A letter to Indigo Restaurant

Parkgatan 18
Mariehamn 22100
Tel: 0408795270
E-post: xaritnexna@gmail.com

7th June, 2009.

Manager
Indigo Restaurant
Nygatan 1
22100 Mariehamn

Dear Sir,

REQUEST FOR AN APOLOGY

My name is Alieu Khan, a Gambian immigrant living in Mariehamn, Åland. I moved to the Island a year ago and since then your restaurant/bar has been my favourite hang out place and this I mentioned in my book-Within a Year-An African Immigrant on the Åland Islands.

I want to bring your attention to a very dehumanising encounter I had with your security guard on duty, Friday night 5th June 2009.

I had a friend from Italy (also Gambian) and I decided to take him out to see the Island’s night life. When we arrived at the Indigo main entrance, the security guard let me in (because he recognised me as a regular customer) but asked my friend to show his identity. My friend did so and was also let in. After staying in the bar for about 20 minutes, I decided to take him to also see Dinos, leaving our jackets behind.

When we returned to Indigo the security guard surprisingly asked both of us to show our identities.

“But my friend already did so and I guess you recognise me,” I said to him.

He insisted that we should show him and we complied. After checking our identities, he interesting said to us that he doubt our ages and not sure of our identities.

“You are not invited today. You can come back another time,” he revealed.

“But we have our jackets in and if we are not invited why did you let us in, in the first place?” I asked him.

I tried to make him understand that I am a regular customer and Indigo is my favourite place and that’s why I decided to bring my visitor there. He insisted that we should collect our jackets and leave. It was a very embarrassing moment because there were lot of other people outside.

When I entered to collect my jacket, I felt I shouldn’t allow the security guard to take the law into his own hands and make us a subject of discrimination. I boldly told him that I am not leaving until he tells me, why we are not invited.

I wasn’t drunk ( I don’t even drink likewise my friend), I have never created trouble in Indigo and I am not underage, so why should I be asked to leave a place that open its doors to the general public.

The security wasn’t ready to budge and we spent close to an hour push and pulling. At the end some members of your staff called the police and they came for me. The police disappointedly wasn’t even interested in hearing our story and they started to check our identities like if we were criminals. They asked us to leave and we just did that.

As far as I am concerned I think what your security guard did was tantamount to discrimination. I was just a decent guy, who was out to have fun with a friend. It’s very clear that owners of restaurants, bars, night clubs etc have all right to remove people from their property BUT provided they do so fairly and give their reason for doing so. Security guards must learn to treat people equally and should not discriminate. I have the right to the same treatment and courtesy as anyone else.

Throughout my one year stay on Åland I have never been mistreated and disrespected like your guard did last Friday. I would like to share with you some of the reactions I have been receiving after I posted the incident on my facebook profile and hope you will reflect over it;

“They all bunch of racists that’s all,” Mo Hawk a hip hop musician based in Stockholm.

“Sorry to hear that Alieu. you should come to Old Pueblo in arizona and we will love you!” Saundra Levitz, an American university student.


“That stinks. I'm so sorry you had to go through such a mean-spirited, hateful experience. if you feel like it, you might think about writing Amnesty International or another human rights organization about what happened. big hug!” Jodi Rafkin, an American Human Rights lawyer.


“Sorry to hear this Alieu, just shows that people are still ignorant and that racism is very much alive and kicking. You should feel sorry for these people what are they so afraid of to treat you so badly? Are there no laws to protect human rights on the Åland Islands?” Nadia Barnett, a British teacher.

“I'm very sorry, Alieu ! Some people just need to show abusing control to feel better about them selfs..It's very sad,” Tina Bonn, a Finnish national.

“For heaven sake, someone need to tell those people we are not in the 18th century. Europe, we are in the 21st century!” Murhi Baks, a Gambian immigrant in Helsinki.

I’m requesting for an apology from your restaurant for treating me like a sub human being. I think this is the easiest thing you can do and make me regain my confidence and love for your restaurant.

In a situation, where you feel your guard was completely right for hand picking me and my friend and asking us to leave with NO REASON, then I would be very disappointed and thinks that might require a sort of protest.

Remember the business slogan:-The customer is always right!

Looking forward to hear from you.

Regards,


Alieu Khan
Founder and Coordinator: Hej Åland, an initiative geared towards bridging the gap between immigrants and the local people of Åland

A presentation at Yrkesskola

On the 28th May, 2009 i was invited at the Yrkesskola to do a presentation about Africa and some of the challenges Africans face as residents on the Åland Islands. The presentation, which was organised by one of the teachers, was attended by more than 30 students from both the technical and social sciences department.

I started my presentation, via powerpoint,by explaining why i left my home country for Europe and how i finally landed on Åland. I also spoke about African history and the Berlin Conference for the partition of Africa.

Speaking on the challenges African immigrants encounter on the island, i explained to the students that we feel very isolated and lonely. Some of them were little bit surprised and i went further to tell them that the migration of Africans to the island is a new phenomenon.I took the opportunity to inform them about a new anti-racism campaign that is about to kick-off.

Pic: Getting prepared for my presentation

En present till min son!

On monday, 25th May 2009 i received a photo frame as a present to my son Biran Khan. It was from my boss' wife at the Notviken Camp in Eckerö and that was the first time i recieved a present for my son.

"Vi har en present till ditt barn" said my boss' as she approach with a package.
"Tack så mycket" I said to her with a broad smile of happiness.
"Hur gammal är han nu" she asked without knowing that very day was my son's four months.
"Han är 4 månader idag"

What a coincidence it was! Thanks to my wonderful boss and his wife.

My book now in the hands of the Liberals

It was very disappointing that during my book launching no member of the Åland government attended and also a single member of the parliament attended but unfortunately she didn’t stay long.

Before the book launching I distributed invitation letters to almost all the politicians who matter in immigration matters and multiculralism. I also tried to get the Culture Department under the Local Government to deliver a solidarity message, but they never replied.

“Are the politicians ready for integration?” this is a question that keeps on lingering in my mind.

Recently I was invited by the Finnish TV/radio channel YLE to take part in a debate about integration in Swedish speaking Finland. I wasn’t sure what exactly I should have said at this debate, because there is not much happening on Åland. The only integration activities I know is the SFI course, which is international and the monthly cultural cafes, which attracts mainly the immigrant community.

Right now, we have a good number of immigrants unemployed and some of them are people with great expertise that can be very useful to the island. The Local Government should promote social inclusion and the responsible participation of the immigrants in the society. How do we get immigrants to work in public places like the libraries, supermarkets, banks….jobs that can bring them closer to the local people?

Good News!

The Liberals (Liberalerna på Åland) have just ordered 2 copies of my book. I was very surprised when they emailed asking if I have books left.

I am so happy that my book, which talks a lot about the challenges involved in being an immigrant on the island, is getting into the hands of the decision makers. The Liberals are undoubting enjoying a great popularity on Åland. They made great gains in the last elections in 2007. Their party leader is currently the head of the Local Government.

Pic: viveka eriksson, the head of the Liberals

City of Vantaa Plans to Boost Immigrant Hiring

The city of Vantaa is planning to set an example to local employers by increasing the number of city employees with immigrant backgrounds, reports the daily Helsingin Sanomat.

Currently, immigrants make up 2.4 percent of Vantaa’s 12,000 city employees.

Eight percent of the Vantaa's inhabitants are immigrants, and by 2012 immigrants are expected to make up ten percent of the city’s population.

“The proportion of non-native Finnish workers should be raised to reflect the number of immigrants living in the city,” states Vantaa’s multicultural programme.

Vantaa also aims to encourage immigrants to start their own businesses.

City officials say Vantaa’s diverse population boosts the city’s image and helps attract companies and job-seekers to the area.¨

Multicultural affairs top the agenda of the city's council meeting on Monday.

Culled from YLE

Finland Collects Human Rights Court Judgments

Finland has received more judgments handed down by the European Court of Human Rights than the rest of the Nordic countries together over the past 15 years.

According to the newspaper Turun Sanomat, Finland has received a total of 75 binding decisions, of which all but one have been made over the past 15 years.

Sweden, for example, has received a total of 22 court judgments, Norway 19, Denmark 9 and Iceland just one.

In April, the European Court of Human Rights reprimanded Finland over the eight-year long case of a Helsinki man. The court intends to hear nine Finnish cases concerning questions of freedom of speech.

Finland has, so far, lost three-quarters of its cases before the court.

Multicultural Day at Strändnas

On Friday, 30th April I was one of the invited speakers at the Strändnas Skola Multicultural Day. I did an interactive PowerPoint presentation about Africa in conjunction with Save the Children-Åland.

Strändnas Skola is one of the popular schools in Mariehamn. Some of the students going to this school are refugees from Iran/Kurdistan. It was very interesting meeting these children and finding out what they think of Africa.

Majority of the children referred to Africa as the continent with the largest number of wild animals and also the continent where poverty is at its peak. Like many other people in the West, some of them thought Africa is one land and that all Africans are BLACK.

During my presentation I spoke about the countries in Africa and also education in Africa. I also used the opportunity to talk about the presence of Africans on the Åland Islands and that there are children, like them on the island, who have African dads.

I also held a quiz competition and the winners were offered African beads, dresses and CDs. Almost all the children said the presentation was interesting and they have learnt a lot about Africa and Africans.