How many still remember 22/7, when mass-murderer Anders Breivik went on the rampage seven years ago killing 77 innocent victims? Who wants to remember the man that carried out the worst attack on Norway since the Second World War?
Search Results for: Breivik
Migrant Tales (June 23, 2012): What is the fine line that separates Anders Breivik and PS MP Olli Immonen?
This week we heard Anders Breivik’s closing statements in his defense for killing 77 innocent victims. In his final tirade of how multiculturalism is responsible for fuelling the Islamization of Europe, the mass killer showed no remorse. “The attacks on July 22 were preventive attacks to defend the indigenous Norwegian people,” he said. “I therefore
Let´s (not) forget 22/7 and Anders Breivik
As we distance ourselves from the horror of July 22, 2011, when a Anders Breivik killed 77 innocent lives, the more our collective memory begins to fail us. Islamophobia, xenophobia and anti-cultural diversity sentiment have strengthened their grip in the Nordic region after 22/7.
(Migrant Tales July 22, 2014) Anders Breivik: Three years after the horror of 22/7 in Norway
How many still remember 22/7, when mass-murderer Anders Breivik went on the rampage three years ago killing 77 innocent victims? Who wants to remember the man that carried out the worst attack on Norway since the Second World War? What will the local papers write about that horrific day, today? What will their editorials say if
The shadow of Anders Breivik’s mass killings hang over coalition talks after Norway elections
The landslide victory of Norway’s opposition Conservatives (Høyre) on Monday was short-lived after the country’s next prime minister, Erna Solberg, faced tough coalition talks with the anti-immigration and populist Progress party (Fremskrittspartiet) of which Anders Breivik was a member and whose cold-blooded killings continue to haunt the country, reports Reuters. Visit Wikipedia site here. Outgoing Labor Party
Breivik, Europe’s Counter-Jihadist mass killer, gets at least 21 years
Anders Breivik, the Norwegian mass killer who shocked Europe and the world on July 22, 2011, was sentenced to at least 21 years in prison. The sentence by the Oslo district court is not only a relief to the loved ones of the 77 victims, but sends an important political message as well. The court
What is the fine line that separates Anders Breivik and PS MP Olli Immonen?
This week we heard Anders Breivik’s closing statements in his defense for killing 77 innocent victims. In his final tirade of how multiculturalism is responsible for fuelling the Islamization of Europe, the mass killer showed no remorse. “The attacks on July 22 were preventive attacks to defend the indigenous Norwegian people,” he said. “I therefore
Finland’s mini Breivik: gunman kills two and wounds seven
What motivates a young man to take the law in his own hands and kill indiscriminately defenseless people? While we still don’t know the motives behind the killings in Hyvinkää, the suspect’s “likes” on Facebook may offer us some clues. Writes YLE in English: ”Police in the town of Hyvinkää, some 50km north of Helsinki, say
As Breivik speaks out against multiculturalism the more damage he inflicts on anti-immigration parties
As Anders Breivik,who killed 77 people on July 22 on his crusade against multiculturalism, takes the stand and speaks out against immigration and Islam the more damage he inflicts on anti-immigration parties in the Nordic region like the Perussuomalaiset (PS). After his rampage in Norway, nothing was ever the same for parties like the PS because Breivik put them on the defensive.
Spiegel Online International: Can Europe’s Populists Be Blamed for Anders Breivik’s Crusade?
Norway and the world are still struggling to understand the ghastly deeds of Anders Breivik, who was driven to kill by his hatred of Muslims. His confused worldview, which Breivik describes in a 1,500-word manifesto, was influenced by European right-wing populists. Do politicians and writers share some of the blame for his terrible crimes? By SPIEGEL Staff.
guardian.co.uk: Anders Behring Breivik had no legitimate grievance
Despite the fact that Anders Behring Breivik was not permitted to publicly justify his actions in public on Monday, a scrambling defence of his repertoire of prejudice is already in full swing. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Bruce Bawer, who is quoted by Breivik in his manifesto 2083: A European Declaration of Independence, emphasises his repeated warnings that a rightwing extremist may use violence to address “legitimate concerns about genuine problems”. Bawer blames mainstream politics for failing to address the corrosion of Europe by Islamicisation and multiculturalism, meanwhile The Jerusalem Post cautions that “Oslo’s devastating tragedy should not be allowed to be manipulated by those who would cover up the abject failure of multiculturalism”.
Suomen Kuvalehti.fi: Terrorismintutkija: Breivik selittää tekonsa vasta-jihadilla – tästä on kyse
Kun uhrit on laskettu, alkaa syiden pohdinta. Millaisella ajatusmaailmalla Anders Behring Breivik perusteli tekonsa itselleen ja yrittää tehdä niin myös muille?
Breivik julkaisi perjantaina noin 1500-sivuisen manifestin, jossa hän muun muassa kuvailee valmistautumista terrori-iskuun. Hän kertoo vastustavansa islamia ja marxismia. Terrorismintutkija Toby Archer sanoo, että Breivik ei ole vain hullu. Hän on selvästi mielenvikainen, mutta hänellä on myös poliittinen viesti.
The Norwegian who went on a murderous rampage against a whole nation and region on 22/7
I mention only two infamous days on Migrant Tales annually: the coup in Argentina on March 24, 1976, and the man who went on a murderous rampage against 77 people on 22/7. Let’s offer a moment of silence to the victims, killed, and those who survived this atrocity. Source: Migrant Tales Further reading: ANALYSIS – Commemorating
Denmark shooter is allegedly white and has ties with the far-right
It was about 11 years ago on 22/7 when Norwegian Anders Breivik shocked us by murdering 77 victims. His motive? Anti-Muslim racism. Yesterday, there was a hint of déjà-vu when a 22-year-old “ethnic Dane,” a term used to mean white Dane, went on the rampage in the Fields shopping center of Copenhagen killing at least
What does Finland’s far-right Perussuomalaiset think of the overturning of Roe and Wade and attack of a gay bar in Oslo?
Setting aside the US Supreme Court decision to reverse Roe and Wade, which effectively took away women’s rights to have an abortion, we saw the cold-blooded attack at a gay bar by a man in Oslo that left two dead and 21 wounded. Meanwhile, in Finland, Yle reported some MPs’ reaction to the Supreme Court
Why do some politicians, who know better, spread and feed us racism?
There is an old saying that goes something like this: I was a liberal in youth so I would not be a fascist in old age. What motivates a politician to twist and exaggerate facts to stigmatize migrants? National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) MP Heikki Vestman’s speech in parliament Wednesday is a prime example of how
10 years after the 22/7 mass killings in Norway and what it reveals about us
Ten years have passed since 22/7, and some Norwegians are still asking, “why?” I remember that day as if it were yesterday. First, a bomb exploded in downtown Oslo, and what followed then were the cold-blooded murders of young people on Utøya island. A total of 77 people lost their lives on that day. Countless
STATEMENT: The great replacement theory and playing with fire
It was only in March when the Finnish Security Service (Supo) 2020 annual report warned that the great replacement theory is nothing more than a conspiracy theory used by far-right terrorist groups. Should we be surprised that Finns Party (PS) politicians like its leader Jussi Halla-aho, vice president Riikka Purra, and party secretary Simo Grönroos have spread
The far right and their rabid show dog in Finland that knows no master
If there is one matter that will bring down the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party, it is their racist and nationalistic ideology. We already saw this on 22/7 with Anders Breivik and now with political violence against Pekka Kataja of the same party. On July 17, Kataja was paid a visit by three men who attacked
Why are the PS so silent about the US President Joe Biden’s administration?
TOPLINE The silence emerging from the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* politicians are highly revealing. Their populist autocratic mentor, former President Donald Trump, is history and no longer in power. KEY FACTS While only PS MEP Laura Huhtasaari and PS MP Veikko Vallin were some of the very few politicians of the party to comment on the transfer
Ranska on tehnyt Jussi Halla-ahosta onnelinen
Oletko huomaneet kuinka rasisti puhuu ja mietti asiat? Rasisti yleistä, leimaa ja potki vyön alle. Katso Perussuomalainen puhenjohtaja Jussi Halla-ahon tyytyväisiä kirjoituksia kun hän pääsee todistamaan kuinka rasisti hän on ja kuinka oikeassa hän oli Ranskasta. Kysymys Halla-aholle: Edustako yksi ihminen 1,8 miljardia muslimeja? Puolustavatko kaikki muslimit mitä tapahtui Ranskassa? Tuskin. Edustiko Anders Breivik kaikki
The Norwegian mass murderer, 22/7, and Jussi Halla-aho
Hateful and racist words can turn into bullets. THE STORY WAS UPDATED Two days and nine years had gone by when Norway and Europe witnessed the horrific events of 22/7 that left 77 people dead and many others with physical and psychological injuries for the rest of their lives. One of the matters that we
22/7: A day that will live in infamy and one we must not forget
The far-right was riding the crest of the wave in 2011. In Finland, the radical right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party had scored their historic parliamentary victory. But then three months later, Anders Breivik appeared from nowhere and went on to murder 77 people to save – according to him – Europe from being overrun by Muslims.
Spiral of hatred is a tightening noose around the neck of the Perussuomalaiset party
Racism is like a rabid dog on a short leash. The racist shows of his dog and other racists are amazed. But a warning: The dog can bite back and hard because the sick dog knows no master. The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* is a party that is spinning out of control, and it is self-inflicted: Ethnonationalism,
Danger of white terrorist attacks in Norway and Europe. What about Finland?
A report by the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) warns that Norway and Europe may suffer from terrorist attacks in the next few months against Muslims, Jews, and the LGBTQ community, reports Yle, citing the Norwegian Police Security Service. PST cites the Christchurch attack against two mosques in New Zealand in March as a source
Radical right 101 (lesson 1): Is the Perussuomalaiset a radical right party?
Migrant Tales will start publishing news about how the far-right, specifically the radical right, is dupping half a million Finns. I consider the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* as the biggest menace to Finland’s democracy, our Nordic way of life, and vibrant cultural diversity. Former PS party secretary and MP, Riikka Slunga-Poutsalo, disagrees. She said on A-studio (31.8)
Islamophobia is the biggest menace facing Finland and its institutions today
Even if Islamophobic parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* rarely mention the word “Muslim(s)” in their hate messages and campaigns, Islamophobia is without a doubt the most significant threat today to Finland’s institutions and society. Apart from the steady rise of hate speech and hate crime, Islamophobia is spearheaded by parties like the PS. It, if
A white supremacist terrorist strikes again in Norway. White supremacist terrorism is the biggest threat to Europe and Finland.
THE STORY WAS UPDATED It is surprising that in Norway, one of Europe’s wealthiest and whitest countries has suffered some of the worst terrorist attacks in Europe. Eight years ago, on 22/7, Anders Breivik emerged and killed 77 people. The most recent terrorist attack by an alleged white supremacist in Norway on Saturday attacked with
“Young white man” opens fire inside mosque near Oslo in Norway
THE STORY WAS UPDATED A “young white man” was arrested in Norway after shooting inside a mosque today, according to the BBC. The man injured one person after he opened fire on the Al-Noor Islamic Center near Oslo. According to a tweet by Tommi Kotonen, “Norwegian newspaper [VG] reports that police is investigating a forum
What have we learned after 22/7? That we have a great ability to deny and forget?
Today marks the day when a white Norwegian terrorist called Anders Breivik murdered in cold blood 77 people. Mentally deranged? This is how some want to interpret such a vile act of terrorism. One of the matters that the monstrous attack by Breivik has proven eight years after it happened is that we have a
YLE News: What Prosecutor General Raija Toiviainen forgets to tell us about growing hate speech in Finland
There’s a lot of evidence of how Finland denies an issue like racism and near-constantly plays down its impact on migrants, minorities, and society in general. Prosecutor General Raija Toivainen claims in a YLE News story that racist statement lead to bitterness, radicalization, and terrorism.
The words and silence of politicians have dire consequences in Finland for us
After the stabbing of ten people in Turku on Friday, politicians like President Sauli Niinistö, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, Interior Minister Paula Risikko, the national media, which echoes far-right opinions of Jussi Halla-aho, the chairman of the Perussuomalaiset* who was convicted for hate speech, appear to be carried away by their own prejudices and hostility towards asylum seekers, which does impact our culturally diverse community.
Wednesday was a good day for racism in Finland: Pia Kauma and Gleb Simanov
Wednesday was a good day for racism in Finland. National Coalition Party (NCP) substitute MP Pia Kauma, who accused migrant women three years ago of demanding social welfare to buy new baby carriages, took over as MP after Alexander Stubb took started his tenure at the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Six years after 22/7: What can one person do?
Anders Breivik committed a horrendous act six years ago on July 22. While anti-immigration groups want us to forget what happened, we can never forget. Breivik is the smoking gun that proves that those that preach hatred have the potential to spread fear and death.
Will Donald Trump breathe new life into a doomed party called the Perussuomalaiset?
Donald Trump’s election victory has emboldened our own group of populists, racists, and bigots in Finland who pray what happened in the United States will breathe new life into a political disaster called the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*. There are many reasons why copying and pasting populist rhetoric in the United States won’t work in Finland.
PS’ Terhi Kiemunki is charged with ethnic agitation – how many more will be charged of the Perussuomalaiset party?
Perussuomalaiset* chairman of Tampere, Terhi Kiemunki, will be charged for ethnic agitation, according to Tampere-based daily Aamulehti. Kiemunki achieved national notoriety this year when she published on Facebook that it was unfortunate that she didn’t have any condoms to give Muslim children trick-or-treating in April.
A belated response to racist comments by a member of the PS is half a response
Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party has been (surprise, surprise) in the past two weeks on the racist rampage against migrants and minorities. The first one was lodged on July 15 by PS MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, who suggested that Muslims should be kicked out of Finland, followed by comments by Matias Turkkila (17.7), PS Youth leader Sebastian Tynkkynen, who parrots Hakkarainen’s call on July 19.
White Finnish privilege #30: Whitewashing and racializing the news
On the fifth anniversary, when Anders Breivik went on the rampage in Oslo on 22/7 by killing 77 victims, we saw another gunman in Munich who followed the Norwegian killer’s example. We now know with pretty much certainty that there was a connection between what the shooter did in Munich and with the fifth anniversary.
Five years after 22/7 the Nordic region continues to bleed hatred
Is it a coincidence that Perussuomalaiset (PS)* Youth leader Sebastian Tynkkynen wants to make hate speech possible by doing away with laws that prohibit it? Is it a coincidence that he states openly and publicly, like PS MP Teuvo Hakkarainen, that Finland should rid itself of Muslims?
The role of the Finnish media and politicians who spread their racist statements
The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* is a horrible party for migrants and minorities. They have the dubious “honor” of being the first modern party in Finland to capitalize on voters’ racism and bigoted views. Certainly they couldn’t have done it alone. All the major parties have the same type of politicians who state and write the same type of things.
Migrant Tales January 20, 2013 and case Terhi Kiemunki: The PS cannot rid itself of its racists because it would commit political hara-kiri
Migrant Tales insight: Are you still wondering why Terhi Kiemunki got off with a light slap on the hand by the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party for writing on Facebook that it was unfortunate that she didn’t have any condoms to give Muslim children trick-or-treating? Even if Kiemunki is an Islamophobe that Anders Breivik emailed her before murdering 77 people on July
On vain yksi ääripää
Trollhättanissa käytiin eilen dialogia. Sen aloitti natsien sodanaikaiseen tapaiseen silmät peittävään kypärään ja mustaan asuun pukeutunut miekalla varustautunut nuori mies; Ikää 21 vuotta nimeltään Anton Lundin-Pettersson. Kantaruotsalainen. Olikohan tietoinen Suomen sananvapauden viikosta ja päätti sitten käyttää sitä ilmaisunvapauttaan. Tämän vallitsevan dialogi ja ymmärrys diskurssin mukaan sitten poliisikin edustaa sitä toista ääripäätä. Poliisi, joka eliminoi tämän
The Finnish Ku Klux Klan impersonator was really Timo Soini’s and the Perussuomalaiset’s ogre
When racism lifts its head in Finland Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairman and foreign minister, Timo Soini, usually gives us a lesson in denial: “We’re not racists.”
Ku Kluk Klanin -pukeutunut suomalainen oli Timo Soinin ja perussuomalaisten hirviö
Kun rasismi nostaa päätä Suomessa niin Perussuomalaisten puheenjohtaja ja ulkoministeri Timo Soini opastaa niin kuin aina: – Emme ole rasistisia.
Naming and shaming Finland into action
Parties that use racism and xenophobia to attract voters play a dangerous game. It’s like having a rapid dog on a short leash that some are interested to see. What those parties don’t want to know is that the rapid dog can bite back at its supposed owner, and hard.
Far right Olli Immonen is a thankless MP to the PS and Timo Soini
Some politicians, like Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Olli Immonen live in a bubble inflated by their rhetoric and delusions. We got a taste of his hateful ideology in July, when he declared war on “the nightmare of multiculturalism” and how he vowed that “his fighters” will “fight until the end for our homeland.”
Miten perussuomalaisuutta kielen keinoilla rakennetaan
Yksi kieli, yksi mieli oli J.V. Snellmanin ajama nationalistinen aate 1800 luvulla, jolloin hän oli vaikuttava fennomaani Suomessa. Hän vaikutti merkittävästi suomen kielen asemaan ja Suomen markan käyttöönottoon. Snellmanin päivänä 12.5 vietetään suomalaisuuden päivää. Snellmanilaiseen nationalismiin ei liittynyt rotuajattelua, vaan sen omivat svekomaanit, jotka olivat toki osaksi liberaaleja, mutta myös konservatiiveja ja vastustivat mm. säätykiertoa.
Finland’s Rosa Parks moment and crossing the line
For those of us who have been anti-racism activists for many years, Tuesday, July 28, offered us something we hadn’t seen before in Finland: A spontaneous 15,000-20.000-strong demonstration against racism and fascism in Helsinki. Was that very important demonstration a Rosa Parks moment and an important watershed to make Finland a more inclusive country?
Reija Härkönen: Perussuomalaisen dialogin ainekset
Reija Härkönen Perussuomalaiset vaativat dialogia, media vaatii dialogia perussuomalaisten kanssa, hyvät ihmiset kirjoittavat blogikirjoituksia ja vaativat arvostelun sijaan dialogia. Näin on tehty jo vuosia ja etenkin vuoden 2011 vaaleista lähtien, kun persujen sisällä lymyävä rasismi ja uusfasismi alkoi tulla voimakkaammin esiin ja valveutuneet kansalaiset alkoivat puuttua siihen. Mitä se dialogi sitten on? Perussuomalaiset vaativat –
Facebook: Can Nordic values challenge racism if racism has found a home in such values?
Migrant Tales insight: Christian Thibault is an active anti-racism activist that I’ve had the pleasure to know for some time. In a recent Facebook post below he brings up some good points about how even former and present presidents, like Martti Ahtisaari and Sauli Niinistö, lean towards the promotion of a more exclusive rather than inclusive
UPDATE (Feb. 17): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
Migrant Tales’2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism will be updated separately. To see other examples of opinionated journalism in Finland about cultural diversity, please go to this link. Feb. 17 Suomi pelkää terroristeja vähemmän kuin naapurimaat (Helsingin Sanomat) What’s wrong with this news story? Today’s front page of Helsingin Sanomat’s online edition has a picture of three
Finland and the PS: The face of racism becomes uglier as it ages
The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* in general and specifically MPs like Juho Eerola, Olli Immonen and Teuvo Hakkarainen are, together with MEP Jussi Halla-aho, examples of the worst kind of extremism and racism we can find in Finland today in the halls of our parliament. They are permitted to spread their racist and bigoted views because they have
Racism Review: Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie: A Critical View
To be frank, the magazine Charlie Hebdo deserves criticism, not praise—despite the horrific events that have unfolded. While I am certainly not condoning the murder of its staff members, I do find them guilty of Islam-bashing and inconsiderately expressing religious intolerance, cultural ethnocentrism, and extremely poor human judgment, issues that should be important to antiracists
Are Bush’s Iraq War and Abu Ghraib torture to blame as well for the Charlie Hebdo attack?
When I reflect on what happened this week in Paris my thoughts drift to George W. Bush and his proclamation that the United States is on a crusade against terrorism. Juan Cole, an expert on Middle East politics, asks an important question on his blog: Having American troops occupy it [Baghdad] for 8 years, humiliate
UPDATE (December 5): Migrant Tales’ 2015 Hall of Poor and Sloppy Journalism
How does the Finnish media give politicians that spread xenophobia and racism inflated respectability and importance? How can they spread their prejudices and lies about immigrants and minorities without the help of the media? Migrant Tales will begin to collect stories from January 7 written by careless journalists that have been taken for a ride by such
PS’ Timo Soini of Finland looks more like a wolf and less like a sheep as April elections near
With the help of one term, “cultural marxist,” Perussuomalaiset (PS)* chairman Timo Soini gave us the clearest-yet image of the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Soini lashed out on his blog at the same-sex marriage lobby and particularly at Nasima Razmyar as “cultural marxists” after she compared the PS leader and Christian Democrat Päivi Räsänen as “conservative Islamists” for opposing same-sex
Will the Sweden Democrat victory give a boost to the PS in Finland?
The Swedish election result not only showed a shift and set for a minority-left government, but historic gains made by the far-right Sweden Democrats. Conservative Moderat Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, who conceded defeat late Sunday, said he will hand in his resignation Monday after eight years in power. Just like the anti-immigration Peerussuomalaiset (PS)* in
Financial Times: MEP Jussi Halla-aho racist track record leaves PS out in the cold
Success comes with a high political price especially if you base that success on spreading racism and prejudice. That is exactly the case of the Perussuomalaiset (PS),* who are hoping to join the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in Brussels but have been rejected by them because they see PS MEP Jussi Halla-aho as too racist,
Disingenuous Finnish PS MEP-elect Jussi Halla-aho fears image would suffer with parties like far-right National Front
In an interview on YLE, Perussuomalaiset (PS) newly elected MEP Jussi Halla-aho said that it was doubtful that the anti-immigration party would form part of a parliamentary group with far-right parties like the National Front of France “because the party’s image would suffer.” What a disingenuous statement by a politician who has based his career
Huffington Post: The PS of Finland is one of the nine scariest parties elected to the European parliament
Is it surprising that The Huffington Post named the “True Finns,” or Perussuomalaiset (PS), in the same far-right league as the National Front of France, Danish People’s Party, Lega Nord, Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom and neo-Nazi Golden Dawn? Nigel Farage’s UKIP is not on the dubious list. Unfair? Not really if we look at PS
Selective hatred and racism know no master
Migrant Tales has written on a number of occasions about how intolerance and discrimination are a direct threat to our society since such social ills eat away at our values and thereby undermine who we are. We have demonstrated how anti-immigration parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS) use selective hatred to ensure their followers that they are
MPs in Finland should not seek populistic and quick fixes to issues like poverty
Is it a coincidence that MPs of Finland’s four largest parties aim to pass anti-begging legislation in the face of ever-growing poverty in this country as a survey by YLE showed? Aren’t the four MPs, who claim the bill has the backing of 102 lawmakers, concerned that the anti-begging motion is a copy from Norway,
Finland & Cultural Diversity 2013
Compared with the previous two years, 2013 will be remembered as business as usual on the intolerance front. A positive sign, however, is the reaction of some of the Finnish media to racism. Even so, the media in this country continues to give some racists inflated respectability and importance by spreading their prejudice. The reaction
Finland and Europe must not forget its culturally diverse history
Why have so many in this land forgotten our culturally diverse history? Why don’t we teach it more at schools? At homes? If over 1.2 million emigrants left this land between 1860 and 1999, certainly that says a lot about the source of our diversity. It’s fortunate that Finland wasn’t a former European colonial powers like
Government talks in Norway are a preview of what may happen in Finland in 2015 with the PS
Take a close look at Norway if you want to see what may happen in Finland after the 2015 parliamentary elections, when the right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset (PS) may be in government.The populist anti-immigration Progress party (FrP) of Norway will form part of a coalition government with the Conservative Party (Høyre), Christian Democrats and Liberals. If the Conservative Party
Former Perussuomalaiset councilman convicted for ethnic agitation shows no remorse
Who can forget Black February 2012, when three Muslims lost their lives in a span of about three weeks in January-February? The last one, which was horrific, ended with the cold-blooded killing of a Muslim at a pizzeria in Oulu. A former Perussuomlaiset (PS) councilman wrote on Facebook that a medal should be awarded to
Zuzeeko’s blog: MPs ignore bigger fish to fry in Finnish society
Zuzeeko Tegha Abeng Public discourse in Finnish online forums and blogs written by far-right elements and Finns Party MPs suggest that immigration is the biggest problem in Finland, but a closer look at Finnish society reveals more pertinent issues that people on the far-right of the political divide ignore, including domestic violence, family killings and
Fifty years from Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech
Today marks the 50th anniversary when Martin Luther King Jr.(1929-68) gave his historic “I have a dream” speech. When he gave the speech in Washington on August 28,1963, I was eight years old. Even if I knew nothing about MLK at the time never mind anything about his famous speech, his words would have a
Death threats and the PS threat to our Nordic way of life
Perussuomalaiset (PS) chairman, Timo Soini, reveals in a recent blog that he got four death threats recently. Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen’s Christian Democratic party received a bomb threat as well, which was reported by tabloid Iltalehti. The death threats are similar to what Swedish-language journalists received a while back. Migrant Tales has been a victim of
Migrant Tales (July 22, 2012): What have we learned after Norway’s 22/7
What goes around comes around. Exactly a year ago (2012) Anders Breivik carried out his mass killings, which ended up causing the death of 77 innocent victims. Have we learned anything from that tragic Saturday that shook the Nordic region and changed it permanently? In order to answer that question, we’d have to travel back in
European Court of Human Rights will not review PS MP Hirvisaari’s conviction for ethnic agitation
The European Court of Human Rights has turned down a request by Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP James Hirvisaari to review a conviction for ethnic agitation in December 2011 by the Kouvola Court of Appeals, which was upheld last year by the Finnish Supreme Court. There was no doubt that far right PS MP Hirvisaari stood a chance
Burqas, nijabs, the PS and red herrings
A tabloid Iltalehti story wrote about a heated debate in parliament Friday between the anti-immigration populist Perussuomalaiset (PS) party and the Greens over a draft bill spearheaded by PS MP Vesa-Matti Saarakkala, which aims to ban the burqa and nijab in public places. The PS MP considers the law as a “preventive measure” even if the nijab
Migrant Tales (July 22, 2012): What have we learned after Norway’s 22/7 and the Boston bombings?
Comment: As the manhunt for one of the two suspects continues in Boston, what should our reaction be to the two Chechen killers? This blog entry written on the first anniversary of the horrific killings in Norway by Anders Breivik could shed light on that question. ____________________ What goes around comes around. Exactly a year
Whiteness and white privilege speak European languages
As we hold our collective breaths and await to know the identity of the bombings in Boston Monday, too many don’t see a suspect but a whole ethnicity or religious group. Tim Wise put it very well in an opinion piece where he makes some distributing revelations about the power of whiteness. If we understand
The Boston bombings reveal a deadlier blowback
I was shocked to hear about the twin bombs in Boston and my heart goes to the victims. Two days after the incident, however, speculation has been rife about the probable ethnicity of the perpetrator. The eerie silence of the killer suggests that this was probably carried out individually. The latest story on the
Migrant Tales Literary: The racist and his rabid dog
By Leo Honka The racist shows off his rabid dog on a short leash footsteps and gleaming eyes speak of satisfaction on the pavement and media attention thanks to his rabid dog. Like flies on flypaper struggling to survive the racist too owns a rabid dog. On a short leash he walks, walks but doesn’t
Three news stories that expose the challenges facing Europe: Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Roma and official approval of the latter
Three stories this week spoke volumes about the challenges facing Europe during these times: discrimination against Muslims is widespread in many European countries; a string of anti-Semitic attacks have been reported in Eastern Europe; and Hungary’s top journalism prize is awarded to an anti-Semitic and Roma basher. Despite their geographic differences, all three stories are related shedding light on
Finland’s response to extremism should be more openess and democracy
An editorial on Thursday’s Helsingin Sanomat comments about Anjem Choudary’s visit to Finland last week. It points out correctly that hate speech should be condemned irrespective who makes it. Living in a culturally diverse society requires more mutual acceptance, not less acceptance and respect. Some of the controversial statements made by the cleric was that
Suomen Sisu and its red herrings: Radical Islamists are now gaining a foothold in Finland
Suomen Sisu, a far right anti-immigration association, said in a statement today that it was concerned about “radical Islamists” gaining a foothold in Finland after Anjem Courdary’s visit to Helsinki on Thursday. Is the extremist association were honest, it would take a good look at itself in the mirror and warn us as well about
Could Finland and the Nordic region see Golden Dawn-like fanatics in the future?
The news from Greece is getting more distressing as Golden Dawn neo-Nazi thugs continue to terrorize sensible Greeks, immigrants and other minorities with the collusion of the police. An investigative report by The Guardian exposes how bad things are in Greece at present and why matters will get far worse. Could we see something similar happening in
What separates our counterjihadists from jihadists?
Anjem Choudary took part in a talk in Helsinki Thursday about freeing Muslim hostages. The Muslim cleric has said a lot of controversial things in the past like Islam will overrun Europe and that Prime Minister David Cameron and U.S. President Barack Obama should be killed. He’s even predicted that a “tsunami” of Muslim immigrants will sweep
Finland, the PS and far right: How long before the chickens come home to roost?
I’ve lived and worked in countries like Colombia and Argentina during the dirty war (1976-83), where people were and still are killed for what they write. Never would I have imagined that I’d receive my first death threats twenty years ago in this country, Finland. The threats and harassment haven’t stopped. When I read
How far has the PS beachhead spread in twenty-two months?
Migrant Tales wrote the following day after the historic April 17, 2011 election had sent shock waves throughout Finland and Europe: “Far-right populism is an illness inflicting Europe at present and it now has a beachhead in Finland.” Back then, our blog got got cited by Time Magazine. The above quote was a response to
Nipping prejudice in the bud with our example
We must find effective ways to nip prejudice in the bud. The worst matter we can do when it happens is our silence, which emboldens and strengthens intolerance to see a new day. How you may ask can we challenge such social ills? The answer is simple: our example and leadership. Racist rants are usually
Jyväskylä may turn into another blow to Finland’s Counterjihadist -anti-immigration hardliners
If the Counterjihadist-anti-immigration tide turned in Finland and the Nordic region after 22/7, when Anders Breivik went on the rampage killing 77 innocent people, the attack in Jyväskylä on Wednesday by suspected far-right thugs could be a serious blow to anti-immigration and far right groups in Finland. Whenever hatred metamorphoses into violence, like in the case
Post-Jyväskylä: Where do we go from here?
Considering how the media treated before the April 2011 election racism and far right ideology and how social media sites were teeming with racist online lynch mobs, we are today waking up from the hangover of our state of social inebriation. The aftereffect will not go away in a day, week, or month but will
Finland & Cultural Diversity 2012*
If 2011 was a watershed year for Finland with the historic rise of a hostile party against immigrants and visible minorities in last year’s parliamentary elections, 2012 will be seen as a bittersweet turning point for the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The year will be remembered as a very violent one for immigrants as well. During “Black
Taming the beast of right-wing extremism in the EU and Finland
Our reaction to racism should be first and foremost a reaction. A comprehensive report published recently by the Institute for Strategic Studies in Sweden not only exposes far-right or right-wing extremism in ten European Union countries, but its historical roots as well. While these extremist groups may have different names in different countries, they are all
Finland celebrates its 95th independence day
As Finland celebrates today its 95th anniversary as an independent nation, the noble values of acceptance, respect and inclusion should resonate in the Finnish expat community and in this country, from Helsinki all the way north to Ohcejohka (Utsjoki). What is the big picture we should strive for as a society in this century? English
The PS’ anti-immigration message suffers a hard blow
Despite the fact that the debate in Finland on immigrants and immigration has taken a turn for the worse in some respects, it’s not as bad as it used to be before the April 2011 parliamentary elections and when Anders Breivik went on his murderous rampage on July 22, 2011. While anti-immigration politicians still want
Swedish immigrant killer is sentenced to life in prison
Peter Mangs, the Swedish gunman convicted of two murders and five attempted murders, was sentenced Friday by the Mälmö District Court to life in prison, reports ABC News, citing AP. The court found Mangs guilty in July but his sentence was delayed pending a psychiatric evaluation that found him to be sane. The forty-year-old man, who
The true face of the PS is being exposed by its poor election results
There’s an interesting editoral on Saturdary’s Helsingin Sanomat (HS) that shows how close Nordic anti-immigration are when it comes to the support they received in recent elections and poll standings. Migrant Tales wrote six days after Anders Breivik murdered in cold blood 77 people on July 22, 2011 that the tide had turned for far right anti-immigration parties
The majority of Mamukriit-Looks candidates got elected to office in Finland
Migrant Tales published earlier this month Mamukriit-Looks: The who’s who of anti-immigration Finland, which was a continuation of Per-Looks, a blog entry than caused outrage among some Perussuomalaiset (PS) candidates running for city council. Even if both blog entries were published with a dose of satire, the election of many PS anti-immigration candidates to city council
New World Finn: Open the doors
Twenty-five years ago, when I worked briefly for the Buenos Aires Herald as a young reporter, I wrote a column about how Argentina’s past could come to haunt it in the future. The last military regime (1976-83) that ruled the country was one of the most ruthless that Latin America had seen during the last
Finland’s Taliban – time to smell the coffee!
I was thinking again this morning just how ironic it is that some people in Finland are buying into this ever-growing Islamaphobia and who imagine in decades to come, a nightmare Taliban-style government in Finland, complete with fully veiled women and public executions of homosexuals. I am aware of this because it’s a recurring theme
What kind of a threat do Finland’s Counterjihadists pose?
It’s pretty clear that what goes up politically must eventually come down. Some groups, which have recently surged in popularity like the Perussuomalaiset (PS), could see their bubble burst quickly. While I wouldn’t count on anything like that happening anytime soon, it could be a totally different story for the hardline Counterjihadists of the party. The
How sincere is PS MP Immonen about Finnish Karelia?
Finnish Karelia, Salla, and Petsamo were territories ceded to the former Soviet Union after the Continuation War (1941-44). Counterjihadist Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Olli Immonen sent a parliamentary question Friday asking the government to investigate whether Russia offered in 1991 then President Mauno Koivisto (1982-94) the possibility to buy back the ceded region. Koivisto, who was
PS Counterjihadists: Live and die politically by the sword
The Perussuomalaiset (PS) party is at a crucial juncture concerning its strange-bedfellow relationship with Counterjihadist and populist radical right members. What kind of links do some members of the PS have with far-right groups like the Finnish Defense League (FDL)? The FDL is nothing more than a mouthpiece of the English Defense League, a violent
Counterjihad Trojan Horse in Finland
Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik cited five Finnish groups in his manifesto, 2083 – A European Declaration of Independence. These were the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party, Suomen Sisu, Suomalaisuuden liitto, Suomen kansan sinivalkoiset and Vapaan Suomen liitto, according to a report by the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (SUPO). Writes YLE in English: “Texts similar to the manifest
The PS and the roosting chickens of intolerance
The fact that 19.1% of Finnish voters gave their support to an anti-immigration and anti-EU party in April 2011 speaks volumes about who we are as a society. Many things can be said about the Perussuomalaiset (PS) and their election victory, but one matter stands out for me: The chickens of intolerance have come home to
Those who loathe you are your supporters
The biggest supporters of immigrants and visible minorities in Finland aren’t groups lobbying for their rights per se, but their enemies. Instead of tapping ourselves on the back for challenging a social ill like racism, we should thank Perussuomalaiset (PS) chairman Timo Soini for exposing in this country bigotry and isolationism in the raw.
Words have consequences: Deciphering code words of hate in Finland
…hate groups have used conflicts over immigration to advance their White Supremacy, their
Sweden convicts Peter Mangs for Malmö immigrant murders
A Malmö District Court convicted Peter Mangs, 40, of two counts of murder and four attempted murders, according to the Guardian. The man, who is a Swede of Finnish descent, killed his first victim in 2003 and terrorized Malmö during 2009-10. All of his victims were immigrants. Mangs will undergo psychiatric evaluation before his sentencing
What have we learned after Norway’s 22/7?
What goes around comes around. Exactly a year ago Anders Breivik carried out his mass killings, which ended up causing the death of 77 innocent victims. Have we learned anything from that tragic Saturday that shook the Nordic region and changed it permanently? In order to answer that question, we’d have to travel back in time
Migrant Tales (July 25, 2011): Living in post-22/7 Europe
It is ironic that those right-wing populist and far-right parties that have gone out of their way to warn us about the threat of multiculturalism and religions like Islam have become the threat and Trojan Horses in our societies. In one horrific blow, Anders Behring Breivik did not only strike at Norway’s liberal democracy, but
Pepper spay attack against gay-pride event in Oulu, Finland
What kind of worlds live inside the heads of people who make political statements by attacking an event like North Pride, a sexual-diversity festival organized through Sunday in the northern Finnish city of Oulu? Writes YLE in English: “A discussion event in Oulu on the situation of gay asylum seekers was the target of
Migrant Tales February 1, 2012: Why write about a Somali immigrant who died in Oulu, Finland?
One of the matters that has surprised me after Migrant Tales scooped more information about the tragic death of a Somali national in Oulu on February 1 is the lack of empathy for the victim. Finland and the Nordic region have not been the same after the April election and when Anders Breivik went on the rampage
Finland’s future recipe for success is based on social equality, mutual acceptance, respect and equal opportunities
Why would any political party seriously care about immigrants and their children if these newcomers form part of a fragmented group that has little political and economic power? Should they be concerned about high unemployment and ever-growing social inequality among such groups in Finland? Our success story as a society was never based on social
Undermining the anti-immigration ideology of populist parties in the Nordic region
It is a tragedy that 77 people had to die at the hands of Anders Breivik. Ironically the mass killer did more on July 22 than anyone to undermine the ideology of anti-immigration populist parties and hate groups in the Nordic region and Europe.
PS MP Hirvisaari gets suspended for five months for not sacking Eronen
The Helena Eronen scandal, the parliamentary aide that infamously suggested in Finland that foreigners should start wearing armbands to help police in profiling ethnic groups, took a new turn Tuesday when the Perussuomalaiset (PS) parliamentary group decided to suspend MP James Hirvisaari until September 15 for not sacking his aide. The whole affair, which is far from over and could escalate into something bigger, has revealed the internal party struggles within the PS.
Halla-aho says ghettoization spreading in Finland’s major cities
Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Jussi Halla-aho said on a popular talk show that he stands by everything he said and doesn’t regret anything. He does, however, admit that sometimes the timing of what he said was wrong. He then tells us that ghettoization is taking place ” full steam ahead” in Finland’s biggest cities.
The Eronen “armband” scandal reveals healthy accountability by the media
The Helena Eronen scandal exposes an important watershed in Finland. It is a similar turning point we saw on July 22 with the mass killings in Norway and in February when Tommi Rautio suggested decoarating a white Finn for killing a Muslim in February in Oulu. The latest scandal reveals that those who bashed and spread racism and Nazi-spirited writings freely are now held accountable for what they write.
Anti-immigration groups in Finland plan vicious campaign as the municipal election nears in October
As the demonic rumors and stereotypes spread by Finland’s anti-immigration groups lose their appeal among voters, expect a new round of vicious attacks by them as the municipal election nears on October 28. The good news, however, is that using the usual crime statistics and racist arguments that gave some Perussuomalaiset (PS) candidates their ticket to parliament in the April 2011 election will be a hard sell in October.
Hijacking my picture and defaming me and Migrant Tales on the Internet
I was pretty surprised Thursday that a blogger from a forum called Ylilauta had hijacked my Facebook picture and started defaming me and our blog, Migrant Tales. I got in touch with the administrator of the site, who took the offensive content off the site the following day. Fortunately I took a snapshot of what was written.
Why are Finland's politicians still so silent?
Have you heard anything from any government official or even a politician being outraged by what happened in Oulu and Perussuomalaiset (PS) councilman Tommi Rautio’s infamous suggestion that the killer of a cold-blooded death should be decorated? It took thirteen days for Rautio to get sacked from the PS. Silence, everywhere, again.
Why are Finland’s politicians still so silent?
Have you heard anything from any government official or even a politician being outraged by what happened in Oulu and Perussuomalaiset (PS) councilman Tommi Rautio’s infamous suggestion that the killer of a cold-blooded death should be decorated? It took thirteen days for Rautio to get sacked from the PS. Silence, everywhere, again.
Three anti-immigration PS MPs will pay Hirvisaari's fine for hate speech
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.
Three anti-immigration PS MPs will pay Hirvisaari’s fine for hate speech
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.
Timo Soini's little PS fish and big PS fishes
The PS councilman Tommi Rautio scandal, where he stated on Facebook that he’d decorate the Finn who killed a Moroccan native in cold blood at a pizzeria Oulu, is turning into a messy Breivik-type watershed for the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The concern raised by PS chairman Timo Soini, and how the Rautio scandal has already impacted the party’s popularity internally and externally, is clear in its new non-convincing get-tough stance on racism.
Facebook PS killer "medal" scandal: Shame on Timo Soini and the police
Thanks to exemplary action of some Finns, who are shocked by the tolerance for racism, is what led to the downfall of Perussuomalaiset (PS) city councilman Tommi Rautio. If blogger Ossi Mäntylahti would not have pasted on his Facebook pages what Rautio had said, the PS politician wouldn’t have dug his own political grave.
Uusi Suomi blog: Aina hyväntuulinen Ismael, joka kuoli
Ismael kuoli lauantaina. Kuolinsyy: luoti päähän. Ismael oli ujo 21-vuotias, aina hymyilevä ravintolatyöntekijä, jonka harrastuksiin kuului pelata perjantaisin jalkapalloa.
Why write about a Somali immigrant who died in Oulu, Finland?
One of the matters that has surprised me most after Migrant Tales scooped more information about the tragic death of a Somali national in Oulu Monday is total disrespect for the victim. Finland and the Nordic region have not been the same after the April election and when Anders Breivik went on the rampage in Norway in July killing 77 victims.
Finland & Cultural Diversity 2011
In many respects 2011 was a watershed year for Finland and Europe concerning the rise of anti-immigration parties and xenophobia. The biggest news to hit Finland this year was without a doubt the April 17 election, which saw the anti-immigration Perussuomalaiset (PS) party win 39 seats compared with only 5 in 2007. On July 22 Anders Breivik gunned down most of his 77 victims in Norway.
Fairy tale worlds with the help of hate speech in Finland and elsewhere
The recent anti-immigration killings in Norway at the hands of Anders Breivik and this week in Italy by Gianluca Casseri show how xenophobic fairy tales can turn a person into a killer. As populist and far-right parties in Europe continue to throw petrol at the flames of their hate speech, it is only a question of time when new Breiviks and Casseris will appear on the scene.
Finland’s ignorance of racism and fascism
One of the political dramas that Finland is suffering today is that it does not know what racism and fascism is. The Finnish media up to the April 17 election not only lost its teeth and forgot the important role it plays in defending our civil rights it helped the right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset (PS).
PS MP Hirvisaari gets convicted for hate speech
Perussuomaliset (PS) MP James Hirvisaari was convicted Monday by a Kouvola court for incitement against an ethnic group, according to Helsingin Sanomat in English. He got off the hook last year in November when a court in Päijät-Häme acquitted him of the same crime. Hirvisaari says that he will appeal the latest decision in a higher court.
guardian.co.uk: Italian girl’s rape claim sparks arson attack on Gypsy camp
A 16-year-old Italian girl whose claim that she was raped by Gypsies prompted a furious mob to launch an arson attack on a Turin Roma camp has admitted to police that she invented her story.
The PS is the PS of Finland no matter how you slice it
Perussuomaliaset (PS) party head Timo Soini reitereated plans on MTV3 to establish a new party that would be politically center-right. He said that in five years the PS would be a similar populist party like the Progress Party (FrP) of Norway and Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ). Both of these parties are anti-EU, anti-immigration and especially anti-Muslim.
When racism attacks its eager keeper in Finland
Racism is a serious social ill that festers in all societies. Some parties, like the Persussuomalaiset (PS), appear to be dazzled by the political opportunities it offers in the way of votes and public attention. What they forget, however, is that racism has no master and can attack its supposed keepers.
A-studio 7.11.2011 TV1 klo 21:00: Onko perussuomalaisilla yhteyksiä äärijärjestöihin?
It would be interesting to have a debate on Migrant Tales after the A-studio report today at 9pm that asks if the PS has connections to far right groups.
Timo Soini: “The PS do not hate anybody – not anybody”
Do you agree and can Perussuomalaiset (PS) party head Timo Soini claim that his party does not “hate” anyone? I wonder if Soini, who made such a claim on Saturday when he was chosen to be the PS’ presidential candidate, ever heard of Freddy van Wonterghem, James Hirvisaari, Olli Immonen, Teuvo Harkkarainen, Juho Eerola, Reijo Tossavainen never mind Jussi Halla-aho and others.
Why the PS are a threat to immigrants and Finland
Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP Olli Immonen, a member of Suomen Sisu and well-known for his anti-immigration views, wants to do away with the Ombudsman for Minorities office, according to Oulu-based daily Kaleva. Apart from slashing the budget by 50%, Immonen plans to draft a law that will make the Ombudsman for Minorities redundant.
The language of “keeping Finland white”
The ongoing debate on the role of immigrants in Finnish society boils down to one big issue for the right-wing populists: How to keep Finland white and curtail non-European immigration. The view, that Finland must remain white, is as racist as a white man’s claim in the United States during the Civil Rights era that blacks don’t have a place in society.
Finland’s belated response to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989
Finland lags behind Europe in some areas. Good examples are immigration and reaction to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Is the growth of right-wing populism in Finland today only a belated response to the demise of the former Soviet Union in 1991 and Berlin Wall?
ESS: Hirvisaari lakkauttaisi Ylen
Perussuomalaisten kansanedustaja James Hirvisaari leimaa Yleisradion täysin ylimitoitetuksi ja kohtuuttomasti rahaa kuluttavaksi muinaisjäänteeksi, jolla nykymuodossaan ei ole olemassaolon oikeutusta. Hirvisaari vastasi sähköpostilla Etelä-Suomen Sanomien kysymykseen Yleisradion tulevasta rahoitusmallista. Hän ei suostu puhelinhaastatteluihin.
Le Monde Diplomatique: Lessons from Norway
What do the tragic events in Utoya and Oslo tell us about the status of far-right, anti-immigrant or Islamophobic politics in Norway, Scandinavia and the rest of Europe? Commentators and “security experts” — many of whom were initially convinced of the Islamic nature of the attacks — have spent the past month speculating.
PS’ far right threatens our society and values
The sooner we comprehend as a society that the far-right wing of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party led by MP Jussi Halla-aho and his cronies are a threat to our Nordic way of life the better. There are already clear signs that this group of MPs in the PS has not only become a thorn in Timo Soini’s side but is being shunned by other political parties and the public.
NCB confirms arrest of two suspects in Finland for supporting terrorism
TheNational Bureau of Investigation (NCB) have confirmed to have arrested two people suspected of supporting terrorism abroad, reports MTV3. The two suspects are speculated by evening tabloid Ilta-Sanomat to be Somalians with Finnish citzenship although this was not confiirmed at a press conference Saturday by the NCB.
Elections in Nordic Region send clear message to Finland’s PS
Anti-immigration populist parties in Norway and Denmark have suffered defeats in recent elections after mass-killer Anders Breivik went on the rampage on July 22. Both blows came this month. The first one was in the Norwegian municipal election, where the Progress Party (FrP) saw its support plunge by 6.1 percentage points to 11.5%. The second one happened Thursday in Denmark.
HS.fi: Soini sai puolustella omiaan Pietarissakin
Perussuomalaiset ja Timo Soini kiinnostivat pietarilaistoimittajia tiistaina enemmän kuin kaupungissa vieraileva eduskunnan ulkoasiainvaliokunta. Venäläistoimittajat tenttasivat valiokunnan puheenjohtajaa Soinia etenkin perussuomalaisten viileästä suhtautumisesta Euroopan unioniin ja maahanmuuttoon, mukaan lukien venäläisiin.
Der Spiegel International: Right-Wing Populists Face Test in Denmark
Just two months after the politically inspired massacre in Norway, a right-wing populist party, one of Europe’s most influential, will face a test of voter sentiment at the ballot box. The Danish People’s Party has been instrumental in tightening at least 20 laws pertaining to immigration and migration.
Spiegel Online International: How 9/11 Triggered America’s Decline
The events of Sept. 11, 2001 led to a wave of solidarity with the US. But the superpower has lost that goodwill over the course of the wars it subsequently waged. Now America is mainly seen not as the victim of terrorism, but as a perpetrator of violence itself.
Finnish hate blogs’ toilet graffiti attack (or toilet democracy)
It is a positive sign that more politicians and organizations like the Council for Mass Media (JSN) are finally taking a strong stance against hate speech and racism that is rife on the net. These types of opinions, usually done anonymously and on sites like Hommaforum, Scripta and others, resemble racist peeping Toms writing graffiti on public toilet walls.
Ten steps to tame the beast of racism and prejudice in Finland
Like alcoholism, racism is a social ill that exists but is rarely recognized as a problem. In countries like Finland we are still debating whether racism and prejudice is a problem or not. How much must racism grow for us to accept it as a serious problem that threatens our present Nordic way of life?
The New York Review of Books: Toleration and the Future of Europe
In Anders Breivik’s manifesto, the ostensibly Christian defeat of the Ottoman armies at Vienna in 1683 is the central historical event. He imagines a European rebirth in 2083, four hundred years later, and names the Polish king Jan Sobieski, whose troops were crucial to raising the Ottoman siege, as one of his heroes: “John III Sobieski and the Holy League successfully defended Europe against an army of more than 150,000 Muslims.” Breivik thinks Europe today is again under siege from Muslims, and that Europeans must resort to “atrocious, but necessary” violence to defend it. It is unsurprising that what Breivik has to say about European history is trivial. The plagiarism of his manifesto recalls Hannah Arendt’s point that those who do great evil may themselves be incapable of cultural creation. The superficiality of his worldview recalls her notion that the greatest of evils has no roots, and therefore has no bounds. But since the reference to Vienna has largely passed without criticism, it is worth recalling for a moment what actually happened in 1683.
Living in post-22/7 Europe: “Fjordman” bows out
As Migrant Tales correctly predicted shortly after the mass killings in Norway, the impact on the sabre-rattling European chorus warning us of the danger of Islam is now on the defensive and on the run. “Fjordman,” Anders Behring Breivik’s mentor, said he would go underground for his own safety and never publish again with the infamous pseudonym, according to tabloid Ilta-Sanomat.
Ilta-Sanomat: Kansanedustaja: Tiedossa sisällissotia ja terrori-iskuja
Perussuomalaisten kansanedustaja Olli Immonen uskoo monikultturisen kehityksen Euroopassa johtavan tulevaisuudessa väkivaltaan.
Europe’s and Finland’s radical right: toning down diatribe rhetoric
We are seeing today how the impact of the killings in Norway have placed the far right and right-wing populist parties under greater scrutiny. If these parties are now forced to tone down their anti-immigration message that fueled their rise, will greater scrutiny dull their message and weaken them in the end?
Chicago Tribune: Muhammad Ali writes letter to people of Norway
Muhammad Ali has expressed his sadness about the bombing and massacre in Norway.
YLE: Parties consider Halla-aho’s position
Jussi Halla-aho, a critic of immigration and multiculturalism, is facing pressure to stand down as chair of parliament’s Administration committee in the wake of the Norwegian terror attacks. The Administration Committee deals with matters that include immigration policy and gun legislation.
Waging a war of “total words” in Finland and Europe
The Age of Chivalry died in the 2008 municipal election in Finland with the advent of “total words.” The ongoing war of words bring near memories of the former German concept of “total war,” which meant attacking undefended shipping, helpless civilians and breaking all the rules of wars prior to WW I.
tygodnik.onet.pl: Psychopaci są wśród nas
Ku oburzeniu dobrych chrześcijan policja poinformowała, że Breivik jest „chrześcijańskim fundamentalistą”. Trzeba się pogodzić i z tym, że „chrześcijański fundamentalizm” istnieje, że jest równie, a może bardziej groźny aniżeli fundamentalizmy laickie.
Ilta-Sanomat: SDP tahtoo Halla-ahon eroa
Sdp aikoo kyseenalaistaa perussuomalaisten kansanedustaja Jussi Halla-Ahon aseman eduskunnan hallintovaliokunnan puheenjohtajana. Asiasta kertoo Ilta-Sanomat.
Living in post 22/7 for Finland’s PS: Better late than never?
It is clear that matters are no longer the same for the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party after the horrific events that shook Norway and the world on July 22. Migrant Tales predicted a couple of days after the mass killings that they would cast a critical light on far right and right-wing populist parties like the PS, which have been riding the crest of the popularity wave thanks to their anti-immigrant and anti-Islam rhetoric.
HS.fi: Hirvittävä teko, mutta . . .
Perussuomalaisten kansanedustaja James Hirvisaari löytää syitä Norjan verilöylyyn ja tappaja Anders Breivikin toimintaan. Hirvisaari kirjoittaa ajatuksistaan Uuden Suomen Puheenvuoro-palstalla 24. 7. aloittamassaan keskustelussa.
Challenging Counterjihad and its racism in Finland
In order to challenge a social ill like racism we must be committed to challenging it. It is sad that it had to come to this, but the tragic events in Norway have given us the strength and resolve to grab racism in Finland by the horn. It is as if those 76 victims that died at the hands of Anders Behring Breivik are asking us to act for them.
The PS Counter-Jihadists are Soini’s biggest threat
For those who still believe that the mass killings in Norway will not impact parties like the Perussuomalaiset (PS) and hate websites in this country should think twice. Migrant Tales was right: there is already clear evidence that living in a post-22/7 Europe has torn a hole in the argument of the anti-immigrant populists and extremists in Finland.
YLE: Soini: Suomen poliitikot käyttävät hyväkseen Norjan tragediaa
Ylen Päivän kasvo -ohjelmassa vieraillut perussuomalaisten puheenjohtaja Timo Soini sanoo, että Suomen poliitikot ovat käyttäneet hyväkseen Norjan murhenäytelmää yhdistämällä kaikki perussuomalaiset äärimielipiteisiin ja vihapuheeseen. Soini haluaa tehdä selväksi, että hän ei hyväksy väkivaltaa, ja katsoo, että viha on tuhoava voima.
Living in post-22/7 Europe: The tide has turned
One of the biggest blows to the far right and right-wing populist parties in Europe and the Nordic Region after the horrific events in Norway has been to seriously question their raison d’être: their provocative anti-immigration and especially anti-Islam discourse.
HS.fi: Tutkija: Äärioikeistolla jopa kymmeniätuhansia kannattajia Suomessa
Äärioikeiston kannattajien määrää Suomessa on hyvin hankalaa arvioida. Rasismintutkija Vesa Puuronen Itä-Suomen yliopiston sanoo, että nettifoorumeille kirjoittavien aktiivien ydinjoukkoon lukeutunee ennemmin satoja kuin tuhansia suomalaisia. Jos puhutaan vain äärioikeistolaisen ideologian kannattajista, pääluku voi nousta tuhansiin tai kymmeniintuhansiin.
Spiegel Online International: European Right Under Pressure in Wake of Attacks
Europe’s right-wing populists are not used to being on the defensive. But the perpetrator of last Friday’s horrific attacks in Norway was steeped in their anti-immigration, Muslim-skeptical ideology. They now find themselves in an uncomfortable position.
guardian.co.uk: The news coverage of the Norway mass-killings was fact-free conjecture
I went to bed in a terrible world and awoke inside a worse one. At the time of writing, details of the Norwegian atrocity are still emerging, although the identity of the perpetrator has now been confirmed and his motivation seems increasingly clear: a far-right anti-Muslim extremist who despised the ruling party.
Living in post-22/7 Europe
It is ironic that those right-wing populist and far-right parties that have gone out of their way to warn us about the threat of multiculturalism and religions like Islam have become the threat and Trojan Horses in our societies. In one horrific blow, Anders Behring Breivik did not only strike at Norway’s liberal democracy, but tore a hole in the argument of the anti-immigrant populists and fanatics.
HS.fi: Hommaforum suljettiin Norja-keskustelun takia
Maahanmuuttokriittinen keskustelupalsta Hommaforum suljettiin sunnuntaina. Sulkemisen syynä oli Norjan terrori-iskuista käyty kiivas keskustelu. Hommaforum aukeaa sunnuntai-iltana kymmeneltä.
Norway is a watershed for Finland and the Nordic region
The horrific carneage that took place in Norway on Friday at the hands of a far-right extremist is an watershed for our societies. Even if the mass killer, Anders Behring Breivik, is in police custody his outlandish deeds continue to provoke us.
Norway’s tragedy appears to be homegrown
We are all saddened by the loss of life and tragedy that ripped open a terrible scar in Norway after a car bomb exploded in the capital and a man started to shoot at random some 80 innocent victims, according to media reports. The policehave acted swiftly, who have named the suspect of the killings as Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian conservative, according to politicons.com.
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