The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) has reported on plans for the 10th Palestinians in Europe Conference, this year to be held in Denmark. According to the report:
The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) and the Palestinian Forum in Denmark announced that this year the 10th Palestinians in Europe Conference will be held in Denmark. The annual conference successfully gathers Palestinian Refugees from across the world, especially in Europe, in calling for their Right of Return and celebrating Palestinian culture. It’s also an opportunity to discuss the Future of the Right of Return during seismic shifts in the Middle East. This year’s conference is titled, “Our Spring blossoms our Return”. It will be held on, Saturday, 28, April 2012 in Denmark, Copenhagen. According to Majed al Zeer, PRC General Director and Conference President, the slogan for this year was inspired by the Arab Spring. It also represents a major hope amongst Palestinians who see this wave of change for freedom and human rights having a positive impact in their own historical struggle for freedom and human rights. Palestinians in Europe Conference General Secretary, Adel Abdallah, stated that invitations have been dispatched for many renowned personas who will participate in the event. Chair of the Palestinian Forum in Denmark expressed his extreme joy for holding the conference in Denmark again. He said “this shows the importance of Palestinian Community in Denmark which is one of the biggest in Europe”. It’s expected that a number of politicians, journalists, academics, experts, activists and others will be taking part. Belal al Fout, Head of Preparatory Committees confirmed that the different committees have been formed and preparations are taking place.Thousands of Palestinians from all across Europe and around the world are expected to take part in the conference. During the previous nine years the conference was held in various European cities like London 2003, Berlin 2004, Vienna 2005, Malmo 2006, Rotterdam 2007, Copenhagen 2008, Milan 2009, Berlin 2010 and Wuppertal, Germany 2011. A statement is expected to be issued at the conclusion on behalf of the Palestinians in Europe regarding their position towards different issues and reinstate their unflinching resolve for the right of return.
A post from May 2011 reported reported on the 9th Palestinians in Europe Conference which was held in Wuppertal, Germany and, as always, featured leaders from Hamas and the Global Muslim Brotherhood. Important figures who spoke at the conference tied to Global Muslim Brotherhood included Amin About Rashed, identified in an earlier post as an organizer of the Gaza Flotilla and a Hamas/Muslim Brotherhood leader in the Netherlands, and Shakib Mahklouf, the leader of the Federation of Islamic Organizations In Europe (FIOE), representing the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. The PRC has also co-sponsored past Palestinians in Europe conferences which have featured individuals tied to the global Muslim Brotherhood and/or Hamas. For example, the 2010 conference was scheduled to feature Hamas legislator Aziz Al Duwaik and the 2009 conference was addressed via video link by Gaza Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. The 2008 Conference featured , former US. Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammad Akram Al-Adlouni, and Raed Salah, a leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel and close to Hamas. Nihad Awad of the U.S. Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) was also invited to speak.
The PRC, a co-sponsor of the conference, has strong ties to the global Muslim Brotherhood. Two PRC directors are also directors of the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), generally regarded as part of the UK. Muslim Brotherhood. The PRC is also listed as an affiliate of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) which frequently acts in concert with U.K. Muslim Brotherhood groups and PRC activities are frequently promoted by the MAB, MCB, and other U.K. Brotherhood organizations. PRC director Ghassan Four is also a Trustee of INTERPAL, a key member of the Union of Good and part of the Muslim Brotherhood Hamas fund-raising network . PRC director Zaher Birawi is a Trustee of Education Aid for Palestine (EAP), also a part of the Union of Good. Mr. Birawi is also head of programming for Al-Hiwar TV which frequently features MB/Hamas individuals and organizations and was founded by Azzam Al-Tamimi, a U.K Muslim Brotherhood leader and close to Hamas. An Israeli web site, known to be close to Israeli military intelligence, has reported that Mr. Birawi, along with another PRC Trustee are “past Hamas operatives who found refuge in Britain in the early nineties.” The executive director of the PRC is Arafat Madi (aka Arafat Madi Shoukri) who is also the chairman of the European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza (ECESG), one of the main sponsors of the Gaza flotilla movement.