AMMAN— The government came under fire on Wednesday as
lawmakers began discussions of the child rights draft law for 2022.
After a heated
debate, the
Lower House referred the controversial draft to a joint committee
comprising the legal and women committees, Al-Mamlaka TV reported.
اضافة اعلان
Minister of
State for Legal Affairs and head of the Interministerial Committee for Women Empowerment
Wafa Bani Mustafa said that Jordan has reservations about articles 14, 20, and
21 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, regarding adoption and a
child’s right to change religion.
Bani Mustafa
said that the government had taken into consideration the Jordanian
“particularities” when drafting the articles.
“The draft law
was submitted in compliance with the constitutional amendments approved by the
House of Representatives, which speak of the protection of mothers, children,
and senior citizens from all forms of abuse and exploitation,” she said.
In addition, the
draft law comes as part of Jordan’s commitment to fulfill its international
obligations regarding the
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, she added.
“Concerns and
reservations raised about the subject of religion are significant,” Bani
Mustafa said. Article 14 mentions the right to choose or to change one’s
religion.
Last April, the
Cabinet approved the 2022 child rights draft law, which came in response to the
new constitutional amendments that emphasized child protection.
The Kingdom is a
signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, compliance with which
requires adaptation to legislative, administrative, and other measures.
Reacting to the
proposed draft, head of the Lower House Education and Youth Committee Taleb
Al-Sarayrah said that it contains several negative aspects that outweigh any
positive sides.
“Certain
articles provided in the draft go against Islamic laws and principles,” he
said.
“They want to separate
the child from his family. It is disturbing to prohibit parents from censoring
their children’s communication,” Sarayrah said.
Deputy Ahmad
Qatawneh voiced opposition to the draft law, pointing to “plans” aimed at
“dismantling” families.
“When reading
the draft, one can feel the absence of Islamic Sharia, and feels that such
(international) agreements and organizations seek to build their own version of
future generations,” he said.
“The draft law
prevents any parental oversight of the child,” Qatawneh added.
He drew
attention to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, on which he claimed
that the proposed draft law was based, saying that the convention suggests that
it is possible to remove a child from his/her family.
“The draft law
provides broad and vague definitions, allowing the child to lodge complaints
against parents if they attempt to censor the child or his/her mobile devices,”
he said.
“There is a plot
that is targeting the next generation. Islamic centers are being shut down and
are replaced by summer camps. A child has the right to learn the Quran, and the
parents have the right to educate their children about the Quran. I warn
against such agreements and conferences that are held in this regard,” Qatawneh
added.
Meanwhile,
Deputy Ismail Al-Mashaqbeh stressed that it is important to have a law that is
in harmony with Jordanian traditions and values, and Islamic law.
Deputy
Yanal Fraihat said that the proposed draft “is void of Jordanian and Islamic values
and does not stipulate the child’s responsibilities toward his/her parents”.
“The law cannot
be taken out of local context, which is linked to global contexts aimed at
changing the values on which families are built. There are movements that are
targeting such values,” he said.
Fraihat added
that the proposed law permits removing the child from the family and enables
children to submit complaints against their parents if they exercise some sort
of censorship.
He said that
several organizations and entities are “spending hundreds of millions to
encourage and push children toward atheism” and called for the involvement of
religious institutions in the ongoing discussion about the draft law.
“The proposed law wants
to strike family values, as no one would be able to impose custodianship over a
child or a woman. It is unacceptable that Islamic centers are closed for
children while parties and concerts that are being held in Aqaba,” Deputy
Suleiman Abu Yahya said.
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