The chairman of a far-right political party in Finland has accused the opposition of using the Norwegian terror attacks as a tool to link his party with extremism. Timo Soini said that even though Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik referred to True Finn MP Jussi Halla-aho in his manifesto, it does not mean that the anti-immigration party shares the mass murderer’s views. “We’re talking about an individual fanatic, a psychopath and his murders,” argued Soini in the YLE report. “I understand that this topic has caused turbulence in Finland as well, but in Norway the tragedy has been kept in proportion quite nicely,” he added. “The tragedy has not been made a political bone of contention there, all the parties have come together to help their people through a difficult time.
Politicians are not blaming each other, or demanding statements from each other there.” Breivik, who had strong anti-Islamic and anti-immigration views, has admitted carrying out the double terror attacks in Norway on 22nd July that left 77 people dead. Shortly before the attacks he published a 1,500-page manifesto online, outlining his extremist beliefs. Soini has defended the right to exercise free speech online, but claims that he does not in any way condone Breivik’s actions. He also called for the use of real names in such online debates in order to encourage a moderate tone. “It is clear that I do not accept violence or threats of violence,” said Soini. “Hate is a destructive force, which first destroys the target of the hatred and then the hater himself. I do not accept hatred. It is dehumanising and brutalising and damages others’ human dignity.”
Ice News
