AMMAN (Reuters) – Jordan detained four mainstream Islamist deputies for allegedly voicing sympathy for the slain al Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, officials said on Sunday. The four deputies were questioned by the prosecutor general and detained over statements they gave in support of Jordanian militant Zarqawi, killed on Wednesday in a joint U.S.-Iraqi operation helped by tip-offs from Jordanian intelligence.
“They were held for questioning by the prosecutor general and detained,” government spokesperson Nasser Joudeh told Reuters without elaborating.
One of the deputies, Mohammed Abu Faris, had attended prayers for Zarqawi’s soul during Friday prayers in the militant’s birthplace in the industrial city of Zarqa, 25 km (16 miles) northeast of Amman, and called him a “martyr”, witnesses said. The three other deputies in custody had visited his family in Zarqa and offered their condolences.
Zarqawi’s family received hundreds of wellwishers who flocked to a tent set up near their home in the working class city to pay their respects….
“These deputies should have parliamentary immunity and this shows how much the authorities have regard for democracy,” Zaki Bani Rusheid, the head of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the largest political bloc in the 110-member parliament whom the four deputies are members. [source]
Sadly he’s right, they do have parliamentary immunity. It’s strange that Zaki Bani Rusheid speaks up no in protest when not a word was heard when these people went to a funeral to praise a terrorist that killed 60 of our citizens. I’m glad the families of those victims spoke up in protest.
Meanwhile, Batir is just as pissed as I am at these guys and reports on a sit-in in front of the parliament today (Monday) at 11am. Times like these I wish I was one ocean closer.
Well, at least *something* was done. The IAF have really proved themselves to be hypocrites here. Oh, we cannot judge a fellow Muslim like Zarqawi. Bollocks. Judging people is practically in their job description. Ugh.
Allah Akbar!
I shared you your sentiment till I thought it over again. They do not believe that Zarqawi was responsible for Amman’s explosions; and based on that they see what he did in Iraq as “resistance” and so, their attendance of his funeral has nothing to do with praising those who were behind the explosions.
Not that I believe in what they believe, but I see where they come from. They don’t believe he’d done it in the first place.
You mean these MP’s? 😀
Linky
Shaden, there’s no way of knowing what they think/believe and also it’s kind of hard to disbelieve when there’s an involved confession…these guys are in the parliament for God’s sake.
Hamzeh…looool
Naseem, actually some guy from the same party appeared on TV and tried to clarify the MPs’ position by saying that the MPs are against killing innocents…etc and that visiting his family was merely a social duty.
Guess he was trying to be deplomatic and save the rest but I personally think the man’s family shouldn’t be punished for what their son had done.