Åland Sommar Jam off the hook!

I was amazed with the huge number of people that came to Pub Bastun on the 17th July 2009. It was the Åland Summer Jam 2009 organised by Hej Åland and Träffpunkt youths. It was a night that was different from many other nights on the island. The music was exclusively reggae and hip hop.

People started pouring in as early as 21:00 when the guest rapper, Gambia’s own Mo Hawk, was busy sound – checking the instruments before he takes the stage at mid night.

“I like hip hop and this is my chance to enjoy,” said a teenager when he saw me at the entrance.

A local DJ called Johan, started the night by hammering the crowd with some of the best reggae and hip hop tunes you can think of. When DJ Mario from the Energy Sound, Stockholm took over he was also able to keep the crowd going.

“I’m going to give them the best and make them sweat all night,” he said to me shortly before he took charge of the stage.

“Mo Hawk is one of Gambia’s hottest rapper. He is one of the vocalists of the popular Da Fugitivz rap group in Stockholm. Hands together for Mo Hawk!!!” I said introducing him to the crowd, who have never seen him or listened to his music before.

When he started doing his rap the crowd surprisingly went more loud and crazy. Mo Hawk offered an absolutely great performance.

Special thanks to the Träffpunkt, Heidi Öst and all those who supported me in making it happen! More to come…watch out for it!

Click on the link below to watch a bit of the show 

Immigrant Parents Send Teens Away for De-Westernization

Officials say they are learning of an increasing number of cases in which immigrant parents in Finland are forcibly sending teens back to their home countries to de-westernize them.

The Finnish Red Cross as well as social welfare offices say that every year dozens of parents who believe their children are becoming too westernized send their offspring back to African, Asian and Middle Eastern states.

Leena-Kaisa Åberg, head of the refugee and immigration section at the Finnish Red Cross, says school teachers rarely question the sudden absence of students with immigrant backgrounds.

“In some cases sports coaches are the ones who look into these disappearances,” says Åberg.

Authorities say these types of matters often fall beyond their jurisdiction, as parents are responsible for minors.

Janne Kanerva, a legislative counsellor at the Justice Ministry, says it’s not a crime if both parents decide to send their child abroad.

YLE

Men in Finland Facing Increased Sexual Harrasment at Work

One out of eight Finnish men has been sexually harassed by women during the past two years. In the case of under 35-year-olds, the number is one in five. Data published in the syndicated Väli-Suomen newspaper Sunday supplement is based on information from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

International research shows sexual harassment experienced by men has increased in recent years. A police survey reveals one out of five men have experienced sexual harassment at work. One-third of women have experienced sexual harassment in the work place.

Defining and identifying sexual harassment has been problematic. New legislation on equality, which came into force in June, defines harassment as unwanted touching in addition to verbal teasing and licentious gestures.

According to the newspaper report, men find it difficult to report sexual harassment due to their role. It is often the subject of humour because there is always a man who welcoming harassment.

YLE

Mo Hawk to storm the Åland Islands

Talent is great but it is not the only thing you need to become a star.In the absence of dedication and hard work, your talent can be as useless as a chocolate teapot. The Gambian hip hop star, Mo Hawk, has all these and this is why he is waxing more and more strong everyday. On the 17th July 2009, he is travelling to the Åland Islands as the main artist in a program dubbed Åland Summer Jam 2009. This program, which is organised by former What’s On columnist, Alieu Khan, in conjunction with a local youth group, aims at promoting diversity and bringing African and Caribbean music to the doorstep of the islanders.

The Åland Islands is an autonomous region in Finland, situated very close to Sweden. Although reggae and hip hop are popular music on this island, it is hardly played in clubs and pubs. Mo Hawk will unquestionably be the first young African hip hop musician to perform on this popular European Union Island. Speaking to What’s On, the Gambian hip hop star and also sprouting music producer said: “I am glad to be on that island and so happy to support a Gambian brother with his activities.” According to Alieu Khan, the event is expected to attract lot of immigrants living on the island and possibly tourists.

He thanked the youths of Mariehamn city for offering him the opportunity to stage the summer Jam 2009. “I want this to be an annual event and hope it will interest the local people. So the forthcoming one is more like a trial and I am so grateful to Mo Hawk for his cooperation,” said Alieu.

Alieu Khan moved to the Åland Islands 14 months ago and since then he has been involved in lot of community initiatives. In The Gambia, he was the founder and National Coordinator of Children against AIDS. He was popular in student and youth activism and has worked both as a journalist and teacher.

Culled from Daily Observer, Gambia's first and leading daily newspaper

WE APOLOGISE - Indigo Bar & Restaurant

Following the Indigo Bar and Restaurant security guard’s deliberate refusal to let me and a fellow Gambian in, on the night of 5th June, one of the owners of this Mariehamn popular night spot has written to apologise. His name is Stig and in his email he wrote;

“I personally think every human being is equal and that is the policy of Indigo restaurant too.”

He went further to indicate that, as one of the owners of the restaurant he is not racist and when he was living in Sweden his best friends were from Africa, Asia and other developing parts of the world.

Stig quoted Martin Luther King Jnr; “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

I wrote back to accept his apology and assured him that despite how I was been humiliated by the security guard, in the presence of others, I would still continue to patronise them.

Åland multicultural cafe set to undergo evaluation

I was on the bus heading to Mariehamn, while surfing the internet I came across a message inviting me to a get together at the famous Café Bönan.

Here is the message:-

Dear all who have contributed to a successful year of multicultural cafés!

It was on the 14th of April 2008 that the first multicultural café took place at Café Bönan. The country to be presented was Kenya and the atmosphere was wonderful despite the crowded room. Since then we have arranged cafés about Russia, Singapore, Gambia, Japan, the Baltic countries, Cuba, England/Scotland/Wales, Tanzania and Philippines. You sll have been outstanding ambassadors for your country and we are very grateful for your contribution!

Åland has residents coming from 82 different countries, so this gives us plenty of opportunities to get together and learn more about them and their representatives. The team of organisers is motivated to continue with multicultural cafés and therefore would like to invite you to an evaluation dinner and multicultural party on July 3 (Friday) at Café Bönan. We will start with dinner at 19.00 for everyone who has been involved in the cafés by preparing food or making presentations of your home country. The multicultural party will start at 21.00 and then your family members and friends are welcome to join. We will prepare some games and we hope that the evening will result in a lot of laughter and great fun!

Some of the questions that we would like you to reflect over before the meeting are the following:

- What is your strongest memory from the multicultural café that you have helped to arrange?
- What has been most exciting?
- What have you had troubles with?
- Do you have any suggestions how the cafés can be developed in the future?

Your feed-back and ideas are very valuable in order to make the cafés even better. If you can't come on Friday the 3rd of July we would appreciate if you sent us a short comment about your experiences by e-mail.

Hope to see you next week! Have a wonderful summer!

The Multicultural Association of Åland
The Finnish Red Cross
THe Åland Islands Peace Institute
Café Bönan
Read my next update soon about my views on the multicultural café and integration on Åland!

Pic: A Swedish and a Senegalese girl during an intergration program in Stockholm

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