By Enrique Tessieri
Three far-right anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS) MPs, Juho Eerola, Jussi Halla-aho and Olli Immonen, announced today in a statement that they will pay PS MP James Hirvisaari’s 1,424-euro fine slapped for hate speech by a Kouvola court in December. The statement, which was signed the three PS MPs, states that the fine was politically motivated.
Instead of arguing the absurd defense line of the three PS MPs, let’s see who these three far-right anti-immigration politicians are. Starting with Jussi Halla-aho, he was fined for defaming a religion in 2009. Halla-aho is a Counter-Jihadist who has written on blogs like the Gates of Vienna, warning us about how Muslims are taking over Europe.
Juho Eerola is another anti-immigration politician who praises fascism and Mussolini’s corporatist economic system because it had no unemployment. Certainly he expresses such opinions carefully and in a hush-hush fashion. When his aide, Ulla Pyysalo’s name came up on a neo-Nazi membership list of the Suomen Kansalinen Vastarinta, Eerola did not consider this enough grounds to sack her.
Olli Immonen has warned on a number of occasions about an ensuing war between Christian white Europe and Islam. Immonen has been remarkably quiet after the cold-blooded killings in Oulu that saw a naturalized Finn of Moroccan background gunned down by a white Finn.
The three, including Hirvisaari, are members of the Nazi-spirited Suomen Sisu association, which strongly discourages white Finns marrying non-Finns.
Of all the three, the eeriest has got to be former Finnish Railways (VR) employee MP Hirvisaari. After the tragedy that struck Norway on July 22 when Anders Breivik went on the rampage, Hirvisaari blamed the “100% rapes” committed by immigrants on Norwegians and that country’s loose immigration policy for the killings.
I feel ashamed and disgusted that my tax goes to pay the salaries of these idiots.
That hate speech fine is also rather disturbingly low.
BlandaUpp, don’t worry about these PS MPs they will be consumed by their own poison.
Soini has said on numerous occasions that he is against hate speech because it turns against the culprit in the end. Soini forgot to mention that it will turn against him and the PS.
They’re supporting their Nazi brother, that’s flattering.
Sadly we are all paying James Hirvisaari’s fine. Our taxes pay the wages of Juho Eerola, Jussi Halla-aho and Olli Immonen (and Hirvisaari himself).
I know that people voted for the PS in last April’s elections, but I wonder how many people knew about their backgrounds?
The massive support for Timo Soini enables people like this to get in on his ticket. This is a flaw in our electoral system.
I would like to see our elected representatives pass a law forbidding anybody convicted of a hate crime (including hate speech) from holding public office. Perhaps we should start lobbying for such legal changes?
If Mr Sioini is really against racism, perhaps he could actually show that he is by publicly backing such an initiative?
At least a fine is something that returns to the national budget anyway 😀
All systems that can be abused, will be, and that sounds like an open invitation to abuse. Hate crimes are very much an interpretation issue, so some people would try their best to use the law as a weapon against their enemies. I prefer having a system that allows some toilet wall writings to one that creates an atmosphere of fear to express opinions.
khr, I think Peter had a valid suggestion. The problem, however, is that too few Finns with international backgrounds (visible minorities) wield political power. The reason why you have people like James Hirvisaari and his clan in parliament is because Finland is still dormant about hate speech and fascism. Yes, I said fascism but in a 2010s context. Visit the Gates of Vienna blog to understand what I mean or Suomen Sisu, if you don’t want to venture too far.
It’s all a question of perspective and who is the victim. That is why I consider it quite funny when a white Finn claims there is no racism in Finland.
Khr You are correct. I was suggesting that if Mr Soini were to back such a measure, this rather odious party would implode on itself.
One cannot seriously think that Mr Soini would support such an initiative–this was supposed to be taken as ironic. I guess I missed the mark!?! Sorry. 😉
Seriously though, I do want expose the fact that Mr Soini is full of hot air. He is yet to actually do anything about the far-right element in his party, despite claiming that he is against the ideology that they promote!
I believe that there is little public support among Finland’s electorate for the Eerola, Halla-aho, Hirvisaari and Immonen-types of the PS party. Backing for the most racist element of this party (i.e., the fascist element) is limited to a small group of sick and dangerous persons.*
These persons are the real threat to Finland NOT a few newcomers who seek to create a better life for themselves and their families!
* Today our new president took office. I would like to inform President Niinistö that his claim during the election campaigns was quite wrong. The far-right do pose a threat to Finland. If a sick individual like Anders Behring Breivik can commit an attack in Norway, what is stopping a similar individual from carrying one out here?
MT It’s tricky when you talk about barring a certain element of our society from office on certain grounds (i.e., due to prosecution for violent or hate crimes). You stand to drive these people ever further into their extremism.
Whilst there is a danger of there becoming a Finnish version of Breivik, we also run the risk of breeding the Timothy McVeigh type also.
There are some xenophobes out there who may feel like they are being “robbed” of their rights as citizens if the state stops one of their ilk from standing for office. Sadly this could even be enough to push one of these sick individuals over the edge! 🙁
I agree his claims about not tolerating racism sound hollow. I just can’t support law initiatives I really do not want to become laws. Clear inciting of hatred must be illegal and punished, but sentences should not be out of the line what the law states for other crimes. Erring to the side of freedom of speech is preferable, as words can be fought with words, but labelling people criminals for their opinions, however stupid they may be, is a way to tyranny.
JusticeDemon, your gravatar is really good: All different, all equal.