Who knew that bringing people from other cultures might create problems? Yes, problems such as “you can't buy a wife here,” or women don't like to be touched in public.

Yes, you can't make this stuff up, but it is reality in a place called Finland. Remember that quiet country where Finnish blondes made the cover of certain popular magazines? This is not your father’s Finland, if you know what I mean.

This is the story:

Johanna is one of those energetic, animated teachers whose cheerful energy lures even the most reluctant pupil into engaging with the lesson. She uses both her hands to stress her meaning and she always softens any difficult points with a smile.

“So in Finland,” she says softly, “you can’t buy a wife. A woman will only be your wife if she wants to be -- because here women are men’s equals.”

Her pupils, all recently arrived asylum seekers at this reception centre hidden away in the snowy depths of the Finnish forest, watch her carefully -- and I watch them. Some of the young Iraqi men, who already speak good English and passable Finnish, nod sagely. Others, particularly the older men, stare at one another with raised eyebrows as Johanna’s words are translated into Arabic for them. One man, hunkered down inside his black ski jacket seems to be taking notes while there’s a faint smile on the lips of the only headscarfed young woman in the room.

Sorry, but I had to laugh reading this. On the other hand, it is reality, and my guess is that Finland is not the only country offering these classes. They may be hiring a lot of teachers for this new curriculum.

The class is more than teaching men about Western women. It’s also about persuading them to be more tolerant of homosexuality. I’d love to see the students’ faces when they teach that class.

How many students will pass the class? My guess is that most of them will so that they can continue to live in Finland. How much do they retain? Well, that's another matter, and their wives and sisters probably won’t see much of a change.

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Image: Timo Newton-Syms