Video footage of a group of men in suits and Jordanian MP Ziad El-Shawakbah physically assaulting an Egyptian waiter has set off a social media outcry and led to an official complaint from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
The victim, Khaled El Sayed, was hospitalized due to the multiple blows, kicks, and slaps he received and was visited by the Egyptian consul in Jordan, according to Ahmed Abu Zeid, spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
According to a Foreign Ministry statement, a police report was filed against the assailants, including a member of the Lebanese Parliament who participated in the attack. Furthermore, Hisham El-Nakib, an Egyptian Foreign Ministry aide, contacted the Jordanian ambassador in Egypt to ensure that the victim's rights will be respected and the assailants prosecuted for their actions.
The incident was reportedly sparked because the food order for one of El Shawakbah's brother was late. The brother was insulted and therefore, took it upon himself to call El Sayed degrading names. The following night, El Shawakbah came to the Aqaba restaurant, Lebnani Snacks, and told El Sayed that he needed to be "respectful" of Jordanians. The MP's entourage however, suddenly started striking the victim, dragging him, kicking him and punching him.
When other workers tried to intervene, they were chased away by the entourage. Though El Sayed said that El Shawakbah had not participated in the attack, the MP did not attempt to stop the assailants.