Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The owner of one of Jordan’s biggest fast food chains has been slammed for allegedly calling for a “falafel revolution” in the country, Ammon News has reported.

Raed Hamadeh, the President of the Jordanian Association of Restaurants and Sweet Shop Owners and the proprietor of the popular Hamadeh chain of hummus and falafel shops, allegedly called for a “falafel revolution” – if the government raised the price of the ingredients for the famous chickpea-based snack.

He later denied that he had called for any kind of insurgency - but not before being met with ridicule and anger online.

Whoever thinks that this is his father’s own country, and that he has the right to raise prices however he wants, should be boycotted until he behaves.

Some Tweeters called for Hamadeh to be jailed for his supposed comments, while others said revolutionary calls were irresponsible in a country where stability is valued as a major asset amid a sea of war and insurgency.

The world witnessed many revolutions… The Slaves’ revolution, the Orange revolution, the Rice revolution, and the Communist revolution… But in Jordan, what we have is the #FalafelRevolution

Despite the mockery the call received, the price of basic foodstuffs like falafel have long been a point of contention in Jordan, where wages are low in comparison to the cost of living. Back in February, Jordan’s Consumer Protection agency called on the government to lower the cost of falafel, arguing that its major components – chickpeas, spices, and olive oil, had dropped in price.

Hamadeh, who owns a chain of nearly 60 falafel stores, continues to stress that his calls for a chickpea revolution were fabricated, and has condemned the assault on his character and business that it has created.