Jay Smooth offers some valuable advice when dealing with racism. He divides the plan of action into two strategies: the what they did conversation and what they are conversation.
As some are well aware,Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Laura Huhtasaari, who is no stranger to our readers, got her fingers burned last week by Helsingin Sanomat when they found her profile picture on a racist Facebook page.
Even the name of that Facebook community, Puskaraiskaajien rasistinen tausta ! or “The racist background of rapists [hiding] in bushes,” would set alarm bells ringing.
Anti-immigration, or particularly anti-cultural diversity politicians, leave a lot of smoking guns about their ideology. They commonly hide behind red herrings to cover up their real intentions. Huhtasaari is no different.
In a Facebook thread there’s an Afro Finn who claims on a video clip to not have read Jussi Halla-aho’s writings but considers the PS MEP, who was sentenced for ethnic agitation, a “nice guy.” He even wishes him “the best of luck in his political career.”
Fine, but isn’t that falling into the what they are conversation as opposed to the what they did conversation?
Let’s give the Afro Finn a helping hand. He claims to not have read Halla-aho’s Islamophobic and xenophobic writings. We’ll help him out. Is he joking or not? No, folks, he messaged me and said that it wasn’t a joke.
Below are some quotes to challenge Halla-aho on the what they did conversation:
Jussi Halla-aho, published in Gates of Vienna Inter Arma, November 30, 2007.
Jussi Halla-aho, Scripta guest book, May 19, 2006.
Jussi Halla-aho, Scripta Lisää rikollisuudesta, September 30, 2005.
Jussi Halla-aho, Scripta Mietteitä kansainvaelluksesta, April 20, 2005.
Jussi Halla-aho, Scripta Mietteitä kansainvaelluksesta, April 20, 2005.
As one can see from just a few quotes by Halla-aho, few will argue that the quotes aren’t racist, homophobic and Islamophobic.
Apart from being Islamophobic and xenophobic, Halla-aho spreads outright lies about Muslims like the last quote. According to Interpol, the majority of terrorist attacks in Europe are by ethnic separatists, not Muslims.
Why does he do this? Because he plays on people’s fears with the help of lies and gross exaggerations.
Let’s go to PS MP Huhtasaari who claims on a Facebook thread below that she’s not a racist and to have the right to define whether she is or not a racist.
Huhtasaari states on a Facebook thread that she’s not a racist and that it is her right to define who she is.
What has Huhtasaari said and done?
For one she’s said that the number of migrants in Finland should be lowered because teachers have been brainwashed by multiculturalism.
Moreover, Huhtasaari appears to have a special place in her heart for Muslims. Apart from claiming without any facts that there are “no-go zones” in Sweden, the PS MP has labelled all Muslims in Finland to be a security threat.
Just before the April elections, she invited Halla-aho to a campaign rally where she praised the PS MEP as “a top-notch politician, MEP, Doctor (stresses the title) Jussi Halla-aho.”
Has Huhtasaari read what Halla-aho has written?
During the whole Facebook scandal last week Huhtasaari didn’t condemn once the racist pictures and comments on Puskaraiskaajien rasistinen tausta !
There are pictures on that Facebook community of black children in pails eating watermelon that read “bucketful of shit,” and a sign prohibiting erect black phalli in so-called migrant-free zones.
Is this racist Huhtasaari? Is what Halla-aho wrote, racist?
Have you said stuff that sounds Islamophobic and xenophobic?
Here’s a question that I have for those who are captivated by Huhtasaari’s kindergarten-teacher smile: Will cultural diversity in Finland be in good hands with people like Huhtasaari?
I highly doubt it.
* The Finnish name of the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The English-language names adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We therefore prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings.