In the wake of last Friday’s terrorist attack in Oslo and the surrounding area, Icelanders have shown an outpouring of support for Norway.
As many are undoubtedly aware, a far-right Norwegian terrorist detonated a car bomb in downtown Oslo last Friday, killing seven, before moving on to Utoya island, where he gunned down nearly 90 people attending a youth camp there.
Many Icelanders were quite shaken by the news, and not just because of the cultural bonds between the two countries – many Icelanders have friends and family living in Norway, and a great number of them spent the weekend trying to reach those in Norway who they feared may have been lost.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Össur Skarphéðinsson sent his sympathies to Norwegian authorities, and yesterday, the national cathedral opened its doors to the general public in a special mass dedicated to Norway.
Flags flew at half-mast at all government offices, and Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir asked Icelanders to observe a minute of silence at ten o’ clock this morning.
We at the Grapevine would also like to express our deepest and most sincere sympathies for our Norwegian readers. Know that you are in our thoughts, and in our hearts.
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