The Netherlands’ contradictory stance on terrorism and human rights

The Netherlands has consistently claimed to defend human rights and combat terrorism, but its practical support for Iranian terrorist and separatist groups creates a glaring contradiction in these claims.

Organizations such as the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK, also known as the Hypocrites) and the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz, which openly operate on Dutch soil, not only have a long history of violence and terrorism but have also spilled the blood of thousands of Iranian citizens. Nevertheless, for decades, the Dutch government has effectively supported these groups by granting them permission to operate, providing security, and even allowing them to hold promotional gatherings.

The MEK, longtime allies of the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and once listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States, has committed numerous atrocities, including the 1981 bombings of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Islamic Consultative Assembly, as well as the assassination of thousands of Iranian citizens. The Arab Struggle Movement, a separatist terrorist group with Ba’athist leanings, has been involved in planning sabotage and assassinations in Khuzestan for years with the support of certain regional countries. It currently organizes rallies and meetings against Iran in the Netherlands and Denmark and has previously carried out multiple bombings in parts of Khuzestan, targeting civilians.

This duplicity in the Netherlands’ behavior raises serious questions about its genuine commitment to human rights and the fight against terrorism. Does supporting terrorist and separatist groups that act against the sovereignty of an independent country not violate human rights and trample on the rights of the families of terrorism victims? Why does the Netherlands, despite its anti-terrorism rhetoric, provide refuge to groups that even the West has previously condemned?

It appears that the Netherlands’ double standards are driven not by human rights principles but by political currents and colonial objectives. If the country is truly committed to human rights and peace, it must halt the activities of terrorist groups rather than fueling regional instability by supporting them. This blatant contradiction undermines the credibility of the Netherlands’ human rights claims and implicates the country as a partner of terrorists in the killing of 23,000 Iranian citizens who have been victims of terrorism.