Majority of Jordanian parliamentarians call for implementing al-Sharia rules
Jordan, Politics, 2/25/2000

Some 55 Jordanian parliamentarians called for implementing the provisions of Islamic Sharia in the kingdom. They also called on the Jordanian government to draw up a clear timetable for implementing these provisions, on the grounds of the Jordanian constitution which states, "Islam is the religion of the state."

In an ordinary session of the Jordanian parliament (80 elected members) on Wednesday, independent parliament member Muhammad Bani Hani submitted a memorandum to the speaker of the parliament, Abdul Hadi al-Majali, undersigned by 55 parliament members. The memorandum said, "We call on the government to work for implementing provisions of the Islamic Sharia in all our life, within a clear scheduled program so as to get rid of corruption, weakness and backwardness."

This is the second time Jordanian parliamentarians have called for implementing the Islamic Sharia.

In 1990, former Jordanian Prime Minister Mudar Badran committed to "implementing texts of the Islamic Sharia as possible" in his effort at that time to win the confidence of the parliament which was then including 25 parliamentarians who were members of the Jordanian Muslim Brothers group.

Among those who signed the memorandum were Islamic, national, independent parliament members and leaders of traditional tribes who devote total commitment to King Abdullah II.

However, observers considered the call advocated by the Jordanian parliament members to return to the Islamic Sharia a violation to the inclination of the Jordanian king to economic openness, political reform and building of a secular state.

Apart from the family affairs law and certain texts in the civil law, derived from the Islamic Sharia, the Jordanian laws are built from western legislation, especially French laws. Besides openness is relatively prevalent in the public life in the main cities of the Kingdom.

Observers expected this call by the parliamentarians will raise a controversy in the circles of the civil society and the sectors of tourism and banking which see that such a call will inflict damages on their interest.

The observers said that the persistence of those parliamentarians on this call might push the King to dissolve the parliament which had twice refused a royal inclination to cancel article 340 of the sanctions law which grants those who commit "crimes of honor" under the pretext of defending honor, alleviated sentences.

Conservative tribal forces imposed their control on the Jordanian parliament in the elections of 1997, which were then boycotted by the Muslim Brothers groups and the main opposition parties in the country.

Previous Stories:
  Chief of the EU parliament confers with Jordanian King   (2/24/2000)
  Jordanian upper house reaffirms vote to cancel honor crime loophole   (2/22/2000)
  Jordan PM's son files for damages on corruption allegation   (2/19/2000)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search