Tag: Racism

PS MP Hirvisaari gets convicted for hate speech

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Perussuomaliset (PS) MP James Hirvisaari was convicted Monday by a Kouvola court for incitement against an ethnic group, according to Helsingin Sanomat in English. He got off the hook last year in November when a court in Päijät-Häme acquitted him of the same crime.  Hirvisaari says that he will appeal the latest decision in a higher court. 

It’s nothing surprising that Hirvisaari, who is ideologically in the far right and who blamed Anders Breivik’s mass killings in July in Norway on poor immigration policy, is one of Finland’s best-known Islamophobes.

Hirvisaari writes the following on Uusi Suomi blog shortly after the mass killings in Norway took place: “I really am not surprised that something like this could happen in Norway. In the last years at least ALL [sic!] of [the] tens of [people] accused of violent rapes have been done by immigrants/foreigners that have come from outside Europe.”

It shouldn’t come to any surprise that Hirvisaari is now trying to portray himself as a martyr of free speech, according to his latest  Uusi Suomi blog entry.

All eyes are now on PS chairman Timo Soini has said publicly that any party member that got “convicted for racism” would be kicked out of the party.

guardian.co.uk: Italian girl’s rape claim sparks arson attack on Gypsy camp

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: The power of racism together with a lynch-mob’s blind rage can be a devastating combination. Only opportunist politicians believe that they can tame a social beast like racism and let it out of the cage. As Anders Breivik proved over and over again, racism can turn on its supposed master.

Those that feel the brunt of racism in Europe today are the most deprived and helpless members of our society. In this most recent case in northern Italy, hundreds of residents from a suburb of Turn took to the streets protesting an alleged rape on an Italian woman by two men of the Romany minority.

Writes the guardian.co.uk:  “A splinter group of around 50 residents then marched towards a nearby camp where they reportedly called for all women and children to leave before throwing firecrackers and setting fire to caravans, shacks and cars.”

The cause? According to Rome-based daily La Reppublica, the “victim” had promised her father that she’d remain a virgin until she married but lied about the rape. She was sleeping with her boyfriend.

This lynch mob in northern Italy is further proof of the rise of racism in Italy and Europe.

The story that was published in the guardian.co.uk is only the tip of the iceberg. 

Thank you JusticeDemon for the heads up!

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Allegra Stratton

A 16-year-old Italian girl whose claim that she was raped by Gypsies prompted a furious mob to launch an arson attack on a Turin Roma camp has admitted to police that she invented her story.

Read whole story.

The PS is the PS of Finland no matter how you slice it

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Perussuomaliaset (PS) party chairman Timo Soini reiterated plans to establish a new party that would be politically center-right. He said that in five years the PS would be a similar populist party like the Progress Party (FrP) of Norway and Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ).  Both parties are staunchly anti-EU, anti-immigration and especially anti-Muslim.

“If I have failed in founding such a party,” he was quoted as saying, “and if by then the Perussuomalaiset [party] still exists, I can no longer be that party’s chairman.”

Soini, like anti-immigration extremist PS MP Olli Immonen, are infatuated by the FPÖ.  Former FPÖ head Jorg Haider, who died in  a car accident in 2008, had been accused of being antisemitic, a neo-Nazi, Islamophobic who promoted segregation between German and Slovene speakers in Southern Carinthia, Austria.

One of the most notorious former members of the FrP is mass-killer Anders Breivik, who had been a party member in 2006. Like the FPÖ, the FrP is staunchly anti-Islam and anti-immigration as well.

The more Soini shows his ideological world to us the more concerned I become: he has now taken a negative stand on abortion and supports parties like the FPÖ and FrP.  If there is a dangerous person in Finland, it is Soini not the usual band of anti-immigration extemists led by Jussi Halla-aho.

While the PS leader has every right to express his conservative views of society, it is our democratic right to voice objection to them.

The damage that a party like the PS has inflicted on Finland, immigrants and minorities is great. If we look Soini’s charismatic leadership style, it’s pretty clear that our society will become more polarized as the PS tries to impose on us its populist policies and views of the world.

If Soini’s aim is to wash away the racist and conservative labels that the PS has rightfully won,  it is doubtful that creating a new party will alter anything.

At the best it will reinforce what the PS is in any new shape or form: a right-wing conservative populist party that is anti-EU, anti-immigration and anti-Muslim.

Urban Faith: Why We Can’t Ignore Racism

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Even if the United States repelled all laws in 1967 that banned interracial marriages, the Gulnare Free Will Baptist Church in Kentucky thought it was still ok to turn back the hands of time to the ethnic dark ages of the United States. After a vote that banned interracial marriages and membership by such couples by the baptist church, Kentucky pastor Stacy Stepp backtracked and said that the church cannot pass new bylaws that run contrary to state or national laws, according to the guardian.co.uk.

Good. Here is a question: What would have happened if there wouldn’t have been a public outcry against the Gulnare Free Will Baptist Church’s decision?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Y1FgKMmak&feature=player_embedded]

This story not only highlights how some USAmericans are flirting with new segregation forms in the United States, it shows the crucial role that the media played in exposing prejudice and racism.

There is a lot that Finland could learn from this case and how the Finnish media’s lame stance on racism helped boost the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party to its historic victory in April 2011.

It appears that the Finnish media, politicians and general public are more fascinated by racism than opposing it. 

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By John D. Sholar 

As a white man in America, I’ve been guilty of rolling my eyes when someone would raise the subject of racism. “Why can’t everyone just get over it,” I’d think. But ignoring wounds from the past can be as damaging as the initial offense.

Read whole story.

Story via Community Village Daily Activist.

I am a Marxist-Leninist, and I will be a Marxist-Leninist until the last days of my life.

Fueling “harmful stereotypes, discrimination and xenophobia” in Finland and elsewhere

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

The recently published report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) rightfully warns about how misinformation about migration fuels “harmful  stereotypes, discrimination and xenophobia.” A New York Times article writes that such perceptions are so distorted that citizens believe that there are three times more immigrants living in some countries than is the case. 

I am certain that Finland would be a case in point when speaking about how the spread of misinformation about immigrants has found a warm political home in this country.

The perception that there are more immigrants than is actually the case is an interesting observation.  This is a bit like the following no-brainer questions we have seen in some polls in Finland:  Do you want more immigrants to move to Finland?

I highly doubt that there are many countries in the world where the locals state that there are too few immigrants and therefore we’d want more to move to the country.

Most of us have not only seen the rise of anti-immigration parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS) in Finland, have witnessed, as the IOM report claims, how “misinformation and misperception can trigger a vicious cycle which influences government policy, and in turn, perpetuates negative attitudes in mass media and the community at large.”

The shadow of the PS falls heavily on the present government. The appointment of Päivi Räsänen of the Christian Democratic Party as interior minister in charge of immigration is a classic example how Finland has become complacent of the PS.

Any sensible observer can conclude that such a weak stand against the threat of rising xenophobia in Finland will have dire long-term consequences on our society.  It will create that vicious cycle where our own prejudice and stereotypes will eat away at our noble values.

What to do? Take part in the presidential and municipal elections this year. Join a party and demand politicians to take a tougher stand on racism. Don’t vote for parties and politicians who are constantly trying to score brownie points with racism.

Become socially active.

A good example of how the Finnish media has lost some of its teeth is a recent row between President Tarja Halonen and PS MP Juho Eerola. The MP got wide coverage in the Finnish tabloids for threatening to give Halonen a piece of his mind at the presidential Independence Day ball for claiming that people who are racists ended up voting for the PS.

Eerola appeared on talk show Maria! and got a lot of publicity and sympathy. In my opinion, Eerola’s appearance on Maria! would be in the United States something like inviting former Klu Klax Clan head David Duke to express his racist views on a popular talk show like Conan O’Brian.

There is still time to challenge those forces that are hoping to take Finland back to an eerie reincarnation of the 1930s in the 2010s.

Good questions about the PS by the Vallan Vahtikoira blog

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Vallan Vahtikoira is an interesting blog that asks all the right questions that some media should be asking the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party. His latest blog entry (in Finnish), Perussuomalista normimenoa,  asks about some of the embarrassing revelations that become public about some PS members belonging to neo-Nazi associations like the SKV. 

The editor of the blog, Jussi K. Niemelä, says the following about himself:  “I’m a natural sciences oriented skeptic, atheist & humanist; my outlook is nonpartisan ultra-liberal cosmopolitanism; I also write poems, rock lyrics and write science books, book reviews & articles.”

The blog entry mentions three PS member, Ulla Pyysalo, Tuomas Okkonen and Jani Viinikainen. The first two asked to join the SKL while the latter is a homophobic.

Pyysalo, for example, said she was ready to resign as PS MP Juho Eerola’s aide only if she found another job at the end of the year. The question is if she will find a new job.

Since the PS hasn’t been in any rush to kick these members out of the party, Niemelä says that party head Timo Soini isn’t too much bothered — apart from its usual anti-immigration and anti-Islam rhetoric — about some of PS members belonging to neo-Nazi associations and being openly homophobic.

Here is a link to the blog entry.

 

Why did you come here? (1/4) “JL: Only hostility”

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Migrant Tales will begin to publish a few short biographies that appeared in an English reader called Why did you come here?  The book, which was published by WSOY in 1994, was authored by Russell Snyder and myself.  

Back then when the book was published, there were so few foreigners living in Finland [55,587 or 1.1% of the total population] that one of the most common questions some Finns asked was: Why did you come here?

There is one part in the interview blow that bothers me. It states that JL’s resentment towards Finnish society  derives from his attitude. JL disagrees with the statement because he blames Finnish society for his unhappiness.

If I’d write that paragraph again today, I’d state that racism affects people differently. For some it is a “killer” while others can handle it better.

Like any social disease, racism is one of the worst that leaves a trail of suffering that is very difficult for many to see.

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One of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they seem to sense, once hate is gone, that they will be forced to deal with pain.

                                                                                                                                   James Baldwin

This quote by a well-known twentieth century writer explains well the feelings that JL has about Finland. To many, JL is a successful foreigner. He has a well-paying job and has finished the mortgage payments on his downtown Helsinki apartment. 

But JL is very separated from Finnish society. He rarely likes to walk outside his home alone. If he has to, hwe wears sunglasses, which protect him from the people’s hostile stares. 

JL’s deep sense of resentment and anger towards Finnish society derives [in part] from his attitude. JL disagrees with this statement. He blames Finnish society for his unhappiness. 

We are sitting around a kitchen table. JL is drinking a cup of tea and I am having coffee. He takes out a cigarette, lights it , takes a deep puff and exhales the smoke slowly. We begin to talk. 

What do you think about this country?

Finnish society is very closed to outsiders. Finns don’t even communicate with each other. If I enter a pharmacy in Germany, I am greeted by the owner and by all the customers. Most Finns lack good manners which is why they don’t know how to greet you. 

Do you like to go out in the evening?

I only pay house visits to friends with my car. I never go to nightclubs or any public places in the evenings. Especially in these difficult economic times [early 1990s recession when unemployment hit almost 20%], this society has become more hostile to foreigners. You just don’t add up to anything in this country unless you wear jeans, have blonde hair and blue eyes.

How racist are the Finns?

Finns are not just racist, they are super racist. Racial discrimination can be seen in the country’s laws and in everyday life. Finnish men are terribly racist while Finnish women are more tolerant.

I don’t know why so many Finnish men despise foreign men. They only see something negative in us. Not all are like that, however. A few do make an effort to get to know you. 

Finnish women drink too much. I believe it is a great shame that so many get drunk in public. It’s because of the Finnish man. He does not know how to treat a woman sensually. He should take lessons from the French and Italians. 

If Finland your home?

Finland will never be my home. I could never be accepted by this society. I once applied for a job at Yleisradio. They did not accept me because I am a foreigner.

How do you feel about living for over ten years in Finland?

It has affected me negatively. I feel very marginal. My home is my refuge and protects me from the outside world. During my free time I listen to music, my medicine. It relieves much of my pain. 

YLE in English: President Halonen – Racism will not remove injustice

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: It is a good matter that Finland has a president, albeit outgoing, who is honestly concerned about racism and exclusion.  One particular comment in her interview on Sunday with YLE speaks a thousand words:  journalists, politicians, the clergy and teachers must break the cycle of hate speech. 

President Halonen states that there has been too much silence and complacency in our society to the rise of such a social ill. 

Finland is at a crucial crossroads that can lead to only one matter: greater polarization of society. 

What can we do? 

Leadership and a clear message by journalists, politicians, the clergy, teachers and the general public that we will not accept to live in a society built on racism and hatred. 

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President Tarja Halonen says the increased incidence of racist comments in Finland is a symptom of the dark side of worldwide globalisation.

Read whole story.

Five MLK quotes that are relevant to Finland today

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

U.S. Civil Rights Movement champion, Martin Luther King Jr. (1928-68), is still a source of guiding inspiration for many victims of discrimination and oppression throughout the world. Below are five MLK quotes that are relevant to Finland.

The mere idea that some Finns and our institutions reinforce the myth of ethnic purity have caused me to think many times. Such a claim is preposterous since we have always been culturally diverse* like any European group.

The interesting question we should be asking, however, is why some of us continue to cling to such a myth.  Is it being challenged today? If so, how?

In order to maintain such a myth that has its roots in racism, we must divide society into ethnic groups and place them on a scale. Very generally speaking, white Finns are, naturally on top of the totem pole, while darker-skinned groups are at the bottom.

In my opinion, the fact that some white Finns still believe they have all the moral right to impose their narrow-minded and racist views on other groups speaks volumes about the present state of our society.

Below are five MLK quotes that may help shed light on who we are and, hopefully, further the cause of greater acceptance and empower Finns as well as immigrants to build a society based on one of our greatest values: social equality.

1. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Hating those that oppress you can never be the right strategy to challenge racism in society. Hatred is such a strong emotion that it can easily blind people. It is the illness that has inflicted those that oppress and loathe you.

2. “A right delayed is a right denied.” 

This quote speaks for itself.  Much of the discrimination that goes on in Finland is fueled as well by apathetic immigrants or so-called Mamu-setäs who are comfortable with “delayed rights.”   Immigrants and minorities must fight for their rights. It will never be given to us by the majority without a struggle.

3. “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

Sites like My Finland is International and others are good examples of groups demanding greater rights and acceptance in Finland.  Empower yourself and get active. Be patient and be ready for a long struggle. We cannot change the world but we can influence those around us with our humble example.

4. “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”

If  there is a motto that should unify all immigrants, minorities and Finns fighting against discrimination, it is the above-mentioned by MLK in his famous 1963,  “I have a dream” speech.

5. “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”

This quote is dedicated to all those vacillating politicians, the Finnish media and even a part of the general public as well as immigrants that have chosen to remain silent to the menace posed to our society by anti-immigration parties and groups.  It is during these difficult times when countries like Finland need leadership – not complacent silence.

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*By cultural diversity we mean a society that is made up of different ethnic and religious groups. Some of these minorities include Finns with multicultural backgrounds. Contrary to far-right groups, Migrant Tales defines multiculturalism as cultural diversity. It is NOT an immigration policy that permits non-Europeans from moving to Finland and Europe.

Making racism shameful in Finland and Europe

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

While the US Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. did not eradicate racism in the United States, it was singled out as a threat to society and challenged. Landmark laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were not the only matters that changed things. Racism became shameful in many parts of the United States.  

Martin Luther King Jr. was killed by an assassin’s bullet on April 4, 1968.  I still remember that day as vividly as when President John F. Kennedy’s assassination four years earlier.

We heard about the news of King’s death in class on radio as well. One comment by a white male still rings out in my head even after four decades. It was the face of racism speaking to you in its crudest and rudest form:  “It’s a good thing that King was killed,” the man said without any remorse.

Right around when the landmark Civil Rights Act was passed, racism thrived at our elementary school as well as in many other places.  In Hollywood, Mexicans were the natural targets of your racism and rage. At our school we hated anyone who was different, even an obese classmate.

I’ll never forget when our school got its first black student.  The principle gave a talk to the whole school shortly before this historic event at our elementary school.  He told us to treat the new student with respect and like any other student.

I personally felt sorry and ashamed by the hostile behavior of my fellow classmates. I did speak out but there was very little I could do.  What happened, however, left a lasting and disturbing impression that has followed me during my lifetime.

The black student lasted about two weeks at our school.

I only remember his last name. It was Brown. Some kids joked about it making comparisons of his last name to excrement.

How is it possible that children can learn so much hatred and racism?

For one, racism wasn’t shameful back then. It was part of a child’s everyday language. If you were an adult, it was part of your macho identity if you were  a man.

It’s clear that racism thrives in places where it isn’t effectively challenged. Racism is an astute foe because it can poison your mind even without your knowledge. Some racists don’t know that they behave and hold such anti-social attitudes.

The rise of a party like the Perussuomalaiset in April and its leader Timo Soini playing down racism are good examples of how this social ill has grown in a Finnish context. The arguments used are the same that racists in the U.S. and in other parts of the world justified ethnic discrimination.

If Soini were black or part of a minority like the Romany, I doubt that he’d play down the role of racism in the PS never mind Finland.

Just like racism can feed and help a movement like the Nazi Party to grow in the 1930s, it can bring out as well  great leaders like King and the best in our society.

We’ll know that we have won that decisive victory against racism and xenophobia in Finland when the majority of Finns consider them shameful and unacceptable.