and the Perussuomalaiset: Where do they and we draw the line?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

A year has elapsed after a Moroccan went on the rampage on August 18 and started attacking people indiscriminately with a knife in the southwestern city of Turku. Two people were killed and 10 were wounded. 

On the anniversary of the stabbing, which is seen by the authorities as Finland’s first modern terrorist attack, three far-right and neo-Nazi groups organized a march to commemorate the anniversary. Another group called Turku Without Nazis (Turku ilman natseja) organized a countermarch to protest the presence of the three far-right groups: Nordic Resistance Movement (Pohjoismainen vastarintaliike, PVL), Soldiers of Odin, and “188” or Nationalist Alliance (Kansallismielisten liittouma).

What went largely unnoticed by most of the Finnish media was the participation of an anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP, Kike Elomaa, and two members of her party. All three took part in the demonstration organized by the far-right and neo-Nazi groups.

Some may rightfully ask why far-right groups have grown in this country and elsewhere. The answer to that question is simple: Far-right- and neo-Nazi-leaning parties like the PS have allowed them in places like parliament. 

PS MP Kike Elomaa and two party members taking part in the far-right and neo-Nazi demonstration in Turku on Saturday. Source: Ilta-Sanomat.

At the heart of the problem is also Finland’s difficulty in seeing and condemning far-right and neo-Nazi groups. 

As US political scientists Steven Levisky and Daniel Ziblatt stated in their analysis of President Trump’s administration, “The erosion of democracy takes place piecemeal, often in baby steps.”

Our blindness to the threat posed by far-right and neo-Nazi groups in Finland is a good example of how the erosion of our democracy is happening before our eyes and in baby steps.  

 

Read the full story here. 

The silence of the politicians to such threats, especially that of the government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, is another problem promoting extremist groups. 

Even if far-right groups like to talk about free speech, their aim could not be further from the truth. Their aim is not more democracy but less of it. 

It is up to us to stand up and draw the line between us and far-right groups and neo-Nazis. If we do not do it, nobody else will do it for us. 

* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13 into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. Despite the name changes, we believe that it is the same party in different clothing. Both factions are hostile to cultural diversity. One is more open about it while the other is more diplomatic.

A direct translation of Perussuomalaiset in English would be something like “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” Official translations of the Finnish name of the party, such as Finns Party or True Finns, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and racism. We, therefore, at Migrant Tales prefer to use in our postings the Finnish name of the party once and after that the acronym PS.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: How anti-diversity and Islamophobic is Finland?

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“One of the big denials that one still hears a lot in Finland is its denial of the rise of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, an Islamophobic party that won 39 seats in the parliamentary elections of 2011 from just 5 MPs in previously. There was an ongoing debate after 2011 within the PS on what caused its historic election victory. Then party leader Timo Soini claimed it was anti-EU sentiment while its present leader, Jussi Halla-aho, claimed it was the PS’ Islamophobic stance. 

While it’s clear that the PS’ anti-Islam campaign rhetoric played a crucial role in 2011, one wonders how some 20% of the voters were receptive to Islamophobia and bigotry. The PS’ election victories in 2011 and 2015 are valid examples that Finland has serious issues with xenophobia and especially with Islamophobia. Unless we want future generations of Finns to learn how not to hate other cultures and ethnic backgrounds, we need a radically new definition of Finnish identity.

In that new definition, all religions, ethnic backgrounds, and cultures fit in that new identity.”

 

 A study on Europe’s most racist countries commissioned by the European Commission published in Fem Positive.

 

* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13 into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. Despite the name changes, we believe that it is the same party in different clothing. Both factions are hostile to cultural diversity. One is more open about it while the other is more diplomatic.

A direct translation of Perussuomalaiset in English would be something like “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” Official translations of the Finnish name of the party, such as Finns Party or True Finns, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and racism. We, therefore, at Migrant Tales prefer to use in our postings the Finnish name of the party once and after that the acronym PS.

PS MP Teuvo Hakkarainen gets convicted for sexual harassment after ethnic agitation. Why is he still a lawmaker?

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Disgraced Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Teuvo Hakkarainen was convicted by a Helsinki District Court for sexual harassment after he attempted to kiss MP Veera Ruoho by force, according to YLE News. Hakkarainen was convicted last year for ethnic agitation. 

The Helsinki District Court ordered Hakkaranen to pay fines amounting to 3,060 euros to the state and 1,400 euros in damages to Ruoho in damages as well as her court costs.

The incident took place at a Christmas Party last year at Parliament when Hakkarainen was intoxicated. He approached Ruoho grabbed her by the neck and forced her to kiss him.

On Tuesday, Helsinki prosecutor Eija Velitski said that she would appeal the decision that Hakkarainen receive a suspended jail sentence.

But on Tuesday Helsinki prosecutor Eija Velitski announced her decision to appeal the case requesting that Hakkarainen also receive a suspended jail sentence. Velitski that in the worst of circumstances, the PS MP could have caused Ruoho’s death.

While the politician saw his day in court, many are wondering why Hakkarainen does not resign as MP or why the PS, which is always blaming migrants for sexual harassment and rape, does not sack him from the party.

Read the full story here.

Continue reading “PS MP Teuvo Hakkarainen gets convicted for sexual harassment after ethnic agitation. Why is he still a lawmaker?”

Länsi-Savo: Muistaako Kaj Turunen, mitä mieltä oli aikaisemmin?

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Kaj Turusen kirjoitus (L-S 8.5.) herätti paljon kysymyksiä toisen kauden kansanedustajasta, joka on loikannut kaksi kertaa vuoden sisällä. Ensin perussuomalaisista, jossa hän on ollut jäsen monta vuotta, ja nyt sinisestä tulevaisuudesta kokoomukseen.

Turusen mukaan puheenjohtaja Jussi Halla-aho, joka sai vuonna 2012 tuomion kiihottamisesta kansanryhmää vastaan ja uskonrauhan rikkomisesta, on syy hänen lähtöönsä perussuomalaisista. Turunen sanoo, ettei sietänyt Halla-ahon ”väkivaltaisia ja rasistisia kirjoituksia.”

Lue alkuperänen kirjoitus tästä tai Itä-Savossa.

Turusen olisi hyvä muistaa, että kun hän oli perussuomalainen kansanedustaja, löytyi paljon muita kiihkoilijoita, jotka tavoittelivat valtaa maahanmuuttovastaisella ja vastakkaisasettelun sanomalla.

Muistaako hän entisiä puoluetovereitaan, kuten James Hirvisaari, Olli Immonen, Juho Eerola, Laura Huhtasaari, Teuvo Hakkarainen, Jari Ronkainen, Terhi Kiemunki ja monet muut?

Eikö Turunen muista kun hän oli Huhtasaaren kanssa samaa mieltä siitä, että perustuslakia on muutettava niin, että suomalaisia kohdeltaisiin paremmin kun maahanmuuttajia?

Miksei Turunen koskaan puhunut näiden vuosien aikana siitä väkivaltaisesta ilmapiiristä, jota nämä kansanedustajat ja puolue yhä levittävät? Miksi Turusen herätys tapahtui vasta nyt?

Hänen selityksensä eivät kuulosta uskottavilta, ennemminkin krokotiilin kyyneleiltä.

Enrique Tessieri
Hamid H Alsammarraee
Veyisi Zengil
Masoumeh Rajaei
Kansainvälinen Mikkeli ry

New investigation finds Laura Huhtasaari’s plagiarism of master’s thesis more extensive than originally believed

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A new investigation of the plagiarism of far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party vice president and MP Laura Huhtasaari’s master’s thesis showed that “major parts” were copied and were more extensive than Jyväskylä’s University’s conclusions, according to YLE News.

An investigation by the university earlier this year of Huhtasaari’s plagiarism showed about 10% was copied, but an investigation by MOT journalists revealed that about 30% of her thesis was directly copied from just one source.

Here is the question: Why does the university say one thing and the MOT journalists’ report says another? Will there be another investigation?

The fact that the university came to one conclusion and an investigation by YLE showed more extensive plagiarism does not make the university look good. If Jyväskylä University wants to protect its credibility, it would be vital for it to answer the MOT journalists’ findings.

Before the master’s thesis scandal in January, Reija Härkönen revealed how Huhtsaari had plagiarised the writing of others in her blog entries.

* After the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13 into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. Despite the name changes, we believe that it is the same party in different clothing. Both factions are hostile to cultural diversity.  One is more open about it while the other is more diplomatic. 

A direct translation of Perussuomalaiset in English would be something like “basic” or “fundamental Finn.” Official translations of the Finnish name of the party, such as Finns Party or True Finns, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and racism. We, therefore, at Migrant Tales prefer to use in our postings the Finnish name of the party once and after that the acronym PS.

Finland’s hostile environment for migrants, asylum seekers, and all types of minorities

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At Migrant Tales, we are hearing more and more stories about the suffering and plight of undocumented migrants and how greedy companies are taking advantage of asylum seekers. Some of these that we have heard are asylum seekers working full-time in black for 500 euros a month and a promise that they will get hired as staffers, which would help them to get a residence permit. Or what about working 12 hours for 50 hours a day but only declaring 30 hours to the tax authorities?

While it is questionable that such a person would ever get a residence permit because of the needs test, or that the job is first offered to an EU citizen, the inequalities and exploitation found today in the Finnish labor market is the doing of our politicians. They have created the bait and lure for such exploitation to take place.

In the political rhetoric and crusade to make Finland unattractive to future asylum seekers, politicians have lost total sight of how their policies have weakened the rights of all migrants and other vulnerable groups. Their message is clear: It is ok if you are exploited in Finland. We don’t care because we do not want you here in the first place.

Like in the UK, Finland is presently gripped by a hostile environment against migrants and minorities.

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Theresa May, when she served as home secretary (2010-2016), is credited for the government’s “hostile environment” policy towards undocumented migrants. Since you cannot keep hatred on a short leash and cause it to act selectively, that hostile environment has spread to the Windrush generation,  the first wave of immigrants who arrived in the UK in the 1940s and 1950s from the West Indies.

Even if May is responsible for this hostile environment, it was all part of a broader scheme to take voters away from UKIP, which based its then rising popularity on attacking and stigmatizing migrants.

The political opportunism in the Tory party’s anti-immigration rhetoric already costs the UK dearly. They are not only in its anti-immigration soundbites but in the fact that they believed they could control such a social ill and keep it on a short leash.

Epic fail.

Elsewhere in Europe as in countries like Finland, there is a hostile environment against migrants.

The hostile environment in Finland is possible thanks to the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* and by other mainstream parties, like the Center Party, National Coalition Party, Social Democratic Party, which give the same message but in a different langauge.

Amnesty International’s Annual Report 2016/17 highlights below some of the factors that created a hostile environment in Finland.

Source: Amnesty International Report 2016/17.

Continue reading “Finland’s hostile environment for migrants, asylum seekers, and all types of minorities”

UPDATE: Prosecutor General Toiviainen will not file ethnic agitation charges against PS MP Juho Eerola

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Prosecutor General Raija Toiviainen announced Friday that she will not file ethnic agitation charges against Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Juho Eerola, according to Helsingin Sanomat. Toivianen said in a statement that no charges will be brought against Eerola due to “a lack of evidence,” according to YLE.

Eerola is also the PS’ third vice president.

UPDATED (April 7 at 13:05): Kyösti Roth, a well-known voice of the Roma community, was surprised by the Prosecutor General Toiviainen’s decision.

“By not charging [PS MP Eerola of ethnic agitation] means in practice that anyone who wants can condemn publicly as drug dealers and criminals the Roma and Roma beggars. Is this what social equality means in Finland?”

Rikhard Blomerus, a member of the Roma minority and a substitute councilperson of Savonlinna for the Blue Reform party, filed charges last year against Eerola for ethnic agitation after he made some denigrating comments on Facebook about Roma beggars from Romania and Bulgaria.

Apart from stating that he would spit at them and take out his bank card as a form of payment, he wrote as well that the Roma are criminals. “[They are] drug dealers and criminals,” he wrote on Facebook. “If you don’t give them money they treat you aggressively; they [then] disappear.”

Sira Moksi published a cartoon (below) of what Eerola wrote.

The fact that a member of the Roma community had filed charges against Eerola caused Blomerus to get hate mail.

 

“A lot of them are angry with me,” Blomerus told Migrant Tales in August. “One was even angry because he considered it an insult that a Roma would bring charges against a white Finn.”

Continue reading “UPDATE: Prosecutor General Toiviainen will not file ethnic agitation charges against PS MP Juho Eerola”

The State of Islamophobia in Europe report offers a distressing picture of the rise of such a social ill

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The third issue of the annual The State of Islamophobia in Europe was published on Monday, and it paints a very worrying picture of Islamophobia in Europe. 

We have unfortunately seen in countries like Finland how hate speech and toothless measures to contain all forms of racism and discrimination have put in harm’s way other religious minorities like the Jews.

One key recommendation of the report is the recognition and acknowledgment of the specific form of racism targeting Muslims.

The report states: “The denial of the very existence of Islamophobia/anti-Muslim racism/anti-Muslim hate crime in Europe by many demonstrates the need for an appropriate effort and political will to tackle this normalized racism and its manifestations that are deeply entrenched in European societies, institutions, and states.”

And continues: “With the generalized suspicion against Muslims, it is of utmost importance for EU policy makers not to fall into the trap of treating Muslims as potential problems but rather as human beings whose fundamental rights can be violated. Combatting Islamophobia is not about preventing radicalism or terrorism […] it is about politically addressing structural forms of discrimination and racism affecting Muslims or those perceived as such.”

 Read the full report here.

The rise of Islamophobia in countries like Finland are evident in parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS) and Blue Reform* have made Finland a less safe place for migrants and especially Muslims.

After these two parties, the National Coalition Party (NCP) is seen by some as the most Islamophobic.

Continue reading “The State of Islamophobia in Europe report offers a distressing picture of the rise of such a social ill”

A poll that that tells us that Finland will continue to be Islamophobic and weary of cultural diversity

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An opinion poll and two results: how do young and older people vote and what does it say about the political future of Muslims and cultural diversity in Finland? For one, it suggests that matters will get worse before they improve. 

YLE published Sunday a poll that shows two different political paths for Finland: Among the older voters (50-79 years), the Social Democrats are the most popular party while the younger group (18-34 years) gives a different picture.

The popularity of the National Coalition Party is pretty stable among both age groups. The Centre Party’s popularity among younger voters takes a hit, but it is not as dramatic as with the Social Democratic Party.

The Greens, which are the most popular party among young voters, reveals that parties like the National Coalition Party, Centre Party and never mind the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* will continue with their subtle and harsh Islamophobic and anti-immigration rhetoric by treating migrants and minorities like second- and third-class members of society.

In Finland, you hear a lot about how young people in Finland are more open to difference. If you look at the young voters (18-34 years), parties (National Coalition Party, Centre Party, PS, and to some respects the Social Democratic Party) that have dragged their feet on recognizing that we are today a culturally diverse society, total 58%.

How many parties are open to difference and cultural diversity? They are the Greens, Left Alliance, and Swedish People’s Party. All three parties in the young-voter group total 36.6% compared with 18.9% in the older group.

The first table shows how 18-34-year-olds would vote. The second one, on the right, shows the 50-79-year-old-age group. Source: YLE.

One of the most surprising findings of the poll is the popularity of the anti-immigration PS among young voters, which indicates that there will always be an appeal among some voters for racist and bigoted politicians and parties.

Continue reading “A poll that that tells us that Finland will continue to be Islamophobic and weary of cultural diversity”

Instead of just being against racism why not take on the real culprit: structural racism in the Finnish police

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Thank you for the video but where is the black police officer, the Muslim police wearing hijab like in the UK? Does the Finnish police service reflect the cultural and ethnic mix of the communities they serve? The Finnish police service is big on gender equality but lags far behind in cultural diversity. 

The video below is a step in the right direction but in all truthfulness, it is only a band-aid for a serious problem in the police service and Finnish society.

The police have done little to nothing to ensure non-white Finns and visible migrants that they have changed their ways. There is no mea culpa about how to challenge structural racism as happened in the UK with the Macpherson report.

One of the main recommendations of that report was that it will encompass “any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.” The overwhelmingly white Finnish police won’t make that call.

A terrible example of the need of the latter is the brutal stabbing and attack of a Pakistani migrant in Vantaa on February 23. The police maintain that it wasn’t a hate crime while the victim disagrees. Without any tests, the police can decide if the attackers are racists or not.

In Finland, the victim of a hate crime has to prove that he was a victim of such a crime. This is wrong, and we should take on board recommendations in the Macpherson report that challenge structural racism in the police service.

Below are a few cases that have been a blow to confidence in the Finnish police when it comes to ethnic relations:

Continue reading “Instead of just being against racism why not take on the real culprit: structural racism in the Finnish police”