Of Negroes and Minarets

Or, Beyond the Limits of Freedom of Expression

I reported a couple of weeks ago on the general election in Finland, in which the True Finns party scored a parliamentary upset.

The True Finns are Euro-skeptics and immigration-critics, and nothing arouses the wrath of the establishment more than those “racist” characteristics. The chattering classes of Europe immediately expressed their alarm, and even American conservatives take their cues from the MSM when European nationalist parties are the issue.

It didn’t take long for one of the True Finns to get himself into hot water. Teuvo Hakkarainen had the temerity to make negative references to minarets, and added insult to injury by using the word “negro”. The horror!

KGS of Tundra Tabloids tells the story:

Here in Finland, the word for negro is “neekeri”, which sounds like the word “nigger” in English. It means negro, it has always has meant negro, and many elderly folks still use the word neekeri in referring to negroes (blacks), and would be offended if they were labeled as bigots for using it. Nowadays, however, there is no middle ground for using a totally Finnish word “neekeri” in public language, political correctness it seems has ruled it out, a simple Finnish word is rendered obsolete by how it’s perceived by the PC crowd.

Enter Teuvo Hakkarainen, newly elected member of parliament in the True Finns party from Central Finland, who mentioned the word “negro” and minarets in a Helsingin Sanomat interview, and quickly got into trouble. The entire political elite was aghast at Hakkarainen’s use of the “N” word, as well as his warning about minarets, accompanied by him mimicking the Islamic call to prayer.

True Finns party chairman, Timo Soini, had to quickly douse out the flames and read him the riot act. The Tundra Tabloids hasn’t a problem whatsoever with the word neekeri being used, as long as it’s used in the right context and not as a slur, of which the latter can be the case at times.

KGS adds that according to Helsingin Sanomat, in the future Hakkarainen will listen to his group and only speak of dark or black, and stop using the term he learned in elementary school. “I didn’t know that it was a slur. It was natural for me.”

There’s more in a later Tundra Tabloids post, with KGS’ translation from YLE:

The Ombudsman for Minorities requested an investigation of Hakkarainen’s statements

The Ombudsman for Minorities Eva Biaudet has asked the General Prosecutor to assess whether the True Finns MP is guilty of ethnic agitation, or other offense in the Helsingin Sanomat video interview.

Biaudet says MP Hakkarainen’s deeply offensive statements towards certain ethnic groups do not include constructive criticism such as points on immigration, but his views are essentially racist and offensive to human dignity.

The Ombudsman for Minorities has asked the General Prosecutor to assess the opinions of Hakkarainen that go beyond the limit of freedom of expression.

Biaudet deems Hakkarainen’s opinions of immigrants, asylum seekers, of dark skin color people as well as Muslims defamatory and abusive.

“They can provide misleading impression that a certain group of people are criminals, and inferior,” says Biaudet.

According to Biaudet the freedom of speech within a democracy is not absolute. She refers to the Penal Code 11 Chapter 10 which forbids all so-called hate speech.

Minister of Justice Tuija Brax does not want to assess the Ombudsman’s call for an investigation.

The True Finns can only expect more of the same. We’ve seen what happens to the Sweden Democrats, to the PVV in the Netherlands, to Vlaams Belang in Belgium, and to the Swiss People’s Party. Finland won’t be any different.

You can’t be a nationalist party in Europe without putting all the “racism” monitors on high alert.