Abu Zant

Sheikh Abdul Munem Abu Zant (1954 – 26 July 2015) was a Jordanian Muslim scholar and politician. He was member of the House of Representatives between 1989 and 1997 for the Islamic Action Front. He was an opponent of the Israel–Jordan peace treaty and a supporter of Hamas. Abu Zant frequently criticized the Western world and especially the United States and Israel. He was also critical of moderate Islamic regimes in the Middle East.

Abu Zant had confrontations with the Jordanian government several times. He was banned from delivering sermons in 1994 and was arrested several times for breaching that prohibition the same year. Critique of government actions against Hamas had him arrested in 1999 and 2001.

Abu Zant was born in Nablus. At one point he became member of the Muslim Brotherhood. He was elected to the House of Representatives during the 1989 Jordanian general elections. Abu Zant was a member of the House between 1989 and 1997 (or 1990 and 1998) for the Islamic Action Front (IAF), serving during three parliaments. Abu Zant called himself the leader of the most radical section of the party. Within the IAF Abu Zant had a sizeable group of followers. During his time in parliament Abu Zant supported introducing prohibition as well as a mandatory headscarf for Muslim women. When female Representative Faisal kept her own style of dress in parliament Abu Zant offered her an Islamic garb and sweets to stop wearing her own clothes and make-up.

Abu Zant was an opponent of the Coalition forces during the Gulf War. He called the Gulf War: "not a war between Iraq and the U.S., but rather one between Islam and the infidels". He subsequently called for a jihad against Western forces involved in the Gulf War. Abu Zant called the Arab regimes that took part in the Gulf War against Iraq apostates. During and after the Gulf War Abu Zant was a frequent speaker at Friday preaching ceremonies at mosques.

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