US embassy cable - 03THEHAGUE1603

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 001603 
 
SIPDIS 
 
S/CT FOR REAP, EUR, EUR/UBI, D/HS, INL 
JUSTICE FOR OIA - JFRIEDMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, NL 
SUBJECT: ARAB-EUROPEAN LEAGUE MOVES INTO THE NETHERLANDS 
 
Ref:  02 Belgium 5430 
 
1. Summary: The militant Muslim Arab-European League (AEL) 
has spread its wings from Belgium to the Netherlands.  The 
foundation of a Dutch section became official with the 
organization of a congress in late May, which adopted a 
platform and elected an executive board.  At present, AEL-NL 
has about 800 members.  The movement serves as a venue for 
primarily second-generation younger Moroccans to vent their 
frustration about discrimination, repression and lack of 
opportunity in the Netherlands.  It has the ambition of 
becoming both a political party and activist Islamic 
movement but its fierce anti-Israel stance and militant 
segregationist rhetoric has elicited mostly negative 
reactions from the established political parties, as well as 
from Jewish and Islamic organizations.  Because the 
situation in the Netherlands is different from that in 
Belgium, it is generally expected that the AEL won't have 
the same impact in the Netherlands as it did in Belgium 
(reftel).  End summary. 
 
Background 
----------- 
 
2. The controversies in Belgium over the activities of the 
Arab-European League and its telegenic leader Abu Jahjah 
were widely covered in the Dutch media and did not fail to 
echo with the same groups of mostly Moroccan youth in urban 
centers.  Abundant media attention to the AEL in Belgium 
created the momentum to start a similar movement in the 
Netherlands.  Jahjah himself directed and controlled the 
efforts to get a Dutch chapter off the ground. 
 
Dutch Branch Established 
------------------------- 
 
3. In late May, AEL-NL (Arab European League - The 
Netherlands) held a congress to mark its foundation.  The 
group began to build support leading up to the official kick- 
off through a variety of speeches and public appearances 
during the early months of 2003. Jahjah will serve as acting 
president of the AEL-NL until an appropriate local president 
can been found.  Other members of the executive board 
include a political scientist, reporter, businessman and a 
student (all between the ages of 23 to 38); they are all 
Dutch nationals, three of Moroccan and one of Iraqi descent. 
One board member has been in police custody since mid-May on 
suspicion of extortion and theft.  Jahjah commented that 
while he views the individual as innocent until proven 
guilty, a guilty verdict will have no consequences on his 
position.  Jahjah stated "his possible criminal activities 
date from before the time that he became a member of AEL-NL 
and his choice for membership shows that he has chosen for a 
different life.  We believe in giving Muslims a second 
chance." 
 
Platform 
-------- 
 
4. AEL-NL presents itself as a democratic and moderate 
Islamic party embracing Arab-Islamic values and norms.  It 
believes, for example, that immigrants should learn the 
Dutch language and be loyal towards their new home country. 
They should integrate but not assimilate.  AEL-NL also 
intends to campaign for leave on Islamic holidays and wants 
the education inspection board to monitor racist and 
discriminatory behavior by schoolteachers. 
 
5. However, AEL-NL's position towards Israel is extremist. 
It does not recognize Israel's right of existence and views 
Israel as a nation with institutionalized racism.  AEL-NL 
believes that Israel should be dismantled and replaced by 
one democratic state of Palestine. AEL-NL adopted a 
resolution in favor of a comprehensive boycott of Israel and 
all Israeli products.  AEL-NL also criticizes the "pro- 
American" and "Pro-Zionist" policies of the Dutch 
government. 
 
6. AEL-NL claims to have 800 members, most of them younger 
Moroccans and many of them students.  To become a full 
member one must be either Arab or Muslim.  AEL-NL intends to 
actively campaign to win more members in the upcoming 
months.  It will decide next year whether or not it will 
register as a political party.  "The local elections in 2006 
are a real option.  We are also investigating the 
possibility of participating in the European elections in 
2004," said Jahjah, but he conceded that political 
aspirations are not the highest priority currently. 
 
AEL-NL elicits Negative Reactions 
--------------------------------- 
 
7. Spokesmen for the established Dutch political parties 
have been mostly dismissive of what may become the first 
ethnically-based political party in the Netherlands.  The 
spokesmen sharply criticized the movement's stance on 
Israel, its confrontational approach and its tendency to 
incite supporters into violent protests (reftel).  Dutch 
political parties maintain the impression that AEL is mainly 
media hype and will not amount to much in the Netherlands. 
 
8. Established Muslim organizations, such as Islam and 
Citizenship are negative about the AEL's stance on Israel. 
One of the main Turkish Islamic leaders noted, however, that 
"agitation against Israel is a smart tool to mobilize 
Muslims."  Islamic organizations do not believe AEL-NL will 
make much headway in the Netherlands because for most 
Moroccans the AEL is too intellectual and too narrowly 
focused. 
 
9. The Director for the Center on Information and 
Documentation on Israel (CIDI) observed that AEL-NL was 
using the same rhetoric against Israel as Hamas, Hezbollah 
and Islamic Jihad.  He had no sympathy for its call to 
dismantle Israel and to boycott Israeli products at a time 
that serious attempts are being made to resolve the Israeli- 
Palestinian dispute.  CIDI has also raised concerns about 
possible ties between AEL and elements of the Netherlands 
Muslim community who may facilitate the activities of 
terrorist organizations.  The Wall Street Journal has noted 
links between AEL leader Cheppih and the Al Waqf al-Islaami 
foundation, which is suspected of having ties to Al Qaida. 
 
10. Comment: AEL-NL at present only appears to appeal to the 
"elite" and not to ordinary Muslim youngsters.  However, the 
resonance of Jahjah's views shows that within this community 
there is a desire for someone who understands their 
ambitions and frustrations, speaks up for them and defends 
them.  Much of the Dutch chapter`s success will therefore 
depend on whether it is successful at finding a charismatic 
leader who matches up to Jahjah, who prefers to remain in 
Belgium.  End Comment. 
 
Sobel