Conservatives criticise their MP
Ásmundur Friðriksson, MP. mbl.is/Árni Sæberg
Member of parliament for the conservative Independence Party has been harshly criticised by several prominent party members for his comment on Facebook last weekend that the background of all Muslims living in Iceland, who count several hundred people, should be scrutinised to see if any of them has been trained by terrorists abroad or has fought with jihadists in Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan.
Former Minister of Justice for the Independence Party, Björn Bjarnason, accused the MP, Ásmundur Friðriksson, of ignorance in an article today for his comment adding that the Icelandic authorities did not have any legal means to carry out such background check of people simply based on their religion. Friðriksson would have to put a bill to parliament in order to change the laws in question for this to be possible. Something he had no intention of doing.
Friðriksson's fellow MP for the Independence Party, Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir, commented on the issue on Facebook stressing that she was in favour of an open, democratic society which guarantees human rights regardless of opinions, economy, sex and social status in general. „Individuals are not investigated by the state on grounds of their religion in that kind of a society.“
Furthermore the youth branch of the Independence Party issued a resolution today condemning Friðriksson's comment and urging the MP to apologise to the Muslim community in Iceland. „It is important that world leaders do not concede in the fight against terrorist groups like the Islamic State but oppose at the same time persecution against religious minority groups.“ Former chairwoman of Reykjavík Young Conservatives, Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, said on Facebook that she felt ashamed being in the same party as Friðriksson.
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