Tag: xenophobia

Why does the media near-constantly link Finland with Denmark on Palestinia’s recognition?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Source: Reilumedia.fi

The announcement by President Alexander Stubb that he is prepared to recognize the state of Palestine if the government of Prime Minister Petteri Stubb formally proposes it. Of the Nordic countries, Finland and Denmark are the only ones that have not recognized Palestine.

Iceland was the first country to recognize Palestine, followed by Sweden, the first EU country, and Norway in 2023.

The decision to recognize Palestine follows announcements by France, Canada, and the United Kingdom that they plan to do so during the UN General Assembly in September.

While we hope that Finland will follow suit, the matter is complicated since two government parties, the Christian Democrats and the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, have expressed their opposition to such a move.

While the Finnish media has been following the rift and why Denmark refuses to recognize Palestine, there is little to no analysis on why and what the circumstances may be. Context is left out in stories, which leaves the door open for bias.

Both government parties, the Christian Democrats and PS, have a long anti-Muslim track record, which sheds light on why they are against Finland recognizing Palestine. Denmark, too, has a terrible record of being one of the most Islamophobic countries in the EU, which explains why we are with it in this shameful group.

There are many examples of how the Christian Democrats loathe refugees. In a 2019 EU election compass, question 13 asked: “Is it the obligation of the EU to save all those migrants who attempt to come to Europe and who are at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean?”

Continue reading “Why does the media near-constantly link Finland with Denmark on Palestinia’s recognition?”

Labeling an ethnic group is entering racist territory

Posted on by Migrant Tales

Days later, representatives of the Somali community come out and state that the tragic deaths of Somali boys should not be politicized. What on earth does the Finnish media, like Yle, wants to frame and message when they state that those who died of drowning were of Somali backgrounds?

It took several days for Yle to publish the Somali community’s concern about the harmful labeling.

Abdirazak Sugulle Mohamed, a representative of the Uusimaa Mosque Association, hopes that decision-makers will take a responsible approach to the issue. He believes that swimming skills should also be discussed in general in Finland, not just for Somalis or so-called people of foreign background.

“We shouldn’t just talk about the swimming skills of immigrants or Somalis,” he said. 

But one could take this matter a big further and ask what the purpose of singling out people of color is? Is it to reinforce our racism and show falsely that white Finns are superior swimmers? Probably the most striking matter it reveals is the mainstream media’s racism problem.

Read the full story (in Finnish) here.

Moreover, Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s biggest daily, has not published a word about how the media labels minorities. They did, however, publish an article about how Muslim women go to swimming school. It was like a cultural peep show. 

Helsingin Sanomat does it again. Muslims are suspect, let’s debate their culture on our terms.

Posted on by Migrant Tales

An opinion piece by Milla Palkoaho of Helsingin Sanomat on debating what is culturally acceptable at comprehensive schools. Perussuaomalaiset (PS)* chairperson and finance minister, Riikka Purra, wants to prohibit the veil, niqab, and burka at schools. The writer agrees and states that Purra, who has a long history of making racist comments, has a point.

Does she? If you want to portray yourself as the pro-PS good Samaritan, then she does.

To give more agency to her shoddy opinion piece, Palkoaho asks teachers if they should prohibit, like Purra wants, Muslim attire like the veil, niqab, and burka, which is extremely rare in Finland. So much so that the reporter did not find one example of a pupil wearing the burka.

The opinion piece reveals again the media’s racism problem. With total disregard for cultural diversity and the rights of minorities, it bullies its way with a disingenuous argument: We must debate the matter (even if we, white privilege, will set the tone of the debate).

Read the full opinion piece (in Finnish) here.

The writer forgets to mention some important factors in the story. She hides these facts intentionally in order to give more umph to her point.

  1. Comprehensive school teachers in Finland are as, after the police, the most conservative group.
  2. In a Gallup in 2026, 50% of the police interviewed said they would vote for the PS or National Coalition Party.
  3. The nose-dive in support for the PS has forced it to reach out for its political lifebelt: racism.

The truth is that these types of opinion pieces do more harm to the so-called debate the reporter is seeking than good. I would bet my money that she, like the PS, would care less for the wellbeing of Muslims in Finland.

Palkoaho is, however, adamant in her opinion piece: “It is equally relevant to discuss how well a veil that makes it impossible to recognize a person (sic!) or distinguish their facial expressions fits into Finnish culture.”

“Fits” into Finnish culture?!

Here, Palkoaho wants Muslims to whitewash their culture and throw away their constitutional right to religious freedom. I have said it many times: I am Finnish on my terms, and if you can’t take it, that is your problem.

A shameful opinion piece that reminds us that Helsingin Sanomat should know better.  

Cowardly abuses of power by the Trump administration and Finland’s minister of justice targetting public officials

Posted on by Migrant Tales

What’s the difference between the attacks against special rapporteur Fransesca Albanese, a UN official investigating war crimes and human rights in Gaza and the West Bank, and former Non -Discrimination Ombudsman Kristina Stenman?

True, both are shameful and cowardly abuses of power.

Both Albanese and Stenman are officials who are being attacked by government officials because they are doing their job: The Trump Administration and Israel against Albanese, and Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Justice Minister Leena Meri against Stenman.

Writes MEP Tynkkynen on Facebook:

“Non-Discrimination Ombudswoman Stenman (RKP) in March: ‘The Finns are an openly Islamophobic party.’
Stenman now: no longer non-discrimination ombudswoman.
Stenman is now no longer non-discrimination ombudswoman. The Perussuomalaiset Justice Minister Leena Meri kicked Stenman out 🤌
For the next government negotiations, the goal could be to abolish the posts of both the non-discrimination ombudswoman and the ombudsman for equality.
It’s all a bunch of green-leftist buffoonery.”

Writes Migrant Tales:

“Thank you for revealing and reinforcing your usual petty side, Tynkkynen. I agree wholeheartedly with Stenman: the PS is an openly Islamophobic party.
In 2027, we aim to clobber your party at the polls, and in the next MEP election in 2029, we will remove you.

Seeking revenge for doing her job, non-discrimination ombudswoman Kristina Stenman is denied a second term thanks to the PS

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The non-discrimination ombudswoman, Kristina Stenman, who began her term in August 2020, was not chosen to continue in her post due to pressure from Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, according to reports by Helsingin Sanomat. Upon investigating the changes in the quota refugee system in 2025, which would be manipulated by PS Interior Minister Mari Rantanen’s office to exclude Muslims, Stenman started an investigation that alleged Rantanen wanted changes in the quota-refugee system for this year. 

In April, Tuomas Pöysti, chancellor of justice, ruled that Interior Minister Rantanan and her temporary replacement, Minister of Transport and Communication Lulu Ranne, did not act unlawfully. Even so, Pöysti stated that the quota allocation had been poorly handled and that “ministers and aides must ensure that their political guidance does not contain any discriminatory elements.”

Kristina Stenman and Rainer Hiltunen, the former and new non-discrimination ombudsperson. Source: Helsingin Sanomat

Writes Helsingin Sanomat: “According to sources by Helsingin Sanomat, the worsening of relations between the PS and Stenman contributed to Stenman not being granted a further term.”

Matters turned for the worse when, in March, Stenman and unit head Robin Harms said that the PS was “an openly Islamophobic” party. The PS, which is a master player in victimhood, cried foul and slammed the statement as “a shocking attack” on the party.

Having been active in foreigner and minority rights for decades, Stenman grew up in a bilingual family. She studied law as well as Engish and cultural anthropology at the University of Helsinki. She will be missed by many.

Continue reading “Seeking revenge for doing her job, non-discrimination ombudswoman Kristina Stenman is denied a second term thanks to the PS”

Perussuomalaiset finally entering the single-digit league

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The misfortunes of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* have been a source of concern from some and happiness for others. After the 2011 general election, when the PS won 39 seats versus five previously, some of us have had to put up with the party’s racism and Finland’s inability and normalization of anti-immigration populism.

The dire situation of the PS was highlighted again in Helsingin Sanomat’s opinion poll, which showed the party tied with the Left Alliance with 10% and just a heartbeat from entering the single-digit league.

In the 2007 general election, the PS received 4.05% of the votes granting it five MPs compared with three (1.57%) in 2003.

Source: Helsingin Sanomat

Some of the biggest excuses justifying and normalizing the PS’s entry into the political “big leagues” after 2011 are:

  • The party will implode like the Rural Party did in the 1970s;
  • Timo Soini is not a racist;
  • The PS is not an anti-Muslim party but one against the EU;
  • Jussi Halla-aho is the “bad” PS and Soini the “good” one;

There are many other excuses to justify the PS ideology and toxic politics.

Do you believe that the PS rating will dip into the single-digit leagues soon? Do you believe that the party’s situation will lead to early elections in the fall?

The PS’ new board spells trouble for the party but good news for those who oppose far-right anti-immigration populism

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party congress at Lahti exposed to the tee the far-right and racist beast that has always lurked inside the party. Riikka Purra, who won easy reelection as chairperson, rambled on with typical far-right talking points.

Claiming that white Finnish culture was under attack, she placed the blame on so-called mass immigration from developing countries that places strains on public services and will force the welfare state to collapse.

Purra equating Islam with “cultural intrusion” and how this is destroying the white social fabric of Finland. Oddly, she used the annual World Village Festival in Helsinki as an example of the cultural intrusion, which includes Islamization.

Without mentioning anyone specific, Purra states that “some decision-makers have themselves allowed, themselves demanded, and themselves promoted” the disintegration of Finnish culture.

If there are still any doubts that the PS isn’t a far-right and racist party, Purra’s speech leaves no room for doubt. Not only are her words offensive to migrants and minorities in Finland, but they are also a warning that matters could evolve like in the United States under Donald Trump. 

The newly elected leadership of the PS. From left to right: Party secretary Harri Vuorenpää, Simo Grönroos, Teemu Keskisarja, Riikka Purra, and Joakim VIgelius. Source: Suomen Uutiset.

Continue reading “The PS’ new board spells trouble for the party but good news for those who oppose far-right anti-immigration populism”

Finland voted Wednesday to exend the pushback law till end-2026

Posted on by Migrant Tales

UPDATE

The Finnish parliament passed Wednesday the extension of the pushback law until the end of 2026. The final vote was 168 in favor, 29 against and two absent, according to the Helsinki Times. The passage of the bill means that Finland will continue to flout internationtal law and its commitment to human rights. It will effectively mean that the Finnish-Russian border will remain closed.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us.

Stephen King

One matter is a near-sure way of getting support in Finland, and it is the threat of migration. Keijo Korhonen, a Center Party politician, made a name for himself in the 1980s by instilling fear that the fall of the USSR would force thousands of Russians to cross our border en masse.

Xenophobia and racism are potent components of the undercurrent of Finnish politics that has been recently exploited by the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party. Anti-immigration was such a powerful topic that it handed the PS its historic win in 2011, when it saw the number of MPs rise to 39 from 5 previously.

In every general election after 2011, the PS has capitalized and done well thanks to their pet theme and message: the threat of migration.

On Wednesday, Parliament will vote for a continuation of the pushback law until the end of 2026, which effectively suspends the human right of seeking asylum.

The fear of migration, especially Muslims, is the fuel that the PS and government are using to get the extension of the pushback law across the finish line.

PS Interior Minister Mari Rantanen and the government have defended the law, citing “national security.” They claim that our national security is under threat, but they have not brought any evidence because it is a secret. But here is the question: How can you trust a xenophobic government and politicians who capitalize on racism? It’s like trusting the pyromaniac to put out a fire.

I have called the pushback law a farce and a lie to satisfy the political wet dreams of the PS.

It is shameful that parties like the Social Democrats, who should know better, with the majority supporting the bill that has caused damage to Finland’s international image and made us less secure.

How will the far-right PS exploit migrant crime in the general election of 2027?

Posted on by Migrant Tales

With the next general election on 18 April 2027, some eyes are pointing towards the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, which suffered a catastrophic municipal and county election. If such misfortunes aren’t enough, recent opinion polls have put the far-right party in fourth place behind the Center Party.

The PS’ fall is significant. The last time the party was at 10% levels in the polls was in January 2019, when it was 9.7%. It is a far cry from its peak of 22.8% in January 2020.

Almost everyone knows that when the PS is facing problems, it turns to its immigration rhetoric. One reason the party has fared so well in the general elections after 2011 is that it has skillfully brought the “migrant threat” to the attention of voters.

Migrant Tales published in Reilumedia in 2023, highlighted the use of migrant crime by the PS as a ploy to attract voters. We wrote: As the past has demonstrated, the radical-right PS had lured voters through news stories involving migrants and asylum seekers committing crimes in the 2011, 2015, and 2019 parliamentary elections. One of the many big ‘migrant scandals’, the PS
wants to exploit for the April election is the threat of ‘youth gangs.'”

Below are some of the lessons learned from the potential youth gang problem that the media, the PS and police exploited for their own aims.

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White privilege under threat

Posted on by Migrant Tales

The Trump administration is one of the best examples of the violent knee-jerk reaction of how white privilege reacts when threatened. As Nazi Germany proved, government’s will go to any lengths to defend their privileges, even if it is a fabricated threat.

No country is immune to such a situation. The rise of far-right parties in Europe is an example of the latter. All of them have one factor in common: outsiders are threatening to take away our privileges.

Fortunately, Finland is bucking the trend for now. The anti-immigration and far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, which is in government, has seen its poll numbers nosedive, as a recent Helsingin Sanomat opinion poll showed.

According to Helsingin Sanomat, the last time the PS’ share of the vote was at the 10% level was in January 2019, when it was 9.7%. It is today a far cry from its peak of 22.8% in January 2020.

The PS’ lack of support is linked to white privilege, which the party is attacking through its austerity measures that target vulnerable groups like single mothers and the unemployed. 

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