51 arrested for post-Tawjihi celebratory gunfire — PSD

AMMAN — Celebratory gunfire has become a recurring trend after the announcement of General Secondary Education Certificate Examination (Tawjihi) results, according to Jordanians.

“Shooting into the air without even caring where that bullet ends up or whether or not it has harmed anyone, is something dangerous that needs to be stopped immediately,” said Khloud Efishat, whose daughter just finished Tawjihi.

Celebrating her daughter’s success, Efishat said that the whole family gathered and ate kunafah without taking part in festive firing or any other unlawful activity that might cause harm.

Like thousands of other Tawjihi students, Sara Tareq celebrated with her family and friends. However, she told The Jordan Times that she noticed another dangerous trend taking place: Young people hanging out of the windows of a moving car in celebration of passing Tawjihi.

“Celebrating any kind of success with gunfire will not make us happier. It is barbaric and needs to stop.” Tareq added.

“On the same day Tawjihi results were announced, I did not let my children play outside the house because I keep hearing the sound of gunfire,” Bana Hashem, a Jordanian mother of two, told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Hashem said that “every year we hear that someone died or was wounded because of festive firing”, adding that this is “an uncivilised way to celebrate”.

The Public Security Directorate (PSD), during this year’s Tawjihi celebrations, arrested 51 individuals and seized 55 firearms across Jordan, according to a PSD statement made available to The Jordan Times. 

Further, the PSD statement called on citizens to renounce celebratory gunfire as an illegal act that threatens the safety of citizens.