Spiky hair and low waist jeans are front page news in Jordan. Al Ghad reports that an official in the Ministry of Interior has expressed his astonishment at the rumors of a government campaign against guys and girls who adopt “strange” fashion practices.
So it’s official. If you have spiky hair you don’t have a reason to fear a fine of JD 25.
The rumor has apparently been spreading across the country.
And, as expected, many people really really wanted this rumor to be true. I mean.. yeah! Spiky hair and other “stuff” like that is “dangerous”. Today spiky hair, tomorrow who knows.. Maybe an alien invasion that will turn all Jordanians into green frogs. God forbid. Our society has got to be “vigilant” against such “strange” fashions!
Goodness!
Al Ghad quotes both sides of the argument: The part of Jordanian society that is ultra concerned about “the manliness of men” and the other part that considers hair and clothes fashion a private matter.
This whole “strange” fashion business boggles my mind. I guess wearing jeans was considered a “strange fashion” by some people a few decades ago. Now it’s OK, I guess. And if spiky hair is strange, what about people with other extreme hair styles, like very long beards for example. They also stand out in a crowd, don’t they?
Personally, I find neckties the strangest fashion item of all. I’ve never worn one. Not even on my wedding day. I mean why do people walk around with a piece of cloth around their neck that serves no function at all?!! I am an anti-tie fundamentalist and I want to start a political party calling for the ban of ties. I will get funding from Iran if I have to.
And I love it when Hajjaj’s audience misunderstands him. Yesterday, as the rumor was raging, Al Ghad published the above cartoon. Abu Mahjoob tells the young man: “I saw the hair-raising prices. And my stomach is so empty, my pants slipped down. So, son, have solidarity with me. Get a spiky hair cut and pull your pants down in defiance of the price-raising hypocrites who are concerned about morals.”
If you read the comments on this cartoon on Hajjaj’s site, you’ll find a lot of people who apparently didn’t get the idea and where praising Hajjaj for a cartoon that they understood to be condemning the fashion! Some people did get it but where not happy because the cartoon condoned the fashion!
You just can’t make everyone happy 
But the best part of Al Ghad article was all about the Arabic names of the new emerging youth fashions:
وبØسب الإشاعة Ùإن قائمة المØظورات التي من يلاØقها رجال الأمن تشمل: “بنطلون يالله نشطٓ، Ùˆ“بلوزة بابا سمØلي“ØŒ أو “أبو صرة” بالنسبة للÙتيات، بالإضاÙØ© إلى البناطيل ذات الخصر الساØÙ„ لكلا الجنسين، وقصة “سبايكي” بالنسبة للشباب، Ùˆ“الجل والأواكس“ØŒ ووجود “Øلقه بالأن٠أو بالاذن بالنسبة للشباب أو ما يطلق عليهم اسم طنط“.
So apparently there are pants that are called “let’s mop the floor”. Girl’s blouses that reveal the navel are called “Daddy allowed me” (also called “Abu Surra” which is the name of a variety of oranges that have a ‘navel’). Then there’s the “spiky” haircut and “AWAKS” haircut (whatever THAT is!). Finally any guy wearing an earring is called a “Tante”.
LOL!!
“Leave those kids alone”
Comments
20 responses to “Spiky hair and low waist jeans are not a threat to Jordan’s national security”
Just another break in the wall.
How would one go about resisting such silly laws? As I understood from Mahjoob, do we all take to the streets in spiky hair and low slung jeans?
I would like that very much I think- a march throughout the streets of Amman in solidarity for spiky hair as a symbol of freedom.
The reason behind these pathetic rumors is to make people forget about the raise in prices.
its WAX ahmad theres an extra A or “alif”
u sometime can be so cute
hehehehe
and i dont kow why they’re banning it abu mahjoub looks so hot with his new make over
I think they should force everyone to have spikey hair and wear low waist jeans, come up with a thorough, all-inclusive “Manliness” test, subject everyone to it, and get this whole thing over with. So instead of just judging people on the way they look, we can finally have an answer to who is a real “zalameh/tant” and if they are bound to a certain income level, geographic location or a certain look. All while eliminating the invisible “I’m tough because I don’t know what’s hip” attribute.
Thank God it is a rumor!
resistance to change.. I remember something like this in the mid 90s with male long hairs, heavy music was hip back then and we had all the rumors and unimaginable stories of Satan Cults.
When anyone stands for some strange opinion or attitude.. Satanic!
Spikey hair is fine, but I hate low waists and short blouses!
Sorry, but I find them disgusting, especially low slung Jeans BLEH!
Not sure why you added on spiky hair and wearing jeans in general. These are just a matter of taste. It’s displaying underwear and private body parts in public that is indecent to the point that it shouldn’t be legal.
I can not BELIEVE this is even a topic in Jordan. just when you think we’re moving forward you realize that for every one step we take forward we take 2,000 steps backward into 3asr il jahiliya, or into Saudi Arabia. No one has a right to tell me what to wear! We have to get used to the fact that some people might offend you. get over it. let them live their lives. you offend me i offend you we all offend each other who cares?
1. Even if their not subject to a JD 25 fine, there was still some harassment behavior has been reported by some law endorsement people.. such as pulling up teen jeans and missing up their hair..hehehe.. it kind of like school again..
2. Maybe the reason why people with very long beards are not considered strange, is because it’s a manly thing.. so it imposes gender polarization, which is the key philosophy in eastern communities’ gender sociology..
3. Yeah.. I’ll join ATP (Anti-Tie Party).. let me know when is our 1st party meeting.
law enforcement*
I think our government should worry about smoking in the first place and other shit going on. Or probably apply the penalties also for wearing this fugly turtle-neck + tight striped shirt combination worn by the 7afartal of the mojtama3. Topped by the beautiful skinny, stone-washed “dirty” jeans. If they want to talk fashion ya3ni.
Also, some serious thinking should go into the abolishment of:
الØذاء السرسري
Wow … I can’t believe how this topic is presented. I think you are mixing many issues into one, and that’s what confusing issue.
Here in the US in some state you will be fined if you are showing your private parts in public, and that’s include wearing jeans at a low waste which result in showing the upper part of the %$#@@
I don’t think this rumored law in Jordan is to fine people because wearing of Jeans at a low waste if it’s not showing any private parts, it’s because wearing in a way to show the private parts which is very gross and low and its nothing has to do with being democratic, open society, or freedom. Come on people, wake up
This is total ignorance , I can’t believe this rumor is spreading around jordan very fast
The reason behind these pathetic rumors is to make people forget about the raise in prices.!
Wow! , This is just pure crap! , Jordanian still can’t realize that we are in 2008 , Damn!
dude Humaid
museebetna museebeh; you said that people in hajjaj’s site did not get it, well thats ok with me, but…. i thought people who tapped in to your site are, mmmm, more savvy.. apparently not! some of the comments above are just…
with all this being said, you can’t blame people when they make up such rumors, this is who “we” are, and you gotta love its simplicity..
finally, salute for quoting Pink Floyd who i guess had this same problem (freedom to act) with their society before us.. way before us.. we’ll get there some day.
I am sure Hajjaj is somewhere out there banging his head on a wall!
His intention was to evoke people’s reaction to the price changes, instead look at what people turned the attention to: Fashion
We don’t choose our battles to win the war; we turn our backs to them and create new ones!! I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry!
Of course it is not a threat to social security but a real testing of good taste!
Look, save me the crap about “symbol of freedom” and “change”. If you Under 20 youth out there want to fight for freedom and change there are much more tools and issues to focus on instead of this disgusting and ugly outfit. Youth in the west do stranger “fashion” but stil stand up against injustice and their constitutional rights and they make sure thay are knowledgeable about the issues of priority in their world. It is not the looks as much as the impact.
Do you mind to post some more information about this ?…