Tag: Racism

Diversity and Finland: One and the same

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

There are many ways to face diversity. You can try to quash it with nationalism as is happening in many parts of Europe, or make it work for as many as possible for everyone’s benefit. 

Unless we end up killing each other with the sword of indifference, it is only natural that humanity must learn one day to live with its diversity. It has to because if we fail in the task it will mean resurrecting those two dark riders of the apocalypse: war and squalor.

The rise of right-wing populist parties in Europe is not only an unfortunate sign of the times but a dangerous warning because they are stoking the fires of hatred and divisions in society.

Populist parties like the Perussuomalaiset believe that their main job is to fuel more nationalism at the cost of those minorities they suspect or loathe. The nationalism that they are handing wholesale to the public with their rhetoric is hazardous to society.

Racism should not find an ever-growing foothold in this country but are parties like the PS concerned? When Teuvo Hakkarainen’s racist outbursts hit the public fan not one PS MP expressed condemnation or remorse.

As far as politicians and groups like the PS continue to use bigotry as a tool to secure votes and to increase their popularity, Timo Soini’s party can never be considered normal but a passing fad that will retreat back to single-digit percentage figures.

Diversity and Finland are one and the same. It should be defended and respected by everyone in this country, even by parties like the PS.

Spiegel Online International: Strict Immigration Laws ‘Save Denmark Billions’

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: This story below, published by German news magazine Der Spiegel, shows the never-ending arguments and excuses that the Islamophobic Danish People’s Party (DPP) will use to justify its hardline immigration stance. The DPP is of special interest to us because Perussuomalaiset anti-immigration hardliners like Jussi Halla-aho believe that Finland should follow Denmark’s path.

Denmark, which has the most restrictive immigration laws in Europe, now tries to tell us that such a policy is justified because it has brought savings in the last years to the tune of 6.7 billion euros. I wonder if they will ever put out a report on how much the country has lost due to draconian immigration policies.

Would you invest in a country that is especially hostile to non-Western immigrants?

The report was published by the integration ministry under anti-immigration hardliner, Søren Pind.

DPP leader Pia Kjærsgaard, who is known for her provocative statements, said that the report showed that Somalians are “no good for anything” and “that is simply not acceptable.”

The saddest matter in Denmark is that there is presently a stalemate due to the anti-immigration policies of the DPP. Even if they plan to tighten even more immigration policy because the country will hold elections this year, it appears that building a high wall around Denmark is the DPP’s only answer on how deal with immigrants.

Here is another interesting story on the DPP in Copenhagen-based daily Politiken in which the Social Liberals have refused any further tightening of immigration laws.  Read “No to Circus Kjærsgaard.”

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By Anna Reimann

Denmark’s strict immigration laws have saved the country 6.7 billion euros, a government report has claimed. Even though Denmark already has some of the toughest immigration laws in Europe, right-wing populist politicians are now trying to make them even more restrictive.

Read whole story.

HS: Kiviniemi vappupuheessaan: Pelottelulla moni sai ääniä

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: If there is a political party that I would thank in the last election it would be the Center Party. In her May Day speech, former Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi blamed the party’s election setback on its decision not to jump on the anti-immigration bandwagon.

The Center Party was the biggest loser in the April 17 election. It lost 7.4% of votes compared with 2007, or a total of 16 seats to 35.

Said Kiviniemi: “My message was that the Center Party should not ride its campaign on an anti-immigration platform. Not even if it would cost us in the parliamentary election.”

Some analysts believe that the Perussuomalaiset was one party that exploited the country’s anti-immigration sentiment to its fullest and was therefore able to make important gains in the election.  Factors like the bailout of Greece, Ireland and Portugal played important roles as well in luring voters to the PS’ side. 

Even though politics is a dog-eat-dog world, values do matter. US President Barak Obama was one of the few senators who voted against the invasion of Iraq in 2003.  In the presidential election of 2008, he was able to capitalize on his leadership on this front.

When better economic times return to Europe, the Center Party could be gain from its courageous stand against racism. Parties like the PS, who capitalized on anti-immigration and anti-EU sentiment, would be the biggest losers.

Thank you Kiviniemi for not giving in to anti-immigration sentiment and racism.

Many will forget what you did.

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Keskustan puheenjohtaja Mari Kiviniemi sanoi toivovansa, että keskustelu maahanmuutosta jatkuu aiempaa monipuolisempana. Kiviniemen mielestä vaalien alla keskustelua käytiin pitkälti kriitikoiden ehdoilla ja erilaisilla nimimerkeillä internetissä.

Read whole story.

Thank you PS MP Teuvo Hakkarainen of Finland for exposing yourself!

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

If we had to draw the face of racism that has lurked in Finnish society for decades, I would start by drawing Perussuomalaiset MP Teuvo Hakkarainen’s face.  He may look like a nice country boy from Viitasaari in Central Finland, but if you scratch the surface you will find the racism and ignorance that lives in some Finns. If you think that Hakkarainen is the only PS MP who has strong opinions on immigrants and refugees, you better think twice.

Racism and xenophobia come in different flavors in the PS.

It appears that we have for now four types in this dubious league: the Hakkarainens, serious Halla-ahos, serious little gray matter Halla-ahos and the ones that can hide it craftly. In order to be fair, I am certain that some of the 39 PS MPs that were elected are not challenged on this front. Isn’t it high time that they should come out and condemn racism to save theirs and the PS’ face?

Justice Demon sent us a few video clips of the first group, the Hakkarainens. The first one is the original interview by Helsingin Sanomat of MP Hakkarainen with English subtitles. The second and third are parodies of the original interview without English subtitles.

Taking into account Hakkarainen’s whirlwind start in parliament, his official web page leaves us even more perplexed. Apart from promising to “build together a better Finland,” Hakkarainen wrties that he has done consulting work in North and Central America as well as in Israel.

Haka-Wood is a sawmill company owned by Hakkarainen’s family. The company gets half a million euros in subsidies from the EU even though MP Hakkarainen is anti-EU.

Meanwhile, I asked a while back if anyone knew who was the elected MP for the PS that the Financial Times referred to as the  “ice cream salesman.”

His name is Kaj Turunen and he’s from the same electoral district as I (Etelä-Savo)! There is nothing wrong with selling ice cream in summer or being a businessman. The question goes deeper:  How qualified must you be to represent voters in a serious place like parliament?

Turunen writes in his blog that it is only a question of time when Finland leaves the EU.

I wonder what is going to happen to all those juicy farm subsidies and how much it will affect Turunen’s ice cream sales in the Savonlinna market place.

The kiss of death of Finnish right-wing populism

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The election victory by the Perussuomalaiset could be attributed to a number of factors and bears all the signs of the same illness spreading throughout Europe these days: right-wing populism that is anti-EU, anti-immigration and above all anti-Islam. The PS could have never dreamed of such success in the last election without the help of Kokoomus, Social Democratic Party and Center Party.

The PS should offer gratitude to their usual victims: immigrants, refugees and minorities.

But all of this would not have been possible for the PS without the help of the ogre of xenophobia that has lurked relatively hidden in Finnish society. Politicians in this country have known about this social ill for decades but have rarely challenged it.

If you speak to some who have been long-serving MPs, they know about that monster but have preferred to distance themselves from it because they know it could destroy their political careers.

All those parties that were openly pro-EU or faintly outspoken on racism suffered. The Greens are a good example never mind the Center Party, the biggest loser in the election. Could  former Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi’s Center Party have suffered such a heavy defeat if it weren’t for her pro-EU and outspoken stance against racism?

Another factor that spurred the PS to new heights was a watershed statement in March 2010 by Kokoomus chairman Jyrki Katainen, who stated that being critical and debating immigrant issues in this country didn’t make you a racist. After that green light to racism was given, the Social Democratic leadership gave the PS another pat on the back with their infamous saying, maassa maan tavalla.

Like all major parties in Finland, each have their fair share of anti-immigration critics. No party, however, like the PS, has so many.

A good lesson to be learned from the election is that if you vacillate and offer flimsy leadership on an issue like racism you will become its prize.

Another matter that the election showed is that xenophobia is a social ill inflicting Finland.

Now is a better time than ever for concerned politicians and the general public to send that ogre back to where it came from: the gutter.

HS: Perussuomalaisten Teuvo Hakkaraiselle kaikki eduskunnassa oli uutta

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Here is a pretty incredible video with English subtitles of newly elected PS MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, who appears to have never seen or met a foreigner in his life.  He is one face of the Perussuomalaiset and it’s a pretty crude one at that.

Check out how MP Hakkarainen insults at the end of the video below immigrants and Muslims.

His comments have already angered Perparim Hetemaj, the brother of Fatbardhe, who ran unsuccessfully for MP for Kokoomus. You can read the story on Ilta-Sanomat.

As I mentioned earlier, these are only the first acts of a four-year tragic-comic play.

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“Tuo maahanmuuttohomma pitää saada kuriin”, Hakkarainen sanoo.

To see video (in Finnish) click here.

True Finns: The first and last act of a tragic-comic play

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

Even if Finland has changed politically after Sunday’s election, there has been a greater about-turn among some True Finns. One particular group that form part of the anti-immigration Nuiva manifesto group, now attempt to appear like respectable elected MPs conveniently brushing under the rug those terrible things they said about immigrants.

The six who signed the Nuiva election manifesto and whom I am specifically referring to are: Jussi Halla-aho, James Hirvisaari, Vesa-Matti Saarakkala, Juho Erola, Olli Immonen and Maria Lohela.

One of these that I would like to pick out from the group is railway engineer James Hirvisaari. He is a member of the far-right Suomen Sisu association. Hirvisaari believes that  Finns should not marry foreigners.

After bashing and insulting Muslims and immigrants with gusto, he now attempts to portray himself as the most reasonable man in the world. If you have read his blog entries you will notice his obsession with adjectives. He sort of tries to do a Gabriel García Marquez by writing long sentences but ends up stuck in a paper bag.

In one of his recent blog entries, Minkälaisessa Suomessa haluan asua? (What kind of Finland would I want to live in?),  we see him turn into a Dr. Jekyll from a Mr. Hyde.

Hirvisaari writes that he is in favor of maintaining the welfare state (Does he mean Finns can only use these services?), freedom of speech (he can insult other groups and thereby  score political brownie points) and behold: equality, human rights and democracy.

Is the newly elected MP pulling our leg or does he think we have a short memory? If he were fair, he should mention that all people living in Finland enjoy these rights.

So stay tuned and step right up folks! The next four years are going to be the first and hopefully last act of this tragic-comic play.

Finland election: A message that goes much deeper

Posted on by Migrant Tales

By Enrique Tessieri

After the election victory of the True Finns on Sunday, sensible Finns are asking Timo Soini’s party to bite the bullet and leave behind the rhetoric and racism that has tainted his party. This may be easier said than done.

Nobody is denying the True Finns their victory but there is great concern that the rise of such a party will fuel hatred, racism, division in society and social inequality.

Such an argument is not out-of-place nor is it alarmist. What kind of Finland do you expect to create if you start attacking the Swedish-speakers, minorities,  immigrants, refugees and all those who do not fit under the “good-fatherland” category?

When a Jussi Halla-aho openly praises the Islamophobic Danish People’s Party and its policies, he is not speaking only about restricting a certain group of immigrants from a country but changing our values as a nation. Such a message poisons the atmosphere stressing differences between people.

What is tragic is that its victims are not the future immigrants and refugees that want to come here but those who have embraced Finland as their home. They are the ones who contribute to this society, work hard and pay taxes.

If you spread the message of hatred and suspicion of other cultures it spills over to the whole immigrant community and, worse, tells their children that Finland is not their home and then claim that people don’t integrate rapidly enough. What kind of society will you build when you instil hostility, racism and exclusion? The answer is obvious.

Such a populist-xenophobic message is also an insult to the over million Finns that live abroad who still have bonds to this nation. The message is a slap in their faces with a rude message: This is our country, not yours.

Is this the type of Finland we want to build in this century? Is it what our grandparents and great grandparents fought for? Didn’t they sacrifice their lives in the Winter War to spare Finland from becoming a totalitarian nation where everyone looks and thinks alike?

The rise of nationalism and racism is like pissing in one pants in the freezing winter. At first the warmth feels fine but then a terrible sensation sets in when the urine cools. You blame others for your shortsightedness and predicament.

HS: Halla-aho refuses to comment on controversial blog entries

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Comment: Newly elected MP for the True Finns, Jussi Halla-aho, who is a member of the the far-right Suomen Sisu association and believes Finland should take the same Islamophobic route as Denmark, refuses to answer a question by a Helsingin Sanomat reporter. The reporter asks if the MP-elect still stands behind what he wrote in 2005 that some don’t have the same human dignity as other groups.

He wrote in 2005:  “Individuals can justifiably be placed in a hierarchy of values according to how the removal of their abilities or skills from the use of the community would weaken the community.”

Taking into account that Halla-aho has expressed interest in becoming the next minister for migration and European affairs, the reporter rightly grills him with the same question. The MP-elect refuses to answer and prefers instead to hang up the phone.

Halla-aho later wrote on the anti-immigraton website Hommaforum: “I would hope that we could take the road of Denmark, where no major confrontations have emerged. Instead, critical thinking about immigration has spread to other parties, a little bit like green thinking has spread in Finland.”

Migrant Tales has written on numerous occasions that Halla-aho and his followers find strong ideological solidarity with Islamophobic parties like the Danish People’s Party, Sweden Democrats and others.

Here is a blog called Freodom that wrote in 2007 about Halla-aho’s view of minorities. It reinforces what people know about him today. I wonder if he ever thought his writings would come to haunt him in 2011.

The blogger writes: “Apparently, to a lot of people his views are sensible. I believe he’s a dangerous man. Simply put, Halla-aho is popularizing racism and intolerance. His blog is seemingly totally dedicated to vilifying the immigrant population of Finland and prophesying the cultural takeover of Europe by the African-Muslim hordes.”

It is a good matter that reporters are asking some tough questions of some PS candidates who have based their election campaign on xenophobia and sub-rosa far-right ideology.

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Hanna Kaarto

Blog article from 2005 questions notion of human equality

Jussi Halla-aho, a nationalist politician from Helsinki, got 14,884 votes in Sunday’s Parliamentary elections, winning him a seat in Parliament on the True Finns party ticket. Halla-aho had established a reputation with his writings on the Internet.

Read whole story.

If you want to read the original story in Finnish click here.

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

Posted on by Migrant Tales

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.