Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu meets Jordan’s king in surprise trip amid tension
PBS NewsHourOct 15, 2022
Report: Jordanian Intelligence Accused of Targeting LGBTQ+ Community
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Image copyright: Wikimedia Commons
The Facts
The Guardian reported on Friday that human rights groups have accused Jordan of using its internal security forces to intimidate members of the LGBTQ+ community by “outing” them to their families and of closing down two LGBTQ+ organizations. Activists have also reportedly been abducted, harassed, and surveilled.
The LGBTQ+ community has been increasingly targeted in Jordan in recent months, with activists pointing to the country's General Intelligence Directorate (GID) as the main perpetrator of the crackdown. The GID allegedly detained two activists and froze their bank accounts in January.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Jordanian authorities are not only attacking the LGBTQ+ community but civil liberties in Jordan as a whole. The international community must put pressure on the Jordanian government to end its crackdown on personal freedoms.
Establishment-critical narrative
One should always keep in mind that attitudes in the Middle East regarding the LGBTQ+ community are, in many cases, the product of European colonialism. Many of the penal codes used against the community originate from the colonial period, when occupying authorities — who viewed many non-Western societies as hyper-permissive — brought in such codes to defend so-called "moral purity."
Narrative C
The current moral panic in the Middle East regarding the LGBTQ+ community actually seems to reflect the current culture wars occurring in the US regarding the same community. In the entire region, from Turkey, and Lebanon to Iraq and Jordan, this small minority community is under attack as politicians attempt to drum up support for their political aspirations.
