The Middle East Monitor (MEMO) has held a function to honour and celebrate the life achievements of the distinguished Iraqi-born scholar Dr Jafar Hadi Hassan. Well known for his pioneering studies of Jewish sects, Dr Hasan is also an accomplished linguist, specialising in Semitic languages. The event was held at the P21 Gallery, London and attended by a number of Iraqi academics and British dignitaries.

During his academic career, Dr Hassan lectured at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, Manchester University and McGill University, Montreal.

Sheikh Raed Salah, Palestinian political leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel was detained by the UK Border Authority Police late Tuesday night. He was invited by the Middle East Monitor [MEMO]  and has been taking part in a speaking tour, speaking to British parliamentarians, academia and the public at various events, highlighting the situation of Palestinians living in Israel and Jerusalem.
 
Sheikh Raed was due to speak at tonight's Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) event in Parliament, where he was scheduled to share a panel with MPs and Peers, speaking on "Building Peace and Justice in Jerusalem".

The PSC and MEMO urges everyone to turn up in large numbers to support the event.
 
Please write to the Home Office Secretary, Theresa May to express your indignation to these recent developments.
 
Home Office number: +44 (0) 207 035 48 48
 
Theresa May office: +44 (0) 207 219 52 06 / email: mayt@parliament.uk

It is clear that a co-ordinated campaign has been launched to try to get Amnesty International to withdraw the use of its premises for an event to be hosted by MEMO and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign later this month. Ironically, the programme in question is discussing whether or not the pro-Israel lobby has influence over the media leading to the latter's complicity in Israel's oppression of the Palestinians.

Some very serious accusations have been made against MEMO and its contributors in the course of this campaign; some by people who really should know better.

PSC and MEMO statement

The PSC and MEMO meeting on media bias, taking place on 23 May as an external event in Amnesty's building in London, has come under fire by pro-Israeli Government supporters.

In a blog published at the end of April in the Daily Telegraph, Michael Weiss, spokesperson for the pro-Israeli Government think tank Just Journalism, attempts to smear MEMO and asks why Amnesty would host such an organisation. At the end of his blog, Weiss asks readers to call the human rights organisation posing the same question.

From this one article, it is clear that the recommendations of the Israeli think tank The Reut Institute, published in December 2010, to attack and split the solidarity movement in London and worldwide are being put into effect.