Jordan Lawmakers Limit Religious Edicts

[Eugene]

Jordan Lawmakers Limit Religious Edicts

By JAMAL HALABY
The Associated Press
Thursday, September 14, 2006; 7:31 PM

AMMAN, Jordan -- Lawmakers have approved a measure that would only allow
a state-appointed council to issue religious edicts, a move aimed at denying
Islamic hard-liners a forum for disseminating extremist ideology.

The proposal on "fatwas," Arabic for religious edicts, follows a pledge by
Jordanian ruler King Abdullah II in the wake of terror recent attacks to tighten
legislation to prevent radical viewpoints from taking root.

It represents a setback for the Islamist opposition, which vehemently opposes
the country's close ties with the United States and peace treaty with Israel.

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Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/14/AR2006091401460.html