'Outrageous' that Arafat was demonized, storms Brum MP
Dec 8 2004
A Birmingham MP led a memorial event for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat last night.
Richard Burden (Lab Northfield) joined representatives of the Palestinian
Authority, former diplomats, and Muslim leaders at the commemoration in London.
He has also led renewed criticism of Israel in the House of Commons, sponsoring an official Parliamentary motion
which has been backed by 205 MPs. The motion condemns Israel's security wall, which separates the country from land captured from Jordan in a 1967 war which could eventually become a Palestinian
state. Israel says it is protecting itself from suicide bomb-ers, but critics point out that the wall encroaches into the occupied territories.
Mr Burden's motion calls on the British Government to urge Israel to dismantle those parts of the barrier which are on Palestinian land.
Last night Mr Burden defended Mr Arafat, who died last month, as he chaired the memorial service.
The MP said: "For over 30 years, he symbolized the Palestinian's quest for self determination. He was a controversial figure, but the way he has been demonized in some quarters is quite outrageous."
