The SNP MPs, a cosy meeting in Jordan and ‘the activist for terror’
THREE SNP MPs were criticised last night after flying to the Middle East for a meeting with a pro-Palestinian activist said to be linked to a terrorist organisation.
Tommy Sheppard, Paul Monaghan and Corri Wilson visited Jordan last week to attend events and meetings brokered by Zaher Birawi, who has been described by one of his own organisations in the past as a ‘Hamas activist in Britain’.
Critics have said the MPs should spend their time representing voters instead of travelling thousands of miles with ‘extremely questionable company’.
But one of the MPs insisted they were unaware of Mr Birawi’s links to Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US and the European Union.
The Jordan visit was arranged by Mr Birawi through his company – the European Palestinian (Europal) Communications Forum – to ‘highlight concerns over Israeli violations against Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem’.
Mr Birawi is a former head of the board of trustees of the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), which has described him on its website as a ‘Hamas activist in Britain’.
Last night, Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: ‘These SNP MPs really need to take more care over who they rub shoulders with. I’m sure the constituents of these MPs would rather they worked for the good of their area, rather than travelling thousands of miles to enjoy some extremely questionable company.’
Intelligence experts claim Mr Birawi’s Europal company has close links to Hamas and also to the Muslim Brotherhood network. Last month, a UK Government report said that ‘membership of, association with or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism’.
Mr Birawi has previously met the Hamas leadership in London and been photographed in the Gaza Strip sitting next to Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ leader in Gaza.
Sinn Fein MP Mickey Brady and Labour’s Sir Gerald Kaufman were also on the Jordan trip. Flights and accommodation were paid for by the Jordanian parliament’s Palestinian committee.
Mr Sheppard is a prominent proPalestinian campaigner, while Mr Monaghan has faced claims of antiSemitism for accusing Israelis of ‘persecuting the people of Gaza’.
Mr Sheppard insisted he didn’t know Mr Birawi’s past ‘in any detail at all’.
He added: I have no idea if he has links to Hamas but it seems that, if he has, it certainly has not jeopardised his ability to have relations with the moderate leaders in Jordan.’
Mr Birawi last night said he completely rejects and denies the description of him as a ‘Hamas activist in Britain’ on the PRC website and said the Muslim Association of Britain has ‘no organisational links to either the Muslim brotherhood or any other body’.
He said: ‘I have absolutely no links with Hamas or any Palestinian organisations and/or parties outside of the UK nor have I ever have done.
‘I am however, extremely proud to be an activist for Palestinian rights working towards the realisation of these rights to my utmost within the laws of the UK.’
‘Enjoying some extremely
questionable company’