Since the 2011 parliamentary elections, which saw the Islamophobic Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party win 39 starts from 5 seats previously, it has systematically tarred and feathered migrants, especially Muslims, people of color, and specific minorities.
Should you be surprised that all PS MPs elected in 2019 based their campaign on an anti-immigration message.
The PS demands that Finland should strive for zero asylum seekers (code for Muslims). Those that remain in Finland must endure the constant racism, labeling, and bombardment of their group.
PS MP Minna Reijonen epitomizes this toxicity in a question to the government during a session of parliament.
MP Reijonen parrots the PS’ populist and racist stance of migrants and minorities, planting the seeds of future social strife.
She states with a shameless poker face:
“It’s quite shocking to hear what uncontrolled migration can cause, that even terrorists can come to Finland. If it’s real that terrorists can come here, we should be really concerned about this. What do you [the government] plan to do, the Perussuomalaiset are truly concerned; they try to give the impression that the Perussuomalaiset are cold, are inhumane, but it’s not this way at all. We put the Finns ahead of everybody else. In Finland, we have poor people in need of well-being. It is very important; we have to be concenred. I wonder if terrorists can come to Finland, how do you [the government] plan to prevent this?”
Reijonen’s question to the government is a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s like Malcolm X’s famous quote:
“If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”
The PS MP’s question is not a recipe for inclusion and ethnic understanding but to exclusion and ethnic strife.
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