The Social Democrats member of parliament, Jamal El-Haj, has been forced to pause his duties in the parliament after he defied the party’s orders and participated in a conference with connections to Hamas. The incident occurred at a Palestine conference in Malmö, prompting the party to take action.
El-Haj’s timeout is set to expire at the turn of the year, but as of now, the party has not made a decision on whether he will be allowed to return to his duties. Group leader Lena Hallengren commented, stating that they will return to the matter at a later time.
Amin Abu Rashid, chairman of the controversial conference, was pictured alongside El-Haj, adding further controversy to the situation. Efforts to reach El-Haj for comment were made, but he responded via SMS, stating “Unfortunately, I have no news” and that there have been no discussions on the matter.
In addition to his participation in the conference, El-Haj has also filed a police report of gross slander after he was called a security risk by a member of the Moderate party. The party leader, Magdalena Andersson, has stated that she believes it’s good that the matter can be investigated.
As for El-Haj’s future in the Riksdag, Andersson has deferred to Lena Hallengren, indicating that the final decision rests with the party. The uncertainty surrounding El-Haj’s return to parliament has stirred much speculation and concern within the party.