Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.09.2016, Blaðsíða 8

Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.09.2016, Blaðsíða 8
The villain of the issue this issue is Icelandic volcano reporting, especially when it comes to the international press. Any time there is anything remotely re- sembling seismic activity around one of our volcanoes, you can count on the non- Icelandic press to start churning out lu- rid headlines about how said volcanoes are set to pop any second now, and that when they do they will destroy us all. This kind of reporting is frustrating to the scientists who actually study and monitor volcanoes. Granted, a lot of sci- ence reporting is hyperbolic and over- simplified, but overstating the immi- nence of an eruption doesn’t do anyone any favours in the long run. It creates a kind of “cry wolf” effect, and under- mines volcano reporting as a whole. It’s not too much to ask that reporters ob- serve a degree of nuance when reporting on unpredictable geological phenom- enon, but the clickbait just keeps rolling on, and it’s for that reason that Icelandic volcano reporting is this issue’s villain. The hero of the issue this issue is the Icelandic volcano. Iceland is riddled with volcanoes, and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and types. Some of them bellow giant plumes of ash into the sky, some of them sputter and roar with pho- togenic magma, but all of them serve as a reminder of who’s really in charge here. It’s difficult to forget just how pre- carious human existence really is when you’re looking at melted rock from not- so-far beneath the Earth’s crust rush- ing forth, and when you consider that in some cases there are mere minutes between knowing an eruption will hap- pen and it actually happening. Better still, volcanoes continue to defy human attempts to know exactly when they’ll erupt, leaving timeframes of anywhere between years and decades between blasts. Volcanoes humble us, reminding us that we are but mere insects clinging precariously to the face of the Earth, and it’s for that reason that volcanoes are this issue’s hero. The Icelandic Volcano Icelandic Volcano Reporting Axel Sigurðsson Who Cares About The Kurds? You cannot read the news about what’s happening in Syria right now with- out also reading about the Kurds. For many in the west, the Kurds don’t often pop up on the radar—you might have last heard about them when former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein launched chemical weapons against them in the 80s. Today, Kurdish fighters—in par- ticular, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ)—have made significant in- cursions against Daesh, also known as the Islamic State, in Syria. At the same time, their efforts have been hampered by Tur- key. Turkish President Erdoğan has been a very vocal opponent of the Kurds, and his military incursions and human rights abuses against Kurds in both Turkey and Syria are well documented. Which brings us to Iceland. Like Turkey, Iceland is a member of NATO. Last month, Iceland’s Foreign Affairs Committee, called together by Left- Green MP Steinunn Þóra Árnadóttir, came together to discuss Turkey’s hu- man rights abuses against academics, journalists, and the Kurds. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lilja D. Alfreðsdót- tir was reportedly in attendance, say- ing that she finds these developments “troubling,” adding that “from here for- ward, we will place stronger emphasis on human rights violations committed against Kurds and other minorities in Turkey.” She would later express similar sentiments in Parliament. But what does this mean in any practical sense? In the course of our investigations, we found that it doesn’t mean much. Most members of Parlia- ment have shown zero interest in the subject, despite Kurds in Iceland urging them to take action, and the Icelandic government has been all but silent when it comes to their partners in NATO. All about politics Salah Karim is a Kurd who has been living in Iceland for twenty years. Last week, he hosted a symposium on Kurdistan at Fundur Fólksins (A Meeting of the People), an open semi- nar hosted by the University of Iceland where the general public can listen to and exchange ideas with each other, and with Icelandic political leaders. Salah held a lengthy discussion about the recent history of the Kurds, one of the largest stateless ethnic groups on the planet. As their home- land overlaps Iran, Iraq, Syria and Tur- key—nations which have been decid- edly hostile towards the Kurds—they have often sought help from the rest of the world in their struggle. Salah is no exception. He told us that he sent a let- ter to all 63 members of Iceland’s Parlia- ment on the matter, urging them to do something. A grand total of four have responded. That was two years ago. Two Left-Green MPs and one Social Democrat MP responded to Salah’s letter. One of them, Salah told us, re- sponded positively but apologetically, telling him, “I understand this is se- rious, but unfortunately the Foreign Minister is in the Progressive Party.” As with many countries in the world, Iceland’s Parliament is divided be- tween opposition parties and ruling parties; proposals from the former are almost never considered by the latter. But even Salah’s appeals to ruling coalition members fell on deaf ears. He told us that one of the people who got back to him was Jóhannes Þór Skúlason, assistant to former Prime Minister and Progressive Party chair- person Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugs- son. Jóhannes, Salah told us, told him that he would be contacted soon on the matter. He has yet to receive any word. The elephant in the room One MP who did respond swiftly was Steinunn; Salah told us she got back to him within “a couple weeks” of the let- ter being sent. As she led the initiative in the Foreign Affairs Committee on the matter, we asked her how exactly Iceland will be showing support for the Kurds. “Unfortunately, there has been no formal step taken on behalf of the Ice- landic government,” she told us. “The Foreign Minister has let a public state- ment to the Turks calling upon them to respect human rights suffice.” She added that she and other opposition members have put forward a proposal encouraging the Icelandic government to demand that Turkey respect democ- racy, freedom of the press, and the rights of minorities, including the Kurds. “One of the things I discovered in my work as an MP is that not many politicians have a great interest in for- eign affairs, especially foreign affairs that don’t directly pertain to Iceland,” Steinunn said. “I suppose the situation is the same in other countries.” Because NATO, That’s Why There’s more to the lack of interest in the Kurdish situation than just plain apathy, though. Steinunn believes Ice- land, like other countries, has been re- luctant at best to condemn Turkey for one simple reason. “The elephant in the room is NATO; in particular, Iceland and Turkey’s membership in NATO,” she said. “NATO has expressed full support for Turkey in their campaign against the Kurds. The reason for this is that the West sees Turkey as an important mili- tary ally, and are willing to sacrifice the Kurds. The silence of the international community makes it easier for the Turk- ish government to persecute the Kurds.” Iceland has, however, stood up to major powers before, especially in defense of smaller, often oppressed, peoples. For example, they recognised Palestine as a state in 2011, a step that the majority of Western nations haven’t even taken. When Iceland will apply this policy to the Kurds, unfor- tunately, still remains unknown. “Not many politicians have a great interest in foreign affairs, especially foreign affairs that don’t directly pertain to Iceland” ANALYSIS The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 14 — 2016 8 Words PAUL FONTAINE Photo ART BICNICK Share this article: GV.IS/KRD14 HERO OF THE ISSUE VILLAIN OF THE ISSUE
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