Parliamentarian Ásmundur Friðriksson wonders on his Facebook page if the background of the 1,500 Muslims living in Iceland has been checked as he simultaneously condemns the terrorists attacks in Paris.
Ásmundur is a member of the the Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) and presents his thoughts under the headline “Are we safe in Iceland” and then asks “Have some Icelandic Muslims been in training camp of terrorists or fought in Afghanistan, Syria or any other Muslim country during time of turmoil?
Ásmundur’s party, the Independence Party, forms Iceland’s coalition government with the Progressive Party (Framsóknarflokkurinn).
His comments have been widely criticized and ridiculed. Some members of the Independence Party reacted quickly to put distance between themselves and Ásmundur.
“It’s distressing to be in the same political party as Ásmundur Friðriksson,” writes Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, a former chairman of the party’s youth division, on her Facebook page and adds that the comments shows “prejudice and ignorance”. Magnús Júlíusson, also from the party’s youth division says the comments are “alarming” and go against the party principles of civil rights and personal freedom.
Bjarni Benediktsson, the chairman of the Independence Party has not expressed his opinion on Ásmundur's comments.
We at Iceland Insider say:
Ásmundur’s comments are intended to stoke unsubstantiated fear and show his inner racist sentiments. He should know that Iceland does indeed have a National Security Unit that co-operates with various intelligence agencies, within NATO and Europe. Those agencies monitor foreign citizens joining fighters in Syria and other countries. If an Icelander shows up on their radars the information would be delivered to the right place.
Parliamentarian Ásmundur Friðriksson wonders on his Facebook page if the background of the 1,500 Muslims living in Iceland has been checked as he simultaneously condemns the terrorists attacks in Paris.
Ásmundur is a member of the the Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) and presents his thoughts under the headline “Are we safe in Iceland” and then asks “Have some Icelandic Muslims been in training camp of terrorists or fought in Afghanistan, Syria or any other Muslim country during time of turmoil?
Ásmundur’s party, the Independence Party, forms Iceland’s coalition government with the Progressive Party (Framsóknarflokkurinn).
His comments have been widely criticized and ridiculed. Some members of the Independence Party reacted quickly to put distance between themselves and Ásmundur.
“It’s distressing to be in the same political party as Ásmundur Friðriksson,” writes Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, a former chairman of the party’s youth division, on her Facebook page and adds that the comments shows “prejudice and ignorance”. Magnús Júlíusson, also from the party’s youth division says the comments are “alarming” and go against the party principles of civil rights and personal freedom.
Bjarni Benediktsson, the chairman of the Independence Party has not expressed his opinion on Ásmundur's comments.
We at Iceland Insider say:
Ásmundur’s comments are intended to stoke unsubstantiated fear and show his inner racist sentiments. He should know that Iceland does indeed have a National Security Unit that co-operates with various intelligence agencies, within NATO and Europe. Those agencies monitor foreign citizens joining fighters in Syria and other countries. If an Icelander shows up on their radars the information would be delivered to the right place.
