Parcel containing pig's head posted to office of Somali League in Helsinki

Alert DateDecember 15, 2010 Country: Finland Address: Helsinki General Type: Racist violence Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-migrant/xenophobia, Islamophobia, Afrophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Migrants, Refugees, Muslims, Ethnic minorities Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Culture, Integration - social cohesion, Daily life
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin Somali
Victims Gender N/A
Victims Age N/A
Victims Number N/A
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Finnish
Perpetrator Gender N/A
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number N/A
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

In the course of 2010, the Finnish Somali League has been facing distinctly more vandalism than in the previous years.
    
On 15.12.2010, a parcel containing a pig’s head was received at the office of the Somali League in Helsinki. A week before someone broke the League office’s window and in a previous attack the window was pelted with eggs. In the summer, a few litres of oil were poured through the League office’s mail slot.
   
Abdirashid Dirie, the chairman of the Somali League, believes that the problems are related to the office’s move from the district of Pasila to Herttoniemi in 2009. Since then, the name and the logo of the Somali League have been shown in the window.

”The office should be left in peace regardless of whether there is some text or not. This is unpleasant”, Dirie notes. Dirie regards it as possible that at least part of these acts are related to each other.
   
Police are investigating the pig head delivery as a case of defamation, but for the time being, they have no suspects.

Source: Helsingin Sanomat - International Edition: Somali League: Malicious nuisance directed against Somalis has gathered momentum throughout the year (15.12.2010) http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Somali+League+Malicious+nuisance+directed+against+Somalis+has+gathered+momentum+throughout+the+year/1135262404097