Norway, UN, Denmark all act on PMW report, and demand Palestinian center return donor money
Norway, UN, Denmark all act on PMW report,
and demand Palestinian center return donor money
and demand Palestinian center return donor money
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Within hours after PMW reported that a Palestinian youth center built with Norwegian and UN money was named after terrorist murderer Dalal Mughrabi, Norway condemned it and demanded their money be returned. The UN, including UN Secretary General António Guterres, and Denmark followed shortly afterwards.
Norwegian Foreign Ministry:
Within hours after PMW reported that a Palestinian youth center built with Norwegian and UN money was named after terrorist murderer Dalal Mughrabi, Norway condemned it and demanded their money be returned. The UN, including UN Secretary General António Guterres, and Denmark followed shortly afterwards.
Norwegian Foreign Ministry:
"Unacceptable glorification of terrorist attacks
Date: 26-05-2017
Date: 26-05-2017
"A Palestinian women's centre in the village of Burqa on the West Bank has recently been named after Dalal Mughrabi. Dalal Mughrabi took part in a terrorist attack in Israel in 1978 that killed 37 civilians, including many children. The centre has received funding from Norway via the Palestinian Election Commission and UN Women to promote the participation of women in elections.
'The glorification of terrorist attacks is completely unacceptable, and I deplore this decision in the strongest possible terms. Norway will not allow itself to be associated with institutions that take the names of terrorists in this way. We will not accept the use of Norwegian aid funding for such purposes,' said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.
'The glorification of terrorist attacks is completely unacceptable, and I deplore this decision in the strongest possible terms. Norway will not allow itself to be associated with institutions that take the names of terrorists in this way. We will not accept the use of Norwegian aid funding for such purposes,' said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.
It was not until after Norway had stopped providing funding for the centre that it became known that it was to be named after the Palestinian terrorist. This happened in connection with the opening of the centre last week. Neither the Norwegian authorities nor the UN were consulted in advance or invited to the opening ceremony. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted immediately when it became aware of the matter today.
'We have asked for the logo of the Norwegian representation office to be removed from the building immediately, and for the funding that has been allocated to the centre to be repaid. We will not enter into any new agreements with either the Palestinian Election Commission or UN Women in Palestinian areas until satisfactory procedures are in place to ensure that nothing of this nature happens again,' said Mr Brende."
'We have asked for the logo of the Norwegian representation office to be removed from the building immediately, and for the funding that has been allocated to the centre to be repaid. We will not enter into any new agreements with either the Palestinian Election Commission or UN Women in Palestinian areas until satisfactory procedures are in place to ensure that nothing of this nature happens again,' said Mr Brende."
[Norwegian Foreign Ministry website, May 26, 2017]
UN Assistant Secretary General for Development and Humanitarian Coordinator for Palestine, Robert Piper:
"The United Nations support for this center ended last year. The inauguration of the center took place a few weeks ago, well after the UN association with it concluded. The name chosen by the community center is wrong and unacceptable. The UN Women logo should not be associated with it and it will be removed immediately."
[Robert Piper on Twitter, May 26, 2017]
UN Women:
"UN Women supported the rehabilitation of a community building in Burqa last year but has had no role in the naming or any other activity related to the Centre since the completion of the project was at the end of 2016.
The UN Women logo in the recent inauguration event was used without any prior authorization from the UN. UN Women is asking the community Centre, with immediate effect, to withdraw the UN Women logo from all public material, and not to use its logo for any events or activities."
The UN Women logo in the recent inauguration event was used without any prior authorization from the UN. UN Women is asking the community Centre, with immediate effect, to withdraw the UN Women logo from all public material, and not to use its logo for any events or activities."
[UN Women website, May 26, 2017]
Spokesman for UN Secretary General António Guterres:
“The United Nations disassociated itself from the Centre once it learned the offensive name chosen for it and will take measures to ensure that such incidents do not take place in the future. The glorification of terrorism, or the perpetrators of heinous terrorist acts, is unacceptable under any circumstances. The UN has repeatedly called for an end to incitement to violence and hatred as they present one of the obstacles to peace. The United Nations support to this community ended last year and it has asked for the logo of UN Women to be removed immediately. Furthermore, the inauguration of the Centre took place after the UN’s association with it.”
[Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres Stéphane Dujarric, May 28, 2017]
Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen:
"I am outraged that the WATC, which claims to work for human rights, has not only glorified a terrorist but also abused the trust of a generous people like the Danish one. It is completely unacceptable and I can’t distance myself strongly enough from it. Denmark and Danish tax kroner must under no circumstances be used for anything that glorifies or promotes terrorists in any way. Therefore, we will now also demand that the WATC pay back the Danish aid."
[Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, June 2, 2017]