xenophobia
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Professor Has Doubts Xenophobia Is On The Rise
A professor of political science believes that the danger of far-right political movements in Scandinavia are exaggerated, despite rising levels of support. RÚV spoke with Ólafur Þ. Harðarson, a professor of political science at the University of Iceland, about far-right political movements…
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Single Mum Denied Apartment Because She’s Muslim
Marwa Salameh, a single mother with two children and a Palestinian asylum seeker, was told she couldn’t rent an apartment in Reykjavík because she’s muslim, reports Vísir. In the exchange seen above, the landlord first writes in Icelandic “I don’t want muslims”…
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Iceland After The Paris Attacks: Fear And Opportunity
Icelandic government officials were quick to respond to last Friday’s deadly attacks in Paris, but not just in the sense of expressing sympathy and condolences. The following Monday, Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, Minister of the Interior Ólöf Nordal, and Chief of…
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Paint An Open Gate On This Wall
In a single day at the end of August, ten thousand Icelanders, three percent of the country’s minuscule population, signed up to the Facebook event “Dear Eygló Harðar – Syria Calling.” Addressed to Welfare Minister Eygló Harðardóttir, the online event was created…
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Musicians Can Forbid Radio Stations From Playing Their Songs
Musicians do have the legal right to forbid select radio stations from playing their music, and the channels to do so are relatively straightforward. As reported, both the band Ljótu Hálfvitarnir and legendary singer-songwriter Bubbi Morthens have publicly announced that they forbid…
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Local & Famous Musicians Forbid Radio Station From Playing Their Songs
Local musicians have told a radio station that has been repeatedly accused of xenophobia that the station may no longer play their songs. Legendary Icelandic singer-songwriter Bubbi Morthens posted a public announcement directed at Útvarp Saga – a radio station that has…
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Icelanders’ Approval Of Immigrants Depends On Origin
Whether Icelanders view immigrants positively or negatively depends a great deal on their country of origin, and race appears to be a big factor as well. Kjarninn reports that a new poll from Maskína recently asked respondents how they felt about immigrants…
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Anti-Refugee Folks: No Thanks, We Don’t Need Your “Warnings”
You may have noticed Iceland’s been making international headlines lately when it comes to refugees, and with good reason. Shortly after we reported that a grassroots movement had started here to pressure the government to bring in more refugees, the story spread…
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Never Underestimate The Obvious
To answer a question posed in this column little over a month ago: yes, it seems that we did detain a man for carrying HIV. Racist histrionics The man referred to, late July, in headlines such as “Suspected Of Infecting Women With…
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Did We Just Detain A Man For Carrying HIV? —Debates On Monday #24
“Man under arrest, suspected of infecting women with HIV” ran Vísir’s first headline on this story, early Thursday. “Suspected of infecting women with HIV” headlined RÚV a little later. “A foreign male is suspected …” their item began. Vísir’s second headline, published…
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Young Social Dems Launch #OccupySaga
In response to repeated statements of intolerance from radio station Útvarp Saga, the Young Social Democrats have proposed a day for everyone to call in. Útvarp Saga – in particular, their flagship show Línan laus (“The line is open”) – made headlines…
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Progressive Wants “All Muslims Out” Of Iceland
A municipal representative for the Progressive Party believes Iceland’s Muslims are “rapists and perpetrators of violence”. When reached by the media to elaborate, he refused to comment. Stundin reports that Rafn Einarsson, a representative for the Progressive Party on the Breiðholt neighbourhood…
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Red Cross Campaign Encourages People To “Be Nice” To Immigrants
The Red Cross in Iceland has started a campaign called “Vertu Næs” (“Be Nice”), which encourages Icelanders to “respect people in the country irrespective of origin”. “There are about 320,000 inhabitants in Iceland and 10% of them, around 30,000 individuals, are of…
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Xenophobia, Ignorance And Útvarp Saga: It’s Bullshit-calling Time
When it comes to discussions about immigration and multiculturalism in Iceland, most of our daily media focus has been on the things politicians say. This is natural, to an extent—these are the people who write our laws, after all, which will have…
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Progressive Campaign Manager: Refugee “Slave Owner And Pimp”
The campaign manager for the Progressive Party in Reykjavík has declared Nigerian asylum seeker Tony Omos to be a “slave owner and pimp”. This is also not the first time he has spoken openly against ethnic minorities in Iceland. Stundin reports that…
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Tue: PEGIDA Supporter Appointed To Human Rights Council —Wed: Withdrawn
On Tuesday, the Progressive Party appointed PEGIDA supporter Gústaf Níelsson as vice-member of the Reykjavík Human Rights Council. Gústaf Níelsson is a registered member of the Independency Party, but has consistently expressed hostile views towards Muslims and gay marriage. The appointment met…
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For The Record
The Holocaust remains incomprehensible in its totality. The goose steps taken towards it, while horrendous on their own, can seem less other-wordly. The photograph accompanying this article is taken in Vienna in 1938. The women are put on display on a public…
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Icelandic Muslims Experience Growing Prejudice
Icelandic Muslims have experienced stronger prejudices against them after the terrorist attack against in Paris earlier this month, according to speakers at a symposium on the situation of Muslims in Icelandic society held on Saturday. This was reported by RÚV and Kvennablaðið,…
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MP Wants To Investigate Nation’s Muslims
An MP for the Independence Party has written that he would like for there to be an investigation into Icelandic muslims, to determine whether any of them attended terrorist training camps, reports Vísir. “Has the background of the 1.500 muslims that live in Iceland…
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Which Is Why We Talk About The Weather
Yet another Monday. Feel free to read the following at work. That goes for police staff as well. If you are self-employed, unemployed, a student, in hospital, an irregular migrant or currently on strike, I don’t have to tell you. Your teeth…
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Enforcing The Status Quo
Recently, we covered the story of an opinion piece written by Birgir Örn Guðjónsson – better known to the internet as Biggi the Cop. He’s been a pretty popular figure on social media for his perpetual grin, friendly demeanor and overall charm.…
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Police Officer Wants Limits On Immigrants’ Right To Privacy
Police officer Birgir Örn Guðjónsson, colloquially known as Biggi the cop, wrote an article, published in Fréttablaðið/Vísir on Thursday, under a title which may be loosely translated as “The Forbidden Article”. Birgir shares an anecdote about a man “of foreign origin” who,…
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Being The Other
I won’t soon forget the day I was finally awarded Icelandic citizenship. Having moved to Iceland eight years previous, I fulfilled all the necessary requirements for a non-Schengen immigrant – I had been living continuously in Iceland for at least the past…