Maelfu ya raia wa Iceland wamesema watawakaribisha wakimbizi wa Syria katika makazi yao baada ya serikali yao kutangaza mwezi uliopita kuwa itawapokea watu 50 pekee nchini humo.
Katika kampeni ya Facebook iliyozinduliwa na mwandishi wa Kiaislandi, Bryndis Bjorgvinsdottir, baadhi ya watu 12,000 - 4% ya wakazi wa Iceland - walijitolea kuwakaribisha wakimbizi katika nyumba zao.
Kiasi hicho kitakuwa sawa na Waingereza milioni 2.6.
Bryndis Bjorgvinsdottir
Inakadiriwa kuwa zaidi ya wakimbizi 340,000 wameelekea Ulaya hadi sasa mwaka huu - karibu mara tatu ya idadi ya waliowasili katika miezi saba ya kwanza ya 2014.
Katika chapisho lililo juu ya ukurasa wa Facebook, lililoelekezwa kwa Waziri wa Ustawi wa Iceland, Eygló Harðar, Bjorgvinsdottir mwenye umri wa miaka 33 aliandika: "Wazo ni kuonyesha serikali kwamba kuna dhamira ya kupokea wakimbizi wengi zaidi kutoka Syria kuliko wale 50 ambao tayari wamejadiliwa.
"Tunataka kushinikiza serikali - kuwaonyesha kwamba tunaweza kufanya vizuri zaidi, na kufanya hivyo mara moja.
"Mwaka 1973 tulipokea wakimbizi 4,000 kutoka Visiwa vya Westman mara moja baada ya mlipuko wa volkano, wakati kila mtu alisaidia - na hatupaswi kusahau idadi ya wajitolea wa kigeni waliokuja nchini kusaidia wakati huo.
"Wakimbizi ni rasilimali watu, uzoefu na ujuzi. Wakimbizi ni wenzi wetu wa baadaye, marafiki bora, mwenzi wetu wa karibu wa roho, mpiga ngoma katika bendi ya watoto wetu, mwenzetu anayefuata, Miss Iceland 2022, seremala ambaye hatimaye anatengeneza bafu yetu, mpishi katika mkahawa, zima moto, mdukuzi na mtangazaji wa televisheni.
"Watu ambao hatutaweza kuwaambia kamwe: 'Maisha yako ni ya thamani kidogo kuliko yangu."
Kufikia sasa, watu 12,000 wamejiunga na kampeni hiyo, huku matoleo kadhaa yakiwekwa kwenye ukurasa wa Facebook.
Raia wa Iceland wamejitolea huduma zao kuwapikia wale wanaohitaji, kuwapeleka watoto shuleni, kutoa nguo na vyombo vya jikoni na kusaidia wakimbizi wa Syria "kuzoea jamii ya Iceland".
Majibu ya kampeni hiyo yamemfanya Waziri Mkuu wa Iceland Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson kuteua kamati mpya kushughulikia uwezekano wa kuruhusu wakimbizi zaidi kuingia nchini humo, gazeti la Icelandic Review Online linaripoti .
"Imekuwa lengo letu katika siasa za kimataifa kuwa na msaada katika maeneo mengi iwezekanavyo na hili ni moja wapo ya maeneo ambayo hitaji liko sana hivi sasa," Sigmundur alisema.
Maoni kutoka kwa viongozi wa mataifa ya Ulaya kwa wakimbizi katika bara hilo yametofautiana sana.
Rais wa Czech Miloš Zeman alikosolewa kufuatia maoni yake aliyoyatoa katika mkutano na waandishi wa habari siku ya Jumapili, ambapo alilinganisha wakimbizi waliokata tamaa na "tsunami ambayo itamuua" .
Alikuwa amependekeza kuwa wimbi kubwa la wahamiaji lingelemaza na kuharibu nchi hiyo ya Ulaya Mashariki kwa sababu "wakimbizi watawaalika jamaa zao kujiunga nao".
Siku ya Jumanne, kiongozi wa chama cha Labour, Yvette Cooper, alisema kwamba Uingereza inapaswa kukubali angalau wakimbizi 10,000 ili kukabiliana na mzozo mbaya zaidi wa kibinadamu barani Ulaya tangu Vita vya Pili vya Dunia .
Cooper alitoa wito kwa miji na majiji kote nchini kila moja kuchukua familia kumi za wahamiaji kama sehemu ya juhudi za Uingereza kusaidia maelfu wanaokimbia nchi zilizokumbwa na vita.
Wakati huo huo, Ujerumani inajitayarisha kwa maombi 800,000 ya hifadhi mwaka huu - mara nne ya idadi iliyopokea mwaka wa 2014.
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Amazing woman! How wonderful to reach out and help those in need. Sadly, some of the previous posts may tolerate helping others, but only "certain" types of people. It seems the ultra-religious folks seem to think only "chosen" groups of humans should be helped, and anyone who disagrees with their own dogma should simply fall by the wayside. This is contradictory to what the person they worship (Jesus) taught. He said to love all people equally. Sad to see that they "pick & choose" to whom they offer their sentiments. Perhaps the people writing these posts come from warmongering nations that prides themselves on taking lands, violent oppression, aggression and conquest. That may explain the Xenophobic and Islamaphobic responses about this wonderful story. Ladies and gentlemen, let me remind you, this planet is a big place filled with many different human beings, just like a beautiful flower garden. This story is a wonderful example of real and true devotion to one's fellow human beings. The nay-sayers can shake their heads, thump their Bibles or get their yarmulkes all twisted up, but the fact remains that what this woman has done is a true example of real dedication to helping other human beings in need. Love in action. Isn't that what religion is supposed to be all about in the first place??
[Hide Full Comment]As with everything balance in needed. We
can't be swept up only by the action of doing good so that we can feel
good. Safety and precaution and judgement is needed too! Best of luck to the
refugees and those who open their homes to them!
This is a fantastic idea and she is spot on about how many gems and gifts there are in refugees. I am so tired of people painting refugees as somehow inherently dangerous or to be watched out for in safety.... refugees are doctors, lawyers, teachers, custodians, MA and PhD recipients, they are mothers and daughters, fathers and sons. Please see refugees as human beings and not the stereotypes in your minds. Thank you!
I congratulate Iceland on the wonderful open citizens who who compassion and love for others.
People like Ken, who communicated his fear and aggression in his post, also need compassion because they suffer greatly. I hope that he can reconcile with the world around him, just as we all have to.
Such a positive uplifting post, only to be followed by 2 comments full of fear and hate and racism the likes of which I have never read on the Daily Good since I started reading it the year of its inception. Filled with sadness that this blog now has readers who hate so much they must advertise it in these pages.
Some of the Icelanders will probably live to regret this huge mistake, others will die a horrible death, or mutilation. I can see a rape epidemic coming on and Iceland is ill prepared for the onslaught of savages roaming the streets of their cities.
I wonder how the homeowners vet the Syrians for safety.
Can this even be done?
Or do the homeowners just wing it. Assume they are OK.
Because faith.
I wonder what level of risk they take.
Do they just take women and children? Or military age men as well.
How about their level of fundamentalism. Is their a nogo level?
If the refugee in your house wants to actively practice sharia, do you go along? What about if they begin to resent you if you dont? What do you do then?
I enjoy helping other people, but these basic hard questions of physical safety risk management are unanswered in the article.