Björk has shared a statement calling for Icelandic authorities to fight for the release of Magga Stína, an Icelandic singer. According to news reports, Stína was among a group of activists seized by the Israeli army on Tuesday night (October 7) after trying to reach Gaza to provide humanitarian aid.
“My childhood friend, musician Magga Stína has just been kidnapped by the Israeli army. She sailed on a boat following Greta Thunberg in trying to open the path for international aid to Gaza,” writes Björk in a post shared to social media. “I believe activism is as diverse as humans are. I support Magga Stína and Greta doing everything possible to try to stop the genocide in Palestine. It is illegal to starve people and hinder that food arrives to children.”
Over the last week, Israel has illegally detained more than 450 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, intercepting almost every one of around 40 boats. Among them was Thunberg, who reportedly experienced “mistreatment and abuses” during her imprisonment, although she highlights that this isn’t the story people should be focused on – they should be more concerned about Israel blocking food and medicine from getting into Gaza while “attempting to erase an entire population, an entire nation in front of our very eyes”. Thunberg has since been deported.
Magga Stína’s family is still campaigning for her safety, and putting pressure on Iceland’s government to demand her immediate release. As Björk points out in her statement: “Iceland has been first in recognising many small nations’ independence. We supported Palestine as a country in 2014. We know after being a colony for 600 years what it feels like to be suppressed. Even though we are few, our voice matters and we can continue to set an example of having the courage to rise up against oppression and represent peace.”
“I ask Icelandic authorities to follow their own support for Palestine 11 years ago, to stop all business interactions with Israel until the genocide in Gaza stops and fight for Magga Stína’s safe return,” she adds. “And in the same spirit: I ask all the world to bring every single nation’s hostage home.”