Tourist-bedouin quarrel in Petra goes viral

AMMAN — A video of an Asian tourist quarrelling with a local bedouin in Petra, 220km south of Amman, has gone viral on social media over the past few days.

The video, posted on Facebook by the tourist, shows parts of the argument during which the two exchange swear words at each other. Another part shows the local riding a mule and threatening the tourist with a waving robe.

The Jordan Times on Monday contacted the young man’s father, Eid Al Bedoul, who said that the argument started when the tourist insisted on taking a prohibited trail near the Treasury monument.

 “He then initiated the argument by cursing against my son, Talal,” the father added.

“My son told the tourist that the trail was banned because it is dangerous and a US tourist died a few years ago when he took this path,” said Bedoul, adding that the tourist provoked his son by using swear words against him and his family.

Talal was arrested and will be in custody for 14 days for further investigation, the father noted.

Commenting on the video, the majority of social media users said that the tourist initiated the argument by using degrading words against the bedouin.

Abdullah Jazi commented saying: “It is the tourist’s fault since he started cursing the bedouin and said he will report his name to the Tourism Ministry.”

They stressed that the video did not include the beginning of the quarrel, which provided an incomplete picture of what happened.

Petra is Jordan’s largest and most visited archaeological site, attracting millions of visitors from across the globe each year.

It is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985.