Finland’s Islamic community demands government take concrete steps towards ‘zero tolerance’ of racism A total of 26 Islamic congregations and organisations signed the joint statement.

July 17, 2023   

(Yle) A group of Islamic communities and organisations in Finland have issued a joint statement calling on the government to take concrete steps towards achieving “zero tolerance” on racism.

“We call on the Finnish government and especially Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) to be more active in condemning the normalisation of open hate speech and to act to eradicate racist thinking,” the statement reads.

The phrase “zero tolerance” has been much reported and discussed in Finnish media over the past week after President Sauli Niinistö said the Finnish government “would be wise to adopt a clear zero-tolerance stance on racism” in response to racist and violent comments written by Finance Minister and Deputy PM Riikka Purra (Finns) on a blog in 2008.

Read more.

Related Articles

Children & Teens

Sanna Marin: ‘It’s not the government’s job to decide individual al-Hol cases’ The new PM told Yle on Saturday she wondered why the conservative NCP decided to take a hard line on Finns at al-Hol.

December 21, 2019   

(Yle) Speaking on Yle’s talk show Ykkösaamu on Saturday, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said she was very pleased with the government’s decision to repatriate Finnish children from the al-Hol refugee camp. “It’s up to ministry officials to determine whether Finland will also […]

Crime

Turku terror attack perpetrator receives additional sentence for assaulting prison guards Abderrahman Bouanane is currently serving a life sentence for two counts of murder with terrorist intent and eight counts of attempted murder with terrorist intent.

July 6, 2022   

(Yle) The District Court of Southwest Finland sentenced Abderrahman Bouanane, the perpetrator of the 2017 Turku terror attack who was previously given life imprisonment for his actions, to five months in prison for two counts of violently resisting an official in the […]

Demonstrations

Police: Koran burning would not be allowed in Finland The desecration of a book held sacred by a religious community would likely violate Finland's protection of religious peace.

January 30, 2023   

(Yle) Police in Finland would not allow a public burning of the Koran, as has occurred recently in Sweden and Denmark, according to the National Police Board. Finnish law stipulates that violating religious peace is a punishable offence, the police board said […]