While many Arab countries impose measures that restrict public freedoms, Jordan has taken the debate a step further.
More than 20 MPs, led by MP Firas Qablan, have signed a parliamentary memorandum urging the government to draft a “Code of Conduct for Public Taste, Behaviour, and Appropriate Dress in Public Spaces and Shopping Malls,” claiming it would align with the Constitution, existing laws, and respect for personal freedoms and privacy.
The proposal relies on vague language that leaves terms such as “appropriate dress” and “public taste” open to broad interpretation, without defining what either actually means. Instead, it argues that the initiative aims to preserve Jordan’s national identity and societal values.
Put differently, these MPs are proposing a guide to reshape what they consider “appropriate” for public life.
More ironically, the memorandum insists that its purpose is not to restrict freedoms, but to promote a culture of mutual respect—while offering little more than broad slogans to justify it.
This raises an obvious question: Should just 20 MPs decide what “mutual freedoms” mean for the entire Jordanian people? And who says they are qualified to define what counts as “appropriate dress” for everyone else?
It is worth noting that the proposed code would be advisory rather than legally binding, and is intended only as guidance.
