The root causes of racist violence

In the editorial of the Finnish afternoon newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, the stance of President Alexander Stubb and Petteri Orpo's (National Coalition Party) government was discussed, which stated that Finland's greatest challenge is Russia and its grandiose president Vladimir Putin. This is especially true if his army were to succeed in winning in Ukraine.

There is nothing special about bringing up this topic as the subject of the editorial, since the threat from Russia is well known. What was more surprising, however, was that the editorial writer moved on to the problems related to immigrants from developing countries at the end of the text.

The text went exactly as follows: "An even greater threat feeding citizens' sense of insecurity is brewing in racist violence, social exclusion, and growing gang violence. The stabbings that occurred in a shopping center in Oulu should wake up decision-makers – even without reports."

Highlighting the two native perpetrators of the stabbings in the Oulu shopping center suggests that, in the editorial writer's opinion, the problem lies particularly with the racist crimes committed by native people against immigrants. On the other hand, it is probably well known that, according to statistics, Iraqis and Somalis living in our country commit crimes against life and health more than three times as often as Finns, relative to their age and number.

Indeed, their contribution to assaults has an even slightly greater overrepresentation. And sexual crimes much more commonly – Iraqis with even over 12 times the likelihood compared to the native population. Nor is their overrepresentation in violent and drug-dealing youth groups and gangs unknown.

Therefore, I consider it likely that the racism directed towards immigrants by the majority population has not arisen out of nowhere but, as the old Finnish saying goes, "so the forest answers as you call into it." This is not a defense speech for the Finns guilty of violence – for they have shown by their actions to be on the level of the worst idiots from the developing countries – but a remark on the actual state of affairs.

Therefore, the editor-in-chief of Ilta-Sanomat should also present the entire issue comprehensively, taking into account all the factors influencing the whole situation.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Immigration issue
Will the multinational force led by Kenyans help?
An immigrant who stands out from the average has been taken into custody