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Al-Ahram Weekly 16 - 22 March 2000 Issue No. 473 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 16 - 22 March 2000 Issue No. 473
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Jordan's political feud eases
By Lola KeilaniThe six-month effort by Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood to meet King Abdullah II paid off when the king granted the group an audience last week.
Described as "constructive," the meeting managed to repair some of the damage done to the relationship between the monarchy and the Brotherhood due to the closure of Hamas' offices in Amman last September and the expulsion of four of its leaders to Qatar in November. According to sources who attended the meeting, however, disagreement regarding the Hamas issue persists.
King Abdullah listened to both the government's views and the movement's complaints. Jordanian Prime Minister Abdel-Raouf Al-Rawabdeh and the head of Jordan's intelligence body, who were present at the meeting, criticised the Brotherhood for its "behaviour" during the Hamas episode and the threats made by some of its leaders to escalate the confrontation with the government.
Meanwhile, the Brotherhood figures protested restrictions imposed on their movement. Abdel-Latif Arabiyyat, the secretary-general of the Brotherhood's political wing, the Islamic Action Front (AIF), complained to the king about the dismissal of many of the movement's members from key posts in Jordan's state apparatus. Giving his account of the meeting, Arabiyyat said that his group's representatives explained their views on what they see as restrictive laws concerning guarantees for fair elections, and complained about attempts to limit their activities by banning their members from giving speeches in mosques and other public forums.
Abdullah's meeting with the Brotherhood leaders precedes an imminent ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice on the appeal made by the four Hamas leaders against their expulsion order.
Hamas' defense attorney Saleh Armouti, elected head of the Lawyers' Association, called for hearing the testimonies of both Foreign Minister Abdel-Ilah Khatib and Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmad Ben Abdullah as well as head of the Jordan Press Association Seif Sharif.
The government had arrested the four along with 17 others in a massive crackdown that included the closure of Hamas offices, which had operated in the kingdom as "information offices" since the early 1990s.
The two ministers witnessed the departure of the four Hamas leaders, Khaled Misha'al, Ibrahim Ghosheh, Sami Khater and Izzat Resheq, to Doha on 21 November. Sharif had personally accompanied Armouti on a visit to the jailed Hamas political bureau members on the eve of their departure.
Moreover, a visiting Amnesty International member said during a lecture in Amman on Saturday that the human rights watchdog intended to address the issue of the deportation of Hamas members.
Jordanian analysts hope that the king's meeting with the Brotherhood leaders will also help in easing what seemed like an escalating confrontation between Islamists and the largely secular government in Jordan over the past two months.
A majority of deputies in parliament signed a petition last month asking for the immediate implementation of Shari'a. This move was clearly in reaction to a major demonstration organised by feminist and human rights groups in February asking for the abolition of an article in the Jordanian law that allows males to escape punishment if found guilty of murdering their wives or female relatives because they suspected them of committing adultery. Such legislation exists in several Arab countries, opening the door for what are known as crimes of honour. The demonstration, in which some members of the royal family marched, including Prince Ali, King Abdullah's half-brother, and Prince Ghazi, the king's cousin and adviser on tribal affairs, saw the participation of more than 5,000 people.
The conservative deputies in parliament, led by the Brotherhood, opposed the amendment to the law proposed by the government in its first reading, and insisted that the present law was in accordance with Islam. They also claimed that the march was a sign of disrespect to the legislative body after the majority of deputies opposed the amendment.
However, in a surprise move, many of the 55 deputies who had earlier signed the controversial petition calling for the application of Shari'a withdrew their signatures during the past week, citing public opposition to their campaign. The petition called for the implementation of Shari'a to "govern life in Jordan" in order to "rid the kingdom of corruption, favouritism, weakness and bloated administration."
