MP branded ignorant by fellow Independence Party member 2243

Parliamentarian Ásmundur Friðriksson, who asked on Facebook whether the background of Muslims living in Iceland had been checked to see if any of them had been trained by ter­ror­ists, has been harshly criticised by fellow members of the Independence Party, Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn.

Bjarni Benediktsson, the party’s director, told RÚV that there is no cause to investigate the background of Icelandic Muslims following the attacks in Paris last week. He also said that Ásmundur’s ideas do not reflect the views of the party.

Read more: Parliamenterian wants the background of Muslims living in Iceland to be checked.

Björn Bjar­na­son, for­mer Min­is­ter of Jus­tice for the In­de­pen­dence Party, was among those who criticised Ásmundur, saying that the comment merely exhibits Ásmundur’s own ignorance while stressing that the government cannot conduct background checks based solely on the fact that an individual follows a certain religion.  

The youth branch of the In­de­pen­dence Party is­sued a statement to­day con­demn­ing Ásmundur’s com­ment and urg­ing him to apol­o­gise to the Mus­lim com­mu­nity in Ice­land. 

Parliamentarian Ásmundur Friðriksson, who asked on Facebook whether the background of Muslims living in Iceland had been checked to see if any of them had been trained by ter­ror­ists, has been harshly criticised by fellow members of the Independence Party, Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn.

Bjarni Benediktsson, the party’s director, told RÚV that there is no cause to investigate the background of Icelandic Muslims following the attacks in Paris last week. He also said that Ásmundur’s ideas do not reflect the views of the party.

Read more: Parliamenterian wants the background of Muslims living in Iceland to be checked.

Björn Bjar­na­son, for­mer Min­is­ter of Jus­tice for the In­de­pen­dence Party, was among those who criticised Ásmundur, saying that the comment merely exhibits Ásmundur’s own ignorance while stressing that the government cannot conduct background checks based solely on the fact that an individual follows a certain religion.  

The youth branch of the In­de­pen­dence Party is­sued a statement to­day con­demn­ing Ásmundur’s com­ment and urg­ing him to apol­o­gise to the Mus­lim com­mu­nity in Ice­land.