Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.04.2007, Blaðsíða 3

REYKJAVÍK_GRAPEVINE_ISSUE 04_007_NEWS_0504_RVK_GV_ISSUE 04_007_LETTERS
Dear Editor,
Thanks for printing my letter in your
Sour Grapes section. (I bitched
about the local authorities taking
their time or even ignoring the
charges I filed when my Icelandic
ex-boyfriend assaulted me.)
I had no idea my letter was
printed. It was only when my
IS journalist friend (who reads
every printed word of every local
publication) told me he saw it and
thought it got a great response.
(And to think the Grapevine had
been sitting quietly on my couch all
this time.)
Now I’m newly inspired to keep
applying pressure to the authorities
until my case is heard!
BTW: the guy was served and now
they’re deciding whether or not it
deserves a hearing. If they don’t,
you (and every other paper) may
hear from me again. I want him to
suffer some sort of consequence
for his abuse if it can’t be a financial
penalty or mark on his public
record.
Thanks for the support. I can
get lonely up here.
All the best,
Xxxxx (Name withheld by editor).
Dear Xxxxx,
Thank you for your update. I am
glad to hear that there is progress
being made with your case. As
before, I urge you (and others in
your position) to stay the course.
It is the courage of people like you
that force changes to stagnant
situations.
Ed.
Dear editor.
Thank you for your good rebuttal
to Haukur Sigurbjörn Magnússon
letter in last issue regarding
black metal. However i am very
concerned about Haukur Sigurbjörn
Magnússon attitude towards black
metal. Here in Norway it has
caused much grief and sorrow. It is
a vicious “art” form which should
not be tolerated. I was under the
impression in my last visit to your
beautiful country that black metal
was not part of the metal scene
in Iceland. Haukur Sigurbjörn
Magnússon’s letter has filled me
with doubts.
Is it possible that a black metal
scene is brewing in Reykjavik?
Haukur Sigurbjörn Magnússon
should read the excellent book,
“Svart-metal - mere svart en du
tror” by Knut Eide, my brother.
After doing that he will surely not
speak of black metal in such ways.
Please print this letter in your
publication.
Sincerely,
Öyvind Eide,
Bergen
Dear Öyvind,
Thank you for your letter. It is
always nice to hear from our
neighbours in Norway. I share your
concerns about Haukur Sigurbjörn
Magnússon, not only regarding his
attitude towards Black Metal, but
his attitude towards life in general.
It seems to me that he needs
to adopt a more life-affirming
philosophy. I believe he needs more
love in his life. Perhaps he should
get a dog…
I also share your concerns over
the brewing black metal scene in
Reykjavík. It seems to me that black
metal followers need to adopt a
more life affirming philosophy. I
also fear that Icelandic black metal
followers will prove to be even
rowdier than their Norwegian
counterparts. My fear is that they
will indiscriminately burn down any
house of worship, regardless of
religion. They might even have the
nerve burn down the Pagan Hof.
This is my fear.
Your brother certainly sounds
like wise man. I wish we had more
of his kind here in Iceland.
Ed.
Dear Grapevine!

I am a Swedish citizen who recently
moved to Reykjavík. While learning
the Icelandic language, it has
become apparent to me that the
Icelandic need a major and non-
nostalgic language reform. The
Icelanders have had centuries to do
this themselves, but haven’t come
up with anything very impressive.
Hence, I cannot but conclude that
the modernisation of the Icelandic
language resides in the hands of us
immigrants.

Simplifications that could be
considered are for example:
(1) we use all substantives and
personal names in their nominative
form only. Þolfall, págufall and
eignarfall will be abolished.
(2) We treat all substantives like
one genus, which - for reasons
of political correctness - will be
neuter. This goes for numbers as
well.
(2) We use the verb form for 1st
person singular for both 1st, 2nd
and 3rd person in singular as well
as plural

Icelandic people tend to understand
these simplifications. They just
find this use of grammar very
wrong. But if all immigrants were
to use new rules, systematically
and over a sustained time, they
would eventually intermingle with
the present Icelandic and become
accepted.
With the present immigration,
and in the absence of a decent,
basic grammar book of the kind
used to learn other european
languages, it is not likely that
the Icelandic language will survive
in its current form anyway. It will,
as Darwin put it, evolve or die.
As Reykjavík Grapevine is read
by many foreigners in Iceland, I
suggest that Grapevine leads the
way and that you consider starting
a monthly column - in Icelandic -
using this modernised grammar.

Best regards,
Hanna Westesson
Dear Hanna,
I have an even better idea. How
about you stop spending all
your free time in Sirkus and start
attending the Icelandic classes
you actually signed up for and do
your homework. Maybe then, the
Icelandic language would stop
being such a mystery to you.
Ed.
Cappuccino + bagle + yoghurt = 650 kr.
First Acts for Airwaves
Announced
Mr. Destiny, the promoter of the annual
Iceland Airwaves Festival, has announced
the first acts of Iceland Airwaves 2007. By
now, the British dance-rockers Bloc Party,
the energetic party group !!! (pronounced
chk, chk, chk) and of Montreal from the US
will be among this year’s headliners.
The Airwaves festival, now in its
ninth year, will as usual be presenting an
impressive line-up of local and international
acts. In addition to the above mentioned,
34 acts of 170 in total have been confirmed,
including GusGus, múm, Benni Hemm
Hemm, Mugison, Jenny Wilson from
Sweden, US based pop group Best Fwends
and Canadian rapper Buck 65.
The festival will take place in various
venues all over downtown Reykjavík during
the week of October 17-21.
Hafnarfjörður Rejects
Aluminium Giant
On March 31, the inhabitants of
Hafnarfjörður got the chance to take part
in a public consultation and have their
say on the proposed enlargement of the
Straumsvík aluminium smelter (ISAL),
owned by industrial giant Alcan Inc. The
enlargement would increase the smelter’s
annual capacity from 170,000 tons to
46,.000 tons.
The results of the residential elections
came as a shock to all heavy-industry
supporters as the Hafnarfjörður residents
rejected the urbanisation plan by 88 votes.
Of 12,747 people, 50.06% voted no and
49.37% voted yes, resulting in the town
being divided into two almost equal
halves.
This sure was a happy day for
environmental enthusiasts who interpreted
the results as a turning point in the heavy-
industry dilemma. The other half, both
disappointed and frustrated, wasn’t in
the same party mood and accused the
opponents of an election scam. The
organisation Hagur Hafnarfjarðar, a
group of people and companies that have
vested interests in the smelter argued that
approximately 700 people had moved
their legal residence to Hafnarfjörður,
only to earn the right to vote against the
expansion. The organisation is considering
an investigation.
Jón Sigurðsson, Minister of Industry and
Commerce, told RUV after the results were
announced, that this outcome didn’t mean
that plans for further projects around the
country would be cancelled. He furthermore
added that the outcome wasn’t binding,
a statement the municipal authorities in
Hafnarfjörður don’t agree with.
It has been argued that the outcome
may increase the likelihood of a smelter
being built in Helguvík in near future and
Alcan Iceland Ltd. is already considering
building a smelter at Keilisnes, a spit of
land on the Reykjanes peninsula.
After the elections, Alcan Inc. announced
that the company was analysing the close
results to assess the impact they may have
on the future of the smelter. A news release
published on the company’s website reads:
“Alcan is proud of its 40-year relationship
with the local community in Iceland and
will continue to work together with all
involved to provide for a better future for
ISAL and all its stakeholders.”
It has already been stated in the media
that Alcan can increase the smelter’s annual
capacity without the planned expansion by
building a smelter with more production
capabilities.
Ómar Ragnarsson Becomes
Party Chairman
The representatives of a new political party,
Íslandshreyfingin (The Icelandic Movement)
announced their candidature for the
parliamentary elections in May at a press
conference held at the end of March.
The party’s organisation numbers
seven individuals, including environmental
crusader and former TV reporter Ómar
Ragnarsson, who has been nominated as
the chairman, former Liberal Party manager
Margrét Sverrisdóttir as vice-chairman, and
Jakob Frímann Magnússon who left the
Social Democratic Alliance in February.
The Icelandic Movement will place the
main emphasis on environmental issues.
At the press conference, Ómar Ragnarsson
explained that the party would focus on
keeping the environment in the spotlight
and fight against further heavy industry
projects as well as emphasising innovation,
general welfare, equality and increased
democracy.
According to a Capacent Gallup poll
published in Morgunblaðið on March 30,
the first poll published after the party
announced its candidature, The Icelandic
Movement received 5.2% support. In that
same poll, 36.7% of those asked named
the Independence Party, 19.9% supported
the Social Democratic Alliance, 8.3%
said they would vote for the Progressive
Party while the support for the Liberal
Party had dropped to 5.3%. The Left-
Green Movement is still the second largest
political party, receiving 24% support.
HIV Increases Among Drug Users
According to a new report by the Icelandic
Directorate of Health, published in March,
a total of 11 cases of HIV were diagnosed
in 2006, eight men and three women.
According to the report, the disease is still
rare in Iceland, but should be considered
endemic. A higher percentage of hetero-
sexual persons are now contracting the
disease than before.
According to the Icelandic Directorate
of Health, HIV among intravenous drug-
users is on the rise. Three related cases
were diagnosed in the final months of 2006
and the Directorate warns that this number
will rise if no effort is made to make clean
needles and syringes freely available to
intravenous drug-users.
Biggest Support for a Leftist
Government
According to a new Capacent Gallup poll
published in Morgunblaðið on March 16,
28.1% of those who were asked, which
two political parties they would you like to
see form the next government, named the
Left-Green Movement in coalition with the
Social Democrats. The poll showed 24.2%
support for the ruling coalition parties.
An alliance between the Independence
Party and the Left-Green Movement
received a 22.4% support while only 9.6%
would like to see the Independence Party
in coalition with the Social Alliance after
the elections in May.
When asked which party the participants
would like to see in government, 61.3% of
those questioned named the Independence
Party. The Left-Green Movement ranked
second with 59.5% while 44.1% supported
the Social Alliance. The Progressive Party
received 28,7% and the Liberal Party
8.6%.
The poll was undertaken between
March 8 and 13. The poll reached 61.7% of
1,230 people and 65.7% of them answered
the questions. 26.7% of those questioned
were still undecided and 7.5% refused to
answer.
Status: Economic Growth 2.6%
in 2006
According to provisional data from Statistics
Iceland, Icelandic Gross Domestic Product
in 2006 was 1,142 billion ISK ($12.85 bil).
In real terms, GDP grew at a rate of 2.6%,
down from 7.2% growth in the previous
year.
Last year’s growth in GDP can mainly
be explained by 4.6% growth in household
final consumption and 13% growth in fixed
capital formation. This was mainly offset
by a growth in imports, which increased
by 8.8% in real terms. At the same
time exports declined by 5.6% with the
consequences that the balance on current
account became negative by 303 billion
ISK, 26.5% of GDP. In 2005 the balance
on current account was negative by 163
billion ISK, 16% of GDP.
Regardless of some improvements in
terms of trade, a considerable growth in
net outflow of primary income led to a
decline in Gross National Income (GNI) by
1.7% after 8.1% growth the year before.

Iceland Welcomes 20 to 30
Refugees
According to Morgunblaðið on March
13, the government decided that instead
of welcoming a group of refugees every
second year, Iceland would now welcome
approximately 25 to 30 refugees every
year.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
the Ministry of Social Affairs have been
working on the proposal together in
cooperation with the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The
Ministries will work in cooperation with the
municipalities and the Red Cross in Iceland
to strengthen the country’s refugee policy
in the future.
For the past ten years, 217 refugees
have resettled in Iceland. In 2005 the
group consisted of children and mothers
from Kosovo and Columbia.

Björgúlfsson 249th Among
Richest in World
Icelandic Investment Banker Björgólfur Thor
Björgólfsson sits in 249th on the Forbes list
for World´s Billionaires, a list of the world’s
richest individuals. Björgólfsson has gained
100 seats since last year’s list. According
to Forbes, Björgúlfsson’s wealth is worth
235 billion ISK ($3,5. billion). His Father,
Björgúlfur Guðmundsson, worth 80 billion
ISK ($1.2 billion) sits at 799. Guðmundsson
recently bought the British football club
West Ham. 946 people made this year’s
Forbes rich list.
Björgúlfsson himself doesn’t have
trouble finding ways to spend his
money. To celebrate his 40th birthday,
Björgúlfsson threw a posh party in Jamaica
for his friends, featuring rapper Fifty Cent,
Jamiroquai and the sons of Bob Marley.
The whole extravaganza supposedly set
him back around 200 million ISK.
News in Brief
Text by Steinunn Jakobsdóttir and Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
Sour Grapes
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