Tag: xenophobia

Finland’s tabloids Iltalehti and Ilta-Sanomat are the pits

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Sanewashing: the act or practice, especially in the media, of trying to make actions seem sane and normal when they are not.

Tabloids like Iltalehti and Ilta-Sanomat are the worst sanewashers and help to further spread racism and tear teeth off the media.

We haven’t seen this recently but historically tbloids have been the first to strike at migrants and minorities.

A billboard by Ilta-Sanomat that claims “10,000 illegal refugees” will come to Finland this year. As everyone know, there is no such thing as an “illegal” refugee.

There are many stories that the tabloids have brought to public attention to make life more difficult for disadvantaged minorities. One of these reporters is Mika Koskinen, whose demonization of migrants and minorities has found fertile ground thanks to the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.

Below, is an interview where he paints with a single brush all refugees during the hysteria of the Oulu sexual assault cases. He is quick to lambast refugees and turning a blind eye to pedophilia of white Finns.

See the video interview (in Finnish) here.

He was recently responsible for getting Salam, a schoolbook for Muslim children taken off the shelf because it taught the wrong things about Islam.

Timo Haapala’s question during a presidential debate is a bad example of how tabloid journalists suck up to prejudiced expectations. Haapala asked the presidential candidate if they would do away with dual citizenship of Russians.

Only Jutta Urpilainen (Social Democratic Party) and Li Anderson (Left Alliance) were opposed to such a plan.

Hidden and rebranded racism

Posted on by Migrant Tales

“Racism is like a Cadillac, they bring out a new model every year.”

Malcolm X

Even if far-right politicians of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) were yelling victory because the city of Vantaa had prohibited – according to them – the niqab and burqa, it was a now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t moment.

Even if PS politicians said the prohibition was aimed at the niqab and burqa, the Vantaa school district denies this. “The policy applies to covering the face during the school day, meaning that students are not allowed to cover their faces with any type of clothing or mask,” said Tua Tähkapää, a communications specialists for the city of Vantaa, who replied to Migrant Tales’ questions sixteen days later.

Tähkäpää continues: “The city of Vantaa has not banned the wearing of any specific type of clothing. It would be against the law to ban, for example, specifically the niqab or burqa. The policy applies to covering the face during the school day, meaning a student may not cover their face with any type of clothing or mask. We are not aware of any complaints.”

If the measure by the city of Vantaa was not singling out Muslims, why wasn’t this mentioned in the first stories?

PS Finance Minister Riikka Purra exposes the final aim of the prohibition”…the PS wants to prohibit the niqab and burqa in Finland and everyone.”

The policy in Vantaa, which is epxected to be adapted in Espoo and Tampere comprhensive schools, follows a debate about face-covering clothing in public schools. The imatter got national attention last year when some politicians especially from the PS and National Coalition Party raised the possibility of in broader restrictions on the usage of the burqa and niqab.

Continue reading “Hidden and rebranded racism”

Finland can’t afford racism in an age of demographic decline

Posted on by Migrant Tales

A new population forecast from the Itla Children’s Foundation delivers a stark warning: by 2035, the number of children in Finland will fall by nearly 20 percent. In some regions, the decline will be catastrophic. Kymenlaakso is expected to lose more than a third of its child population, while even growth regions such as Pirkanmaa will see stagnation rather than renewal.

Finland is hardly alone in facing falling birth rates. Across the EU, ageing populations and declining fertility are reshaping societies. What sets Finland apart, however, is not the problem itself—but the political refusal to confront it.

Instead of embracing immigration as part of the solution, Finland has spent the past decades moving in the opposite direction. Since its electoral breakthrough in 2011, the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* has built its success on anti-immigration rhetoric, transforming hostility toward migrants into a central political theme. That message has paid off at the ballot box, but it has done nothing to prepare the country for its bleak demographic future.

Today, the party’s chairperson and minister of finance, Riikka Purra, regularly amplifies messages that frame immigration as a threat rather than a necessity. Statements suggesting that only Finnish citizens should be entitled to social welfare are not only morally troubling but also constitutionally questionable. More importantly, they signal to the outside world that Finland is closed, suspicious, and unwelcoming.Facebook

This is a dangerous signal to send at a time when Finland desperately needs workers, taxpayers, and young families.

Continue reading “Finland can’t afford racism in an age of demographic decline”

Shame on you again, Finnish media, MTV and the police!

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Shame on MTV, the privately owned TV station! Why? They are at it again with gusto exploiting crime by youths especially perportrated by so-called “youths of migrant backgrounds.” In one stroke of a paint brush, MTV with the help of Markku Heinikari, head of the police criminal unit. The MTV stars propping up the racist narrative are all there again: Ivan Puopolo and Tiia Palmén, who never answered my emails to her concerning MTV‘s biased reporting.

It is sad, even irresponsible, for the police and the media to label all youths taking into account how heavy the label weighs on these adolescents. Heinikar as well as MTV are ignorant of Finnish immigration history, when Finns were suspected for every crime in Sweden?

With the latest story about youth crime committed by “a majority of adolescents with migrant backgrounds,” MTV pours on again its racism. Policemen like Heinikari do nothing more than reinforce the racist labelling. Imagine, ALL youths “with migrant backgrounds” are guilty of being criminals or potential criminals.

Heinäkari is an old guest of MTV’s reporting on youth crime. He labelled shamelessly again ike in the past all brown and black youths as criminals. The police states in the picture above: “Migrant background is a clear link in youth robberies, migrant background and in led crime from Sweden.” He does not, however, offer no proof except his opinion, which some would state are racist.

Migrant Tales formed part of a team that exposed in a report how far-right parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* used the youth gang “problem” to help them lure voters.

Former Helsinki Police Chief Commissioner Jari Taponen admitted in the report, “The saddest thing about the youth gang debate is that it labels all minority youths (as potential criminals).”

The fact that media like MTV would care less about their reporting is nothing new taking into account how it has framed the topic.

A story titled “The Government Plans to Tighten Integration Rules” was
published by MTV, a private television company, but was taken down
almost immediately. The reporter who interviewed Interior Minister Mari
Rantanen was Ivan Puopolo, well-known for his anti-immigration views. European Islamophobia Report 2023

Other media like Helsingin Sanomat also reported on this phenomena. However, none like MTV, have done so with so much enthusiasm.

Shame on you again, Finnish media, MTV and the police!

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Shame on MTV, the privately owned TV station. Why? They are at it again with gusto exploiting crime by youths especially perpetrated by so-called “youths of migrant backgrounds.” In one stroke of a paint brush, MTV with the help of Markku Heinikari, head of the police criminal unit label youths as criminals.The MTV xenophobic stars propping up the racist narrative are the usual ones: Ivan Puopolo and Tiia Palmén, who never answered my emails to her concerning MTV‘s biased reporting.

It is sad, even irresponsible, for the police and the media to label all youths are criminals taking into account how heavy the label weighs on these adolescents. Heinikari as well as MTV are ignorant of Finnish immigration history, when Finns were suspected in the 1960s and 1970s for every crime committed in Sweden.

Does the phrase “en finne igen” [a Finn again*] ring a bell?

With the latest story about youth crime committed by “a majority of adolescents with migrant backgrounds,” MTV pours on the racism again. Policemen like Heinikari do nothing more than reinforce the racist labelling. Imagine, ALL youths “with migrant backgrounds” are guilty of being criminals or at least potential criminals.

Heinikari is an old guest of MTV’s reporting on youth crime. He labelled shamelessly again ike in the past all brown and black youths as criminals. The police states in the picture above: “Migrant background is a clear link in youth robberies, migrant background and in led crime from Sweden.” He does not, however, offer any proof except his opinion, which some would state are racist. Source: MTV

Migrant Tales formed part of a team that exposed in a report how far-right parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* used the youth gang “problem” to help them lure voters. Other culprits included the police and the media.

Former Helsinki Police Chief Commissioner Jari Taponen admitted in the report, “The saddest thing about the youth gang debate is that it labels all minority youths (as potential criminals).”

The fact that media like MTV would care less about labeling youths is nothing new taking into account how it has framed the topic.

A story titled “The Government Plans to Tighten Integration Rules” was
published by MTV, but was taken down
almost immediately. The reporter who interviewed Interior Minister Mari
Rantanen was none other than Ivan Puopolo, well-known for his anti-immigration views. European Islamophobia Report

Other media like Helsingin Sanomat also reported on this phenomena. However, none like MTV, have done so with so much enthusiasm.

Citizenhip test made by xenophobes set on blunting your rights

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Even if the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo claims no racism or exclusion of migrants in Finland, the opposite is true. Finland has become an unfriendly , even hostile, country for migrants.

If there is one law that shows such disdain it is the new citizenship test that will come into force in the beginning of 2027.

In a council of state statement, anti-immigration Perussuomaliset (PS)* Interior Minister Mari Rantanen argues in favor of tightening migration laws and the citizenship test.

The government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo turns a blind eye towards the racist policies and politics of the PS. Exaggerating youth crime, media like MTV see the tightening of integrtion laws in a violent light. Migrant Tales.

“We have already tightened the conditions for Finnish citizenship, including the required length of residence, income and integrity,” she said. “By introducing a citizenship test, we will further strengthen the principle that acquiring citizenship calls for successful integration into Finnish society and an understanding of its values.”

While it is important that new citizens understand their rights and how society’s institutions work, Rantanen’s citizenship shows suspicion, whitewashing and hypocrisy. Even if it points out that it is important to know gender and non-discrimination facts, it does nothing to expose the lies of the government on this front.

One clear case exposing hypocrisy is for the candidate to be knowledgeable of basic civil rights and human rights, which Rantanen and the government have watered down. Even if exam tests the candidates knowledge of gender and sexual minority rights, among others, it does not confront the racism in Finnish society towards minorities like Muslims spread by Rantanen’s party.

One of the most eceptionalist parts of the proposed test, in my opinion, is on custom and values.

Even if the candidate must know what are white Finnish customs and values are, there is nothing about how Finland is becoming ever-diverse. Does Rantanen falsely believe that people will eventually throw away their cultural habits and become white?

Does the test say anything about the government defending minority rights like Ramadan?

The new citizenship test and the tightening of citizenship law will further erode Finland’s and the present Finnish government’s credibility.

How can we believe in a government that is discriminating and oppressing minority rights now with citizenship tests that are a reflection of its racism and prejudice?

Living in a time of monsters

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters.
Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937)

The quote by the Italian Marxist philosopher, writer and linguist, sheds light on the troubled times we are living in. We can witnes the wrecking ball in the United States, Gaza, and in many troubled regions of the world.

Trump’s National Security Strategy (NSS), which warns Europe of “white civilization erasure” and throws its support to far-right parties, is the best example of how the US is spreading its imperialist intentions.

Even if Finland’s far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party is silent but supports in principle the NSS, the recent racism slanted-eye scandal involving two MPs and an MEP, tells us that racism is the anti-immigration party’s DNA.

An interesting question we can ask is why this particuar racism scandal, which insulted Asians got so much attention? The party normally attacks Muslims and other racialized minorities without any major consequences.

Is it because Asians are considered closer to “white” Finns than say Arabs?

Below, is a shameful picture of the PS politicians who said they “didn’t mean to insult anyone.”

From left to right: Juho Eerola, Kaisa Garedew ja Euroopan parlamentin jäsen Sebastian Tynkkynen. Photo: Facebook.

At a recent parliamentary session Thursday, Finance Minister and PS chairperson Riikka Purra gave a surreal answer when grilled by opposition politicians abour the scandal.

Continue reading “Living in a time of monsters”

Donald Trump: racism will help latch on to white power and privilege

Posted on by Migrant Tales

UPDATED

US President Donald Trump’s most recent tirade against Somalis should not only be seen as hostile racism, but show once again how such a social ill us used to seek attention and power. On Thursday we heard about the US’ National Security Strategy, which warns Europe of “white civilization erasure” and throws its support to far-right parties.

The Kremlin came out and gave its full support or the strategy.

Reports the Guardian: “The Kremlin has heaped praise on Donald Trump’s latest national security strategy, calling it an encouraging change of policy that largely aligns with Russian thinking.

While the National Security Strategy offers us a glimpse of the Trump Administration’s racist and colonial mindset, I wonder if it support for nationalist far-right parties includes the Perussuomalaiset (PS)?*

Even if Finland’s far-right party candidate in the US’ National Security Strategy would be the PS, it could also include the National Coalition Party (NCP), which is in government with the PS. Promoting anti-democratic measures would be (top left to right) NCP Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, who is an apologist of Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, NCP Prime Minister Petteri Orpo who has helped racism grow in Finland, PS Finance Minister Riikka Purra, who impoverishes the country and puts the racism icing on it; (bottom left to right) Donald Trump, a racist felon, PS Mari Rantanen who sees migrant monsters under her bed, and NCP Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen, who fuels fear of the Russians.

Write Reija Härkonen on the Facebook posting: “Finland’s ministers of hate are already beginning to resemble their idols. As Independence Day nears, the nation mourns. The significance of this great holiday is shut when the democracy and welfare of the independent country, built by our forefathers, are deliberately and systematically eroded [by them|.“

The PS’ view of US Vice President J.D. Vance’s las year’s speech at the Munich Security Conference was more than supportive and a turning point in US-Europe relations. Vance, who gave his direct support to far-right policiatl groups like AfD of Germany, did not mention the PS. However, PS Minsiter of Finance Riikka Purra praised Vance’s speech.

Continue reading “Donald Trump: racism will help latch on to white power and privilege”

Riikka Purra’s sarcastic gesture

Posted on by Migrant Tales

During Thursday’s question time between the government parties and opposition, Green League MP Atte Harjanne spoke highly of Sweden’s success story, which included immigration. The suggestion by Harjanne forced Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairperson Riikka Purra to let out a demeaning gesture as if stating you cannot seriously claim that Sweden’s immigration policy is a success.

One of the biggest lies of the PS and a way to maintain and feed Finland’s xenophobic atmosphere is Sweden. We have mentioned before that the gang violence in Sweden is unique in Europe. One of the factors behind it is Sweden’s failure and abandonment of migrants and minorities.

See the Facebook posting here.

Another factor not mentioned is that, thanks to immigration, 600,000 Finns emigrated there after World War 2, Sweden is economically more robust than Finland. Finland is struggling with becoming a gerontocracy, while Sweden has other issues, like dealing with its exclusion of migrants and minorities. 

The migrant policy of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government, as well as those of other governments, is in denial and a slap in the face to Finland’s economic growth and well-being.

Thanks to immigration, Sweden’s economic growth is one of the fastest in the OECD and has one of the lowest debt levels. Moreover, there aren’t any issues about labor shortages like in Finland.

Surprisingly, a country that has seen over 1.2 million people emigrate between 1860 and 1999 is so resistant to acknowledging the benefits of migration.

Denial is destroying the country. 

The UK’s minority home secretaries get tough on migration policy

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Why are home secretaries of minority ethnic backgrounds pushing the most racist and radical immigration policies? Home Secretary Shabana Mahmoud follows in the footsteps of other dubious home secretaries like Sajid Javid (2018-19), Pritte Partal (2019-22), Suela Braveman (2022-23), and James Cleverly (2023-24).

All of the above have something in common: they hate migrants, especially asylum seekers.

In some respects, these home secretaries represent the role of the Ukrainians at Nazi concentration camps who did the dirty work, like terrorizing victims and sending them to the gas chambers. In the same way, these home secretaries want to make the lives of asylum seekers are difficult and painful as possible.

Some may believe that since it is a brown person adopting such a draconian migration policy, it must be ok. 
It’s not, but disgraceful.

If there is something we can learn from these ideological hard-right home secretaries masquerading as members of the Labor Party, ethnic background has little to do with your political views. The most important matter is your upbringing and what moral lessons forged you into a human being.

Mahmoud is a disgrace to her immigrant parents and their suffering.

Some see Denmark as an Islamophobic country on steroids. Mahmoud wants to adopt Denmark’s immigration policy in the UK.

Shameful. 

Shabana Mahmoud