xenophobia Archives - Page 57 of 92

Why do we consider Timo Soini to be “a good cop” if he brought all these “bad cops” to power?

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Migrant Tales

Doesn’t Perussuomalaiset (PS) leader Timo Soini bear responsibility for giving people like Jussi Halla-aho, James Hirvisaari, Teuvo Hakkarainen, Olli Immonen and a very long list of others a platform to spread their hatred and intolerance? Why does the media let Soini get off the hook so easily?

Is Soini the culprit for anti-immigration sentiment and xenophobia or does he represent something much deeper about ourselves that we’re not yet ready to openly admit never mind challenge in earnest?

If I’d draw a cartoon of Soini, I’d put him in a concentration camp standing in front of people like Jussi Halla-aho, Olli Immonen, Teuvo Hakkarainen and many others. Soini would tell the media with a poker face and then smile at the end of the following statement: “I’m against anti-Semitism and racism.”

One matter that has perplexed me for quite a while is how the media and journalists, who should know better, is that they treat Soini as some “good guy” in the face of the party’s near-constant anti-EU, anti-immigration, anti-Islam, homophobic and conservative values.

If we search through the maze of answers and explanations, I believe that what we’ll find at the end of the day will find the word denial as the root of the problem.

I’ll never forget April 17, 2011 when the PS won their historic election victory, rising from the minor leagues with 5 to 39 MPs! Some thought it was something passing that wouldn’t last too long. They claimed that it’s only a question of time when internal bickering would cause the PS to implode like the Rural Party did in the 1970s.

One of the most incredible matters about the rise of the PS is how little opposition it has had and how easily it has been allowed to spread its intolerance. Institutions like the media have played a helping role. From a migrant’s or minority’s standpoint, however, the view is quite different since the PS is seen as hostile and dangerous.

Since one of the PS’ main messages is that non-white migrants and refugees should not be allowed to move to Finland never mind marry Finns because they are lazy and even stupid, it’s pretty clear how the PS exploits fear and racism.

Certainly the denial that takes place in our society of the PS wouldn’t be possible without the help as well of the other parties, which may have the same closest racists among their ranks like the most outspoken anti-immigration voices of Soini’s party.

The PS are not a threat to Finland per se, but our denial of them and our own intolerance are.

Passage of draft bill to prohibit real estate purchases by non-EU citizens would expose Finland’s xenophobia of Russians

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Migrant Tales

Politicians that fuel nationalism and intolerance forget to tell you one important fact: They carry a high price tag in the form of lower economic growth and less jobs. If passed, a draft bill spearheaded by Social Democrat (SDP) MP Suna Kymäläinen would not only hit businesses in eastern Finland that depend on Russian tourists, but reveal our ever-growing xenophobia.

The bill would be like putting up a huge sign for the world to see: Russians stay out!

Other MPs behind the bill are Perussuomalaiset party’s Reijo Tossavainen, Pertti Hemmilä of the National Coalition Party, Markku Rossi and Aila Paloniemi both of the Center Party.

According to a news story in January, the draft bill had the backing of 101 of 200 MPs.

If the bill becomes law, non-European Economic Area (EEA) citizens would have to be residents of Finland for five years in order to purchase real estate.

The bill was criticized on YLE’s Russia debate show and which Kymäläinen took part.

Some of the participants saw the bill as a big mistake because it would hit businesses, which depend on Russian tourists.

Kymäläinen’s blamed Russians for driving up the price of land.

On her home page she cites money laundering and since Finns cannot buy land in a 100km buffer zone by the Finnish-Russian border as reasons why such a law is important.

Read full story here.

If the bill gets approved, it would continue to fuel our age-old suspicion of Russians, which influences how we see other migrants and visible minorities in this country.

That is something we don’t need.

Espoo city council votes against racism

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Migrant Tales

A proposal by the Perussuomalaiset (PS) to rewrite the City of Espoo’s multicultural programme because it stated that city residents “don’t tolerate racism” were voted down 64-10, reports Länsiväylä.

Two PS councilmen, Simon Elo (left) and Teemu Lahtinen, loathe Muslims and cultural diversity. Read full story (in Finnish) here.

If one reads closely the position of the PS, an anti-EU, anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam party, it reveals more ignorance about racism than anything else. In their narrow-minded world, everyone in Finland is equal. Sex and ethnicity aren’t factors that fuel discrimination.

PS Espoo city councilman, Teemu Lahtinen, criticized the multicultural program because it doesn’t take into account how some neighborhoods are becoming marginalized because of migrants. He was especially against affirmative action measures and the special treatment migrants get for cultural programs with tax payer’s money.

There’s one good matter happening in Finland albeit slowly: More Finns are becoming aware that intolerance is an issue we should address and not deny.

If we weigh Lahtinen’s and the PS’ message, what come in loud and clear is their opposition to cultural diversity. They are fighting tooth and nail to keep Finland white.

They never tell you this in plain Finnish but that it what they mean.

Why is the PS the only party in Finland commissioning opinion polls about migrants?

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Migrant Tales

Here’s the question: Why is the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party the only one in Finland commissioning opinion polls about what Finns think about migration policy and migrants? They did this in 2010 with a no-brainer question that would give them the result they sought.

Read full story here.

The latest poll commissioned by the PS, an anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam party, doesn’t tell us anything new except that Timo Soini’s party wants immigration to be an election issue.

As Migrant Tales has written on a number of occasions, the anti-immigration stance of the PS hinges on two premises: immigration policy and cultural diversity.

By being against Finland’s immigration policy, one can limit Africans, Muslims and other visible migrants from moving here and thereby undermine cultural diversity. The main goal of the PS’ immigration policy is to keep Finland white. White for the PS doesn’t mean Russians.

Eighty-six percent of PS voters consider Finland’s immigration policy too liberal compared with 51% of all respondents, according to the poll. Even so, 8% of those polled compared with 19% of PS voters wanted stricter rules for migrants who planned to move to Finland.

While the poll shows PS followers to be less critical of migration policy and migrants when compared to 2010, the poll doesn’t offer us any valuable information except that immigration is an important campaign issue especially for the PS.

Why has Helsingin Sanomat’s stopped commissioning these types of polls four years ago? Is it because they are biased and because one can load the questions in order to get the answer one wishes?

Imagine Helsingin Sanomat’s poll question in 2010: Do you want more migrants to move to Finland?

Seriously folks, how many countries in the world state that they want more immigrants?

So why did the PS commission the latest poll?

Because they are an anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam party that has built its popularity on xenophobia. Even if they claim not to be an anti-immigration party, they are loud and clear.

By ratcheting up their anti-EU was well as their anti-immigration and anti-Islam rhetoric, they hope to get a good election result in May and in the parliamentary elections of April 2015.

That’s after they had disappointing results in the presidential and municipal elections.

How tabloid Ilta-Sanomat spreads and reinforces “us” and “them” in Finland

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Migrant Tales

A Migrant Tales reader* gave us the heads-up today of a story he read on tabloid Ilta-Sanomat, one of the worst of the worst when it comes to spreading prejudice about migrants and visible minorities.

A story published Tuesday about a woman who tried to smuggle her Turkish boyfriend to Finland is a case in point.

Read full story here.

According to Ilta-Sanomat, which cites Russian news agency Ria Novosti, we don’t know if the the woman, who is being held in custody by the Russian authorities, is a Finnish citizen or a “real” Finn.

It writes: “The woman with Finnish citizenship is being held [by the authorities] in Saint Petersburg…The Russian news agency doesn’t make it clear if she’s a native or naturalized Finn.”

So? Why is it important for us to know if she is a native or naturalized Finn? Oh, yes, I get it: Naturalized Finns commit crimes – native white Finns are therefore more trustworthy.

When it comes to spreading racism in Finland, Ilta-Sanomat is one of the worst publications in Finland.

Their billboards from the 1990s speak for themselves like the one below.

This billboard from 1994 claims that Somalis conned the authorities in getting asylum in Finland.

*Thank you D4R for the heads-up!

Anti-immigration populist parties are a menace to democracy, ethnic and cultural diversity

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales has never hid its criticism of parties that base their message on populism, scapegoating minorities and nationalism. If such political parties ever got power, it’s doubtful that they’d know what to do with it except polarize our society more than before.

Anti-immigration and nationalistic parties are masters at scapegoating because they are incompetent at doing anything right. Since they usually fail at what they do, they blame others for their failures.

Blaming migrants and minorities for unemployment and the recession are classic examples. It not only reveals who they are, but the fact that they don’t have any credible and workable political program.

How can a party that victimizes minorities and polarizes society be taken seriously?

There are already some disturbing signs what these far-right and right-wing anti-immigration parties would do if they got power. In Holland we heard Geert Wilders assure supporters that he’d make it possible that there would be less Moroccans in his country.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage, whom the Perussuomalaiset (PS) of Finland consider their political soul mate, has praised Vladimir Putin’s leadership in Russia and claims that the EU is undemocratic. He blames Brussels for the crisis in Syria and the Ukraine.

“As an operator, but not as a human being,” he was quoted as saying on the Guardian, “I would say Putin [is the leader I most admire].”

An editorial by Oulu-based Kaleva asks what PS chairman Timo Soini thinks about Farage and that if it wants to be a viable political force in Finland, the PS leader must distance his party and denounce what Ukip’s statements of support for Putin.

Read full story (in Finnish) here.

Such a suggestion by one of Finland’s largest dailies shows more naivety than real understanding of what the PS is and why it is a threat and menace to our democracy and peace.

The PS bases its recent success at the polls on isolationist-nationalism, anti-EU, anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam rhetoric.

Asking such a party to denounce the Ukip, which has become the third-largest political force in the country according to recent polls, would be synonymous to committing political hara-kiri.

Waiting for the PS to “change” into something credible is nothing more than wishful thinking based on self-deceit. It’s this kind of thinking that is already costing our country dearly.

The new look of anti-immigration parties: Over-simplify complex social issues like cultural diversity and racism

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Migrant Tales

Observing for a number of years the language and behavior of how anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam parties operate in Europe, it’s clear that the codewords used by such parties has changed in countries like Finland. Eyeing power, the compromise that parties like the Perussuomaliset (PS) have made recently is to look more mainstream by toning down their hateful populist rhetoric.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that they have changed their views on cultural diversity and migrants, which they loathe and consider a threat to “their culture and identity,” but instead offer simplistic solutions to complex issues.

Thus it is in the simplistic solutions to matters like cultural diversity, racism, Roma panhandlers, youth unemployment, poverty and crime in general where the prejudice and racism of politician are exposed. This doesn’t only include the PS of Finland, but members of all political parties.

Over-simplistic solutions to social issues has always been a dead giveaway of those that house intolerant views. We should be worried especially today because those that house such views are appearing more mainstream.

Disagree? How many politicians from your country speak in favor of the Romany minority? Cultural diversity? Civil rights for everyone irrespective of your background?

What politicians aren’t defending is what is leading us on a slippery intolerant slope.

PS MP Maria Tolppanen, like so many of her anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam party, have become master trolls of simplistic solutions to complex social problems.

In the blog entry below, Tolppanen asks if forcing Romany panhandlers from registering with the police if a new law is passed by parliament, will turn these people into migrants and thereby be eligible to social welfare.

Read full blog entry here.

Other examples of simplistic solutions to our ever-growing cultural diversity were offered in 2011 by another PS MP, Teuvo Hakkarainen. He said that homosexuals, lesbians and Somalis should be relocated to the Åland Islands.

Another extreme example of a politician crossing the line and burning their fingers by simplifying a solution to cultural diversity is Geert Wilders of Holland, who told a crowd of supporters that he’d ensure that there would be less Moroccans in the country.

There are many examples I could cite about how anti-immigration parties like the PS over-simplify complex social matters. Why is this wrong? Because when we simplify a social issue we take our focus away from the real issues. Instead, we feed our prejudices, which in turn permits the plant of racism to bloom its poisonous fruits.

When we simplify a social issue we not only reveal our intellectual laziness and lack of resolve to challenge our own prejudices, we end up giving racism the benefit of doubt.

Institute of Race Relations: How the Swedish media bought into the myth-making of the far Right

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Migrant Tales

Maria Tjader

The leader of the far-Right Sweden Democrats wants to portray himself as the victim of anti-white racism.

Read full story here.

A televised interview on 23 February with Jimmie Åkesson, the leader of the far-Right Sweden Democrats (SD), has generated much controversy over the alleged claims made by Åkesson with regards to his childhood in Sölvesborg. The interview is part of a series called ’Nyfiken på partiledaren’ (’Curious about the party-leader’), which is broadcast on SVT (the Swedish equivalent of the BBC), and focuses on getting to know the leaders of the main political parties in Sweden ahead of the National elections in September this year. The idea of the format of the programme is to see a different side of the politicians, away from public opinion and political events. According to Åkesson, his experiences as a teenager of segregation and failed multiculturalism led him to become a member of the Sweden Democrats as a way of supporting Swedish nationalism. Åkesson describes his adolescence as a struggle between him and immigrant-gangs that beat up him and his friends. This picture paints Åkesson as a brave nationalist whose main goal has always been to protect Sweden, his beloved country, from the threat of the ’Other’.

However, these suggestions have subsequently been refuted by a large number of people who grew up with Åkesson and who worked at his old school. Major Swedish newspapers, television and radio have reported on the inaccuracies in Åkesson’s story and he has, consequently, been accused of distorting the reality of immigration in Sweden for political gain and legitimacy. Åkesson’s former head teacher has refuted the claims saying that there were no gangs made up of immigrants at all, nor were there any particular individuals who acted in a threatening way towards other children. Another of his former teachers suggests that Åkesson has a bizarre view on the history of immigration in Sölvesborg. This claim is supported by the statistics from SCB (Statistiska Centralbyrån/Statistics Sweden) that paint a very different picture than that of Åkesson. According to this statistic, there were 24 new immigrants in Sölvesborg in 1985 and although the number rose there were never more than 200 new immigrants per year. Furthermore, this does not take into account migrants who left Sölvesborg. This is but another insight into the strange workings of SD, who has had its fair share of scandals since 2010, but it also tells us something important about the role of media in creating and sustaining the myths of the nationalist far-right.

Arguably, the flux of information has radically changed with the power of internet and social media. There have been previous reports on how Germany’s new extreme right have been using social media to attract, notably younger, supporters through parties, gigs and under-18 events. Similarly, any news-search on google, relating to the far-right or racism violence, generates nationalist websites that blame everything on left-wing multi-culturalists. It cannot, thus, be argued that the far-right lacks a platform for its freedom of speech. The issue is when national media lowers itself that same level, prioritising everyone’s right to be heard and seen rather than taking responsibility for whatever consequences their reporting might have.

The issue of using freedom of speech as an excuse for people to vent extremist opinions has been highlighted by the IRR before. It is undeniable that certain individuals and groups take advantage of the laws on freedom of press and speech, however there are other instances which show the complexity of these issues. There were those who criticised the laissez faire style used in Åkesson’s interview, arguing that it portrayed media as serving as an uncritical forum where anyone can say anything. But after the programme was broadcast, other authentic voices were given space to refute Åkesson’s myth-making, and their statements were reported as facts. This gives hope for a return to reporting with a critical edge.

Read original story here.

This piece was reprinted by Migrant Tales with permission.

How to tell someone they sound racist

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Migrant Tales

Here’s a very good video clip with Jay Smooth that I found thanks to Racism Review that will help you challenge a person who makes a racist remark. The first and foremost thing you must do is stick to the that-sounded-racist conversation as opposed to they-are-racist conversation, according to Smooth.

Read original blog entry here. The video clip has gotten close to a million views.

“What they did conversation focuses on the person’s words and actions and why what they did and what they said was unacceptable,” he explained.

The problem with the they-are-racist conversation is that it will take your focus away from the issue.

“If somebody picks my pocket I’m not going to be chasing him down to find out if he feels like a thief deep down inside his heart,” said Smooth. “I’m going to be chasing him down to get my wallet. I don’t care what he is but I need to hold him accountable for what he did.”

We’ve heard it so many times before after a racist outburst the I’m-not-racist defense line.

In a nutshell we don’t care what you are but care about what you did and said.

The advice in the video clip offers the Finnish media, politicians and the public a way to challenge people who make racist comments.

Instead of calling Perussuomalaiset MP Jussi Halla-aho, Olli Immonen, Juho Eerola and James Hirvisaari of Muutos 2011 racists, hold them instead accountable for what they have written and said.

Two of the four above-mentioned MPs, apart from Eerola and Immonen, have received sentences for ethnic agitation. Doing a google search on any of the four MPs will give you enough evidence to understand what they said sounded or was racist.

When the media doesn’t get it and doesn’t understand the difference, racists are usually given a platform to spread their prejudices. They give racists inflated respectability and importance.

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Read Racism Review blog entry here.

The Ukraine-Russia crisis can spark ethnic hatred across Europe

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Migrant Tales

The crisis and standoff between the Ukraine and Russia is worrying for many reasons. One of these, which isn’t being covered enough by the European media, is how the crisis is fueling xenophobia and age-old diehard ethnic hatred.

There has been, however, a lot of coverage of the ethnic crisis between the Ukrainians and Russians.

The 2009 EU-MIDIS’r survey on European Union minorities and discrimination shows that intolerance is a big issue in the region. Why do these problems still exist in Europe? Read full report here.

In Finland, where anti-Russian sentiment has always been strong, two MPs warned this week that the crisis in the Ukraine could fuel anti-Russian sentiment and target individual Russians in the country. While Finland is one case, what could happen in countries like Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, where there live large Russian-speaking minorites?

If the crisis in the Ukraine escalates, it’s pretty certain it will not only have a negative knock-on effect on ethnic Russians in other countries, but on migrants and visible minorities as well.

Apart from the rise of neo-Nazi groups and anti-Semitism, there is concern that 150,000 ethnic Hungarians living in the Ukraine could be targeted by far-right nationalistic groups, according to AFP.

Extremist and right-wing populist parties, which can take the far-right path in the snap of a finger, could use the present crisis to boost their anti-immigration and anti-minority message as European MEP elections near on May 25.

In Finland, however, the crisis in the Ukraine has hit the anti-EU and anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS) party. In a recent poll, support for the populist party fell below 17%, according to YLE in English. The last time support for the party dipped below 17% was in 2012.

Some analysts believe that the crisis in the Ukraine may have scared some of PS’ supporters due to its anti-EU stance. Possibly being a part of the EU is not such a bad idea after all when it comes to Finland’s national security.

Meanwhile, it’s clear that a country that passes anti-gay laws like Russia isn’t very credible when it criticizes human rights violations in the European Union.

In an official annual human rights report on Europe, Russia highlighted the problems that were taking place in Finland. It cited, among other violations, that Finland hadn’t ratified Convention No. 169, which deals specifically with the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples, and discrimination against the Romany minority, Somalis and Russians.

While all the above should concern us, the question is why is Europe such a tinderbox when it comes to ethnicity? Wasn’t anti-Semitism, ethnic hatred and hocuspocus ethnic myths laid to rest after the fall of Nazi Germany in 1945?

Apparently not.