The Iraq Platform Netherlands is an association of more than 20 progressive and democratic Iraqi diaspora organizations in the Netherlands, among which several human rights, artists, youth and women organizations. Mr. Abbas, its president, is an Iraqi immigrant who moved to Holland in 1997 and has not been in Iraq since.

He spoke to several Iraqi youth activists present at the Forum, as well as leading Iraqi women’s rights activist Hannah Edward. Abbas expressed his solidarity with Iraq, and said he would like to invest more in reaching out to Iraq from the Netherlands.