Nato-huuma meinaa taas Suomessa ryöpsähtää yli. Ulkoministeri Haavisto meni tokaisemaan, että me kyllä kohta mennään Natoon ilman Ruotsia. Tavallisesti harkitseva ja diplomatiankin taitava ministerimme lienee jälleen puun ja kuoren välissä, kun olisi tyydytettävä klikkiotsikkoja kaipaavien toimittajien tarpeet, rähisevän äärioikeiston ja natokiimaisen, sotaa pelkäävän kansanosan tarpeet ja oman hallituksenkin toiveet. Juuri tässä tilanteessa pitäisi maltti kuitenkin
Read on »Migrant Tales
Alleged dereliction and abuse of duty by Avarn Security guards
THE STORY WAS UPDATED Migrant Tales has written several stories about how security guards on local trains in Helsinki and the Greater Helsinki Area have suffered brought treatment by security guards. The Eastern Uusimaa Police Department announced Monday in a statement investigating assault cases in which at least six employees of Avarn Security are suspected
Read on »Twitter (Ville Tavio): Welcome back!
The far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* is the most Trumpian party in Finland’s parliament. Its parliamentary group leader Ville Tavio, who has spoken highly in the past of similar far-right politicians like France’s Marine Le Pen of France, is happy that former President Donald Trump is back on Twitter. Twitter banned Trump after he incited an insurrection
Read on »Twitter (Migrant Tales): “Kaikki ulkomaalaistaustaiset nuoret katujengissä ovat rikollisia”
Näin se menee…
Read on »Kanta-Häme court that dropped charges in hijab case against the police will be appealed, according to prosecutor
A Kanta-Häme district court that dropped charges against seven police officials and security guards for forcibly removing in 2017 two Muslim women’s hijabs will not be treated by the court in what remains of the year but in 2023, according to prosecutor Heidi Savurinne. The case is significant from the view of religious freedom and
Read on »The Nordic region’s slippery Islamophobic slope
The Nordic saw a predictable political earthquake on September 11, when the right-wing bloc led by the far-right Sweden Democrats nudged the right-wing bloc to victory. The election brought Sweden in line with its other Nordic neighbors: all four now have or had large far-right anti-immigration parties. Of the four countries, the entrenchment of the
Read on »Fan or hate mail to Migrant Tales
Whenever I get fan or hate mail, I wonder why they never sign them with their names. I normally don’t publish hate mail but this will be an exception. The one below is by KKK Molly, at least it is what’s on her email address. I wonder what “KKK” stand for? Ku Klux Klan, maybe?
Read on »Tariq: Is there justice in Finland? (Part 2)
This is Part 2 of Tariq’s* ordeal in Finland. Go here to read Part 1. “This is my case: I have been living in Finland for eleven years. I moved here to be with my wife, and upon arriving, I started to work and study at the same time. After three years in the country,
Read on »Tariq: Is there justice in Finland? (Part 1)
Tariq* has lived in Finland for over eleven years. If there is a person who has run into complications with the police, Migri (Finnish Immigration Service), and due process, he is one of them. According to Tariq, his citizenship process has been arbitrarily delayed due to a police fine that was canceled. “In March last
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: Francis Fukuyama on Putin and Europe’s far right
In an interview with the Washington Post, political scientist Francis Fukuyama, who authored The End of History and the Last Man (1992), gives his views on the Ukraine War and what it may imply for Russia and Vladimir Putin. He argues that the rise of far-right parties in Europe and Donald Trump in the United States
Read on »Sweden’s election is now a nail-biter
“The figures show the Moderates, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals winning 175 seats in the 349-seat parliament against 174 for the center-left,” Reuters reports. The final results are expected by Wednesday.
Read on »Twitter (@persut): No Afghan migrants to Finland
The Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party hates migrants from Muslim countries. It hates these people so much that it rarely utters the word “Muslim” and “African.” PS tweet below states: Do we want to help – or do we want more migrants? The best way to help them is in neighboring [countries]. One Afghan to Finland costs
Read on »Facebook (Leif Hagert): Harassing a minority of a small Finnish town
In the world’s happiest country, the ugly face of racism can show itself. This post by a young woman called Laura Elisabeth of the Romany minority is shameful and should never happen in our country. I hope the perpetrators get caught and feel the full weight of the law fall on them. “I have already
Read on »KOTOUTUMINEN #17: Cultural sensitivity deniers and silent support for institutional racism
Silence can be very revealing. It’s not what you say but what you do not say. Your inaction and silence in the face of racism, specifically against institutional racism, speaks volumes. This fact is one of the biggest challenges to Finland during this century. The outspoken racist is a danger, but the worst threat is
Read on »The tightening of the Border Guard Act is an example of Finland’s disdain for human rights
EU Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović expressed concern about the human rights of asylum seekers after parliament amended Section 16 of the Border Guard Act. The amendment allows Finland, in emergency cases, to close the border and severely restrict the rights of asylum seekers to seek refuge. I still don’t understand how Finland can close all the border
Read on »Twitter (Jani Mäkelä): Selling Finland down the river to Trump-backing politicians
US Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri announced that he would vote against Finland’s and Sweden’s membership in Nato. Finnish Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Jani Mäkelä pleaded with him to change his mind. Good luck. The January 6 hearing last week made a horse’s ass of Hawley, one of former President Donal Trump’s avid followers who believes
Read on »How the Finnish media looks the other way
Hungary’s strongman denounced in a speech Saturday “mixed race” nations. While there was outrage in Europe about his racist comment, there was silence from some political circles like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, which are Orbán’s admirers. He said in Romania over the weekend that migration had split Europe and that Europeans who mix with non-Europeans “are
Read on »Is there racism in Finland?
Although I have published several posts about racism in Finland, two of them published in 2008 and 2014 are still valid. After living over 40 years in Finland and having a Finnish mother, racism is a problem that not only hinders the country from finding its potential but retards and stunts careers. Some of us
Read on »Exposing white Finnish privilege #88: A Facebook page that asks white people if they look like a Finn?
Thanks to a Facebook page and a story in Helsingin Sanomat, I became on Monday, a member of a group called “Do I look Finnish?” Nothing wrong with that, but if the page attempts to reinforce stereotypes about Finns, then something is rotten in Denmark. Understanding how far-right groups like the Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, Suomen Sisu,
Read on »Europe is just as stuck as the US in its racism
The rise of hostile populism and white supremacy politics in the US and Europe is no coincidence. But a reminder of how little historical psychoanalysis we have done to overcome our bigotry, racism, and hostility towards people who are different from us. While some may disregard these facts as something minor or untrue, they will
Read on »Police open new investigation of National Coalition Party MP Wille Rydman
After an initial police investigation into alleged sexual harassment by National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) MP Wille Rydman, the National Bureau of Investigation (Keskusrikospoliisi) announced that it had opened a preliminary investigation into the MP’s activities. Rydman is a staunch anti-Muslim who is unofficially Kokoomus’ Jussi Halla-aho. Halla-aho is the former chairperson of the far-right Perussuomalaiset
Read on »The United States gets a taste of its bad karma
With all the noise going on in the United States due to the Jan. 6 Committee hearings, which have shown how former President Donald Trump attempted to stay in power with the help of a coup, one wonders if all that is happening is bad karma. No matter how much exceptionalism people in the United
Read on »Migrant Tales Literary: Hollywood Blvd 1978
Hollywood Boulevard is a place where you could eat 44 years ago breakfast for 99 cents.
Read on »Cold war journalism in Finland: Ghostbusting the past (City in English 3/1990)
Migrant Tales will launch stories about how the cold war, or Finlandization, encouraged self-censorship and censorship. My journalism career began in 1986, when I made a living from writing. As a journalist writing for the Finnish and foreign media, the foreign ministry warned me several times about questioning Finland’s foreign policy and human rights violations
Read on »Exposing white privilege in Finland #87: Social segregation is not white Finland’s fault
The recent article and editorial in Helsingin Sanomat about social segregation in Finland is a good example of how white privilege deals with growing social segregation. Finland’s largest daily, Helsingin Sanomat, published an editorial Thursday about how social segregation is growing in Finland. That follows a story about how some schools in Espoo have more
Read on »Homogeeninen kansallisvaltio? Ei kiitos!
Olimme yllättyneet Perussuomalaisten (Ps) nuorison kolmannen varapuheenjohtajan Lauri Laitisen kirjoituksesta,* joilla hän puolusti kansallisvaltiota ja sen etnistä ja kielelistä homogeenisuutta. Myös yllätyimme miksi Helsingin Sanomat julkaisi kirjoituksen jossa on niin paljon epäasiallisuus. Voisinko minä julkaista esim. kirjoituksen jossa vaadin naisten paluuta hellan ääreen? Tällaiset ajatukset eivät ole mitään uutta. Natsi-Saksan sotarikollinen Alfred Rosenberg, joka tuomittiin
Read on »Migrant Tales celebrates 15th anniversary
Migrant Tales celebrates its 15 anniversary today. You can read our flipbook here or the PDF file. What have all these years taught me? That not a single day in the struggle for social justice has been in vain. Media inquiries: 040 8400773 Thank you for your support.
Read on »Minority voices in the anti-racism debate
Considering that discrimination in the labor market is well-documented in numerous studies, it is surprising how little is still being done to challenge this problem and how migrant and minority voices are excluded from the debate. True, some stories quote migrants, but they are usually the victims and not the experts with solutions. The lack
Read on »Join us! Migrant Tales turns 15 years!
Migrant Tales, the oldest anti-racism blog in Finland, will celebrate its 15th anniversary on May 30. We are planning to publish an online magazine to commemorate the event. Apart from a section with greetings from people and associations, we will publish poetry, pictures, drawings, essays from our activists and readers in Finland and abroad. You
Read on »Twitter (Ndéle Faye): Systematic racism in Finnish early childhood education
Ndéle Faye is a Finnish Senegalese writer and journalist.
Read on »A racist explanation by the chair of parliament’s foreign affairs committee of Finland why Ukrainian refugees are better than other ones
Despite all the objections to racism and Islamophobia in Finland, the silence and sub-rosa nods why such social ills continue to take root in the country. The chair of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Jussi Halla-aho of the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, explained why Europe should open its arms to Ukrainians and shut the door on refugees
Read on »Nato membership knocking at the door
As the Finnish launches a process to consider the nation’s Nato membership, while the frightening news from the war in Ukraine floods the media, all of us living in the country need to stop and think how we got into this situation and where to turn now. Perhaps we also need to reflect why we
Read on »Tekophyhä
Kun muutamat opiskelijat kysyivät miksi ukrainalaisia saavat kaikki viisumi oleskella EU maissa ja toiset, mm. Lähi- idästä, eivät saaneet, kerroin heille sana, joka paljastaa hyvin asia:
Read on »Russian aggression against Ukraine threatens Finland and exposes hypocrisy
It finally happened. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of a sovereign country like Ukraine. Apart from former President Donald Trump, who admires Vladimir Putin like many of the far-right Republicans, in Europe, we have racists and populists who are rooting for Russian aggression openly and silently. Caught with their hypocrisy and political pants down, populist
Read on »Reija Härkönen: Bidee, biudeetti, bjödee
Reija Härkönen Presidentinvaalien alla v. 2012 RKP:n ehdokkaan nimen kirjoittaminen oli somen kielikriittisille lähes mahdoton tehtävä. Osa virheistä meni painovirheiden ja huolimattomuuden piikkiin – Biudet, Biadet. Sekään ei tietysti ollut kovin kohteliasta, kun puhutaan yhden poliittisen puolueen ja siis yhden kansanosan valitsemasta ehdokkaasta maan korkeimpaan virkaan – nimi pitäisi tietysti aina pyrkiä kirjoittamaan oikein. En oikein
Read on »Racism, sexism, homophobia, bullying, discrimination, and misogyny are a blow to Finnish police trust
London Mayor Sadiq Khan took a proactive approach to discrimination in the Metropolitan Police. We need the same in Finland to deal with a problematic issue in the Finnish police force. “Last week I made it clear to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner (Cressida Dick) the scale of the change I believe is urgently required to
Read on »Seinäjoki police wrapping up their suspected hate crime investigation. Charges are expected this month.
The Seinäjoki police, which had taken over a year and eight months to investigate a crime when Fares Al-Obaidi was attacked by over ten people from the Western Finnish town of Teuva, plans to bring charges this month, according to the victim. The incident happened on June 6, 2020 when over ten suspected townspeople from
Read on »Mayday! Mayday! The Perussuomalaiset are sinking
The recent poll on the regional elections shows eveals and exposes the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)*, who suffered a 3.3 percentage point fall, as a one-issue party. The regional elections, which will be held on Sunday, will transfer power from municipalities to regional councils, which will manage health care and emergency services. Sunday’s election appears to
Read on »Onko porvariston hillitty rasismi hyväksyttävää?
Reija Härkönen Timo Soini kirjoitti blogissaan 20.9.2015 otsikon ”Maahanmuuttolinja kiristyy huomattavasti” alle seuraavasti: ”Perussuomalaiset ovat jo vuosia varoittaneet sekä moraalittomasta europolitiikasta ja löperöstä maahanmuuttopolitiikasta Euroopassa, myös Suomessa. Minua, EU-politiikasta ja Jussi Halla-ahoa maahanmuuttopolitiikasta, on arvosteltu rajusti. Vääriksi väitteitämme ei ole todistettu”. Tuohon päivään mennessä perussuomalaisten rasistinen ja uusfasistinen henki oli jo moneen kertaan pulpahtanut pintaan,
Read on »Migrant Tales Literary: Finland does not accept asylum seekers any longer
By Leo Honka On ships, On foot, By bus, By plane, By car, By bike, With hope, Everyone conspires to leave where the floodlights comb the state of siege. Whoever writes about pain, in my country, is slain, tortured on the street left starving fed to your racism. Don’t sing me any lullabies! Don’t hand
Read on »European Islamophobia Report: Finland
The European Islamophobia Report 2020 was published on December 29. Below is the Finland chapter of the report. The editors for the report are Dr. Enes Bayrakli and Dr. Farid Hafez. While the government of Prime Minister Sanna Marin has tried to roll back some of the draconian immigration law measures of the previous government,
Read on »The European Islamophobia Report 2020 will be published on 29 December
Europe’s most comprehensive report on Islamophobia will be published on 29 December. “Considering the scant political, economic, and social power that Muslims enjoy, it’s clear that Islamophobia will not recede for the time being but will grow in Finland.“ European Islamophobia Report 2020
Read on »Migrant Tales Literary: Yaseen Ghaleb – Stigma
Yaseen Ghaleb, joka on tuttu Migrant Talesin blogissa, on julkaisut ensimmäisen runokokellma Euroopassa. Onnittelut ja paljon mennestysta meidän kaikkien puolesta! Jos kiinnostaa, voit ostaa Ghalebin runokirja tästä.
Read on »Bye-bye Inger Støjberg, something is not always rotten in Denmark
Former Danish immigration and integration minister, Inger Støjberg, was convicted to 60 days in prison for illegally separating asylum-seeking couples if the partner was under 18, reports Euronews. An uncompromising Islamophobic hardliner who served as minister during 2005-2019 was also responsible for passing a law that required asylum seekers to hand over valuables like jewelry
Read on »Some SAMK students of Kankaanpää feel that the school hasn’t given them enough support
After the police had detained five white Finnish terrorist suspects in the town of Kankaanpää, students at the fine arts campus of the Satakunta University of Applied Science (SAMK) were surprised to read from Iltalehti that one of the apparent targets of the terrorist suspects was the school. SAMK’s Kankaanpää campus has about 300 students.
Read on »Päivän sitaatti (Sakari Timonen): Ei enää erota
“Jotain on pahasti vialla, kun kokoomusta ei enää erota perussuomalaisista eikä iltapäivälehtia MV:stä. Tärkeintä näyttää olevan saada aikaan nettimölinää.” Lue alunperin sitaatti tästä.
Read on »A Russian asylum seeker’s escape to freedom from Russia and Finland
Migrant Tales insight: Ogneslav Shevchenko, 36, is a Russian national with Ukrainian parents seeking asylum in Europe. Once you get to know him a little, you notice that he has traveled for many years, searching for a country where he is free from persecution. His story is like others seeking asylum and traveling in the
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: How military spending screws us and the coronavirus pandemic
THIS STORY WAS UPDATED In light of the early warning signs and red lights flashing concerning the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), there is a moral to the pandemic that is wreaking havoc: military spending, investment in weapon technology, and building walls will not keep you secure. How does the quote below tweeted by Natalia del
Read on »Let 2020 bring success and happiness to our culturally and ethnically diverse Finland
And also, may people fleeing war, injustice and poverty find that place over the hill where they can build a better life. Give us strength as well to build a strong and vibrant culturally diverse Finland that lives in peace and reaps all the good things. Give us strength to beat racism and all forms
Read on »Two pictures, two situations, bought together by Déjà-vu
On the left SS chief Heinrich Himmler inspecting a prisoner or concentration camp in Russia around 1941; on the right US Vice President Mike Pence visiting a detention facility or concentration camp in Texas.
Read on »Before and after: Racist graffiti gets a just lesson in Eastern Helsinki
Migrant Tales got two pictures of racist graffiti in the Eastern Helsinki neighborhood of Kontula. The first one below was sent Saturday and the latest one above was sent Sunday evening.
Read on »Islamofobia Suomessa lähellä Luonan Vantaan vastaanottokeskusta
Kuva on lähetty 5.4. Viesti on kirjoitettu seinään lähellä Vantaan Luonan vastaanottokeskusta. Kiitoksia Wael Ch.
Read on »Facebook Soldiers of Odin: Asylum seeker and migrant hunting season have kicked off…
Far-right vigilante group Soldiers of Odin want to take the law in their hands by hunting pedophiles. After a bla-bla-bla Finnish macho rant, one of the vigilante members takes a club and starts threatening suspected “paedophiles,” which is a word used to mean asylum seekers. The masked vigilante warns in the video: “Pedophiles and raunchy
Read on »Toisen kirjeen suomalaisille suomalaiselta äidiltä miehensä säilönotosta ja mahdollisesta pakkopalautuksesta
Migrant Tales julkaisee toisen kirjeen suomalaiselta naiselta, joka synyttää pian irakilaismiehen ja hänen toisen lapsen. Ensimmäinen kirje julkaistiin toukokuun alussa. Suomessa, Maahanmuuttovirasto (Migri) katsoo ettei lapsi tarvitse isänsä ja siksi hänet voi pakkopaualttaa. Hyvä lukija, Lasteni isää on pidetty nyt säilössä 43 päivää. Tänä aikana hän on jäänyt niin paljosta paitsi, lapsemme oppii joka päivä uusia
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: Minority representation and trickle-down equality
“There are two lessons to learn from Mr. [Sajid] Javid’s appointment: The fight against an unjust immigration system [in the UK] does not change with a new home secretary, and if we remain satisfied with representation as the sole means of progress, diversity becomes a shield for a government’s institutionally racist policies.” “If we get more
Read on »Kirje suomalaisille suomalaiselta äidiltä miehensä säilönotosta ja mahdollisesta pakkopalautuksesta
Migrant Tales julkaisee kirje suomalaiselta naiselta, joka synyttää pian irakilaismiehen ja hänen toinen lapsi. Suomessa, Maahanmuuttovirasto (Migri) katsoo ettei lapsi tarvitse isänsä ja siksi hänet voi pakkopaualttaa.
Read on »Four questions about the Finnish chapter of The State of Islamophobia in Europe report
The State of Islamophobia in Europe report was published on Monday. Linda Hyökki, is the researcher who did the report on Finland. Migrant Tales asked her four questions about the report. Linda Hyökki* Migrant Tales (MT): What surprised you the most about doing the last report on Finland? Leena Hyökki: “There were no drastically surprising changes when
Read on »QUOTE OF THE DAY: “The mood is so bad, so unhealthy, that there is no way to talk rationally,” according to Emma Bonino
“Sooner or later, we will recognize that we need them [immigrants],” says former Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino. “For the moment the political mood is so bad, so unhealthy, that there is no way to talk rationally.”
Read on »A letter from a Palestinian asylum seeker who fears his family will be deported from Finland
I am Fadi,* a Palestinian refugee born in Lebanon at Ain Alhliwa refugee camp. The camp itself is a big prison, just like Gaza.
Read on »Two deportations, one Afghan, one Iraqi
Migrant Tales got two messages Wednesday night from two asylum seekers. One told about an Afghan asylum seeker at the Espoo asylum reception center run by Luona, and the other was of an Iraqi national at the Suonsaari asylum reception center in Mikkeli. Both were detained by the police and are awaiting deportation.
Read on »Stop Killing Rohingya demonstration to take place on Friday (Sept. 15) in Turku (Yliopistokatu 21) at 4pm-5:30pm
Abdel Bettahar, one of the organizers of the Stop Killing Rohingya demonstration this Friday in Turku (Yliopistokatu 25) says that protest aims to help people understanding of the persecution of the Muslim Rohingya minority in Myanmar. “We are apolitical and our only aim is that people would understand the persecution that the Rohingya are suffering
Read on »Eettinen yritys toimii vastuullisesti
Kerroin aiemmin, että moneen suomalaiseen kotiin on tullut Juha Kärkkäisen oman kaupan ilmaisjakelumainoslehti KauppaSuomi. Kerroin myös, että lehdessä ei ole ainoastaan tuotteiden mainontaa, vaan mainosten seassa on artikkeleita, joissa muun muassa syytetään juutalaisia Suomen ”ongelmista”. Myös Iltalehdessä on kirjoitus aiheesta. Iltalehdessä väitetään, että KauppaSuomi artikkelin kirjoittaja Arvi Pihkala on uusnatsien ”johtaja” Juuso Tahvanainen. Kerroin myös,
Read on »A message from a 13-year-old asylum seeker girl that will be deported: “Good night”
The ordeal of the Iraqi family of nine that is expects to be deported possibly Wednesday hasn’t ended but there is hope despite everything. One of the children of the family, who is 13, sends a message below from the immigration removal center at Joutseno: “Good night.” The youngest member of the family is 1.5
Read on »w2eu.info: How to stop a deportation
Deportations appear to be on the rise these days. Politically they help give bigoted and racist politicians clout among voters. President Donald Trump has a plan to deport millions of undocumented migrants from the United States and Europe is following the same path.
Read on »UPDATED May 10: Asylum seekers that are detained by the police service and face deportation from Finland
We are concerned about the ever-oppressive immigration policy of Finland towards asylum seekers who are undocumented. We believe that the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) and the police service plan to deport many Iraqis and other refugees this year who have two rejections for asylum.
Read on »ترجمة لمقابلة صحفية تمت بين الصحفي و ناشط حقوق الانسان انريكي تسسييري مع السفير العراقي في هلسنكي الدكتور مثيل مضيف مجيد السبتي.
لحوار كان ساعة واحدة يدور حول مدى قبول الحكومة العراقية لطالبي اللجوء الذين تود الحكومة الفنلندي ترحيلهم قسريا للعراق.حيث قال انه العراق لم يعطي الصلاحية او الضوء الاخضر لاي رحلات طيران تحمل عراقيين مرحلين قسريا الى العراق لانه لا يوجد هنالك اي اتفاقية او مذكرة موقعة بين الجانبين لاي شكل من اشكال الترحيل القسري للاشخاص
Read on »A small far-right Suomi ensin! demonstration again and the media cherishes a story
Suomi ensin! (Finland first!) is a far-right group that goes to different places in Finland to stir up anti-immigration sentiment and hatred for migrants. Even if their demonstrations attract few people, they get a lot of attention in the national media. On Saturday afternoon their demonstration attracted 300* people to the eastern Helsinki neighborhood of
Read on »How a well-managed asylum reception center should be run
We have written a lot about poorly managed reception centers in Finland since January. We, therefore, thought it would be a good opportunity to pull together our expertise and offer some best practices on how a well-managed reception center is run.
Read on »Iraqi asylum seeker in Finland: A journey that began in a tormented land
Migrant Tales is very happy to receive mail from readers. Below is a story about an Iraqi asylum seeker that lives in Finland. These types of stories are important because, contrary to the media, offers a human face to asylum seekers.
Read on »Culture is everything learned and privilege is your social passport to a group
If culture is anything learned, then privilege is your social passport to a certain group. Some of the things written on your social passport as you cross boundaries of privilege are ethnicity, language and your own view of “where you belong.” Check out some quotes on what is privilege. Even if culture is everything learned,
Read on »(Migrant Tales November 6, 2011) Kansan Uutiset: Ihmisoikeudet ohjaamaan maahanmuuttojournalismi
Migrant Tales insight: Helsingin Sanomat editor Riikka Venäläinen was quoted this week on Etelä-Suomen Sanomat as saying that the Finland’s largest daily commits mistakes when covering immigration issues. One got the impression that even if Helsingin Sanomat is striving to report more fairly and comprehensively the issue, Venäläinen made it sound as if it was
Read on »Pitajänuutiset: “Etstimme turvaa Suomesta”
Pertunmaan pakolaisnuoret huolissaan kiristyneestä turvapaikkapolitiikasta.
Read on »ENAR: Lehdistötiedote Afrofobiasta Suomessa
Fact Sheet Briefing – Afrophobia in Finland
When racism in Finland becomes “normal”
Migrant Tales insight: As the politicians and media in Finland turn their backs on the ever-increasing racism in this country, there are a few brave people who don’t remain silent. A brave young woman in Lahti preferred not to remain silent at a bar as two black men were being harassed at a bar in
Read on »A note to asylum seekers coming here: Welcome to Finland!
Dear prospective Asylum Seeker, We want to welcome you to Finland! The Finnish foreign ministry and the government have launched a controversial social media campaign to deter refugees. The aim of the campaign is to tighten conditions for refugees in order to stem the influx of people seeking asylum in Finland. The reason is simple:
Read on »Facebook: Racism and the horse’s ass
Christian Thibault, an anti-racism activist, asks a good question: Will those that have a racist political agenda look like a horse’s ass in the future? Excellent question. This Facebook posting was reprinted by Migrant Tales with permission.
Read on »Facebook: These are OUR elections!
And we get another message today from a reader… If you have other accounts about post-election Finland and how racists are on the rampage please post them on www.facebook.com/likemigrant or [email protected] Thank you!
Read on »Minister Carl Haglund: Sports is an underused yet vital tool for migrant inclusion
A group of 60 experts and others interested in the field of sports and social issues agreed with Minister of Sports Carl Haglund, who stated that sports is an underused tool for social participation and action.
Read on »Camilla Edström Ödemark’s White Voids art exhibition to open in Helsinki on April 2
Migrant Tales will publish a feature on Camilla Edström Ödemark’s and her White Voids art exhibition which will open on April 2 at the Third Space Gallery, Tarkk’ampujankatu 18, Helsinki. Camilla writes: In order to suppress you need to mask yourself as a true underdog. It must be your rights that are threatened, your words
Read on »What kind of a year was 2014 for our ever-growing culturally diverse society?
For Finland’s ever-growing culturally and ethnically diverse community, 2014 will be remembered for many good and bad things. At the top of the good things, there’s the Olen suomalainen video but the list of toxic news far outweighs the latter like Tom Packalén’s “racist youth mobs with migrant backgrounds” and Pia Kauma’s “baby carriages.” Migrant Tales
Read on »Jussi Halla-aho: “Do not tolerate the intolerant one”
Migrant Tales insight: We get a lot of email and tip-offs from our readers. The latest one we got is of three blog entry translations in English of Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MEP Jussi Halla-aho, who was convicted for ethnic agitation. This last one, Do not tolerate the intolerant one, was published in Scripta on December 20, 2007. Apart
Read on »Jussi Halla-aho: France the football giant
Migrant Tales insight: We get a lot of email and tip-offs from our readers. The latest one we got is of three blog entry translations in English of Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MEP Jussi Halla-aho, who was convicted for ethnic agitation. This second one, France the football giant, was published in Scripta on July 2, 2006. Apart from understanding
Read on »Jussi Halla-aho: Of human value
Migrant Tales insight: We get a lot of email and tip-offs from our readers. The latest one we got is of three blog entry translations in English of Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MEP Jussi Halla-aho, who was convicted for ethnic agitation. This first one, Of human value, was published in Scripta on April 13, 2005. Apart from
Read on »Migrant Tales turns 7 years today
I’m very proud of the work that Migrant Tales has done to be a voice of those whose views and situation are understood poorly and heard faintly by the media, politicians and public. We strongly believe that words can move mountains and taking into account the intolerance and xenophobia that has lifted its head in Finland
Read on »You, Migrant Tales and 2014
The Migrant Tales team wants to take the opportunity to thank all of our readers and supporters. This beautiful drawing was by Luis Blanchard in Argentina. We look forward to another good year in our struggle to promote in Finland a culturally diverse society that is united by mutual acceptance, respect and equal opportunities. Migrant
Read on »Migrant Tales’ Christmas wish list
Today, on Christmas Day, Migrant Tales wishes the following: A Finland with no racism A Finland where intolerance is shameful A Finland with no hate A Finland that encourages mutual acceptance …mutual respect and equal opportunities for all A Finland that is inclusive A Finland that finds its strength through solidarity, not fear Peace Source:
Read on »Press Statement: Malicious prank against Migrant Tales
MIGRANT TALES STATEMENT December 16, 2013 The Migrant Tales blog was the victim of a malicious prank over the weekend by a group of users from Hommaforum, an anti-immigration forum notorious in Finland for its promotion of anti-immigration sentiment. A story sent to us anonymously was in fact a bogus story intended to cast doubt
Read on »Aspergers and Ableism Part 1: Introductions
The following is part of a personal statement I originally wrote to apply for the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) last year, before I came to study in Finland and eventually settle in the Nordic countries. I plan to discuss the culture and challenges of the Autism/Asperger’s community, and how I believe the issue of
Read on »Migrant Tales literary: How high must a wall be to contain hope?
Dedicated to the EU and Donald Trump By Leo Honka No wall can contain hope. It’s a fact but go and build your high wall To hide the destruction you’ve reaped: pillaging riches, pillaging hope leaving people and whole nations devastated, without future. Source: Westmonster. Now we’re knocking on your door With a sentence in
Read on »Book review: “The Myth of the Muslim Tide”
One of Migrant Tales’ aims has been to bust urban myths about immigrants and minorities. A book published last week by Alfred Knopf Canada, The Myth of the Muslim Tide, aims to do just that concerning Muslims. Writes Doug Saunders, the author of the book: “In the U.S., anti-Muslim bigotry has reached such alarming levels
Read on »Siirtolaisuusinstituutti: ”Mun stadi” kertoo Helsingistä somalinuorten näkökulmasta
Siirtolaisuusinstituutin syksyn toinen kirjauutuus esittelee siirtolaisnuorison ajatuksia Suomesta ja suomalaisuudesta. Kirjan tekemiseen osallistuneita nuoria yhdistää se, että heidän vanhempansa ovat kotoisin Somaliasta ja että he ovat koko lapsuutensa tai ainakin suuren osan siitä asuneet Suomessa. Kirjassa nuoret tarkastelevat sanoin ja kuvin suhdettaan uuteen kotikaupunkiinsa Helsinkiin. Here is a link to YLE about the book. ”Mun Stadi”
Read on »Racist “coupons” found at the Leppävaara death trial
By Migrant Tales The trial of the death of Adisalam Mohamed Abdulahi, who was killed in February in Leppävaara, began Thursday in Espoo. Migrant Tales has learned that in the afternoon, when the court adjourned for a short break, there were coupons scattered next to the courtroom with racist text. A coupon that was pictured
Read on »Midsummer greetings from Migrant Tales
Migrant Tales wishes all of its readers a magical and wonderful Midsummer. While we celebrate the longest day of the year in Finland, in Bolivia they honor the shortest and the coldest. In many respects, Midsummer is like the legend when Väinämöinen, one of the heroes of the Kalevala, built a copper boat and sailed
Read on »Abagond: What this blog has taught me about white people
Comment: Abagond is a very successful blog that debates issues like racism in the United States. We at Migrant Tales like to ask serious question about such a social ill as well. What about if we asked that same question as Abagond did in the headline? For me personally, Migrant Tales has taught me that
Read on »Kouvolan Sanomat of Finland asks four people if they’d work for a foreign company
You’d think that most Finns know that their country is part of the globalized world…Well, almost everyone knows but there are just a few who haven’t figured it out. Kouvola Sanomat: Do you have anything against being hired by a foreign-owned company? Ville-Matti Ahola: “At the moment I am employed, but if I needed a job I’d
Read on »MTV3 poll shows support for PS to have plummeted to 5%
If the municipal election of October were held today, only 5% would vote for the right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset (PS) party, according to a poll published Wednesday by MTV3. The latest poll is further proof that support for the PS continues to plummet compared with the impressive gains it made in last year’s election. In the
Read on »Migrant Rights’ Network of the UK: The Elephant in the Workplace – Why it’s time we talked about migration and labour exploitation
Dr Sam Scott* Certainly, it is rare for evidence of worker mistreatment to come to the fore but this does not mean, in our opinion, that it is ipso facto rare. Partly, the challenge is one of identifying workplace exploitation and persuading victims to come forward with evidence. Partly, it is about how
Read on »Kyllä neuvonnalle, ei kriminalisoinnille ympärileikkausasiassa
Husein Muhammed Vihreät päätti viikonloppuna puoluekokouksessaan, että poikien ei-lääketieteellisistä syistä tehtävistä ympärileikkauksista pitää päästä eroon neuvonnan keinoin. Vihreän miesliikkeen aloite, että ympärileikkauksen kieltoa pitäisi alkaa ajamaan välittömästi, kuitenkin hylättiin. Poikien ympärileikkaus ei ole missään maassa kiellettyä. Myös seksuaalisuuden ja ihmissuhteiden asiantuntijana toimiva Sexpo-säätiö on aloittamassa Ehjä-nimisen hankkeen, jonka tarkoituksena on ehkäistä kulttuurisista tai uskonnollisista syistä tehtäviä
Read on »Who is Migrant tales?
Migrant Tales is a blog that debates some of the salient issues facing the immigrant and minority community in Finland. It aims to be a voice for those whose views and situation are understood poorly and heard faintly by the media and politicians.
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