MP says Finland is for Finnish people

Like many European countries, Finland has seen a rise in far-right populism and extreme political views in recent years. Anti-immigration sentiments run high. Islamophobia and xenophobia  are daily realities. One political party - Perussuomalaiset (PS) - champions the cause against immigration in the Nordic country.

PS Members of Parliament and supporters, including folks like Teuvo Hakkarainen, Jussi Halla-aho, Tommi Rautio, just to name a few, make no secret of their extreme views on immigration and Islam. Recently, a PS parliamentary aide suggested that minorities should be forced to wear armbands for identification. The name of another party aide, Ulla Pyysalo, appeared in a hacked membership list of a neo-Nazi organization.

The PS is no stranger to political scandals and hateful rhetoric against minority groups.

More recently on 22 April 2012, a notorious Member of Parliament (MP) for the party, James Hirvisaari, stated in a blog entry that Finland is a country for Finnish people. Such a bizarre and misguided statement, in my opionion, has no place in the 21 Century.

 The blog post, titled "Suomi on suomalaisten maa", attacks humanitarian immigration and globalization, but fails to put forward any viable alternative. The author wrongly argues that immigrants travel abroad simply to enjoy social security in the receiving country. According to Hirvisaari, humanitarian immigration creates problems in the receiving country and does not solve the problem in the country of origin. He argues that Finland is for Finns and that Finland is not the Red Cross. In his view, it does not help the situation that more people are brought to Finland to "pursue their dreams."

Hirvisaari and other anti-immigration proponents in Finland seem to be unaware that Finland has a long history of emigration and that there are Finns who are immigrants elsewhere. Towards the end of the 1800s, large numbers of people emigrated from Finland to, in James Hirvisaari's own words, "toteuttamaan unelmiaan" (realize their dreams) abroad. Canada and the United States were popular destinations for Finnish emigrants. In the 1960s, the labor market in Finland forced many Finns to emigrate to Sweden. Hundreds of thousands of Finns emigrated to neighboring Sweden in the 1960s and 1970s. [Source].

It is wrong to brand refugees and all immigrants as "social security hunters", and to suggest that humanitarian migrants should not move to Finland. This twisted view of immigration is inflammatory. Like the hundreds of thousands of Finns who emigrated to Sweden and other parts of the world in the 1960s and 1970s, many people moving to Finland nowadays are hardworking individuals forced by man-made or natural circumstances to migrate. Finland cannot afford to completely close its borders in a globalized world. Even if it could, the social and economic consequences would be damaging. According to Statistics Finland, Finland's population is ageing and labour shortage is eminent. The country had the world's fastest greying population in 2007 and looming labour shortage can only be solved by attracting labour from abroad. Birth rate is low and more people are  exiting work than entering it. [Source]. In 2011, a woman in Finland would give birth to an average of 1.83 children during her reproductive period, which is below the approximately 2.1 children per woman threshold on population renewal. [Source].

According to the European Commission, population ageing will have "repercussions" on Finland's labour market, economic growth and public finances. [Source].

It is true that other strategies, such as postponing retirement, could counter the effects of Finland's ageing population. However, measures such as attracting labour from abroad should not be completely ruled out. Arguing that Finland is for Finnish people does a disservice to the nation by creating a hostile environment for foreign nationals who, if given a fair chance, could contribute enormously to the economic wellbeing of the state.

From a civil and political perspective, as a member of the international community, Finland has an obligation to welcome so-called humanitarian migrants (refugees). People reserve the right under international law to seek protection from persecution or any form of ill-treatment in their country of nationality. This right is enshrined in the landmark 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its Optional Protocol to which Finland is a party. James Hirvisaari (and Perussuomalaiset as a whole) cannot change this - at least for now. The MP's egoistic view of "Finland-as-it-ought-be" is misguided and designed to score political points. His controversial blog post is yet another cheap shot directed at Finland's immigrant and refugee population.

James Hirvisaari was convicted for inciting hatred against an ethnic group by a court in Finland in 2011. The conviction was in relation to a text posted on his blog on the Uusi Suomi website. His divisive and inflammatory rhetoric is therefore not surprising, but it should not be entertained.

*Photo: StoryMoja.

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Finland: Demand justice for killing of Jyri Jaakkola

On 27 April 2012, I attended a seminar in Helsinki in memory of Jyri Jaakkola, a Finnish activist who was killed in Mexico two years ago. The seminar titled "Mahdollisuus Oikeuteen Meksikossa? Jyri Jaakkolan Muistoseminaari", was organized by Amnesty International - Finnish Section, Helsinki University's Political and Economic studies department and Ius Gentium - the Finnish Society for International Law. Participants included lawyers, human rights defenders, activists, politicians, journalists and people from other walks of life. The family of Jyri Jaakkola was represented at the seminar.

According to Amnesty International, Jyri Jaakkola was killed on 27 April 2010 during at attack on human rights observers in Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca. The attack by armed men left the Finnish activist, Jyri Jaakkola, and a Mexican human rights defender, Bety Cariño, dead. Several other people, including journalists and observers from other countries like Germany, Italy and Belgium, who were part of an International Caravan of Human Rights Defenders were wounded. The group of about 30 people was ambushed while on its way to document human rights violations in the indigenous Triqui area. [Source].

Two years after the armed attack that left two human rights defenders dead and many other people wounded, the Mexican authorities have brought no one to justice.

During the seminar in memory of Jyri Jaakkola, exactly two years after he was killed, a petition to Mexico's Attorney General, Marisela Morales Ibañez, demanding justice for the killings, was circulated for signing. According to information on the petition by Amnesty International in Finland, the investigation into the killings has not come to fruition. No one has been brought to justice and the government of Mexico's efforts to protect human rights defenders will not been realized unless the government shows a strong will to stop impunity. Amnesty International demands that crimes against human rights defenders, like Jyri Jaakkola and Berty Cariño, should be thoroughly and promptly investigated. The organization notes that the lack of witness protection slows investigations and demands that Mexico ensures that witnesses receive the protection they need to enable them voluntarily testify without fear of retribution.

I encourage you to sign the petition demanding justice for the killings Jyri Jaakkola and Bety Cariño. I signed it already. The petition is in Finnish, but don't worry if you do not understand the language. Simply fill in the required fields in the form - keeping in mind that: "Etunimi" means first name, "sukunimi" means surname and "paikkakunta" means town. (P.s. that is Finnish 101 for you). Check the boxes blow the petition form if you want your name to appear on the front page of the petition and if you want Amnesty to send you information about petitions, campaigns and other activities. It is worth highlighting that Amnesty International has been demanding justice in this case since 2010.

We must not forget Jyri Jaakkola and Bety Cariño. Take action now.

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Alarming jump in support for far-right in France

I was unusually disconnected from all news channels on the day the French went to the polls for the first round on the 2012 presidential election. When I eventually turned to a news channel at about 9:30pm, I was alarmed but not surprised by news of massive support enjoyed by Marine Le Pen, candidate for the far-right National Front Party. This historic show of support for the far-right in France comes less than one week after Ander Behring Breivik and right-wing extremism went on trial in Oslo. Breivik, the man who massacred 77 people in Norway in July 2011, strongly opposes multiculturalism and immigration from non-European countries - a view shared by many far-right militants across Europe.

According to France 24, about 80% of French voters turned out for the first round of the 2012 French presidential election on 22 April 2012 and Marine Le Pen secured a record 17.90% of all votes cast. Information on the website of the French Ministry of Interior shows that a total of 6 421 802 votes were cast for Marine Le Pen. [Source].

The National Front, it is worth mentioning, promulgates anti-immigration, anti-Islam and Euro-skeptic views. According to a revealing article, titled Marine Le Pen, France's (Kinder, Gentler) Extremist, published in The New York Times on 29 April 2011, the party was built out of "avowed fascists, former members of the Vichy government that had been loyal to Hitler, anti-Jewish zealots, anti-immigration nationalists and staunchly conservative Catholics."

Growing support for a party with Nazis and fascist ties represents a step backward to a time when radical views against minorities were commonplace. This explains why a jump in support for the National Front is disturbing.

Marine Le Pen reportedly holds strong views on Islam and is suspicious of Muslims. In December 2010, she likened Muslims praying on the streets in France to the Nazi occupation. [source]. She has been credited with bringing the National Front back into the spotlight and for trying to "refresh the image of the far-right." But xenophobia cannot be modernized, neither can its image be refreshed. Xenophobia, like a cankerworm, destroys society by creating a "we" against "them" mentality. Xenophobia is divisive and must be completely eradicated. Political parties that flirt with xenophobia do a disservice to society.

In her speech after polls closed on 22 April 2012, Marine Le Pen said "...nothing will ever be the same again" in France. I'm afraid she is right - because it is true that with a jump in support for the far-right, nothing will ever be the same again for immigrants and other visible minority groups in France. The results of the 2012 French presidential election indicate that more people are harboring anti-immigrant and anti-Islam sentiments. Racism and discrimination thrives under such conditions.

There is a social and moral crisis in France and in many European countries, including Finland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and many other European countries where far-right populism, racism and xenophobia have recently made significant gains. A society is morally bankrupt when a group of people are unduly treated with contempt and feared simply because of race, color, origin or creed.

*Photo of Marine Le Pen. Source: Socialdust.

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