LONDON: A British MP has lashed out against a “fake” public relations company that attempted to block his attendance of a Qatari opposition event being held in London.
Daniel Kawczynski was the subject of a letter apparently sent by a shadowy PR company called the “London Centre for Public Affairs,” which has called for a boycott of the opposition event.
The letter was addressed to the chairman of the UK Foreign Affairs Committee, and called for Kawczynski to be kicked off the committee should he attend the Qatar-focused conference on Sept. 14.
But Kawczynski said the London Centre for Public Affairs is a “fake” outfit — and says he is no longer on the political committee in question.
In an interview with Arab News, Kawczynski slammed the “malpractice” of the mysterious PR company in apparently trying to block his attendance of the conference.
“I am going to this conference to listen to Qatari opposition. And yet we have this extraordinary situation where fake companies are trying to put pressure on us to back down … That is simply wrong,” he said.
“They clearly don’t understand the nature of a Western parliamentary democracy. Trying to intimidate members of Parliament in this way is highly inappropriate.”
Kawczynski said he had met with various opposition groups in the past — including those calling for change in China and Iran — but never before faced the same level of pressure.
The letter from the London Center for Public Affairs was made public by a London-based academic, but its content was confirmed by Kawczynski.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it in the 12 years I’ve been a member of Parliament,” he said.
“It’s actually having the opposite effect. It actually makes me even more determined to attend the conference, and even more determined to speak out.”
The “Qatar, Global Security & Stability Conference” is being held next week amid the diplomatic row between Qatar and the Anti-Terror Quartet — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt — which accuses Doha of supporting terror groups.
Lawyers acting for the organizer of the conference have reportedly written to the London Centre for Public Affairs to request it withdraw a letter and blog post containing “fake news” about the event.
Aside from the letter to Kawczynski, the “fake” PR firm had sent a letter to MPs, and published a blog on its website, calling the Qatar opposition conference a “hoax.”
Khalid Al-Hail, a spokesman of the Qatari Opposition and organizer of the conference, instructed lawyers to write to the PR company demanding that the letter and blog be withdrawn.
“This attempt at fake news by a public affairs agency clearly in the pay of the Qatari government is a desperate attempt to try and undermine the opposition and reform movement supported by the Qatari people,” Al-Hail said in a statement.
The Qatari businessman and “reformist” added that the conference is “fully funded by Qatari exiles,” and does not have links to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain or the UAE, which are currently boycotting Qatar.
“We have not declared our speakers (at the conference) because of exactly the sort of dirty tricks by Qatar shown by this letter. If you think this is a hoax, turn up on 14th and see.”
“We demand that this letter — and the blog written by the agency’s staff members — are withdrawn immediately and will be taking legal advice on potential remedies.”
Kawczynski said no explicit evidence has come to light suggesting that the Qatari government or officials are behind the London Center for Public Affairs.
“I have no smoking gun, I have no evidence to link them to the Qataris. But clearly there are people in our country who wish to prevent members of Parliament from understanding opposition views in Qatar.”
Claims that the PR company is fake are supported by the fact that the telephone number listed on its website is out of service, and the address given — Marble Arch Place — is within a development that is not due to complete until 2020.
One blog post taking aim at the PR company suggested that images of its staff members were seemingly plucked from elsewhere on the Internet. The images were however subsequently removed.
When contacted by Arab News however, the London Centre for Public Affairs denied the claims made against it.
“We are here, we exist and work hard for the good causes,” it said in an email. No name was given in the email response, which was from the “Media Team.”
Historical information for the London Centre for Public Affairs website obtained by Arab News shows it is registered by “Identity Protect Limited,” masking the real owner of the site. It was previously registered to an address in north London.
