上个月冰岛政府宣布仅接收 50 名叙利亚难民入境后，数千名冰岛人表示欢迎叙利亚难民到家中居住。
在冰岛作家布林迪斯·比约格文斯多蒂尔发起的一项 Facebook 活动中，约有 12,000 人（占冰岛人口的 4%）表示愿意接纳难民到家中居住。
这笔款项相当于260万英国人。
布林迪斯·比约格文斯多蒂尔
据估计，今年迄今为止已有超过 34 万名难民涌入欧洲——几乎是 2014 年前七个月抵达人数的三倍。
在 Facebook 页面顶部的一篇帖子中，33 岁的 Bjorgvinsdottir 向冰岛福利部长 Eygló Harðar 写道：“我们的想法是向政府表明，我们愿意接收比之前讨论过的 50 名叙利亚难民更多的难民。”
“我们想推动政府——向他们展示我们可以做得更好，而且要立即做到。”
“1973 年，火山爆发后，我们一夜之间接收了 4000 名来自韦斯特曼群岛的难民，当时每个人都伸出了援手——我们也不应该忘记当时来到我国提供帮助的众多外国志愿者。
难民是人力资源、经验和技能。难民可能是我们未来的配偶、最好的朋友、下一个灵魂伴侣、我们孩子乐队的鼓手、我们未来的同事、2022 年冰岛小姐、最终修好我们浴室的木匠、食堂的厨师、消防员、黑客和电视主持人。
“我们永远无法对有些人说：‘你的生命不如我的值钱。’”
截至目前，已有 12,000 人参与了这项活动，Facebook 页面上发布了一系列优惠信息。
冰岛公民自愿提供服务，为有需要的人做饭，接送孩子上学，捐赠衣物和厨具，并帮助叙利亚难民“适应冰岛社会”。
据《冰岛在线评论》报道，这场运动的反响促使冰岛总理西格蒙杜尔·戴维·贡劳格松任命了一个新委员会，以探讨允许更多难民进入该国的可能性。
西格蒙德尔说：“我们在国际政治领域的目标一直是尽可能在各个领域提供帮助，而这正是目前最需要帮助的领域之一。”
欧洲各国领导人对欧洲大陆难民问题的反应各不相同。
捷克总统米洛什·泽曼在周日的新闻发布会上发表了一番言论， 将绝望的难民比作“会杀死他的海啸” ，此番言论招致了批评。
他曾表示，大量移民涌入将使这个东欧国家瘫痪并摧毁，因为“难民会邀请他们的亲戚来和他们团聚”。
周二，工党领袖候选人伊薇特·库珀表示， 英国应该接收至少 10,000 名难民，以应对二战以来欧洲最严重的人道主义危机。
库珀呼吁全国各城镇接收十个移民家庭，这是英国帮助成千上万逃离战乱国家的民众的努力的一部分。
与此同时， 德国正准备应对今年可能收到的 80 万份庇护申请——是 2014 年收到的申请数量的四倍。
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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.