I have written a lot about racism in Finland and I have no illusion that everyone is happy about the exposure, hence a racist comment in response to my take on racism does not surprise me.
A lot has been written on this blog and elsewhere about what has been described by some victims as "Finnish racism". Some readers are clearly not happy about the exposure and have posted comments online that could be interpreted as expressions of support for racism, xenophobia and discrimination, and as attacks on those who condemn the social ills.
On 26 May 2013 I received a racist and somewhat xenophobic comment in response to a blog post about the ugly face of racism at a bus stop in Finland.
The comment was posted precisely at 2:09 AM using a Google+ account in the name of Anya EE and signed with the words "Finnish girl".
The individual of questionable moral character, hiding behind what seems to be a pseudonym, wrote: "If you dont like Finland you can go back to your tree."
Posting such a comment (see screenshot to the right) in response to an article about racism in your country does your country a disservice. It is like shooting yourself in the foot.
The comment actually supports the argument that racism is a major problem in Finland and that people of African descent are commonly targeted for abuse - usually with impunity.
I like Finland and I will not "go back" anywhere - at least not in the foreseeable future, despite the numerous obstacles faced by people of African descent like me.
What I would do is double my efforts to expose racism in Finland and combat it. We have to find a way to live together in the spirit of mutual respect - irrespective of race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, language or ethnic origin.
I would not be intimidated by racist and hateful comments. Those who know me know that I do not run away from racist abuse - I face it head on legally and encourage everyone targeted to do the same.
All comments posted on my blog are subject to pre-moderation, which means that they are checked before they appear. I did not approve the comment by "Finnish girl" because it violates my Blog Rules and Regulations. However, I thought it wise to respond and submit it as evidence in the court of public opinion.
*Image of girl typing: YouthNet
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