xenophobia Archives - Page 65 of 92

PS’ Slunga-Poutsalo is “extremely concerned” about Finnish immigration policy

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Migrant Tales

In a short interview on A-Studio Monday, the new party secretary of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) reinforced her anti-immigration stance. “I’m not annoyed by anything concerning immigration,” said PS secretary Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo, “but extremely concerned about the immigration policy we pursue in Finland.”

Don’t be fooled, the PS’ new party secretary, Riikka SLunga-Poutsalo, is in the same anti-immigration extremist camp like Jussi Halla-aho and James Hirvisaari.

It’s unfortunate that the YLE journalist didn’t press her on what she meant by “extremely concerned about immigration policy.”

If he did, Slunga-Poutsalo’s far right anti-immigration colors would have stood a better chance of being exposed. As everyone knows, immigration policy is used by anti-immigration pundits to drive home their xenophobic views.

Compared with other European countries never mind neighboring Sweden, Finland is a non-destination for refugees never mind immigrants. Claiming that you are “extremely concerned” about immigration policy is fear-mongering.

But what worries Slunga-Poutsalo so much about our immigration policy anyway? The answer is easy: She doesn’t want Africans, Muslims and non-EU citizens moving to Finland because that means greater cultural diversity.

Her view of what kinds of immigrants should move to Finland is in line with the far right Danish People’s Party and their Euro MP Morten Messerschmidt, who spoke at their party congress on June 29-30:

“I think we need three sets of rules of immigration. One for Europeans, who will be regulated by EU-law. One for people from the rest of the Western World, including parts of East Asia, South America, etc. And then a third set of rules for the third world, who in general do not really offer anything we can benefit from…”

Slunga-Poutsalo sounded on A-Talk like PS MP Olli Immonen, especially when she spoke of her fear of ghettos.

In all truth, she doesn’t care about the plight of immigrants in Finland never mind if their children live in so-called ghettos. What she’s worried about is Finland’s ever-growing cultural diversity.

In the language of anti-immigration groups, “ghetto” is a byword for too many immigrants concentrated in one area. Would we call a white neighborhood a ghetto? What about Little China or Little Scandinavia?

I seriously doubt that immigrants, especially Africans and Muslims, will ever get any sympathy from Slunga-Poutsalo. They should therefore treat all of her comments with a generous pinch of salt and tweezers. Her track record on immigration can be clearly seen from the Nuiva Manifesto, which she signed together with other PS anti-immigration extremists. Her mandate is clear: undermine and harm immigrants and visible minorities as much as possible.

How will Slunga-Poutsalo do this? By driving home the point that immigration is a threat to Finland.

One comment she made did reveal her true anti-immigration colors. She said that convicted immigrants should be deported. That is a favorite position of far right anti-immigration groups who constantly criticize immigration policy.

The PS’ not too public love affair with the Danish People’s Party

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Migrant Tales

The DPP is an anti-migration, ethno-nationalist, anti-Islam,populist anti-elitist and anti-EU party that wants welfare only for native Danes.
The PS is the a carbon copy of the latter.

If you want to know what kind of a Finland the Perussuomalaiset (PS) want to turn the country into, take a good look at their political mentors in Denmark, the Danish People’s Party (DPP). Was it a coincidence that DPP EuroMP, Morten Messerschmidt, spoke at the PS’ annual congress in Joensuu?

Messerschmidt was charged in 2007 for singing Nazi marching songs and giving the Hitler salute in a bar in Tivoli, the major tourist attraction in central Copenhagen.

He was cleared of such charges in 2009 by a court, which forced the daily BT to compensate Messerschmidt for libel. Together with two other DPP members in 2001, Messerschmidt was sentenced by a court for 14 days for ethnic agitation. A DPP ad in Studiomagazinet claimed that Denmark would face mass rapes, violence, insecurity, forced marriages, women would be oppressed, and gang crime if the country became a multiethnic society.

See original source here.

Despite this outburst by the DPP EuroMP, the anti-immigration Danish populist party has its hands full with its racists and neo-Nazis, which it expels from the party regularly. Soini’s PS, however, hasn’t been so eager to weed out its racists and neo-Nazis.

Two PS MPs have been sentenced for ethnic agitation.

The end of the DPP’s pivotal role in Danish politics came in September 2011, when a left-leaning alliance led by the Social Democrats won the election.

For over ten years, the DPP had offered support to a minority government in exchange for the passage of strict immigration laws. But that has now changed, according to a story by Time Magazine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0T1uItGjh-0

This video clip was published before the September 2012 election in Denmark.

How did the DPP influence Denmark’s immigration laws?

Both the Danish and foreign spouse must be at least 24 years old to live in Denmark
The Danish partner must post a bond of £7,200 collateral ($11,600)
The foreign spouse must pass a language and general knowledge test
Both need to demonstrate a combined attachment to Denmark greater than to any other country
They have to prove that they have ”actively participated in Danish society” for at least a year
Many asylum seekers were kept in limbo for years

If the PS ever got in government or became the biggest party in the 2015 election, I have no doubt that it will follow DPP’s anti-immigration and populist path.

Despite the usual assurances by Timo Soini that the anti-immigration hardliners in the PS are ”a myth” fabricated by the media, few serious analysts believe his words. Soini, like the worst used car salesmen, is a political animal that will do anything to pitch a political sale to voters, even if it promotes greater hostility towards immigrants and visible minorities.

Mark my words: The PS would love to play the same role that the DPP had played in Denmark.

The jury is still out whether voters will give the PS such a questionable mandate.

About half of the PS MPs want to deny Finland’s cultural diversity

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Roughly half of the 39 Perussuomalaiset (PS) MPs have signed a draft law that would in effect deny Finland’s ever-growing cultural diversity in the youth law. If PS MP Olli Immonen had his way together with twenty other PS MPs, Finland would go into denial mode and conveniently brush its immigrants and visible minorities under the rug.

Social Democratic Party youth wing chairman, Joona Räsänen, criticized Immonen’s draft law. He said that the PS doesn’t want Finland’s youth to think that multiculturalism and diversity in our society are good matters. Read full story (in Finnish) here.

It’s not first that Immonen, who is chairman of the far right Suomen Sisu association, has drafted anti-immigration laws.

PS MP Immonen claims on his Facebook wall that in the present youth law multiculturalism is considered a good matter. “In my opinion, it shouldn’t be the law that should determine whether multiculturalism is a good matter or not. Let everyone determine it for themselves.”

With MPs like these and many others, it’s not difficult to spot the red herrings in their arguments. In simple English, Immonen is saying that Finland should not become culturally diverse and that we should do everything possible to prevent people who are different from us from moving to this country.

How many more of these laws, which have no chance in passing in parliament, will have to be drafted before we understand that Finland’s third largest party in parliament is not only racist but would destroy this country?

Twenty-one PS MPs have signed the draft bill. Some of these are Jussi Halla-aho, Jussi Niinistö, Juho Eerola, James Hirvisaari, Vesa-Matti Saarakkala, Ritva Elomaa, Reijo Tossavainan, Teuvo Hakkarainen and others.

How the Finnish police and media spread prejudice against Romanians and the Romany minority

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Here is a good example of how the police and media treat certain immigrant and ethnic groups publicly. A story on YLE tells us that the overwhelming amount of grand larceny cases committed by foreigners in Finland are by Lithuanians.

The majority of suspected grand larceny cases in Finland are committed by Lithuanians. Why does the media and police give so much attention to Romanians as opposed to Lithuanians? Is it because Lithuanians are white? Why aren’t these questions asked by the national media? Read whole story here.

A police statement targeted in early June Romanians as being responsible for the spike in petty larceny and property crimes.

The statement shouldn’t surprise us since it is the way the media and police have reacted to Romanian and Bulgarian Roma that visit Finland. In many respects, it’s no different from how the media has spread fear of certain immigrant groups by pointing out “high” rape cases.

An A-Studio documentary in August incredibly suggested that since there were seven rape convictions against Iraqi nationals, this suggested a trend and that this community “had a problem” and was prone to commit rape.

The A-Studio documentary reinforced the following prejudices that the Anti-Defamation League calls the “code words of hate:”

Immigrants are an army of invaders
Dehumanization
Immigrants bring crime and disease
Conspiracy theory

If we look at the police statement about Romanians, it cites two – yes two! – convictions, one for petty larceny and begging and another for unreported employment.

While it’s a good matter that the police investigate exploitation, abuse and crime, are they protecting the innocent and victims by spreading their prejudice and racism?

Certainly not.

The attitude of the police, media, and the silence of too politicians, shouldn’t surprise us. Finland’s 10,000-strong Romany minority has lived here for 500 years.

They if anyone can tell about what it feels like to be socially excluded and discriminated for centuries.

When Timo Soini and the PS cross the political point of no return

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Migrant Tales

When do you know when Timo Soini and the Perussuomalaiset (PS) have crossed the line and passed a political point of no return? The 50,000-euro ad on the front page of Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest-circulation daily, blasting the government’s euro bailout policy is one of many examples. While more voters are turning their backs to the PS, the party has burned as well important bridges with other political groups in this country.

Timo Soini and the PS have got a lot of people pissed off in Finland. One of these is Paavo Pyykkönen.

Just like the party’s rhetoric and criticism of the EU, euro, gay marriage, immigrants and Muslims, the biggest threat to the PS doesn’t come from abroad or from outside the party but from within. The PS comprises of such a rambunctious group of people that anything can happen. It is a wild card that bases its future political exploits on chance, never on concrete workable policies.

An opinion poll published by YLE last week revealed that the PS is “hemorrhaging support” to the opposition Center Party, which has taken a less openly hostile position in the opposition than Soini’s party. Yle in English quotes Jari Pajunen, head researcher at Taloustutkimus, as saying that the Center Party has managed to attract low-income workers into its ranks.

Voters appear to be getting tired with the PS’ anti-EU message, which sounds like a broken record playing over and over again the same rhetoric without any solutions.

“There must be some significance [that the PS’ anti-EU message is wearing thin], because here at home the discussion is on rather concrete issues that touch everyone. EU matters are always a bit more abstract,” Pajunen said.

While Soini is raising the stakes on next year’s EU parliamentary elections to help the PS score a similar parliamentary election victory in 2015 as in 2011, it’s doubtful that this will happen. If anything, the PS appears to be heading south in the polls and in the eyes of the voters.

Migrant Tales has never doubted that the PS is a pernicious political force whose rhetoric and actions polarize people living in this country. If the PS had its way, immigrants and visible minorities would be relegated to fourth- and fifth-class status in this country.

In the minds of too many PS politicians, there would be one set of laws for white Finns and another one for non-white “not-real” Finns.

Even if the PS tries to portray itself as a party close to “the masses,” it’s nothing more than a conservative party in the same ideological league as the right-wing populist Tea Party of the United States.

Calling Timo Soini’s bluff

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Migrant Tales

The Perussuomalaiset (PS) is a desperate party and Timo Soini’s claim over the weekend, that the Social Democrats had abandoned working-class men, is another example of how this populist anti-immigration party bluffs at the political poker table. The type of attack by Soini on the Social Democratic Party is in line with how the party has victimized and labelled immigrants and visible minorities.

Soini made his chauvinistic claim after the SDP replaced two of its ministers on Friday, Jukka Gustafsson and Maria Guzenina-Richardson, with Susana Huovinen and Pia Virtanen.

He was quoted as saying on YLE in English: ”Working men don’t interest the left. The collapse in support for the left stems from the fact that those who bake the cake, workers and small businsspeople, are not defended enough.”

And Soini’s rambunctious party, which will scare away skilled workers and investment from this country, is going to defend the working man? That claim by Soini is a good example of the PS’ political chicanery and desperation to win the EU parliament and parliamentary elections in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

If there is little doubt that the PS is an anti-EU, anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam party, it is as well an anti-women’s rights party. Should we be surprised by Soini’s claim? Not at all. How can a party promote gender equality if it’s intolerant of immigrants and visible minorities?

Sensible people understand that if the PS ever got into government or if Soini become prime minister, the damage the party would inflict on Finland would be immense.

You would not only see a populist party promoting its far right and conservative views on the country, but one that will promote racism, prejudice, sexism and intolerance in general.

Migrant Tales has written on numerous occasions that sucking up to PS populism has been a costly mistake for Finnish mainstream parties.

Politicians must lead. Offering leadership during trying times means standing up for your convictions even if it may cost you votes.

A good example that Finnish politicians should emulate is US President Barak Obama, who was one of the few politicians in 2003 who was against the invasion of Iraq. Even if he was in the minority that opposed the war, his leadership on this front was one factor that allowed him to become the first black president of the US in 2008.

Statement by the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner: “Europe must combat racist extremism and uphold human rights”

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales comment: This statement by the the Council of Europe’s Human Rights commissioner, Nils Muižnieks, is a good example of how racist anti-immigration groups are gaining more power in Europe. In Finland we saw the spectacular rise of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party in 2011. Finland’s anti-EU, anti-immigration and anti-Islam voice got stronger in parliament. Matters in Europe appear they will get far worse before before the threat of racism, xenophobia and nationalism are contained.

______________

Europe has been experiencing a worrying intensification of activities of racist extremist organisations, including political parties. According to some commentators, the upsurge has even reached the point of “an early form of far right terror”. It worries me deeply that the European community and national political leaders appear not to be fully aware of the serious threat that these organisations pose to the rule of law and human rights.

The philosophy of racist extremist organisations is centred on denying the entitlement of “others” – mainly migrants and members of national, ethnic and religious minorities – to human rights and fundamental freedoms. They invent “enemies” who have to be fought and eliminated.

In Greece, for example, between October 2011 and December 2012 around 220 racist attacks were reported to the Racist Violence Recording Network headed by UNHCR and the National Commission for Human Rights. That is about one attack every other day. In my recent report concerning Greece I underlined the need to curb hate crime and combat impunity for hate crimes.

Influencing national parliaments

The phenomenon is all the more serious as it is paired with an increased influence of racist extremist political parties in national parliaments and governments, and endeavours by these parties to strengthen their position at European level through alliances.

For example in Hungary, Jobbik, self-described as “radically patriotic”, entered the parliament in 2010 as the third largest party. In Sweden polls show a rise in popularity for the Sweden Democrats (SD), a party with neo-Nazi roots, and the same goes for the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn in Greece.

This political presence lends legitimacy and credibility to political extremism that is often linked to racist and other hate crimes. The main targets are migrants and Muslims, as well as particularly vulnerable social groups such as Roma and other minorities. Many such cases are recorded, for example in Hungary, Italy and Serbia.

Low awareness among politicians and law-enforcement

European political parties and national parliaments should be more aware of this trend. Instead, on many occasions political leaders, through their statements and policies, add force to racist extremism expressed by xenophobic and intolerant far-right political organisations.

Some serious cases also point to failures on the part of the police and intelligence services to adequately address racist extremism. For example in Germany members of the National Socialist Underground murdered 10 persons between 2000 and 2007 without the police connecting the dots. The same thing happened in Sweden where a man shot seven persons, two of them fatally, in 2009-10. For a long time the murders were described as “gang-related” by the police.

What should be done

European states must fully abide by and give effect to the standards contained in the 1966 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, especially its core provision of Article 4 concerning the sanctioning of racist organisations.
In this context, states should revise their legislation to effectively penalise participation in racist extremist groups.
Existing national legislation concerning racist extremism needs to be updated and strengthened along the lines of Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of the Council of the European Union concerning the combating of racism and xenophobia.
The use of hate speech and participation in racist activities should be a basis for serious, dissuasive disciplinary measures to be imposed on MPs by parliaments and political parties.
Countries should take measures to provide systematic, continuous anti-racism training of all law enforcement officials, prosecutors and judges involved in the investigation and prosecution of racist crimes.
States should ensure that victims of extremism have unimpeded access to national justice and effective protection. Particular attention should be paid to migrant victims without residence status.
National authorities should be particularly vigilant concerning racist extremism within law enforcement authorities and eradicate impunity notably through independent and effective complaint mechanisms.
Human rights education should be systematically included and emphasised in schools.

A human rights based approach necessary

Racist violence, as opposed to other forms of violence, has a broader destructive impact on human dignity and social cohesion. This is why it should be treated more seriously than other forms of violence and extremism.

Individuals and organisations involved in such acts are a threat to the pillars of democracy. They erode human rights to which democratic countries adhere, and undermine the rule of law. States have to ensure the protection of human rights through the eradication of impunity, effective protection of victims, and systematic, on-going awareness work notably through education.

National authorities need to be vigilant and combat racism and extremism at all levels of society.

Nils Muižnieks

Useful documents:

Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation No. R (97) 20 on “hate speech”.
PACE Resolution 1754 (2010), Fight against extremism: achievements, deficiencies and failures.
ECRI’s General Policy Recommendation No. 10 on combating racism and racial discrimination in and through school education.
The Charter of European Political Parties for a Non-Racist Society (1998).
The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Guidelines on eradicating impunity for serious human rights violations (2011).
FRA findings about the necessity of access of victims to justice and effective protection.

DNA, Saunalahti, IF, Nordea: “Backward-looking” rules and laws mirror Finland’s anti-foreign sentiment

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Migrant Tales

A comment on Migrant Tales by Chef summed up pretty well how “several backward-looking” rules used arbitrarily by mobile phone and insurance companies continue to discriminate and make life difficult for immigrants. Why does this still happen in Finland, a Nordic welfare state country that promotes and bases its values on social equality (tasa-arvo)?

The suspicion that some Finns have of foreigners is very real. It hinges on our difficult history with the former Soviet Union and being under Swedish and Russian rule for over 650 years. Irrespective of such explanations, they sound more like excuses than proactive solutions.

Our suspicion of foreigners is not only evident in our actions and attitudes but in our laws.

Take for instance the Restricting Act of 1939 (law 219/1939), which became redundant in 1992. The aim of the law was to keep key sectors of the economy off limits to foreigners.

The act prohibited foreigners from owning real estate and acquiring a majority stake in Finnish companies – limiting this to 20% normally and 40% under special permission. It stipulated as well that foreigners could not own shares in key sectors such as forestry, securities trading, transportation, mining, real estate and shipping.

When I moved to this country permanently in December 1978, non-Finns weren’t allowed to establish a newspaper, organize demonstrations, no habeas corpus never mind appeal a deportation.

Until 1983, or about 65 years after gaining independence, Finland got its first Aliens’ Act. Before and even after new act came into force, foreigners were at the mercy of the aliens office, whose aim was to hinder immigrants from moving here.

Why was it so difficult for a foreigner to establish a business in Finland or move to this country in the last century? The answer is clear: They didn’t want you to invest or move here.

We rarely speak about how our anti-foreign sentiment continues to influence us today. How do you think an anti-immigration and anti-EU party, the Perussuomalaiset, was able to score a historic election victory in 2011?

Fortunately matters have changed for the better after we became EU members in 1995. Even so, the remnants of Finland’s anti-foreign sentiment can still be found in some of its rules, laws and what’s most important in attitudes.

“Several backward-looking” restrictions imposed by mobile phone companies, insurers and banks are some examples.

The sooner we throw them in the dustbin of history, the better.

Does PS MP James Hirvisaari have any idea what racism is?

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales aims to publish on the same day news that appears in the media. There was one opinion piece written on March 21 by Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP James Hirvisaari commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that should have received our attention.

Our intention is not advertise James Hirvisaari, who was sentenced for ethnic agitation, but to show that PS MP is in the dark about racism.

Hirvisaari is not the only MP in the PS who doesn’t know what racism and discrimination are. There are many others like MP Reijo Tossavainen, who expressed ignorance of our Non-Discrimination Act by stating it was acceptable to hire people based on nationality.

One of the matters that the PS has done in Finland is bring out the darkest side of some Finns. These include: intolerance, racism, discrimination, provincialism, conservatism, sexism, anti-Russian nationalism to just name a few from a very long list.

Hirvisaari, who was sentenced in December 2011 for ethnic agitation, considered the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to be a joke. Even so, his ignorance about racism reinforces the importance of that day.

He writes on a blog entry headlined “Anti-racism day” the following: “In spite of everything I must admit that I belong to that national group that is treated by those in particular [who claim to be] “tolerant” in a very racist (sic!) manner. I am for example a Perussuomalaiset [party member] and a devout Christian.”

Even if it’s clear that extremist anti-immigration groups want to rewrite and redefine history and concepts that reveal their intolerance, racism and far right credentials, are people like Hirvisaari ignorant or do they play on people’s ignorance – or are both of the above true?

I have been labelled by some members of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) of being a “racist” because I speak out against the anti-EU, anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam party. I explain to them that I never knew that the PS was an ethnic group. Christians aren’t an ethnic group either as Hirvisaari believes.

Despite all the bravado, ethnic sabre-rattling and provocations by extremist politicians like Hirvisaari and the PS in general, I wonder why none of their MPs have taken part in any debates on our blog.

That fact in itself is revealing. It shows that they only feel at home with people who think like them.

Abdulah: Healing the wounds inflicted by intolerance and regaining balance

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Migrant Tales

Abdulah, who has appeared in a number of postings on Migrant Tales, hasn’t yet rallied enough courage to speak without the veil of anonymity. Like many who are scorned in Finland because of their ethnic background, regaining one’s balance and healing the wounds inflicted by intolerance can be a long process.

“I have learned a lot from Migrant Tales,” he said. “One of the most important matters that has helped me is to accept who I am. It’s been an ongoing process.”

Accepting oneself can be easier said than done, especially for those that have been constantly reminded that their ethnic background is something they should be ashamed of, according to Abdulah.

He says before discovering Migrant Tales, he thought that there wasn’t a single forum in this country that cared about his situation.

“It was awful and I became paranoid every time I walked outside my home in public,” he continued. “All the chat forums that I followed overflowed with racism and hatred for who I am.”

Abdulah believes that the most racist forums in Finland are found on Iltalehti and Suomi24.

“[Tabloid] Ilta-Sanomat’s chat forum aren’t as bad as Iltalehti’s because they’ve cleaned up their act,” he said. “I haven’t visited Hommaforum. Maybe I should one day.”

Migrant Tales believes that visiting Hommaforum would be a waste of time for Abdulah.

Mediaseurantais another website that furthers what Hommaforum spreads but in a subtler fashion. While it attempts to give a balanced view of what is written about immigrants in the Finnish media, it’s a pro-Hommaforum site. This is apparent by the type of stories it publishes that attempt to show immigration, and espcially Muslims, to be a problem in Finland.

Abdulah has never heard of Mediaseuranta and considers Uusi Suomi to be a good online forum because it gives immigrants and visible minorities an opportunity to express their views.

Migrant Tales doesn’t totally agree with Abdulah.

Even if anti-racists publish blog entries on Uusi Suomi, the online publication is openly hostile, racist and a home for Finland’s anti-immigration community.

Uusi Suomi has tried to weed out openly racist writers from publishing on their site. Even so, the website is still a good breeding ground for spreading conservative, anti-EU, right-wing populist, anti-immigration, and especially anti-Muslim diatribe.

Moderation is poor and it’s unclear if the online publication conveniently turns a blind eye to some of its more racist and Islamophobic blog entries.