Finnish PM apologises for Suomen Sisu's cartoon posting

[Salonen]

Finnish PM apologises for Suomen Sisu's cartoon posting

14.2.2006 at 16:14

Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (centre) said Tuesday that he was sorry that the cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad had been posted on the website of Suomen Sisu, a Finnish right-wing nationalist group.

"I regret that the cartoons deeply hurting the feelings of the Muslim world have, against the established rules of good editorial conduct, been published on the homepage of a small group of Finnish extremists," Mr Vanhanen, a former newspaper editor, said in Turin, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

"I am particularly disappointed that we, in Finland, also have individuals who want to insult the values considered sacred by Islam."

"I wish to apologise on my own behalf and on behalf of the Finnish Government that the religious feelings of Muslims have thus been offended also in Finland."

Mr Vanhanen added in the statement that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had decided to conduct a preliminary investigation into the matter based on the Finnish penal code's section on the sanctity of religion.

[Kekkonen]

Mr Vanhanen added in the statement that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had decided to conduct a preliminary investigation into the matter based on the Finnish penal code's section on the sanctity of religion.

Won't lead anywhere.

[joka]

That site's traffic probably grew tenfolded as a result of Vanhanen condemning them. Way to go. I had never even heard of these guys before this.

[Kekkonen]

That site's traffic probably grew tenfolded as a result of Vanhanen condemning them. Way to go. I had never even heard of these guys before this.

It was mentioned in Finnish media, (I read it in Metro myself) a couple of days ago. I guess Vanhanen reacted to this after reading it in media himself (or hearing it about it from advisors).

[CSAR]

While almost all the other western countries give support to Denmark our gutless leaders rush to apologize because some neverheard-website posted something that has been posted about one million times all over the world. And we have elected these pathetic wussies to represent our country ... I feel ashaimed.

[Isbjoern]

By respectively apologising, and closing down web-sites,both the finnish PM ,mr.Vanhanen and the swedish minister of foreign affairs, mrs.Freivalds, have done exactly what the embassy-burners and rioters wanted them to do.
In my book, they both have made cowardly surrenders to islamic terrorists.
I have always thought that one should never negotiate with terrorists, and definetely not let them win. Vanhanen and Freivalds have really disgraced themselves and their respective governments. Where are their loyalty and sympathy towards Norway, Austria and Denmark? Are they more concerned about the relationship with the islamofascists in the Middle-east? I can't imagine that this will look good in the history-books.

[Laworkerbee]

Well said Isbjoern

[Kekkonen]

Well said Isbjoern

Except that what he says has nothing to do with Finland. This isn't Finland's fight. Okay so Finland has surrended to islamic terrorists, so how come I don't see those mullah's out on the streets now putting up their green flags? Probably because there are no such people here.

[Saranof]

Saying; "Sorry that some of our countrymen are reactionary ****heads who just want to piss muslims off" isn't "surrendering". World politics don't work like playground fights. You can't go around thinking you are the biggest and best and you don't care want people think.

[perdurabo]

kekkonen
"first they came shoot some guy 2 streets from me i did nothing, then they came and shoot my neighbour i did nothing, then they came for me and there was noone to help me"
you tell me that this isn't your fight, but remember that you are part of western culture circle and for those dudes it dosen't matter if you are finn dane pole french or whatever, you do anything that they dislike and your ammbasies will be burnt like danish ones, basicly you give them green light "you can abuse our friends it's ok we are sorry that we have free speach, go ahead burn some more flags ambbasies etc..."

sarnof it isn't politics cause it involves thousands of ppl in both cultures its more crowd psychology, its spine less and mark of cowardience, you can defend your values or be abused.

[tkks]

Vanhanen is just as pussy as he looks like. Just collecting extra points. Grannies like comments like that and will vote for him in the next elections.

And probably Vanhanen is also worried, that Kuwait won't by Patria's AMVs if they get pissed of for Finland too.

Hail the freedom of speech! I thought we had one in Finland, but maybe I was wrong. I do not share the politicalt view of Suomen Sisu, but still, come on! No one would have known about that website if that had not been in the headlines today.

[Taekwondo]

Hail the freedom of speech! I thought we had one in Finland, but maybe I was wrong.

Finland still has a rather stalinistic freedom of speech = you speak only of the mythical correct things. All other views are bad and spreading different ideas is bad. Thank the 70s and the wannabe-komissars of the then-future Soviet Finland for that.

[Laworkerbee]

Saying; "Sorry that some of our countrymen are reactionary ****heads who just want to piss muslims off" isn't "surrendering". World politics don't work like playground fights. You can't go around thinking you are the biggest and best and you don't care want people think.

Really? Take a poll Pal, I would say most of us here could give two ****s what some radical Islamist thinks, I for one could care less what they think....as they probably think the same of thier women...

[Isbjoern]

Except that what he says has nothing to do with Finland. This isn't Finland's fight.

What kind of short time memory is this? When Soviet attacked Finland in the Winter-war, what did thousands of volunteers from Sweden, Uk, Denmark and Norway do? Did they say: " This isn't our fight? "

You have chosen your nick well. You sound like an echo from the sixties and seventies, where Finland under Kekkonen tip-toed in fear of provoking the Russian Bear: "Kekkoslovakia...." Now you and your PM are tip-toeing again.

[Taekwondo]

Don't confuse a kekkonen and Kekkonen - the latter took a lot of chances and actually was active in resisting attempts at sovietization whilst making it look like he was flying their flag! It would take a long time to go through what kind of things he arranged and tried to arrange.

Where else did a (capitalist!) nation next to the SU have it's communists integrated into the political background and effectively neutralized? Kekkonen was very importand in making it possible and still have it look like things in Finland were going where the soviets wanted.

So no bad rap about U.K.K.