Jordan amends bill to avoid blacklisting Hamas

Jordan’s House of Representatives yesterday amended a bill pertaining to financing terrorism, a move seen as an attempt to sidestep labelling the Palestinian movement Hamas as a “terrorist” organisation, the Anadolu Agency reported.

Last month, the Jordanian government proposed a bill on money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

During yesterday’s session, the parliament voted in favour of a proposal presented by Minister of Parliament Rula Alhroob that called for removing Article IV of the proposed bill, which tackles money laundering and the financing of terrorism without specifying the terrorist entities that would be subject to the proposed law.

“Ratifying the bill as proposed by the government would mean considering the resistance movement Hamas a terrorist organisation,” Alhroob said during the session.

“It would also mean that the transfer of funds from Jordan to any Palestinian linked to Hamas in any way can be classified as financing terrorism, Jordanian law does not deem Hamas a terrorist organisation,” Alhroob said.

The bill now includes the phrase “deemed by the Kingdom [of Jordan] as a terrorist organisation”.

The Senate now has to vote on the bill before it becomes law.