MP to be tried over Facebook post on prophet’s companion

AMMAN — The Court of First Instance has scheduled a first hearing next Thursday for the case of Deputy Raed Hijazin, who is accused of inciting sectarianism in a post on his Facebook account in September.

“The court set October 29 as the date to start trying Deputy Hijazin over the case I filed against him,” lawyer Abdul Jabar Abu Qulah said Thursday.

Hijazin, a Christian, reportedly published a copied statement on his personal Facebook account in early September, which was deemed offensive to one of Prophet Mohammad’s companions, Khalid Bin Waleed.

Hijazin said he deleted the post 10 minutes later. 

“I did not mean to offend anyone and the post was only meant as a joke.  These were not my words.  I copied and pasted the statement from a public website,” Hijazin, who heads the Lower House Health and Environment Committee, told The Jordan Times.

The deputy and the Hijazin tribe in Karak issued an official apology shortly after the incident.

If convicted of the charge, according to Abu Quleh, the deputy could face a minimum of two years in prison.

“I want the deputy to pay for his mistake and for this incident to be a lesson to others not to make fun of our Islamic heritage,” Abu Quleh added.