A dubious Dutch politician

You might have read about the Dutch parliamentary elections which were held this month. Many newspapers focussed on the Netherlands shifting to the right and the politician Wilders.

One of the parties participating in these elections and winning some seats in the parliament (10 out of 150) was the progressive, left-winged party GroenLinks (GreenLeft). Personally I deeply appreciate its party leader, Femke Halsema, whom I trust to be seriously progressive and left-winged. E.g., concerning the Islamic headscarf she said:

(...) When I come to my children’s school it’s difficult for me – I really come straight out of the feminist movement – that I then sit among all types of veiled women. I will not attack their rights in there. But I can’t wait for the moment when they’ll freely fling off their headscarf. I prefer each woman in the Netherlands to be headscarf-less. And completely free. I don’t believe that any God has clothing requirements too. It was the men who expounded faith.
You don’t coerce women’s emancipation from the top. It must come from the woman herself. I have said that police agents should be able to wear headscarves. I have quarreled with Ciska Dresselhuys [a well-known feminist, Suz.], who did not want to accept any woman with a headscarf for Opzij magazine. That that doesn’t alter the fact that I have difficulties with the headscarf.
I notice it in my neighborhood: Naturally Islam is a problem. Indeed, especially Islam in combination with illiteracy. It is: having few opinions of your own about the good life. Not having much foothold in education and work, fearing our society and thereby being very receptive to what the imam thinks. Who is often very conservative.

Currently the biggest parties (liberal (VVD), Christian (CDA) and the party of Wilders (PVV)) are trying to form a coalition so that they can govern the country. If that fails however, it might be that there will be a more left-winged coalition which might mean that the GreenLeft party will be in the government as well.

As a concerned Dutch citizen, I believe it's my duty to unveil some background information on one of the new members of the Dutch parliament connected to this sympathetic small GreenLeft party: Arjan el Fassed.

Arjan el Fassed was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and a PalArab father (Walid el Fassed). He had lived for a while in ar-Ram and in Nablus (The boring truth, Jerusalem Post, Aug 21, 1998). He is best known for his book "Niet iedereen kan stenen gooien" (Not everyone can throw stones) and being an editor for and co-founder of the Electronic Intifada. He worked as a program manager for Oxfam Novib, an organization which he himself considers not impartial.

El Fassed is not in favor of a two state solution, contrary to what GreenLeft stands for!

Arjan el Fassed is the one behind the Mandela-Hoax. He, himself, made up that Mandela had said the following:

“Apartheid is a crime against humanity. Israel has deprived millions of Palestinians of their liberty and property. It has perpetuated a system of gross racial discrimination and inequality. It has systematically incarcerated and tortured thousands of Palestinians, contrary to the rules of international law. It has, in particular, waged a war against a civilian population, in particular children.”

Jimmy Carter even cited the letter. But Mandela never said, wrote or endorsed those words. Nevertheless, this quote started to live an own life and Israel-haters continue to use this fabricated Mandela-quote. Thanks to Mr. el Fassed.

Arjan el Fassed is connected to the organization al-Awda (The Palestinian Right to Return Coalition). That Mandela-memo he published on al-Awdas mailing list.

A "lovely" organization which talks about "Israel" rather than Israel:

Al-Awda's 2004 convention adopted by an overwhelming consensus a number of "points of unity", among which were included Al-Awda's vision, objectives and strategies. The "points of unity", which were later adopted by Al-Awda, advocated, first, the establishment "of an independent, democratic state for all its citizens in all of Palestine ... which encompasses present-day 'Israel', the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

And last, but definitely not least. Arjan el Fassed worked for LAW: the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights, the PLO legal advocacy lobby:

Ascherman identified the LAW organization, the PLO legal advocacy lobby. Yet a call to LAW revealed that LAW does not deal with the question of uprooting of trees. The LAW spokesman, Arjan El Fassed explained, that while LAW is not a humanitarian organization per se. He mentioned that monies that they receive from the Rabbis for Human Rights go to the families of the "martyrs" who have been killed over the past ten months. Asked to define what he means by "martyrs", El Fassed described the various attacks in which Palestinians have died in attacks on Israelis. In other words, the Rabbis for Human Rights have been providing funds for the families of Suicide Bombers.