President Bush Remarks on Jordan
Excerpt from President Bush’s news conference yesterdayJanuary 26, 2005
Q. Last month in Jordan, a gentleman named Ali Hattar was arrested after delivering a lecture called “Why We Boycott America.” He was charged under Section 191 of their penal code for slander of government officials. He stood up for democracy, you might say. And I wonder if here and now you will specifically condemn this abuse of human rights by a key American ally. And if you won’t, sir, then what, in a practical sense, do your fine words mean?
President Bush: I am unaware of the case. You’ve asked me to comment on something that I didn’t know took place. I urge my friend, His Majesty, to make sure that democracy continues to advance in Jordan. . . . As I said in my speech, not every nation is going to immediately adopt America’s vision of democracy and I fully understand that. But we expect nations to adopt the values inherent in a democracy, which is human rights and human dignity, that every person matters and every person ought to have a voice. And His Majesty is making progress toward that goal. I can’t speak specifically to the case. You’re asking me to speak about a case and I don’t know the facts. . . .
posted by Ashraf Zeitoon @ 2:12 AM
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