Video of couple’s public display of affection fuels morality vs privacy debate

AMMAN — Although some social media users were outraged by a couple’s public display of affection after a video of the two was widely shared on the Internet this week, others said recording the incident was an invasion of privacy.

“This is something we are not used to in Jordan — they must have expected it. When you are in a conservative country you must respect its morals and beliefs,” Maysa Nabulsi wrote on Facebook.

Ahmad Mari agreed, noting that “personal acts shouldn’t be performed in public. If this had happened anywhere else, it would have been acceptable, but not in the Arab world.” 

“The person who recorded this should be punished, but that does not mean the public should disregard what is happening in the video,” Sahem Bdour wrote on Facebook.

Said Abu Al Neel said the person who filmed and shared the video, purportedly showing the couple kissing and hugging in Amman’s Wakalat Street, should be held accountable for taking and publishing a video of people he/she does not know personally. 

“They should bring to court the person who filmed them; it is considered an invasion of privacy,” Abu Al Neel said. 

Another Facebook user, Anees Mayatah, said recording the incident was “immoral”, not the actual public display of affection.

Lubna Bajjali wrote on her Facebook page: “I wish it were a video of a man harassing a girl or a photo of a girl who was a victim of ‘honour’ crimes. Violence became something so common that we find love a strange, rare phenomenon.” 

“Conservative societies reject the idea of love in public and emphasise the ‘culture of hate’ privately and publicly,” Bajjali charged.

Batir Wardam, an activist and former columnist at Ad-Dustour, said the public should criticise more important issues like Daesh’s crimes and other terror groups.