AMMAN -- The Lower House on Sunday condemned the timing and manner of the execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, as a group of deputies called for severing ties with Iran over its alleged role in carrying out the death penalty.
House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali said he was pained at the determination to carry out the execution "on the dawn of the Holy Eid Al Adha, in a peculiar manner, without taking into consideration the feelings of millions of Arabs and Muslims who were then heading to mosques... to perform Eid prayers."
In a speech delivered at the outset of the session, Majali denounced sectarian remarks uttered by masked executioners and witnesses before the former Iraqi president was taken to the gallows.
He was referring to several men who appeared in a leaked video footage taunting Saddam before the execution.
The three-minute footage showed a defiant Saddam calmly replying to taunts by his guards before he was hanged in the early hours of December 30, the first day of Eid Al Adha.
Several deputies said they were not satisfied with the government's reaction to the incident, saying the former Iraqi leader deserved a better stand mostly because of his support for the Kingdom during his rule.
At least 10 deputies gave emotional speeches in which they condemned the execution and praised Saddam.
In its reaction to the execution, the government urged the Iraqi people to maintain their unity and work to ensure a better future for their country.
Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit told lawmakers the government respects the feelings of citizens and deputies but "its reaction is governed by the country's national interest."
Also Sunday, a petition signed by 26 legislators called for severing diplomatic relations with Iran for its alleged role in the execution.
"We urge the government to expel the Iranian ambassador from Amman until Iran changes its policies in Iraq and for its contribution to Saddam execution," the letter said.
The petition urged the government to express a clear position on the hanging and to "denounce the crime" of executing the former Iraqi president.
"The government's position must reflect the sentiments of all Jordanians," the petition said.
One thousand demonstrators, including a minister and members of Parliament, took to the streets of Amman to show their anger over the execution.
They held banners describing the deposed leader as a martyr. Saddam's daughter, Raghad, who lives in Amman, made a brief appearance and thanked the demonstrators for their support.
By Mohammad Ben Hussein
© Jordan Times 2007
