Human Rights and Freedom in Jordan

https://www.humantruth.info/jordan_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2018

#gender_equality #human_rights #islam #jordan #jordan_women #prejudice #slavery #women

Jordan Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	107th best
Location	Asia, The Middle East
Population	10.0m₁
Life Expectancy	74.26yrs (2017)₂

Jordan is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. In 2017, sweeping reforms to the judiciary and justice system were proposed and parliament passed a disabilities law that prohibits discrimination against disabled people₃. Jordan does worse than average when it comes to the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₄, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₅, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₆, LGBT equality₇ (still good for Asia), its nominal commitment to Human Rights₈, opposing gender inequality₉, its average Freedom in the World rating (still good for Asia), combatting modern slavery₁₀, supporting press freedom₁₁ and in freethought₁₂. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 for its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₁₃. "In 2017, Jordan continued to violate human rights, including restrictions on free expression, free assembly, and women´s rights"₃. Jordan does not accept basic human rights regarding religion; only Islam is acceptable₃.

1. Jordan's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #jordan #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Asia (2025)₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₄
1	Japan	34.7
2	Taiwan	42.4
3	Cyprus	43.8
	...
27	Kazakhstan	110.7
28	Tajikistan	110.9
29	Maldives	111.8
30	Jordan	113.6
31	Vietnam	114.1
32	Bangladesh	114.8
33	Bhutan	115.7
34	Bahrain	117.2
35	Qatar	119.7
	Asia Avg	103.00
q=52.

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)₁₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank₁₄
1	Sweden	5.9
2	Norway	8.0
3	Denmark	8.1
	...
145	Ivory Coast	111.5
146	Maldives	111.8
147	Liberia	113.0
148	Jordan	113.6
149	Vietnam	114.1
150	Bangladesh	114.8
151	Malawi	115.2
152	Bhutan	115.7
	World Avg	86.35
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₁₅. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are N. Korea, Somalia and Eritrea₁₅.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁₅, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia₁₅.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Jordan stated:

“The authorities continued to restrict freedom of assembly, expression and association for journalists, political activists and workers through arbitrary detention and the use of repressive laws. Human rights defenders and journalists were targeted with surveillance. Women and girls continued to face discrimination in law and practice. Refugees faced challenges in accessing essential services due to cuts in international aid.”
"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)₁₆

“Jordanian law criminalizes speech deemed critical of the king, foreign countries, government officials and institutions, and Islam. [...]
In 2017, Jordanian lawmakers overhauled the country´s criminal procedure law, making positive changes that guarantee all suspects the right to access a lawyer from the time of arrest and during interrogations and create a legal aid fund to provide lawyers for suspects who cannot afford them. Under the changes, the law states that pretrial detention is an “exceptional measure” rather than the norm. [However] local governors continued to use provisions of the Crime Prevention Law of 1954to place individuals in administrative detention for up to one year, in circumvention of the Criminal Procedure Law. The National Center for Human Rights reported that 30,138 persons were administratively detained in 2016, some for longer than one year.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₃

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom Higher is better₁₁
Pos.		2025₁₁
1	Norway	92.31
2	Estonia	89.46
3	Netherlands	88.64
	...
143	Kyrgyzstan	37.46
144	Ethiopia	36.92
145	Rwanda	35.84
146	Jordan	35.25
147	Uzbekistan	35.24
148	Bangladesh	33.71
149	Laos	33.22
150	India	32.96
	Asia Avg	39.69
	World Avg	54.65
q=179.

Regarding supporting press freedom, Jordan is 146th in the world.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₁₇

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

Averages by decade for Jordan (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom	2000s Average	2010s Average
Jordan:	33.65	58.07
World Rank:	122nd	⇣ 132nd
World Avg:	27.44	65.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s Lower is better₁₀
Pos.		Total Per 1000₁₀
1=	Switzerland	0.50
1=	Norway	0.50
3=	Germany	0.60
	...
135	Armenia	8.90
136=	Moldova	9.50
136=	Venezuela	9.50
138	Jordan	10.00
139	Bosnia & Herzegovina	10.10
140=	Papua New Guinea	10.30
140=	S. Sudan	10.30
142=	Azerbaijan	10.60
	Asia Avg	9.89
	World Avg	7.15
q=160.

Jordan is 138th in the world regarding combatting modern slavery.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and poverty-stricken vulnerable.₁₈. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₁₉, Eritrea₁₉, Indonesia₂₀) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report that 50 million people are living in modern slavery₁₉.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

Averages by decade for Jordan (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery	2010s Average	2020s Average
Jordan:	1.80	10.00
World Rank:	25th	⇣ 138th
World Avg:	6.54	7.15

2.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better₆
Pos.		2014 Rank₆
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
88=	Burkina Faso	88
88=	Kenya	88
88=	Bahrain	88
91	Jordan	91
92	Cape Verde	92
93	Botswana	93
94=	Liberia	94
94=	Lesotho	94
	Asia Avg	94.6
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Jordan comes 91st in the world regarding supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

“... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]
The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]
Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.”
"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)₂₁

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.4. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World Lower is better
Pos.		2024 Score
1=	Norway	1.0
1=	Canada	1.0
1=	Cape Verde	1.0
	...
131=	Mozambique	4.5
132=	Morocco	5.0
132=	Mauritania	5.0
132=	Jordan	5.0
132=	Pakistan	5.0
132=	Tunisia	5.0
137=	Brunei	5.5
137=	Turkey	5.5
	Asia Avg	5.0
	World Avg	3.7
q=205.

Regarding its average Freedom in the World rating, Jordan ranks 132nd in the world (still good for Asia).

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for Jordan (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World	1970s Average	1980s Average	1990s Average	2000s Average	2010s Average
Jordan:	6.0	5.4	4.1	4.8	5.3
World Rank:	119th	⇡ 111th	111th	⇣ 142nd	⇣ 151st
World Avg:	4.3	4.2	3.6	3.4	3.4

2.5. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better₅
Pos.		2017 Score₅
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
	...
94=	Iraq	-6
94=	Bangladesh	-6
94=	Bosnia & Herzegovina	-6
94=	Jordan	-6
94=	Kazakhstan	-6
94=	Cuba	-6
100=	Yemen	-7
100=	Egypt	-7
	Asia Avg	-5.0
	World Avg	-1.9
q=123.

Jordan comes 91st in the world regarding commentary in Human Rights Watch reports.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.6. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better₈
Pos.		2009 Treaties₈
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
	...
113=	Kenya	14
113=	Japan	14
113=	Jamaica	14
113=	Jordan	14
113=	China	14
113=	Mauritius	14
113=	Botswana	14
113=	Madagascar	14
	Asia Avg	12.7
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Regarding its nominal commitment to Human Rights, Jordan comes 112th in the world.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

"Human Rights" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

2.7. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag Lower is better₂₂
Pos.		2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty₂₂
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
	...
57	Honduras	7.64
58	Congo, DR	7.72
59	Seychelles	7.73
60	Jordan	7.75
61	Madagascar	7.75
62	Cuba	7.80
63	Guyana	7.85
64	Tanzania	8.05
	Asia Avg	10.97
	World Avg	10.02
q=195.

Jordan is positioned 60th in the world in terms of speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

" Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

3. Gender Equality Datasets

#islam #jordan

Jordan is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women. Islamic beliefs are the cause of this situation.

Jordan discriminates against women in accordance with policies tied up with its official religion, needlessly restricting marriages, divorces and custody if a woman married a non-Muslim₃.

Thankfully, in 2017 Jordan "abolished article 308 of the country´s 1960 penal code, an infamous provision that allowed perpetrators of sexual assault to avoid punishment if they married their victims"₃.

See:

"Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)
"Islam and Women" by Vexen Crabtree (2011)

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality Lower is better₉
Pos.		2022₉
1	Denmark	0.01
2	Norway	0.01
3	Switzerland	0.02
	...
110	Indonesia	0.44
111	India	0.45
112	Namibia	0.45
113	Jordan	0.45
114	Belize	0.46
115	Laos	0.46
116	Myanmar	0.48
117	Guatemala	0.48
	Asia Avg	0.33
	World Avg	0.34
q=166.

Jordan ranks 113th in the world in terms of opposing gender inequality.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Averages by decade for Jordan (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality	2000s Average	2010s Average
Jordan:	0.55	0.47
World Rank:	107th	⇣ 108th
World Avg:	0.41	0.37

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases Lower is better₄
Pos.		2022 %₄
1	Sweden	31.8₂₃
2	New Zealand	34.4₂₄
3	Australia	37.0₂₄
	...
62	Kyrgyzstan	98.1₂₄
63	Palestine	98.2₂₃
64	Kuwait	98.3₂₃
65	Jordan	98.5₂₄
66	Burkina Faso	98.6₂₅
67	Algeria	98.7₂₃
68	Zimbabwe	98.7₂₄
69	Yemen	98.7₂₃
	Asia Avg	94.24
	World Avg	83.93
q=88.

Jordan ranks 65th in the world in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators).

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

3.3. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote Lower is better
Pos.		Total Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
161=	Bahrain	1973
161=	San Marino	1973
161=	Andorra	1973
164=	Jordan	1974
164=	Solomon Islands	1974
166=	Sao Tome & Principe	1975
166=	Cape Verde	1975
166=	Angola	1975
	Asia Avg	1907
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Jordan comes 164th in the world with regard to the year from which women could participate in democracy.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better₁₃
Pos.		2014 %₁₃
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
91=	Morocco	80
91=	Qatar	80
91=	UAE	80
94=	Jordan	81
94=	Bahrain	81
96	Kuwait	82
97	Tunisia	86
98=	Algeria	87
	Asia Avg	48.2
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Jordan ranks 8th-worst in the world in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice.

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews₂₆_,₂₇_,₂₈_,₂₉. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₃₀, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₃₁_,₃₂. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₃₃. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₃₄.

For more, see:

"Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.2. LGBT Equality

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

“In July 2017, high-level Jordanian officials used an inquiry into the legality of a Jordanian online magazine to issue statements against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The ministers of justice and interior wrote separate official letters to the minister of political and parliamentary affairs declaring their broad intolerance of LGBT people and making it clear that the government would not defend the rights of LGBT Jordanians.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₃

LGBT Equality Higher is better₇
Pos.		2017 Score₇
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
	...
102=	Belize	15
102=	Belarus	15
102=	Kyrgyzstan	15
105=	Jordan	12
105=	China	12
107=	Djibouti	11
107=	Mali	11
107=	Tajikistan	11
	Asia Avg	-02.1
	World Avg	12.6
q=196.

Still high for Asia Jordan ranks 105th in the world with regard to LGBT equality.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₅. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws₃₆. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries₃₅. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

"LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought Lower is better₁₂
Pos.		2021₁₂
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
	...
171=	Iraq	4.3
171=	Comoros	4.3
173=	Kuwait	4.5
173=	Jordan	4.5
173=	Bahrain	4.5
173=	Bangladesh	4.5
173=	Somalia	4.5
173=	Indonesia	4.5
	Asia Avg	3.7
	World Avg	3.0
q=196.

Jordan ranks 21st-worst in the world regarding freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₃₇. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₃₈. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₃₉ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₀. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₁. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan₁₂_,₄₂ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₁₂_,₄₃.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₄₄. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₃₈, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₄₅ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₄₆ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).

5. Freedom of Belief and Religion

#atheism #islam #jordan #religion_in_jordan

Jordan does not accept basic human rights regarding religion and belief₃. There is no official way to be non-religious, it is illegal to promote religions other than Islam, converting away from Islam is illegal, and, blasphemy laws are used to prevent any meaningful religious discussion except glorification of Islam₃. Muslims must abide by a particular interpretation of Sharia law₃.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)₄₇, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Jordan states:

“The Constitution, in Article 14, provides for the freedom to practice the rites of one's religion and faith in accordance with the customs that are observed in the Kingdom, unless they violate public order or morality. According to the Constitution, the state religion is Islam and the King must be Muslim. The Constitution, in Articles 103-106, also provides that matters concerning the personal status of Muslims are under the exclusive jurisdiction of Sharia courts which apply Sharia in their proceedings. Personal status, or "family law", includes religion, marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance. Personal status law follows the guidelines of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence, which is applied in cases that are not explicitly addressed by civil status legislation. Matters of personal status of non-Muslims whose religion is recognized by the Government are under the jurisdiction of Tribunals of Religious Communities, according to Article 108.
The Government prohibits conversion from Islam and efforts to proselytize Muslims. The Jordanian Penal Code makes insulting Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, or any Muslim's feelings, a crime punishable by up to three years in prison. Atheists must associate themselves with a recognized religion for purposes of official identification. Employment applications for government positions occasionally contain questions about an applicant's religion.”
"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)₄₇