Arab European League

The Arab European League or AEL is a Pan-Arabist organization in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Foundation

AEL was founded and is led by Dyab Abou Jahjah, a Lebanese-born Shi'a Muslim living in Belgium who emigrated from Lebanon in 1991 to begin university studies in Belgium. [ [http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0516/p06s01-woeu.html 'Belgian Malcolm X' seeks office] , Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2003] In July 2006, Abou Jahjah returned to Lebanon to join the battle of the 2006 Lebanon War on the side of Hezbollah against Israel.

Activities

The AEL describes itself as Nasserite, Pan-Arabist and anti-Zionist, [ [http://www.arabeuropean.org/article.php?ID=49 Zionism is Racism: AhmadiNajad said it, but we mean it] , AEL, 28 October,2005] while it is sharply criticized by some Jewish groups for being anti-semitic. [http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw2001-2/belgium.htm The Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism] ] The group expresses support for the actions of Islamist "resistance" against the occupation of Iraq and approves the killings of coalition soldiers. [ [http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=1&story_id=13222&name=AEL%3A+every+Dutch+soldier%27s+death+is+a+victory+ AEL: every Dutch soldier's death is a victory] , Expatica, 25 October 2004]

Salon.com reports that the group issued public approvals for the September 11, 2001 attacks [ [http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/06/14/panther/index_np.html The Arabian Panther] , Salon.com, 14 June 2004] and the organization's rallies have been reported by the Christian Science Monitor to end in chanting "jihad" and "Osama Bin Laden". [ [http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0516/p06s01-woeu.html 'Belgian Malcolm X' seeks office] , Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2003] However, the group's English-language website has been critical of Al-Qaeda, referring to the September 11 attacks as "horrifying" [ [http://www.arabeuropean.org/pressreleasedetail.php?ID=27 The Arab European League (AEL) condems rage in the west against Arabs and Muslims, announces picket 16 September to commemorate victims of terror] , AEL, 13 September 2001] and condemning al-Qaeda for alleged terrorist acts committed in Jordan. [ [http://www.arabeuropean.org/article.php?ID=51 Self-Destruction: Mustafa Al Akkad killed by Al Qaida] , AEL, 11 November 2005]

The AEL strives to develop an Arab Muslim communalist movement in Europe. The group participated in the federal elections in Belgium in 2003 under the umbrella RESIST with the PVDA ("Workers Party Belgium", a Maoist political party). The party gained 0.15% in the election of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives [ [http://polling2003.belgium.be/electionshome/uk/result/chamber/table_top.html Elections 2003 - List results - Chamber of Representatives - The Kingdom] ] and 0.27% in the Dutch electoral college of the Belgian Senate. [ [http://polling2003.belgium.be/electionshome/uk/result/senate/table_top.html Elections 2003 - List results - Senate - The Kingdom] ] These electoral results were too low to win a seat.

They also participated in the Flemish elections in 2004 under the denomination Moslim Democratische Partij ("Muslim Democratic Party"), reaching their highest share of votes (0.27%) in the province of Antwerp. This electoral result was too low to gain a seat in the Flemish Parliament. [ [http://polling2004.belgium.be/en/vla/results/results_start.html Elections 2004 > Flemish Council] ]

Following the murder of a 27-year-old Belgian of North African descent by an allegedly mentally ill native Belgian man in Antwerp in 2002, which led to racially influenced riots in the city, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,849399,00.html Arab murder sparks two days of riots in Antwerp] , The Guardian, 28 November 2002] the Arab European League began patrolling the streets of Antwerp with video cameras to monitor police activity. The AEL claimed that Belgian police were engaging in a racist "manhunt" of the city's Moroccan youth and that many police officers sympathized with the political party Vlaams Blok. The AEL patrols were stopped after the Antwerp public prosecutor's office began an investigation into whether the activities violated Belgian laws against the organization of private militias. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/11/29/wantw29.xml Arab racist sparked riot in Antwerp, say Belgians] , The Telegraph, 29 November 2002] The court however decided on 31 May 2006 that the patrols were not enough to prosecute the organization.nl icon [http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF01062006_027 AEL geen privé-militie] ("AEL not a private militia"), De Standaard, 1 June 2006.] Three leaders of the AEL however will be tried for their leading role in the unrest and riots after the 2002 murder.

The organization also responds to issues of concern to Muslims, as with its creation of a short film "Al Mouftinoun" in response to the film "Fitna". (See International reaction to Fitna.)

Controversies

The organization has been classified as anti-semitic by an agency of the Belgian government.

Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt blamed the group for inciting violence during street riots in Antwerp in 2002 and criticized it for creating patrols to shadow policemen with video cameras to monitor acts of anti-Arab racism.

"Salon.com" states that an AEL official called for the death penalty for homosexuals prior to assuming a leadership position within the group. [ [http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/06/14/panther/index_np.html The Arabian Panther] , Salon.com, 14 June 2004] In 2003, the political party Agalev (currently known as Groen!) attempted to place posters in Antwerp of gay and lesbian couples kissing while dressed in Islamic attire. The AEL considered it blasphemous and as an insult to Islam because according to them, the Qur'an explicitly forbids homosexuality. [nl icon [http://www.homo-emancipatie.nl/overig/ael_boos_over_homo_affiche_vlaam.html AEL boos over 'homo-affiche' Vlaamse Groenen] ("AEL angry about 'gay poster' Flemish Greens"), Kenniscentrum lesbisch en homo-emancipatiebeleid (Knowledge Centre lesbian and homo emancipation policies), citing from newspaper De Telegraaf 9 September 2003]

In late September 2005, the Danish newspaper "Jyllands-Posten" published several controversial Muhammad cartoons in which the prophet Muhammad was associated with terrorism. After Belgian and Dutch newspapers republished the cartoons and politicians defended the publication with the argument of free speech, both denouncing the protests of Muslims and the AEL, the AEL issued statements and posted cartoons on the subject of Holocaust denial on its web pages using the same argument of "free speech" and denouncing official protests against them in return. The cartoons were called anti-semitic and negationist by "De Standaard", a Belgian newspaper. [nl icon [http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=GHENRDR2 AEL spot met holocaust] ("AEL ridicules holocaust"), De Standaard, 6 February 2006] A Dutch pro-Israel organization "Center for Information and Documentation Israel" filed a formal complaint in Amsterdam against the AEL following the publication of the cartoons. [ [http://www.ejpress.org/article/news/5663 Muslim European group posts anti-Semitic cartoons] , European Jewish Press, 6 February 2006] In response to the charge, the AEL stated not to "endorse any anti-Semitic, homophobic or sexist stands. All we are trying to do is to confront Europe with its own hypocrisy using sarcasm and cartoons." [ [http://www.arabeuropean.org/article.php?ID=102 Important points on the Cartoon riot] , AEL, 7 February 2006]

External links

* [http://www.arabeuropean.org/ International website of the AEL]
* [http://www.diabolicdigest.net/Belgium/Antwerp_murder.htm Murder prompts riots by Khaled Diab]
* [http://www.diabolicdigest.net/Belgium/Arab_pride.htm Arab pride on the streets of Antwerp by Khaled Diab]
* [http://www.diabolicdigest.net/Belgium/Arab_panthers.htm Arab panthers and Flemish lions by Khaled Diab]
* [http://www.newhumanist.org.uk/volume119issue4_more.php?id=826_0_31_0_C Interview] with the founder of AEL.

Further reading

* cite journal
quotes =
last = Jacobs
first = Dirk
authorlink =
coauthors =
date =
year = 2005
month = April
title = Arab European League (AEL): The Rapid Rise of a Radical Immigrant Movement
journal = Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs
volume = 25
issue = 1
pages = 97–115
issn =
pmid =
doi =
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References