Iceland: We are no terrorists!

On Wednesday October 8th, the British Government invoked anti-terrorist legislation, which was in effect aimed at the people of Iceland. This devastating attack on our society was received with disbelief here in Iceland, where it turned a grave economic situation into a national disaster. The people of Iceland have always considered themselves great friends of the United Kingdom. Our nations have a long history of mutually beneficial trade and have been close allies in NATO and Europe.

After Gordon Brown used anti-terror laws to freeze the assets of an Icelandic bank, the Land of the Midnight Sun is fighting back. Given Iceland does not have an army, the uprising is less Viking warrior and more citizen's revolt. Yesterday, more than 35,000 people " a ninth of the population " signed an online petition to let the world know that Icelanders are not terrorists. "Gordon Brown unjustifiably used the Anti-Terrorism Act against the people of Iceland for his own short-term political gain," the petition says. "This has turned a grave situation into a national disaster... hour by hour and day by day the actions of the British Government are indiscriminately obliterating Icelandic interests."

Accompanying the petition is a series of portraits of Icelanders holding up their own protestations of innocence. There is the family posing in front of their skiing photos in matching brown and cream knitted jumpers, reassuring "Darling Brown. We are not terrorists but terribly nice and friendly". And there's the blonde toddler. "What did you call me?" she asks, midway through devouring a bowl of ice cream.