AMMAN — Zaid Nabulsi, a
member of the Royal Committee for Political Modernization, is facing social
media criticism for statements and comments he posted in the past. Thousands of
social media users are using the hashtag اقاله_زيد_النابلسي# to call for the lawyer
to resign from the committee.
اضافة اعلان
Nabulsi
declined an interview with Jordan News, instead pointing to the statement he
posted on Facebook. In the statement, he described the “fierce campaign to
defame me and direct incitement against me by a few who do not represent this
noble and good people.” He described his Muslim faith and disregarded attempts
to dispute his faith “just because we disagree on the interpretation of some of
the matters that scholars have differed on since time immemorial.” He also
emphasized his loyalty to the country.
“I, as a member
of this committee, did not utter a letter calling for the amendment of the state
religion article in the Constitution,” wrote Nabulsi, “and what I published -
and is still published on my page until this moment - was just a purely
constitutional and academic legal topic on secular constitutions that
represents my view as expressed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.”
“What I
published was just a constitutional legal opinion in my field of expertise as a
lawyer who studied constitutional law as a basic subject in a Master’s degree
from Britain, and does not deserve this systematic campaign to demonize me and
describe me with the vilest descriptions.”
Nabulsi also
affirmed his support for the Syrian government. “I am proud that I stood
fiercely and in absolute faith with the Syrian state, legitimacy and the army,”
he wrote.
Users have
resurfaced Nabulsi’s old tweets to criticize him for his support for Bashar
Al-Assad, the president of Syria accused of war crimes, including the usage of
chemical weapons against civilians. “Bless your holy drums, Bashar,” Nabulsi
wrote in one 2018 tweet.
One critic,
seemingly referencing Nabulsi’s pro-Assad statements, wrote that anyone who
“declares support for murderers and destroyers of nations, cannot be a member
of a reform committee, so he must be dismissed” on Twitter.
Nabulsi
characterized his online critics as “selectively digging up the past to disrupt
and sabotage the work of the Royal Committee for a similar purpose.”
In a media
statement, Prime Minister Bishr Al-Khasawneh seemed to obliquely comment on the
issue. Khasawneh criticized "those who aim to destabilize the basic
conditions of our society and our moral and religious heritage" but also
said that bullying and harassment are not acceptable. He slammed criticism and
threats against against Nabulsi and Wafa Al-Khadra, another member of the royal
committee who resigned after facing backlash for comments about Eid Al-Adha on
Facebook. The Prime Minister said: “We are fully committed as a government and
a state to protect every member of our society physically, and from the
manifestations of bullying that threaten the safety, life, and lives of human
beings, and which are exploited by some extremist elements to incite
individuals and citizens."
Nabulsi
concluded in his Facebook statement by lauding Jordan as “a haven for
moderation, tolerance and acceptance of all shades and opinions without
bullying, exclusion or incitement.”
This is not the
first time Nabulsi has faced criticism. The lawyer received backlash in early July after writing an op-ed calling for Jordan to welcome
Iranian pilgrims for religious tourism at Jordanian shrines.
Oraib Rantawi
and Wafa Al-Khadra have both resigned from the royal committee in the past
months due to criticism and targeted social media campaigns. Nabulsi has not
indicated that he plans to resign.
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