Jordanians polarized by effort to restrict firearms

The Jordanian government is pushing to amend a 67-year-old law regulating the possession of firearms in the kingdom. If the amendments pass, Jordanians would have six months to hand over unlicensed handguns, automatic and semi-automatic firearms or face heavy penalties. The proposed amendments would also restrict the issuance of new licenses and cancel permits to carry guns. The legislation to replace the current 1952 law is being debated in an extraordinary session of parliament that began July 21.

On July 8, Interior Minister Salameh Hamad had denied a July 1 statement attributed to him in which he allegedly told the Lower House’s Legal Committee that there are 10 million firearms in the kingdom. He did, however, confirm that 92% of all violent crimes committed in the country are carried out using unlicensed arms.

Hamad attributed the sharp rise in illegal weapons in the kingdom to the civil war in neighboring Syria, including southern Syria having been beyond the control of the Syrian government for years, which has allowed arms smuggling into Jordan.

While some experts and columnists have welcomed the government’s initiative, others have denounced it, even pointing to the external threats the country faces.