Jordanian censors try to put 'Jinn' back in the bottle
"Jinn," a youth drama that takes place in a private high school in Jordan, has opened a Pandora's box on morals and censorship.
It did not take “Jinn,” Netflix Originals’ first Arabic series, more than a single episode to cause an uproar on social media in Jordan. Even before the audience had a chance to watch the first few episodes, the public — and some officials — started calling for a ban on the series that showed Jordanian teenagers kissing and swearing.
The series, produced by Netflix and Kibrit Productions, takes a look at the friendship and budding romances between the students of a private high school in Petra, Jordan, after they unwittingly unleash a jinn, an evil spirit in Islam.
Directed by Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya and Amine Matalqa, the six-episode series became available on Netflix June 13, immediately arousing controversy that the kisses the students exchanged — against the backdrop of the historical city of Petra — were offensive to the “morals and habits of the conservative Jordanian society.” So did the swearing and the colloquial speech the students used on screen.
Critics attacked the series and accused it of “promoting pornography, drugs and alcohol use” among students. Journalist Wael al-Bteiri who launched the hashtag #Punish_Jinn told Al-Monitor that he considered the series to be "an American infiltration" that aimed to damage Jordan through its "dirty scenes and offensive language."
