Comment: Media culture Professor Mikko Lehtonen calls Perussuomalaiset (PS) party MP Jussi Halla-aho a racist. “Halla-aho encourages in his blog to ponder what he writes and ask if he is a racist,” Lehtonen was quoted as saying on Uusi Suomi. “I took the challenge seriously and it took me three minutes to conclude that Jussi Halla-aho is a racist.”
Lehtonen does not stop here: “In light of his writings, Halla-aho is anti-immigration and a racist.”
If there is someone who has done a lot of harm to the immigrant community in Finland that person is Halla-aho and his cronies. He has done a lot to soil the good name of immigrants and refugees in this country with his provocative arguments based on stereotypes and racism.
But there is one matter wrong with Halla-aho: His false arguments about immigrants and racism have caught up with him. Sensible people are asking if they are true.
Halla-aho is directly administrates Scripta and is involved closely with Hommaforum.
Lehtonen, who was interviewed on Wednesday, said that while anti-immigration groups attempt to dress their racism by arguing that they are the defending “genuine” Finnish culture, the best that one can do is accept that our society will be more diverse in the future.
We have said it many times on Migrant Tales: Acceptance and inclusion are key in creating a successful and dynamic culturally diverse Finnish society.
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Suomalaista maahanmuuttokeskustelua riivaa eliitin kummallinen hyssyttelykulttuuri. Maahanmuuttokriittisten, niin kutsuttujen hommalaisten, vastapainoksi ei ole syntynyt kunnollista poliittista oppositiota, joka tarjoaisi vaihtoehdon keskustelun pohjalla kytevälle rasismille.
Amen!
Since the election PS in the polls have gone either from first and second they scored fist in the first poll taken after Norway. Which shows since their election breakthrough many more people are supporting them and theses people took more than three minutes to decided if PS where what they claim ti be. One of theses was to see that PS anti immigration views where what other saying that it was “Xenophobic” or “racist” and the polls have answered that question
So I do not think voters have a issue with Halla-aho anti immigration views its more his choice of words that people have a issue with..So to keep calling PS racist seems to not to be connecting with voters because to many of them they think you are talking about another party. Because If the killing of 85 people on a island did not drop their support why would you think that calling them racist is what is going to bring them down.If PS are are what you think they are a party like that would struggle to get 1% in a election let alone 19%.
If PS was a “Racist” party it does appear that a huge number of people do not have a problem with that. Enough people to give them enough political power that other parties can not excluded them. If this is the case there is not much you can really do about it is there.
Mika, if I am honest and fair (something I cannot say about some PS MPs), it would be wrong to label the PS as a 100% racist party. However, some of its members are very open and stress “us” and “them.”
“But there is one matter wrong with Halla-aho: His false arguments about immigrants and racism have caught up with him. Sensible people are asking if they are true”
Over the last few years the government without the influence of PS have been tightening the laws concerning Asylum with the purpose of making Finland a less attractive country for asylum seekers . This is what Hallo-aho would like to do also.
So are also saying that the government is also making false arguments about immigrants .
If not then what you saying any law which Hallo-aho wants is a false argument but if a government without his influence does the same thing then is not a false argument
If you don’t criticize the government for bringing tougher asylum laws into power what you are saying its OK to have tougher immigration laws as long as the politicians are not making degrading comments about immigrants.
Which fits in with what I wrote :
“So I do not think voters have a issue with Halla-aho anti immigration views its more his choice of words that people have a issue with”
If four years ago Halla-aho said that Finnish family reunification policy needs to be changed there would be have been cries of being racist or scaremongering and what are the government now about to do about family reunification.If you look at the situation in Greece and if it gets worse and had he wrote what he wrote in a different way this time in three years he can say well I was right. So is Hallo-aho problem is on many occasions he is thinking too far ahead.
PS are not anti immigration because of Halla-aho and as I have tried to explain to call PS a racist party is ineffective as people do not see it as one even though it has a anti immigration line. Its as a few MPs in the party who do take those views and have crossed the line which bring a negative view to the party and those MPs are only around 1-2% of the party.
But are those comments unacceptable or are they thinking far to ahead for Finland.
France has banned the burqa in public is Finland ready to think about doing the same and what would happen if Halla-aho was to raise the question in parliament
Mika, why is family reunification important? It is important because it gives a social network for young people. Think is you were a refugee of Finland and got asylum in Somlia. You would be a young man living in a strange culture without any relative in the world nearby. Pretty painful, no? Family ties also keep people out of trouble and help them adapt better.
@Mika
“France has banned the burqa in public is Finland ready to think about doing the same and what would happen if Halla-aho was to raise the question in parliament”
I have never seen a single woman wear a burqa anywhere in Finland and if she did I wouldn’t care the same way I don’t care if a Goth shaves her eyebrows and wears black face makeup.
Do you know that Jewish male babies have their bloody penises sucked by the Rabbi after cutting their penis during their circumcision ritual. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZy5lbWb9Xg Should we ban this practice in Finland or will we be selective in our hatred of Abrahamic faiths?
We are the murder capital of western Europe. Why doesn’t Halla-aho or PS say something about this major social issue? Alcoholism is a huge issue here and costs the state greatly every day. The majority of criminals and victims of violent crime are under the influence of alcohol during the act. Statistics show that in homicides 61 to 75 percent, in attempted homicides 71 to 78 percent and in assaults 71 to 73 percent of the offenders have been under the influence of alcohol. During the last two decades the number of drunk offenders has increased. Roughly half of crimes of theft involve the use of alcohol. Why doesn’t the PS tackle this REAL issue?
All I’ve heard from PS is “immigration” this and that when they actually mean REFUGEE POLICY. Post-9/11 Islamophobia is running rampant while the biggest terrorist attack in the Nordic region in history was perpetrated by a Zionist Christian extremist who drew inspiration from the likes of Halla-aho. You tell me what is the greater threat to peace now?
I have never seen a single woman wear a burqa anywhere in Finland
But with increased in immigration you may start to see them then the government may start thinking about banning them. But would I be seen as a racist or being against Islam if I was to say they should be banned now when in five years time the government with or without PS does ban them.
This is my issue over the last few years the government has passed more asylum laws when the likes Hallo-aho said this is what he wanted he would be called a racist . So can we call the likes of him or PS as racist when the government with or without him seems to be following the same line. What immigration laws PS want the government will eventually pass anyway
PS are called Racist for being anti immigration yet the government who are not seen as anti immigration therefore not Racist pass laws to stop immigration. I think the word Racist has now become obsolete because we live in a society which is far more anti immigration so what does Racist actually mean now
Mika, what is it of YOUR BUSINESS to tell other people what to wear? In our high school in Hollywood (yes, Hollywood High School) girls could only wear pants on Fridays. The PS are called racist because THERE ARE A LOT of racists in that party.
Mika
So which Finnish political party should an out-and-out racist join? Which one of the current political parties represented in Parliament is most likely to accept a racist into membership and not expel any member for expressing overtly racist views, for example by offering the defence that its members have freedom of speech and the right to dissenting opinions?
Do tell.
@Mika
You conveniently ignore 90% of what I wrote to further your one-track minded agenda. Typical troll behaviour.
Twenty years ago a party with a anti immigration view where seen as a racist
Now those parties are not seen as racist its some of its members who are racist now and not the party .
That is what it is like in Finland- Sweden- Denmark- Holland- France and all others
Twenty years ago the foreign population of Finland was a mere 25,255 people. In the 1980s Finland was not called a racist country but compared with Albania because it had so few foreigners.
@Mika
You’re not here to discuss anything. You’re just here to spout your illogical garbage. Suomen Sisu that Hala-aho is the main face of, is a a neo-Nazi organisation that is against race mixing. If that’s not racist then I don’t know what is.
If we call True Finns a racist party because they have anti immigration views then surely that also applies to the government for changing the asylum laws.
Like I said even though they have anti immigration views that does not make PS a racist party because being anti immigration is not “Racist” anymore . The issue is on some of the comments the members make and when those members do make comments we are now using the word “offensive” instead of “Racist” because like I said the word Racist is now obsolete and to use it shows how out of touch you are . When someone uses the word Racist straight away I think of VHS players
The PS, changing the immigration laws and the tough stance on immigrants in Finland tells me one matter: You don’t really get it. Everytime you make it more difficult for people coming here you lose an opportunity. Immigration is a social force that brings economic wealth to a nation. If Finland and Europeans would be more interested in integrating immigrants, things would be very different.
@Mika
The word Racist is not obsolete because you say so. Those who are the victims of Racism are the ones to say when it becomes obsolete.
In typical Homma forum troll manner you are too stupid, arrogant or ignorant to respond to any other points raised in this discussion. You’re like a VHS player stuck on repeat.
I know you need the word “Racist” to use to beat the likes of PS with but even you must admit it does not carry the same value it once did .
Why the populist parties become so big was they learnt to adjust to changing times because of which other political parties are now trying to be like them to win votes. So why is so difficult for you to also to change to the times.
We don’t call people attacked because of their colour of their skin as victims of a racist crime.
We call them victims of a hate crime
Anti fascist groups in countries like UK- Germany- Holland don’t really use the word Racist or Nazi anymore because they have come to learn its does not have the effect they once did, if anything it has become an embarrassment to them to use because it shows how out of date and out of touch they are
The new fascism that has risen in Finland and Europe are called today Anti-Jihadists who are pro-Israel.
@Mika
You’re truly an idiot. Racism and Nazism both fall under the umbrella of “Hate Crimes”. It is a legal term and has nothing to do with the words not having “the effect they once did”. Racism and Nazism didn’t disappear because they have a new umbrella law that covers both, no, they still exist!
Mika
Obviously the term racist is neither obsolete nor meaningless. You have supplied more than a dozen BTL responses on this subject since this morning, so it has clearly occupied your mind for most of the day.
Largely in an axe grinding dialogue with yourself.
It’s entertaining though – keep it up.
If you look at the likes of the DPP in one of their meetings you will see men and woman and children of all ages, the mind can not take the words “Racist” or “Nazi” and the put them with that image. When a populist party has its election breakthrough all the methods which those opposed to those parties use to try to stop them straight away become obsolete and they have to start again. If you don’t believe me get in contact with a few anti fascist groups in Europe because they will say the same thing
@Mika
I suggest you go to Israel and ask them if Nazis still exist.
When I see someone call PS racist I still find it shocking and unbelievable that what appears to be grown adults using words which they honestly believe is going to stop them. We have had PS election breakthrough which you tried to stop by calling them Racist that did not work you hoped that Norway would reduced their support which it did not. Is this not telling you that a large and growing percentage of Finnish people do not see PS in anyway like you do.
But lets face facts its oblivious you don’t really want to stop PS whats more of interest to you is keeping your delusion going. Because if you where serious in stopping PS you would not be doing what you are doing now.
Calling a political party racist in 2011 with the thought you are being relevant are you not just a little embarrassed when you do it
–When I see someone call PS racist I still find it shocking and unbelievable that what appears to be grown adults using words which they honestly believe is going to stop them.
I call these adults brave and showing leadership. Racism, and parties like the PS which are led by one charismatic populist leader, are a threat to any society. The democratic credentials of the PS are stained by their anti-immigration and anti-Muslim rhetoric. You cannot bash and loathe one group and claim to support our democratic system.
Mika
So how would YOU stop the PS then?
Before we get tanks on the streets and guys with guns making sure that the bus drivers come to work.
“You cannot bash and loathe one group and claim to support our democratic system.”
So where that leaves you? You do bash and loathe.
Also i would like to point out that one who is “interviewed” in that propaganda is stalinist like Enrique, google his name.
Hannu, nice try and I will respond in kind because you are probably the oldest blogger that has visited Migrant Tales since 2008. Do you know who Stalin was? Your affirmation sounds like something that PS MP Juho Eerola wrote, claiming that the Soviet Union was a multicultural state. What a joke and how much ignorance it shows from the PS MP. The Soviet Union was an autocratic state that tolerated cultural diversity. If you know Eerola, tell him to study what happened to Juan Domingo Perón in Argentina when he copied Mussolini’s economic model.
Hannu
Are you smart enough to see the moral difference between criticising a group for the political views of its members and criticising a group for the skin colour or heritage of its members?
Didn’t think so.
If only you had sat at the front of the class all those years ago…