Light from the North: Iceland’s First All-Muslim Couple Marry
Islam is everywhere, even where you’d typically least expect it. Our faith is growing, spreading, reaching out to the furthest corners of the globe, as far south as Australia, as far north as Scandinavia.
April 2009, heralded an important landmark for the Muslim community in Iceland, as the country’s first “all-Icelandic” couple got married at the Reykjavik Muslim Association Mosque.
Coming in From the Cold
The ceremony to wed Hjalti Bjorn Valthorsson and Gunnhildur Aevarsdottir was performed by the head of the association Salmann Tamimi.
Salmann told IceNews, that the wedding was, well, big Iceland news…
“There have been Icelanders who have converted and married members of our community, but this is the first all-Icelandic couple we have married,” he commented to Icleandic news service Frettabladid.
According to the leader, the number of Muslims in Iceland has increased rapidly over the last couple of years.
“Two or three years ago you could count them more or less on the fingers of one hand, but now there are between 30 and 40 (Muslims in the Association),” he said. “Things seem to be improving for Muslims, both here in Iceland and elsewhere these days.”
Islam: Setting a Good Example
Salmann also commented on the growth of Islamic banking as a role model for Westerners. As far as he is concerned, Western nations are increasingly learning from the Muslim ideal of reducing or eliminating interest payments, which are forbidden under Islamic law. This seems particularly relevant in a time of global crisis prompted by financial illusion and castles of credit, a predicament in which Iceland has found itself precariously situated.
Salmann also pointed out that Muslims famously do not eat pork, a fact he considers especially relevant at a time when a swine flu pandemic has broken out.
A Light in the North and A Bright Future for Islam
Tamimi told IceNews he is looking forward to a bright future for Muslims in Iceland. Much of the increased interest in the faith among Icelandic citizens is coming from young people, which is a trend he hopes to see continue to grow.
