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Jews told no flaunting religion in Jordan

JERUSALEM, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Religious Jews visiting Jordan have been asked to refrain from wearing the traditional skull cap for security reasons, officials said.

An Israeli businessman who recently visited the Hashemite Kingdom told Ynetnews.com Thursday he was asked to deposit the traditional head covering before crossing the border.

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"The man in the counter asked us to take off our hats and we thought it was standard procedure for passport control. But when the man saw the yarmulkes, he took us to the tourism police. The officer there said that the ban to wear yarmulkes was 'for our own benefit,' put it in the safe and gave us a form with which to receive the yarmulkes when we return," he told the Web site.

Yossi Levy, director of Israeli communications at the Foreign Ministry said there are "disagreements with our Jordanian counterparts in regards to Jewish religious objects entering the Hashemite Kingdom."

He said the ministry has lodged objections with their Jordanian counterparts for singling out Israeli religious tourists. Levy said the ministry has received a number of complaints from religious Jews who have had to deposit their religious items before crossing the border.

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