AKEED, Husam Assal

A "mistake" in a letter sent last Wednesday by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Lina Annab to the head of the Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents caused confusion to media outlets and social media platforms. The circular stated that Austria had banned the wearing of hijab in public places instead of the correct decision, which is banning the wearing of niqab (full-face veil) in public places.

Initially, social media platforms decried the circular. Many users attacked the minister for issuing it without taking note of the Austrian decision, which banned the niqab in public places, and not the hijab.

Media outlets also published the letter and based its news on its content without reflecting the state of sarcasm and anger that was observed on social media platforms. However, they fell into the same trap in which social media users fell by not ascertaining the truth of the Austrian decision.

The minister of tourism took immediate action and announced that the word "hijab" was mistakenly included in the letter, instead of niqab, saying that she would send a new, corrected version to the Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents.

The media published the corrected statement of the minister under the following headlines:

Minister of Tourism Sends Letter on Banning Hijab in Austria Instead of Niqab…Details

Annab Retracts Circular on Hijab

Ministry of Tourism Makes Mistake…Austria Bans Niqab, Not Hijab

One website described the mistake in the letter as a "scandal," in its headline on the story: "Scandals of Mulki Ministers Continue."  

Another website contacted Annab to seek clarifications from her concerning the letter. She described what happened as "a translation error that happened at the ministry. It will be corrected and a new letter will be sent to the society including the correction." She also told the website that she refuses to apologize for the mistake, saying: "Why should we apologize? We did not offend anyone."

Austria began the implementation of the decision on 1 October. The decision banned concealing the face in its entirety or showing the eyes only in public places.

The Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor (AKEED) thinks that the mistake made by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities confused the media, which published conflicting news about the decision within less than 24 hours. Besides, the media failed to carry out its role by ascertaining the truth of the Austrian decision, which was announced at the beginning of the month in Arab and international media.

The mistake in the official letter, which confused the media, comes in the wake of a mistake in a circular by the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization on a "lethal perfume," which AKEED discussed in a previous report.