STOCKHOLM, November 27, 2011 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Association in Stockholm granted on Friday the Secretary of the International Affairs at the Swedish Social Democratic party, Ann Linde, the “Friend of Palestinian People” award for 2011, said a statement by the association.
The statement said the award was given to Linde for her work and dedication to the Palestinian cause, as well as her visits to Palestine and Israel and discussions she held with both parties, which ultimately highlighted the Palestinian rights with lucidity, clarity and courage.
The statement praised her work to support the Palestinian application for full United Nations membership of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital, saying “Ann Linde's struggle for peace and justice has been always based on international law and human rights.”
The association received Linde's approach for freedom and support to human rights with appreciation, after years of despair and disappointment among the Palestinian community in Stockholm due to the Swedish governments’ conflicting political position on the Palestinian issue, added the press release.
It said Linde summarized the main problem of the Palestinian issue in her address to a conference on democracy in Tel Aviv in 2008, where she said that the key to end the Palestinian-Israeli struggle is to end occupation, which will form the milestone of a comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East.
Chairman of the Palestinian Association, Nael Touqan, awarded Linde during a Palestinian cultural festival in Stockholm to celebrate the UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which featured performances by the Palestinian singer Sana’ Mousa and Oud (Arabic musical instrument) player Mohammad Mousa.
The association has been granting the “Friend of the Palestinian People” award for eight years; among the previous winners were, Leader of the Left Party in Sweden, Lars Ohly, and Professor Matthias Gardel, a famous Swedish academic.
It’s worth mentioning that Linde’s winning of the award caused media and political stir as it represented a slap to the Swedish People’s Party, strongly supportive of Israel and part of the governing collation that had a major role in Sweden’s vote against the Palestinian membership in UNESCO.Palestine News & Info Agency - WAFA
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