Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Did you extend your tongue at the King of Jordan? I am translating this item verbatim from Hariri's newspaper, Al-Mustaqbal:
"Former Jordanian deputy Dr. Riyadh An-Nawayisah appeared before the Court of The Security of the State in Amman the day before yesterday, accused of criticizing Jordanian King Abdullah, in the wake of the speech that he [Nawayisah that is] had given...Nawayisah denied before the judge of the court that he was guilty, and said that his speech did not contain any insults to the king, and that he spoke "with a political opinion and did not hurl any curses that require a trial." It is to be noted that article 195 of the Jordanian Penal Code stipulates that "he who is convicted in daring to extend his tongue at the king [sic], whether by a written, oral, or electronic letter or by a photograph or caricature is to be sentenced from one to three years in jail." In other news, Bush this week praised political reforms in Jordan.