Toujan al-Faisal
Encyclopedia
Toujan al-Faisal (born in 1948) is a human rights activist and a former TV journalist, who was Jordan
's first female Member of Parliament. She is a Circassian.
case against Toujan al-Faisal was heard in the first instance shari`a
court of south Amman
. Jordan has no apostasy law but the petitioners sought that she be declared an apostate, and divorce
d from her husband. The court eventually ruled that it had no jurisdiction in the matter. On appeal in 1990 the shari`a court of appeal, which had agreed to hear the section of the petition relating to divorce on the grounds of alleged apostasy, found that there was no evidence of apostasy and dismissed the case.
. She served as a Member of the Jordanian Parliament from 1993 to 1997. In the following election the government is said to have interfered to prevent her being reelected.
on the website of the Houston-based newspaper Arab Times
, accusing Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb
of corruption. She claimed that the recent doubling of the cost of government-mandated automobile insurance was intended to benefit the major insurance companies in Jordan (several of which were owned or partly owned by the Prime Minister himself).
She was arrested on 16 March. The State Security Court prosecutor freed her on bail on 27 March but she was arrested again two days later on the eve of a press conference she was about to hold at her home. On 16 May 2002 she was convicted by the State Security Court on charges of "tarnishing the Jordanian state", defamation of the judiciary, "uttering words" before another deemed to be "detrimental to his religious feeling", "publishing and broadcasting false information abroad which could be detrimental to the reputation of the state", and inciting "disturbances and killings." She was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, the maximum sentence allowed on such charges. She was convicted under a law promulgated through a provisional royal decree two weeks after the 11 September 2001 attacks
. The law not only expanded the definition of "terrorism
" but also further restricted freedom of expression in Jordan. Amnesty International
condemned the prison term imposed on her:
Toujan was reportedly maltreated in jail. This caused an outcry of human right groups within and outside Jordan.
In prison she went on hunger strike
, during which she lost 12 kg (1 st 12 lb) in less than a month. On 26 June 2002, after 29 days of hunger strike, she was freed from prison by a special royal pardon. The royal pardon did not annul her conviction. Speaking to BBC News
Online, she said she was determined to walk out of hospital on her daughter's arm. "I refused a wheelchair because I don't like the look, the attitude of weakness," she added.
The International Federation for Human Rights
(FIDH) considered that the Elections Committee and the Court decisions were based on an unfair condemnation, and Amnesty International
stated that "Toujan al-Faisal is being denied her right to stand for elections on account of an unfair trial for expressing non-violent political beliefs."
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
's first female Member of Parliament. She is a Circassian.
Alleged apostasy
In 1989, an apostasyApostasy
Apostasy , 'a defection or revolt', from ἀπό, apo, 'away, apart', στάσις, stasis, 'stand, 'standing') is the formal disaffiliation from or abandonment or renunciation of a religion by a person. One who commits apostasy is known as an apostate. These terms have a pejorative implication in everyday...
case against Toujan al-Faisal was heard in the first instance shari`a
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
court of south Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
. Jordan has no apostasy law but the petitioners sought that she be declared an apostate, and divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d from her husband. The court eventually ruled that it had no jurisdiction in the matter. On appeal in 1990 the shari`a court of appeal, which had agreed to hear the section of the petition relating to divorce on the grounds of alleged apostasy, found that there was no evidence of apostasy and dismissed the case.
Political career
Al-Faisal was elected to Parliament when parliamentary elections were resumed after the repeal of martial lawMartial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
. She served as a Member of the Jordanian Parliament from 1993 to 1997. In the following election the government is said to have interfered to prevent her being reelected.
Activism and arrest
On 6 March 2002 al-Faisal published an open letter to King Abullah IIAbdullah II of Jordan
Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein is the reigning King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He ascended the throne on 7 February 1999 after the death of his father King Hussein. King Abdullah, whose mother is Princess Muna al-Hussein, is a member of the Hashemite family...
on the website of the Houston-based newspaper Arab Times
Arab Times (US)
Arab Times is the largest Arab-American newspaper, published in the US since 1986 .- Background :The Arab Times newspaper was founded by Dr. Osama Fawzi in Houston, Texas and first published in print form in 1986...
, accusing Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb
Ali Abu al-Ragheb
Ali Abu al-Ragheb was the Prime Minister of Jordan from June 19, 2000 until October 25, 2003. He resigned and was replaced by Faisal al-Fayez.Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb was born in Amman, Jordan in 1946...
of corruption. She claimed that the recent doubling of the cost of government-mandated automobile insurance was intended to benefit the major insurance companies in Jordan (several of which were owned or partly owned by the Prime Minister himself).
She was arrested on 16 March. The State Security Court prosecutor freed her on bail on 27 March but she was arrested again two days later on the eve of a press conference she was about to hold at her home. On 16 May 2002 she was convicted by the State Security Court on charges of "tarnishing the Jordanian state", defamation of the judiciary, "uttering words" before another deemed to be "detrimental to his religious feeling", "publishing and broadcasting false information abroad which could be detrimental to the reputation of the state", and inciting "disturbances and killings." She was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, the maximum sentence allowed on such charges. She was convicted under a law promulgated through a provisional royal decree two weeks after the 11 September 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. The law not only expanded the definition of "terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
" but also further restricted freedom of expression in Jordan. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
condemned the prison term imposed on her:
Toujan was reportedly maltreated in jail. This caused an outcry of human right groups within and outside Jordan.
In prison she went on hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
, during which she lost 12 kg (1 st 12 lb) in less than a month. On 26 June 2002, after 29 days of hunger strike, she was freed from prison by a special royal pardon. The royal pardon did not annul her conviction. Speaking to BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
Online, she said she was determined to walk out of hospital on her daughter's arm. "I refused a wheelchair because I don't like the look, the attitude of weakness," she added.
Attempt to rejoin Parliament
The 20 May 2003 of the Elections Committee decided not to allow her to stand as a candidate in the parliamentary elections of 17 June 2003. Al-Faisal decided to file a request before the Kingdom’s Court of First Instance; however, on 24 May 2003 the court delivered a judgment rejecting the request. Al-Faisal’s application was rejected due to her previous conviction, on the grounds that she had previously committed a non-political offense.The International Federation for Human Rights
International Federation of Human Rights
The International Federation for Human Rights is a non-governmental federation for human rights organizations. Founded in 1922, FIDH is the oldest international human rights organisation worldwide and today brings together 164 member organisations in over 100 countries.FIDH is nonpartisan,...
(FIDH) considered that the Elections Committee and the Court decisions were based on an unfair condemnation, and Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
stated that "Toujan al-Faisal is being denied her right to stand for elections on account of an unfair trial for expressing non-violent political beliefs."
Further reading
- Nancy Gallagher, "Women's Human Rights on Trial in Jordan: The Triumph of Toujan al-Faisal," in Mahnaz Afkhami, ed. Faith and Freedom: Women's Human Rights in the Muslim World (London: I.B. TaurisI.B. TaurisI. B. Tauris is an independent publishing house with offices in London and New York.-History:I.B.Tauris was founded in 1983. Its declared strategy was to fill the perceived gap between trade publishing houses and university presses—that is, to publish serious but accessible works on international...
, 1995) pp. 209–231.