Jordanians have been busy debating online, after one MP suggested that former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was financially supported by the US.
Tarek Khoury, an MP for Zarqa, said that: “Our allies turned the tables on Egypt to place Morsi as president and funded him with $19 billion in 2012."
"If he wasn’t placed [in power by the US], he would not have received these huge funds,” he added.
He also complained that while Jordan is currently helping to protect its allies’ interests in the region, those allies have not provided assistance with Jordan's budget deficit.
The MP made the comments during the second Lower House debate of the draft budget for 2017 on Tuesday evening.
Khoury’s critique of the Muslim Brotherhood figure was met with angry interruptions from Islah (Reform) party MPs in Jordan’s parliament. One MP could be heard to shout: "That is not true," and another: "This is an insult to religion. Morsi is a religious figure."
A video shared online captured the moment that another MP, Tamer Bino, aggressively approached the speaker of the Lower House to protest Khoury’s words. Bino struck the podium, before being forcibly removed from Parliament, and banned for seven sessions.
Jordanians took to Twitter to debate the events of Tuesday evening.
A number of social media users criticized Khoury, suggesting he had insulted the army:
البسطار الي بلبسو ابن الجيش العربي والاجهزة الأمنية...
— هدى.... (@huda_5_7) January 18, 2017
اشرف من طارق خوري وكل الي بشد على ايدو#طارق_خوري
The boots worn by the sons of the Arab army and the security forces... are more honorable than Tarek Khoury and all those who strengthen his hand.
#طارق_خوري
— Momen Bashaireh (@momenbashaireh) January 18, 2017
طارق خوري أساء للجيش !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ما لكم كيف تحكمون
Tarek Khoury insulted the army. How would you condemn him?
However, many more disagreed and called for closer inspection of his words
#طارق_خوري مع كل الاحترام لرواد التواصل الاجتماعي طارق خوري لم يسيء للجيش ولكن هكذا يحدث عندما تصل خرفان الاخوان تحت القبة
— عبد الحميد قنديل (@abdelhameedqan) January 18, 2017
With all due respect to social media users, Tarek Khoury did not insult the army, but this is what happens when the sheep of the Brotherhood come under the dome (of Parliament)
حاولت اسمع شو حاكي #طارق_خوري
— noemi (@noemijbra) January 18, 2017
بصراحه ما فيه شي غلط بكلامه وبعض الناس بتحرف كلامه بانه اساء للجيش
المشكله في نسبة الجهل العاليه بين السحيجه
I tried to listen to what #Tarek_Khoury said. To be honest I don't think there is anything wrong with what he is said, some people have distorted his words to suggest he insulted the army. The problem is the high proportion of ignorance...
Meanwhile, others expressed disapproval of the behavior of the politicians who interrupted Khoury:
النائب #طارق_خوري استفز النفوس المريضة المشوهة للأديان وللبلد... ولن تقوم لنا قائمة حتى نتطهر من هذه الأمراض ونتعلم آداب النقاش...#فلنتحرر
— Feras Jaradat (@FeRrJar) January 18, 2017
MP #Tarek_Khoury provoked the sick souls who distort religion and corrupt the country ... and they won't even undertake to cleanse us of these diseases and learn the etiquette of debate…
البعض تم ايصالهم لمجلس النواب ليفتعلوا المشاكل وليشغلوا الناس بالتفاهات ..#طارق_خوري
— علاء العبادي (@3la2_Al3bbadi) January 18, 2017
Some people have just got into Parliament in order to make problems and provoke people to do stupid things.
It has been a chaotic week in Jordanian politics, after King Abdullah reshuffled the cabinet on Sunday, introducing five new ministers.
RA
