Antwerp
– Hassan Aarab, an owner of a bakery in Deurne, which won the “Golden Smile”
Prize for a customer-friendly retail store, is also a local politician in the
CD&V party sterkervlaanderensterkerland.
Hassan
wrote very serious statements:
“I think that the Germans at that time did not kill all the Jews on purpose, so
that now we can understand why Hitler wanted to annihilate them”. Hassan
further wrote on Facebook: ”I want to express my anger at what Israel is doing
in Gaza,” he says. “That is the reason for this provocative statement. When it
comes to Jews, suddenly everyone reacts. In the meantime, the Palestinians have
been slaughtered, but no one does anything; my party is not the way either.”
The
party head, Mr. Wouter Bede, called Hassan for a thorough deliberation and the
head clarified that Hassan’s statements are not compatible with the party’s
way. The party’s management and its heads clarified that they are against
Hassan’s statements.
The
party announced that: “as Christian Democrats, we are furious at Hassan’s
statements and we made it clear to him right away that this is not in line with
our party’s values.”
Following
heavy pressure of his party’s heads and senior people in the Antwerp
municipality, Hassan apologized.
“I
want to apologize for my statements. I always seek cooperation and
communication between the communities. Now I understand that my statements do
not contribute to this goal; on the contrary, my statements are not compatible
with the party’s values.”
