The law was repealed in 2015 apparently: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/29/basques-safe-iceland-district-repeals-decree-kill-on-sight
The edict was issued in 1615 after a storm destroyed three Basque whaling vessels on an expedition in Iceland. Eighty members of the crew survived, said Gudmundsson, and were left stranded in the area. “They had nothing to eat, and there were accounts of them robbing people and farmers,” he said.
The brewing conflict between locals and the whalers prompted then-sheriff Ari Magnússon to draw up a decree that allowed Basques to be killed with impunity in the district. In the weeks that followed, more than 30 Basques were killed in raids led by the sheriff and local farmers. “It’s one of the darkest chapters of our history,” said Gudmundsson, noting that the incident known as the Slaying of the Spaniards ranks among the country’s bloodiest massacres.
Four centuries later, Gudmundsson decided it was time to set right the wrongs of history. Last week, at the unveiling of a memorial dedicated to the Basque whalers who were killed, he repealed the decree. “This decision was made 400 years ago and it has never formally been repealed until now.”
This is horrible but I can’t help but laugh. “Okay, about 80 people are stuck here because their ships ran aground last night. No one knows they’re here, so they have no way to leave unless we help them, so the logical decision here is to simply murder them until there are none left. All in favor of this, say aye!”
See also any Scotsmen visiting York while carrying a bow and arrow
Why did they pass a law making it legal to kill soup?
I don’t understand why this is a joke. You know a Basque isn’t a type of soup.
i think it’s a play on the word “bisque”, which is a type of soup.
Yes, but that’s a different word. I just don’t feel it’s good enough. If they’d said something about having all your Basques in one exit, then we’d be onto something.
That’s definitely a worse joke.
