NETHERLAND'S RISING ISLAMIC PARTY

“We are not guests in Rotterdam, we are Rotterdam,” El Ouali said. (OnIslam photo)

Rotterdam, 6 Dzulqa’dah 1435/1 September 2014 (MINA) – Bringing nearly 10 thousand pro-Gaza protesters to the streets, a recently formed Islamic party has appeared as a new political force in Netherlands, with a new ambition to grow in the national politics.

“During the second world war, the city of Rotterdam was occupied by German forces and bombarded repeatedly until it was fully destroyed. From a historical perspective, we can relate to what the people in Gaza are going through,” Nourdin El Ouali, member of the city council in Rotterdam. Onislam quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting, Monday (1/9).

NIDA, his political party, was the main organizer behind the largest pro-Gaza demonstration in the Netherlands which drew some 10 thousand protesters to the street.

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“We aim to do more than just protest; we really want to reach out to the people in Gaza and support the rebuilt of their city as well.”

The protest against Israeli aggression on Gaza saw the first major appearance for the relatively new political party in the Netherlands which won two out of the 45 seats in city council during this year’s election.

Gaining support from Muslim and non-Muslims as well, NIDA-led protest gave a powerful support to the Gazans case against injustice and international negligence.

“When we organized the pro-Gaza demonstrations earlier this month, we were able to draw a crowd exceeding ten thousand people, and not just Muslims,” el Ouali said.

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“This is an important fact, because our aim is to draw focus to the importance of adherence to international law and justice.”

“Also, the route of the protest march including crossing the river ‘De Maas’ using the landmark Erasmus-bridge. Watching so many people from all different background crossing this well-known bridge proved to a very powerful image, both literally and figuratively speaking. We aim to cross the bridge between Rotterdam and Gaza as well.”

For almost two months, Israel launched relentless airstrikes against Gaza where more than 2,100 have been killed and thousands injured before announcing a ceasefire last August 26.

According to UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), about 80% of deaths in Gaza are civilians, including dozens of children and women.

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The large scale of mass destruction in Gaza has left about 5,510 homes completely destroyed and about 31,000 partially damaged, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes that were caught up in the Israeli air strikes.

The war sparked huge protests across the world, with protesters staging protests from Jakarta, Indonesia to Berlin, Germany in condemnation of Israel’s offensive on Gaza.(T/P008/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)