“The Jordanian Citizenship Law is a sexist piece of legislation,” said Jordanian Minister of Interior Samir Habashneh when asked why Jordanian men married to Palestinian women can give the nationality to their spouses and children while Jordanian women married to Palestinian men can not do the same.
Source: [The Jordan Times]
No change to Citizenship Law — Habashneh
By Rana Husseini and Sahar Aloul
AMMAN — Minister of Interior Samir Habashneh on Sunday said the government has no intention of offering the Jordanian citizenship to children of Jordanian women married to Palestinian men until a settlement is reached in the Palestinian conflict.
“This issue is no longer possible because it means offering the citizenship to around half a million Palestinians in Jordan,” the minister said.
Habashneh made similar remarks on Saturday during a two-day seminar on the Elections Law in which he disclosed that there are about 60,000 Jordanian women married to Palestinian men.
The average number of children in each of these families is around 6.5, “which means giving the Jordanian citizenship to around 500,000 Palestinians,” according to Habashneh.
According to UNRWA figures, Jordan hosts the largest number of Palestinian refugees in the world numbering 1.7 million.
Habashneh explained that if Jordanian women married to Palestinian men are allowed to give their nationality to their spouses and offspring, “around half a million refugees will be settled in the country in contradiction with Jordan’s stand on the right of return for Palestinians.”
The minister also said that there are around 20,000 Jordanian women who are married to other nationalities.
When asked by The Jordan Times on the privilege that Jordanian men enjoy by giving the nationality to their Palestinian wives and children, Habashneh said, “the Jordanian Citizenship Law is a sexist piece of legislation.”
The minister told The Jordan Times the government is “seriously considering offering the citizenship to children of divorced, widowed or abandon Jordanian women who are married to non-Jordanians for humanitarian reasons.” During the opening of the 2nd Arab Women’s Summit held in Amman in November 2002, Her Majesty Queen Rania announced that the government intends to give the citizenship to children of Jordanian women married to foreigners.
“The government supports the Queen’s remarks and that is why we will consider giving the citizenship to children of widowed, abandoned and divorced women married to foreign men,” Habashneh said.
Amneh Zu’bi, president of the Jordanian Women’s Union, expressed dismay over Habashneh’s remarks.
“This is an unjust solution and contradicts the repeated demands the Jordanian women’s movement has made regarding this issue,” Zu’bi told The Jordan Times.
Zu’bi insisted that the majority of the women who visit the union are seeking legal help because of the discriminatory clauses related to Jordanian women married to Palestinians.
“Most of the tough cases we have been handling are cases of Jordanian women married to Palestinians who suffer from various burdens because they do not enjoy their full rights,” Zu’bi explained.
Families of these women have suffered from many obstacles, including having to pay large amounts of money for visas and residency permits imposed on their children and husbands as well as travelling between police stations and health institutions annually to obtain security clearances, in addition to medical reports for their foreign children.
Onzlo,
The situation is still unfair for any Jordanian woman who’s married to a non-Jordanian. I, for example, will not be able to grant my children the Jordanian citizenship which I think is unfortunante. What if we decide to live in Jordan? They need a residency which you can’t get easily! Also what if I decide to put them in state schools? I would not be able to do that as they are not Jordanians.
And worse, when we arrive at Queen Alia’s airport we have to queue in different lines. I’m very well aware of the situation because my sister is in the same boat! It is really a hassle and VERY discriminatory.
I don’t why i have the feeling that the minister meant it as in: ‘(unfortunately) the Jordanian Citizenship Law is a sexist piece of legislation”.
Its difficult to see what can be done in this situation, since giving the nationality to what can potentially be such a huge amount of people all at once is difficult, at the same time giving it only to non-Palestinian children of Jordanian women would be discriminatory, but on the third hand (if there is such a thing) keeping the situation as it is would be unfair as well????
Linda,
Many Palestinians do not have a passport, and they move around using a travel document which can be really a hassle. Having a Jordanian passport makes it easier to travel. So by all means, they will take their wife’s nationality if they were given the chance.
Come on. Even if the law was changed, do we really think the Palestinian man will take on his wife’s nationality? Before laws change, culture has to change. The people need to be willing to change their ways of thinking and living before reform can take place.
We all know that the Jordanian nationality law is sexist, but I was shocked to see the minister’s blunt answer. I mean he could have been more diplomatic when he was talking to the press. Something like “we know the law is not perfect”. But then again, at least he was honest.
6.5 kids, wow… They should consider family planning initiatives as well.
But I agree, a very sexist law. I’m guessing it’s loosely based on Islamic marriage laws which also need a serious reconsideration. We have to have the ‘nothing is set in stone’ mentality towards our laws and religion rather than the current prevalent methodology ‘dont ask, dont question, or you might get killed of maimed”