Jordan TV show turns violent as MP pulls gun on political opponent – live
A photo taken on July 3, 2012 shows a flag on a car carrying King Abdullah II of Jordan after a meeting with French President at the Elysee Palace in Paris.
Politics got intense on Friday in Jordan, where a member of Parliament pulled a gun on an opposition activist on live television.
A heated debate between MP Mohammed Shawabka and political activist and former MP Mansour Sayf al-Din Murad over the Syrian regime, broadcast on the Jo Sat televison network, turned into a noisy, incensed shouting match before live audiences.
The men began to sling political insults at each other according to the Times of Israel, as the host attempted to calm them.
Read More: Video of gun-slinging incident in Jordan here
Roughly 1:36 into the video, Mr Shawabka is seen pulling off his shoe and throwing it across the room at Murad – and then escalates the threat by pulling a silver pistol out of his blazer.
The program went off the air as the battle continued.
In the Arab world, threatening or striking someone with a shoe is considered a grave insult, as evidenced by the now-infamous Iraqi shoe throwing incident, involving former United States President George W. Bush.
Murad, according to Israel National News, was one of the only Jordanian politician to meet with Bashir Al Assad of Syria, and continues to lead delegations to the region. This appears to be an unpopular political move in Jordan, where, according to the AFP, protests against Damascus have occured in recent months.
Jordan has been the scene of numerous protests and demonstrations against the government in the past few days, as the "Arab Spring" continues to grip the region. A new electoral law, currently awaiting the approval of Jordanian King Abdullah II, may be a decisive factor in the nation's political scene, says the New York Times.
As for now, Jordan's political unrest spills over even onto TV.
As commentator "OriginalGamesta" observed on YouTube of the incident: "Never bring a shoe to a gunfight."
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