Helsinki City Councilperson Abdirahim Husu Hussain tweeted in July: All the Perussuomalaiset* and their voters/supporters are racists. Yes i said it. Do you need proof? Take a look at your [party’s] history and how you became Finland’s second-biggest party [in parliament].”
On July 19, Hussein tweets from India: “Was yesterday’s tweet update too much for you.Let me be more concrete. All of the Perussuomalaiset and their voters/supporters are racists. Yes i said it. Do you need proof? Look at your history and how you were elected as Finland’s second-biggest party [in parliament].”
In addition to Hussein’s tweet: “Name me one Perussuomalaiset MP who was not elected without the help of Islamophobia, racism, and misogyny?
If by some miracle you find one PS MP, try to find another one if you can.
* The far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017, into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. In the last parliamentary election, Blue Reform has wiped off the Finnish political map when they saw their numbers in parliament plummet from 18 MPs to none. 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.
It is surprising that in Norway, one of Europe’s wealthiest and whitest countries has suffered some of the worst terrorist attacks in Europe. Eight years ago, on 22/7, Anders Breivik emerged and killed 77 people.
The most recent terrorist attack by an alleged white supremacist in Norway on Saturday attacked with the Al-Noor Islamic Center near Oslo overpowered by a 65-year-old man who suffered minor injuries.
According to Aktuelltfokus, the suspect, Philip Manshaus, 21, was armed with shotguns, pistols and wore a uniform and helmet aiming to kill as many Muslims as possible. Manshaus was overpowered after he shot one person.
The suspected terrorist is Philip Manshaus, 21. Source: Aktuelltfokus.
The Nordic region has seen a spike in Islamophobia in recent years and fuels Finland’s hostile environment against migrants and minorities.
Muslims in Finland don’t feel safe, and the recent terrorist act in Norway will not reassure them. Matters are exacerbated in Finland by the Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, where anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam rhetoric is their political bread and butter.
The Mosque in the northern Finnish city of Oulu has suffered nine acts of vandalism since September 2018. After the Christchurch mass killings when a white supremacist killed 51 Muslims in March, the Oulu congregation guards the Mosque during Friday prayers.
“This is very sad what happened in Norway,” said Dr. Abdul Mannan, the imam of the Oulu Mosque. “Norway is supposed to be one of the safest countries [in Europe]. These things should not be happening. We need to forge peace [between people],”
With parties like the PS fear-mongering that white Finns will lose power at the cost of non-white Finns, it is clear that matters will get worse before they improve.
Even so, our society, politicians and the media must wake up to the threat of white supremacist terrorism, which is the biggest threat to our security, democracy, and the rule of law.
Vänsterpartiet MP Malcolm Momodow Jallow of Sweden posted his reaction on Facebook: “The Government, the security service and so-called terrorism experts, can continue to mislead, lie and pretend like others but as long as you are not prepared to realize the seriousness [of the situation], it is a fact and true that these terrorists will continue with their terrorist acts and attacks!!! I hope that the police department is doing everything in their power in Sweden that makes sure that Muslims in Sweden can celebrate in security their [Eid] feast tomorrow.”
* The far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017, into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. In the last parliamentary election, Blue Reform has wiped off the Finnish political map when they saw their numbers in parliament plummet from 18 MPs to none. 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.
In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
THIS STORY WAS UPDATED
Setting aside the racist attacks and harassment that Social Democratic (SDP) Helsinki city Councilperson Abdirahim Husu Hussein received due to a tweet, why are members of his party and other politicians near-silent offering token support if any to defend a politician of color?
We could ask what is worse, the racist attacks Hussein has endured or the indifference of Finland’s political class?
Hussein tweeted last month that all members of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, their voters and supporters are racist. The tweet raised a storm during Finland’s vacation month of July.
On July 19, Hussein tweets from India: “Was yesterday’s tweet update too much for you.Let me be more concrete. All of the Perussuomalaiset and their voters/supporters are racists. Yes i said it. Do you need proof? Look at your history and how you were elected as Finland’s second-biggest party [in parliament].”
While Hussein denies that his tweet aimed at provoking the PS and its followers, it’s clear that Finland does need a long-overdue debate about its racism issues and why politicians and political parties have failed at containing and challenging the rise far-right populism.
How low has Finland stooped? Why is the country’s political class near-silent in the face of a black city councilperson who is being attacked in a racist and hostile manner? In my opinion, it reveals a scared and racist nation unwilling to take leadership and do what is right.
Hussein published on Facebook Thursday an especially vicious attack against him from a person who claims to be a PS supporter:
Racist: “Hi n-word. You will soon be HISTORY N-WORD!!! If I am a racist then you are an n-word: Do you understand???? N-word. N-word.If I support the persut (Peususualaiset party) then you are an n-word. Go back to where you came from.”
So why aren’t the leaders of other parties saying anything substantial to defend and support Hussein who had the guts to speak out? Where is Prime Minister Antti Rinne, who is a member of the same party as Hussein? Where is Pekka Haavisto of the Greens, Left Alliance, Swedish People’s Party, and Center Party leaders? What about the National Coalition Party?
The indifference and near-silence of these parties and their leaders is deafening and reveals why populism has entered Finnish politics big time during this decade. It also shows us that our mainstream parties and society as a whole are at a loss in dealing with such a threat.
* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017, into
two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue
Reform. In the last parliamentary election, Blue Reform has wiped off
the Finnish political map when they saw their numbers in parliament
plummet from 18 MPs to none. 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.
A racist is an individual, always an individual, who does not like people based on race – must be conscious – and who intentionally seems to be mean to them.
Robin DiAngelo, sociologist
DiAngelo’s definition of racism incriminates the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* with their hand in the racist cookie jar. The whole political message of the PS hinges on consciously being mean to people of color, especially Muslims and Somalis.
There are countless examples of how PS politicians and their supporters consciously say and encourage their followers to say disrespectful things that polarize our society. Several PS politicians, like its leader Jussi Halla-aho, have convictions for ethnic agitation.
Helsinki City Councilperson Abdirahim Husu Hussein’s tweet, claiming that all PS politicians, voters and supports are racist is a long-overdue discussion needed in Finland unless you want the next prime minister to be the leader of a far-right Islamophobic party.
The reaction of the PS and of a Nurmijärvi councilperson to Hussein’s tweet offer a good example of white Finnish fragility.
Maiju Tapiolinna’s Facebook post is a good example of the hostility that white Finnish fragility brings out in some people. She states: “Somalis should leave the country if they don’t integrate.” The Nurmijärvi PS politician has asked to police to investigate Hussein’s tweet in order that the police file charges against him. For what? The PS is not an ethnic group. Source Facebook and Sakari Timonen’ blog.
Halla-aho’s reaction to Hussein’s tweet about the PS was expected. He said in Uusi Suomi, an online publication that gives the PS a forum to spread their far-right ideology: “In a country that abides by the rule of law, it is paramount that the law protects all individuals and groups alike.”
The PS leader, who hears no hate speech/fascism or see no hate speech/fascism, is crying about white people needing the same protection as minorities. Considering that hate speech laws are intended to protect vulnerable groups like Muslims, Halla-aho’s comment has white privilege painted over it.
Halla-aho’s logic is in the same league as one used by his party in the past, which argued that the Finns are “an indigenous group” threatened by immigration.
The biggest threat to the PS’ future is to fail at becoming a “normal” racist far-right party.
Will Halla-aho and the PS succeed at becoming a “normal” party while spouting anti-immigration and far-right rhetoric to its supporters?
It all hinges on what our reaction to the PS’ balancing act (seeming like a “normal” party whose politicians and supporters are consciously racist).
Migrant Tales was quoted in Time Magazine right after the 2011 parliamentary election when the PS gained 39 seats from 5 previously. Back then, former PS chairperson Timo Soini said: “We are not extremists so you can sleep safely,” and we were quoted right after: “Far-right populism is an illness inflicting Europe at present and it now has a beachhead in Finland.”
* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017, into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue Reform. In the last parliamentary election, Blue Reform has wiped off the Finnish political map when they saw their numbers in parliament plummet from 18 MPs to none. 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.
From left to right: Rodolfo Walsh, Harriet Tubman, James Baldwin, and Mercedes Sosa.
Shirlene Green Newball is an Afro-Nicaraguan activist who moved to Finland 13 years ago and lives today in the capital Helsinki. Shirlene tells us in the interview about her life in Finland and those of Afro-Nicaraguans and other minorities. Is Finland a good country to live in if you are a black woman from the Caribbean region?
A headline in a Helsingin Sanomat news story about US President Donald Trump’s racist tweets to “the Squad,” four progressive women elected to congress in 2018, highlights how the media racializes non-white people in Finland.
While the story uses the Finnish News Agency (STT) and AFP as sources, the copy editors at Helsingin Sanomat could do a much better job instead of labeling people of color as people of migrant origin.
Helsingin Sanomat calls the four congresswomen, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, and Ilhan Omar, “people of migrant origin” when, in fact, they should be called people of color or minorities.
In my opinion, people of migrant origin is a convenient term to deny people of color and other minorities the right to be equal members of society. How can one be equal if you are constantly reminded with problematic labels that you are outsiders and eternal migrants?
I wonder how the four US congresswomen would react in an interview if a white Finnish journalist called them “people of migrant origin.”
They would, I suspect, be surprised. It would prompt a swift reaction: Who isn’t a person of migrant origin in the United States, they’d ask.
Even if some ethnonationalist groups in Finland like to romanticize that they were chipping stones right after the Ice Age, every white Finn, every single one, in this country is “a person of migrant origin.”
Helsingin Sanomat calls congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, and Ilhan Omar “people of migrant origin.” Give me a break! Read the original story here.
That label used by Finland’s largest newspaper is not only offensive but shows Helsingin Sanomat’s ignorance and prejudice towards people of color. It reveals how racialized the media is when it speaks of non-white people in Finland.
Instead of seeing Finland through racialized lenses, the media should show leadership in promoting inclusion and public spaces to people of color instead of constantly reinforcing their exclusion with labels made up by them.
Does the Finnish language have a translation for the term people of color? If it doesn’t like integration (kotoutuminen) about twenty years ago, it should find one.
In the late-1990s and apart from the term integroituminen, Finland had to invent a new term for integration because there was no appropriate word in the Finnish language.
*White Finnish media story of the day highlights how the national media racializes Finland’s ever-growing culturally and ethnically diverse society by maintaining antiquated, even racist and exclusive views about who has the right to belong and call this country their home.
In Finland, there are parties and groups whose sole aim is to defend Finnish white supremacy, a concocted lie to justify one’s racism and oppress and exclude people of color.Who are these groups and how do they operate?
Isabela Mihalache, who is an expert on the Roma in Europe and who works at the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), Europe’s largest anti-racism NGO, speaks to Migrant Tales editor Enrique Tessieri about the situation of the Romany minority in Europe.
At a European Network Against Racism general assembly in Brussels (June 20-22), feminist and anti-racist activist Joacine Moreira of Portugal, gave her view if we should fear the rise of the far right in Europe.
“I am not afraid of the far right. I’m afraid of the mainstream parties [which should know better] but don’t do anything to change the situation.”
The ministry of education and culture decided to cut 115,000 of funding for the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Youth for violating the Youth Act 2017, according to Yle News.The news was hailed by some anti-racist activists as a step in the right direction on how Finland should challenge institutional racism.
One of the important aims of the Youth Act 2017 is to promote social equality and inclusion.
PS Youth chair Asseri Kinnunen said he could appeal the decision.
The latest racist tweet that got the Youth chapter in trouble came in March. A black couple is smiling happily at their newborn child with a tweet by the youth chapter: “Vote for the Perussuomalaiset so that Finland won’t look like this.”
The racist outbursts by the PS Youth are a part of their DNA and political addiction. Below are a few recent examples:
While it is a positive matter that institutions like the ministry of education and culture are taking steps to address growing racism in our society, a lot more has to be done to address this social ill that is mocking and attacking our institutions and values.
Here is a good column (in Finnish) by Yrjö Rautio about how hate speech and racism have undermined the rule of law in Finland.
As the PS and its youth chapter cry us a river about how the decision to cut their funding this year is an infringement on their free speech and their right to be racists, we should not give them any further funding until we see a change in their ways.
* The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party imploded on June 13, 2017,
into two factions, the PS and New Alternative, which is now called Blue
Reform. In the last parliamentary election, Blue Reform has wiped off
the Finnish political map when they saw their numbers in parliament
plummet from 18 MPs to none. 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.
