Racism is like a Cadillac, they bring out a new model every year. Malcolm X Few these days deny that Finland has a racism problem against Muslims, people of color and Third Worlders, the Romany and Russian-speaking minority, the third largest after Finnish and Swedish speakers. The serious student of society does not only look…
Tag: Russophobia
The Russian community of Finland fears for its civil rights
Very rarely does the Finnish media approach a member of the Russian community to ask their views about news that impacts them. A good example is during the presidential debates when asked if the candidates would be ready to take away Finnish citizenship from Russians retroactively. Katja Marova is a dual citizen of Russia and…
Finland’s government dilemma: To pushback or not at the Finnish-Russian border?
As the xenophobic government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo aims to open some border crossings on the Finnish-Russian border on 14 January, the big question will the government revert to illegal pushbacks? Why is there concern? Orpo has gone as far as to suggest earlier that asylum seekers should be sent directly back to Russia…
I fear nationalism and racism as much as Russia
Apart from tightening laws and plans to build a fence on parts of the Finnish-Russian border, politicians in Finland are debating shutting tourism from Russia to Finland. As I have mentioned previously, one of the biggest fears of the war in Ukraine is awakening Finland’s deep distrust and hatred of Russia. The hatred will not…
When countries become nationalism addicts and junkies
Xenophobia tends to pile up. Like blacks in the United States, Finland’s “black” problem is Russia, and from the 1990s, Muslims. In the 1980s, when I lived permanently in Finland, and about 12,000 foreign nationals were living in the country, the racist undercurrent that flowed like a mighty river was ever-present. It reminded you whenever…
Anti-refugee sentiment in Finland and politicians who capitalize on fear and racism
A new survey by PEW Research Center shows that there is wide support in several EU countries for taking in refugees. The report shows that Spain is the most welcoming while Poland and Hungary are the least responsive.
Johan Bäckman and Jussi Halla-aho: Two public figures that are hated differently by the Finnish media
Below are two public figures that are treated differently by the Finnish media. On the left is Johan Bäckman, who gets a rough ride from the national media for his pro-Russian stances, while Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MEP Jussi Halla-aho gets a more benign reception even if he has the dubious honor being Finland’s number one racist.
Undermining and attacking dual citizenship rights is a hostile provocation against social equality and cultural diversity in Finland
The ongoing debate about the perceived threat of dual nationals in Finland and the proximity of municipal elections should raise some serious questions. Why are we having this discussion now and which party is fueling it?
Finnish whiteness, Russophobia, anti-immigration and our ever-growing cultural diversity
One matter that became clear in Sunday’s parliamentary elections is how polarized Finland is. On the one hand anti-immigration and Finnish whiteness was heard loud and clear, while two new non-white Finns were elected to parliament: Social Democrat Nasima Razmyar and Ozan Yanar of the Greens. If there is good news to emerge from these elections, it’s Razmyar…