I admit to having second thoughts about posting this, but it’s been a much-talked about issue and I feel it needs more of a public discussion. If anyone’s been paying attention recently, Dr. Basem Awadallah, head of the Royal Court and arguably one of the most powerful political figures in power today, has become the proverbial punching-bag in the political sphere lately. While Awadallah has frequently (at least once a year) garnered a great deal of controversy since his rise to power (mostly for economic policies), I have noticed that the perception of him has continued to worsen in the public sphere and this has pretty much emboldened the media and pundits, to – as they say in political circles – take him out for a walk. This is really my interest in the whole controversial mess; the direction of public and media dialog. I have to admit, it’s quite telling.
For those unaware of the issue-at-large, a few weeks back, it was discovered that a company bringing in Nepalese workers was actually sending them to Iraq. Some of these Nepalis were actually executed in Iraq back in 2004, hence a Nepalese-inspired lawsuit, hence this sudden corruption case in Jordan.
The company, Daoud & Partners, according to the media and various Jordanian MPs, is said to be partly owned by Basem Awadallah. This has been denied by Awadallah himself and trade and industry ministry records show that Awadallah, supposedly a cousin of the company’s founder Mohammed Daoud, sold his shares to his brother in 1998.
[Fellow Jordanian blogger Khalaf has a short primer on this with some interesting articles]
Nevertheless, a scathing attack has been launched against Awadallah, especially on satellite news channels, and the charges have descended into a very low level in my opinion. The somewhat popular columnist, Nahed Hattar, even went on Normina TV and attacked Awadallah head-on, accusing him of thievery and even referring to his Palestinian roots in an insulting manner. Hattar also pointed out that Awadallah came to Jordan in 1990 and worked at the Prime Ministry for a salary of 600JDs and is now building a mansion worth 11 million JDs. I don’t know where he got those figures from.
Hattar’s column in Arab Al-Yawm has disappeared (he’s taken a “vacation”) and he has resigned from a high-level position he’s held at the Ahli Bank. The bank is owned by ex-minister, Rajai Muashar (talk about transparency), who also owns Arab Al-Yawm, and so, the attack on Awadallah has been largely seen as Rajai’s orchestration. This attack was preceded by Jordanian MP, Nariman Roussan’s public remarks, who is definitely no fan of Awadallah, calling him a spy and likening him to Israeli spy, Eli Cohen. These types of remarks are somewhat representative of the hard-right wing in Jordan.
According to at least one article, sources close to Awadallah are saying that he is threatening to reveal corruption-related documents on Muasher, regarding his bank ownership. However, I don’t know how accurate that is.
Some context: Awadallah, in the Kingdom’s political circles, has constantly represented the neo-liberal thinking that has somewhat dominated this country in recent years, and taken Jordan in a direction – economically and politically – that many (referred to as the “old guard”) are not too happy with. But the public, directed largely by the media, has no love for Awadallah or the neo-liberal direction of the country, and he has become the symbolic straw man with regards to the economic woes of Jordan – specifically, inflation.
What’s interesting is that although the charges against Awadallah are steep – and with or without his alleged involvement the case remains a very serious one that does damage the country’s image – it’s kind of ironic that with Hattar and Noriman on board as the official talking heads, the case has been somewhat discredited in the public sphere. It is the equivalent of Anne Coulter and Michelle Malkin saying almost anything related to Arabs and Muslims. They have their respective fan bases but generally, most people on the ideological spectrum roll their eyes whenever their names are mentioned out loud.
There remains the bigger problem when it comes to corruption in the country. In some cases there is hard evidence to prove it (and I’ve seen some of it first hand) and in other cases, it’s mostly rumors. That’s one thing I’ve learned from working in the media sector so far: the incredible power of rumors and allegation that lack substantial evidence; a prerequisite to being guilty. And disliking people or their policies or what they do for a living is usually not enough to convict someone of a crime.
This, I think has always been one of the major complexities of corruption in Jordan: lack of evidence coupled with lack of transparency. It is a vicious circle really. Lack of transparency in issues only incite people to suspect corruption (as has been seen with the reaction to various land sales recently) and this, in turn, winds the rumors mills to the point of widespread media coverage. When this happens, it doesn’t matter if it’s true or not; it’s on TV, people are going to think it is. And if it’s on Al-Jazeera, then it moves from truth to gospel.
If politics is all about perceptions then perception emanates from transparency – spearheaded by communication: the ability to be consistently forthright and transparent with the public. And in that, the government and state have consistently failed miserably.
As for this specific case. I think any corruption-related matter in this country, be it in the public or private sector (but in this case the former) – requires a Parliamentary committee with the full mandate to investigate and call any public official to a parliamentary hearing where that official is obliged to answer questions from a parliamentary panel or commission.
And while on the same topic, it should be pointed out that the government has announced a new draft law dealing with human trafficking and today, there seems to be more confusion over businessman, Osama Hindi’s allegations that the Indonesian government was shaking him down for being involved in the human trafficking of Indonesian workers.
As for Awadallah and any public official for that matter, suffice to say, Caesar’s wife must be above reproach. Always. Public service demands it.
Everyone has their opinion on the matter…
But that’s just my two piasters.
Really interesting post, Naseem. Thanks!
What our government needs to understand and do, especially in this media-globalization era, is that transparency is much better than hiding the truth. When the common people can’t find the truth in the media they start the rumors. Well written!
“Caesar’s wife must be above reproach. “.. I just don’t get that feel in Jordan and pretty much in the Arab region– to say the least! this time It’s just too much of a fdeeeeee7a that could be hidden!
Although you write in a very fair way , easy to understand , and you bring all diverse opinions in consideration , and you talk like a real polite person coming of a good family …. You still lack a lot in your analysis , ( not as much as the other writers in Jordan ).
You are still weary and afraid of writing the truth , or putting all the facts on the table .
Dr.Awadallah is attacked because no one can attack the King , they attack the King through him , they are jealous of him , and the jordanian people are racists when it comes to palestinians , and they have an inferiority complex in this matter , knowing that Jordan is Palestine , and every palestinian in Jordan must be brought down , whether he is queen or minister
Interesting post, Nas. I hadn’t heard about this lately (I guess too little time spent around the rumor mill). I agree with you that transparency is sadly lacking. I also think that many people don’t even understand the concept. I expect Jordan needs to start with its young educating on what corruption is and why it’s a problem. The US government has very specific policies about what constitutes corruption. It makes it easier overall to prosecute misconduct. Perhaps helping people understand at an early age would help?
Abu Mansoor ,
I think you are taking this case out of proportion.
Nas.
It is a court case and things will unravel very soon, and if they don’t then we better think next time before we vote. (it is a whole circle )
I agree with you , rumors in our country are more powerful than the truth , yet let’s look at the balance in this battle Dr. Awadallah’s case ; it is Nariman El Rousan , Nahed Hatter on one side (as mentioned in your article) and Dr. Awadallah on the other side , this is not a good side bad side equation, that I know for fact.
We will have to wait for the court’s resolution and this means only one thing , until then we can only listen because we really know nothing about it.
You say you have seen first hand evidence well sorry man , but that will only be displayed in court for credibility, no offense , i really respect you and your moderate thoughts , but again , these are all accusation that have no grounds until they are proven right in courts.
Regarding the country’s image , these things happen every where , what will really be damaging is what happens after the court’s resolutions. let’s wish the best for everybody and hope you enjoy the match between the contestants and guess what there will be no half time in this match nor Ads fa you will enjoy it.
Allow me my fellow Jordanians to say this in Ramadan
قال رسول الله “صلى الله عليه وسلم” يكÙيك من الطذب أن تقول كل ما سمعت.
Aba Abdellah Omar Ibno Abi Adey: thank you for the well-mannered comment. I want to quickly point just one correction so that no misunderstanding takes place: the first hand evidence I was referring to has nothing to do with this specific case, it involved a friend of mine and unclaimed inherited land that some were attempting to take from him. I saw the documents and got them in to the right hands, and thankfully the attempts were hindered (thus far).
“The charges against Awadallah are steep†–
They are not. I really don’t see much “corruption†in those charges. Jordan was rewarded with the privilege of offering logistic help for the American occupation of Iraq. That help is going to need local sub-contractors, and as you would expect, bidding for those contracts was not going to be called for through an announcement in daily newspapers. They are going to be naturally awarded to a selected group of agents and front-men from the inner circle.
Now whether the Nepalese workers were shipped to Iraq against their will remains to be seen.
If the American court finds Jordanian involvement, it is not going to hurt Jordan’s reputation and is not going to cause “damage†to its all so precious image; it was a crime committed by a local PRIVATE company, and whether a partner in this business is a high official in the royal court or not does not make enslaving people a state-based policy that would tarnish our crystal clean human rights image..
[On the other hand Jordan hardly carries the image of a labour haven – as you can tell by the QIZs, domestic workers (widely referred to as servants), and Egyptian workers among other abused groups.
On the other hand,
It is interesting to see how the case of Basem Awadallah can manage to make the Jordanian-Palestinian issue overshadow and dominate all debates on all levels from the so-called intellectuals(Nahed Hattar and journalists) to Abu Mansoor above – which proves once again that the regime’s get-out-of-jail-card will always be the Palestinian-Jordanian issue relying on the ignorant idiots ability to divert attention from the real issues.
Note 1
â€There seems to be more confusion over businessman, Osama Hindi’s allegationsâ€
You mean “Osama Hindawi†( I know you used the name from the Jordan Times story, but you don’t want Osama Hindi suing you for defamation –a growing trend).
Some may find it interesting that the Hindawi family seems to be dominating “the house servants†markets, according to the Ministry of Labour website.
http://www.mol.gov.jo/indexA.asp?id=168&pid=115
Note2
“I think any corruption-related matter in this country, be it in the public or private requires a Parliamentary committee with the full mandateâ€
Yup that’s exactly what we want: those vote-buying, vote-transferring, ex-ministers, ex-army officers, corrupt businessmen (not to mention illiterate in the case of many) forming a parliamentary committee to investigate people in positions that did not go to their cousins and business partners, proving in the process to their naive base (their cousins) that they are right on the corruption heels while benefiting from all kinds of governmental gifts starting with increased salaries and custom-free cars and not ending by under the table benefits. (Let’s not forget here that we do not have a real parliament – or anything that even resembles a real parliament).
Either way, and not to go Khaleel Attyyeh on you, those off-season parliamentary committees (with limited or full mandates, whatever that means) are useless, and are very ambiguous (at best) in how they are formed and what executive power (naturally none) or even legislative/recommendation powers they have (that’s of course assuming that the parliament is in session and that the members of the temporary committees are selected by secret voting (according to item 28 of the parliament’s proceedings regulations.)
http://www.lob.gov.jo/ui/bylaws/search_no.jsp?no=831&year=1952
I think that holding a a parliamentary hearings where that official is obliged to answer questions from a parliamentary panel or commission is the best thing that they can do. The hearing should be televised and broadcast live ont he Jordanian Television so the public can see for themselves and Judge whether this offical is telling the truth.It is a good method aimed at dampening the spirit of the rumor mill.How else will we know if the official remains silent and never testifies before a parliamentary hearing!It is better for everybody to let the facts out before they fester.
The attacks began with Randa Habib, who was not granted free pass to the royal court. She was not able to break stories any more with her gate keeper samih battikhi gone. Hattar is a racist, he just covers his racism with leftist ideas and a fake “enthusiasm” about the “refugees” returining to their homeland. You just have to read his praise for bashar assad to know hot “democratic” and freedom loving he is. But I guess Dr.Awadallah is not the one who “everyone” loves to hate.
I have to agree with some of what abu mansoor said, there are many cases that involved east jordanians where we no longer hear about them..Casino anyone? Sakan Kareem? The wealth of officials and their families? Even in “fighting” corruption there is racism.And regarding hattar’s comment about the 600 jds, I think we can ask the same question to hundreds if not thousands of the system benificaries.
Nas, you call for a parliamentary committee with full mandate, yet how can a parliament that’s non-representative of Jordanians be fair? further more, how can a parliament which exists as a result of a rigged election have the legitimacy and credibly needed to fight corruption.
We need to investigate the parliamentary elections before we even speak of a parliamentary committee with any sort of mandate and legitimacy aimed at fighting corruption in jordan.
As someone said before, Jordanian politics is so hopelessly corrupt the notion of fighting corruption is laughable under the present circumstances.
If there is a role the Jordanian Islamists can clearly play it’s that of fighting corruption. I think the King should delegate this task to them and let the chips fall where they may. The islamists are not perfect but god knows when compared to all the other slime, they suddenly start looking better and better. At least they are the ones who are the least obsessed with ethnicity and tribal affiliations. the rest are so hopelessly afflicted with racism (if i may use this term generically) they are simply unfit to lead and incapable of even simple acts of honesty and decency.
Samhan: I understand your point of view, and that of others. However, I don’t think the lower house is really that unrepresentative of the people as we’d like to think. people voted and the results were obvious. just because we disagree with those results…
In any case, I see yours and Musa’s point. It is difficult to have one branch of government investigating another branch, or even itself, if the whole game is rigged to begin with. God knows my suggestion is far from perfect but it’s what I feel is the only thing we’ve got right now. I was also thinking more along the lines of what Hatem was suggestion with regard to airing it out on TV; like cspan.
As for your last paragraph, I completely disagree. The Islamists, like most politicians are complete opportunists. They have no real platform and the only task they’ve ever managed to carry out is that of protesting. They are not the solution to the greater problem and are just as obsessed with ethnicity, origin and tribal affiliations as the next candidate.
Hattar is pointing at the fingers at the people who are stealing public funds to enrich themselves and Awadallah is another example of the inner circle of king Abdullah.
“They are not the solution to the greater problem and are just as obsessed with ethnicity, origin and tribal affiliations as the next candidate” – thats completely untrue, Islamic party is the only one where jordanian whether palestinian or east jordanians share the key positions in equality and never did anyone dare ask who is from where….so it being abdullatif arabyiat or hamza mansour or zaki bin irshaid or abdlmajid thuneibat i never heard anyone take ethnicity in the islamic party……..whilst other parties are usually headed and majority of its members of one ethnic group or same tribe even..
i do agree with whoever said “As someone said before, Jordanian politics is so hopelessly corrupt the notion of fighting corruption is laughable under the present circumstances.”
and i CANNOT believe someone in seriousness said “our crystal clean human rights image”!
“thats completely untrue, Islamic party is the only one where jordanian whether palestinian or east jordanians share the key positions in equality and never did anyone dare ask who is from where”
hmm, are you sure about that? some of the most significant schisms in the muslim brotherhood organization as it stands today involve origin and it is only one of the many points of conflict represent the current internal struggle between the hawks and doves of that organization presently. some of that conflict met the light of day in last year’s elections with the choice of candidates.
i have my reservations about anyone who paints the iaf in a pure white light when they come from the same society and have some of the same skeletons in their closet.
A bunch of people going in empty circles to no where .
Writing on empty .
Who the hell believes in your parliament , or courts ?
The main issue must be the moral bankrupcy in jordan , giving a hand to the americans , killing the millions of Iraqis and muslims .
And by the way , I give you a tip on this Ramadan morning , ” may God forgive me for that ” , Where is Mohammad Daoud ? does anybody mention him ?
Mohammad Daoud Suleiman , the son of the ex ” Ain ” Daoud Suleiman , and the Iraq war billionaire , and a frequent guest in the royal court , and to the king , is suffering from AIDS .
” God does not throw stones ” . he does it differnntly .
[edited by admin]
abu mansoor: apologies for the edit but you can’t just call people corrupt without any proof. it violates the commenting policy of this blog.
Actually ,this is the point , and you ought to immediately change or remove the title of your article , because calling it as it is is unfair and incorrect .
No one in Jordan or anywhere else , has any kind of proof or anything to suggest any corruption to Dr.Awadallah .
I tried to help you , by giving you the right name to run on , but it seems that the beduins enjoy to follow the mirage ,instead .
If you want to become big , in this story , and on it , then follow the tip I gave you , and your so called parliamentarians can do their work on it , and stop the nonesense around Awadallah .
Just remember that your King is with Awadallah more than twelve hours every day , and that he ( Awadallah ) cannot run any business without the approval , consent , or knowledge of the king .
Your previous response is pathetic , to say the least .
(corrected typos)
>>> people voted and the results were obvious. just because we disagree with those results
now you are a government propagandist, Nas.
– you conveniently ignore the fact no local NGOs were allowed to monitor the polling stations and no international observers were allowed to monitor the elections.
– numerous reports of vote rigging where locals counted, for example, 100 going into polling stations but after the election results were announced their polling stations showed 500 votes in favor of a government candidate.
– Al-Jazeera reporter Abu Halahel went live on TV to expose vote rigging when he interviewed children voters as they were coming out of the polling stations who innocently confessed to being told to vote.
– voter turnout, when adjusted by the Rigging Index (ballot stuffing % observed by various local monitors) was less than 25%.
The only party that investigated the reports is the same party that organized the elections and decided to keep international and local monitors out.
You disappoint me Nas. deep down inside you are as pro regime as they come.
>> some of the most significant schisms in the muslim brotherhood organization as it stands today involve origin
That’s true Nas, but it’s a direct result of massive regime pressure on the islamists to break them up.
you can always count on the regime’s corrupting role in anything having to do with money or national unity, to say the least.
abu mansoor:
“and you ought to immediately change or remove the title of your article “
…”the awadallah corruption case” means the corruption case that awadallah is involved in. there’s no allegation or double-meaning to it.
“If you want to become big”
huh?
“Your previous response is pathetic, to say the least “
look, there’s no reason to descend in to insults here. there is a commenting policy on this blog and by posting here you are agreeing to observer it. it’s not complicated.
Every word said or written about Awadallah , is meant for the King , every accusation is for the King .
Wake up .
If any money is changing hands , and/or any big business done , be sure that his majesty is a willing partner .
As for your rubbish members of parliament , like this Rousan , and this third degree journalists , like this hattar ( or whatever his name is ) , these are ignorant people that serve the King by opening premature incomplete crying appeals that lead to no where , and result in preempting any correct or comprehensive inquiry that can bring any correct results .
Giving the picture od ” Democracy and transparency ” , in Jordan .
Jordan is Palestine , my friend .
Jordan is a crusadic artificial invention by the british , and eventually must be changed .
It seems we are writying in the same time !
So I will get off and go , I dont normally share in this stuff , but that is it .
CIAO !
Allawi:
“now you are a government propagandist, Nas.”
I agree that there were major flaws in the process (and i am referring to the lower house elections) and quite probably to the point of vote rigging (which wasn’t nationwide). However, I was replying to the idea that the parliament is useless simply because the whole thing was rigged. In other words, no candidate in this election by my measure was a serious candidate. In other words, had the alternative to those who won gotten the seat, there would be no serious change in the system.
“deep down inside you are as pro regime as they come.”
I also have a deep-seeded fear of bananas. we should discuss it some time.
“That’s true Nas, but it’s a direct result of massive regime pressure on the islamists to break them up. “
I won’t deny that there is obviously a concerted effort on behalf of the state to constantly decrease the islamists’ influence however, in most cases, the plan usually backfires. people recognize the tactics (as the islamists usually point them out), which only gives them more ammunition and makes them even more likable.
“the government is trying to hurt us” is actually the slogan islamists run on during all elections. their second choice was “change we can believe in” but you know how that went down.
the brotherhood have recognized their own internal conflicts and it has nothing to do with the state.
“Jordan is Palestine , my friend .
Jordan is a crusadic artificial invention by the british , and eventually must be changed .”
oh brother.
i give up.
Ehud Barack once said to your King , in his face : ” You are a king on a bunch of beduins ” , and what did his Majest do or react ?
He sure did not withdraw his Ambassador .
And now I go to shave , and get ready for my bank meeting , enough of bullshit , because I seem to be talking to a wall .
“Jordan is a crusadic artificial invention by the british”
Abu Mansour, but so is Palestine and almost every Arab country east of Egypt. Any borders in this part of the Arab world you can thank the British for. the only natural borders is a continuous line that encircles every Arab speaking country.
So basically, every arrogant pro-palestinian argument and anti-jordanian argument you put forth is done in the spirit of British-designed artificial identities.
But let’s go along with this for now.
Abu Mansour, if you think Jordan is Palestine, you are on your own. I prefer Israel is Palestine. but in all honesty, you could be an Israeli or Jordanian intelligence agent who is trying to stir some shit on this forum. Both are known to do this on a regular basis.
if you were really a Palestinian show some respect for your fellow Arabs, especially Jordanians. You may not like their regimes, but at least recognize that we are better treated in Jordan than in any other Arab country.
whatever grudges you may have, keep them for the governments and spare the people. Else, you are really doing Israeli and Jordanian intelligence a big favor. And that makes you a puppet.
Abu Mansoor has no grudges against anybody , but I had to say this to make you , and people like you look in the mirror, for a change .
One of the mainreasons that all this fuss is being repeated against Dr.Awadallah , is because he is Palestinian , ( in addition that he is super qualified and intelligent for his job , and out of the club of the traditional Jordan to get to this rank .
All the bullshit of a frustrated journalist and an ugly parliament member , starts and ends because of his palestinian origin .
So , please educate yourselves first , and be upset later .
Camel drivers ! ( joke ! )
“Camel drivers”
Abu Mansour yaaaaaa Abu Mansour, i hope you realize that over 40% of palestinains are Bedouin mostly from 3in Essabe3. And about 30% are peasants. and today, over 50% are refugees. it’s about time some of us just drop their false sense of superiority and learn some modesty. (joke!)
Idiots like this Abu Mansoor dude are the reason serious conversations gets watered down and dumbed down
It is so frustrating that the serious points being discussed gets mixed up with such crap, where even legitimate points made by the commentator himself gets lost in the irrational impulsive and obnoxious approach that resembles a conversation taking place between two guys engaging in a shouting match at a coffee shop ….
Wait I thought Abu Mansoor had to go shave because he has a meeting with the bank – 3a assas il akh mawaleed Paris and Baron Rothchild bikoon ibn 3ammo.
I think we should stop this now ,
Hope God will protect us from this chaotic fitan.
Our prophet said regarding the ethnic discussions
صلى الله عليه وسلم
اتركوها Ùهي منتنة
I gave you enough tips , and challenges to discuss , and if you answer them , then the debate concerning this stupid story can be concluded , and you in Jordan can move on and start earning a better life than the gossip game and the life of jealosy .
And for number 32 , I say , that his model of richness , being Baron Rothchild , shows the inferiority towards the Jews , why didnt he choose an arabic or eslamic example ?!
And Palestine is Jordan, with at least history reading not to mention logical thinking.
Naseem, whats that article that assumes Awadallah wants to fight muasher back? the implication that Awadallah holds a joker card used when needed is corruption by itself.. Regardless of Awadallah image any part can hold.
Ahmad: I received the article through email but I believe it was through arab al-yawm or ammon, hence my doubting of it’s accuracy in the post above. But I can’t find it right this moment.
I can forward it to you if you like
What’s with all of the cynicism? At least Nas is trying to say something and do something. What are you doing hiding behind aliases. Not doing anything is not an option do you hear me. Everybody must contribute in whatever capacity they can. Being harshly critical of everything that gets posted isn’t going to get you anywhere. At least try to engage the post in a meaningful way. Unsubstantiated and uncorroborated accusations that don’t stand any fact checking ought to be jettisoned. Stick to the issue that is all.
>>> Unsubstantiated and uncorroborated accusations that don’t stand any fact checking ought to be jettisoned.
in a fair and just society, government and public officials are obligated by law to disclose their financial dealings in the open for public scrutiny. in such an environment, we can go along with your suggestion.
in jordan, there is no such thing as public disclosure. there is under the table and backstage dealings only and other dark secrets. so just because we have no legal evidence, do we pretend there is no corruption? or do we rely on “leaks” . if we do so, we end up with a scenario where suddenly 90% of those leaks target one group but exclude another in a manner that reeks with racism.
goes back to what others have said all along. Jordan’s political system is so utterly corrupt it’s impervious to reforms.
maybe this is all for the better. discontent has to reach the boiling point before things start to move. we are not there yet.
I think that the owner of this blog is a very nice man , and is doing a great job , and different from lots of the other so-called writers .
But it is clear that he shares the weaknesses of the good boy who is afraid to get dirty , and is repeatedly reminded by his good caring parents , to remai clean , and not be dragged into trouble .
This is an identity crisis between thw will to modernize , and share the world on one hand , and the statusquo concerning the rule in Jordan .
This is explained by the fact thay after he saw that some taboos .. are mentioned , and although he put it all … he took a back step , watching .
My friend , it is difficult in a society of yours to move things , educating animals in the zoo will be easier , because your people will keep running away to the other side whenever they are faced with a question they dont want to answer , and whose answer will propably solve the mystery and cancel the problem .
Abu Sarsoor, You have serious delusions of grandeur. do you really believe people will read your words of wisdom and suddenly see enlightenment. do you think change can come from am anonymous commentator? even someone like Nasrallah who made history can barely influence people outside his neighborhood. you are a socially maladjusted night crawler who thinks by insulting whole people that he will be thanked by those people for his courage? dude, your words are so silly. i mean what the f… does this mean “will keep running away to the other side whenever they are faced with a question they dont want to answer ” ? or “will propably solve the mystery and cancel the problem .” do you think these are the wise words of a man who knows all the answers. i have one advice for you “know thyself” once you know the limits of your influence, which zelch, you will know the value of your speeches.
Sarsoor… in hebrew is Pimp , ” Ars ” , and this is what lots of jordanians are .
I would highly appreciate if comments adhered to the commenting policy and did NOT descend into a frenzy of personal attacks and insults on each other.
I pray that everyone is capable of doing.
but you kept Abu Mansoor’s attacks. where is the logic in this? or do you see some value in it?
ali…i don’t like editing or deleting comments and i have rarely done it. however, yours’ was the comment that broke this camel’s back as it was absolutely vulgar even with the choice of words.
there are ways to counter a person’s argument, as silly as some might see them, without descending in to that dark abyss of personal attacks.
this isn’t the school playground where our best counter-argument is “but he started it”.
i am raising the bar of free speech for this specific post because the comments have generated various sensitive viewpoints that are common in Jordan and i believe not talking about those viewpoints only encourages their existance. but let’s not abuse that and resort to profanity.
thanks for understanding.
Mr. Abu Mansoor ,
I would ask you kindly to reconsider the approach to your debates and Ideas in order to influence us , I really see some points in your arguments until they took the insulting course. We all have a point somewhere, but it would be much wiser to make me see it without provoking me to the extent of not wanting to finish your comment I would like to remind you of How Allah described the Good word in Quran that a good word is like a tree , roots in the soil and branches in the sky , and it will blossom every now and then steadily.
Let’s Keep that in mind while trying to deliver a point of view, again everybody has a point.
Hope this will be better understood than written.
God Bless everybody.
if its ethnicity-blind, why focus on awadallah and leave this corruption case >>>>
http://www.ammonnews.net/article.aspx?articleNO=28093
Naseem,
Yes, please send it.
I was born and grew up in Kuwait. So many times in my life here, I was receiving racial comments / treatment from some Kuwaiti nationals or government bodies. But I have never imagined that this is case in Jordan too. The country that I have its nationality and passport. I had this feeling while reading the contents of a Jordanian news agency called Ammon where racist so-called writers such as Hattar and Habib are given the freedom and space to spray their hatred on Palestinian Jordanians. I agree with Mr. Abu Mansour on only one point which is some high officials are targeted because of their Palestinian roots such as Awadallah and Abu Ghaida. The way Ammon chases them will difinetly lead you to this conclusion. This is my first time to go through your blog Nassim and I have to say that it is, in my openion, consists of high standard of writing and ethics.
Evryone is innocent until proven guilty, but most of the people here in Jordan have already sentenced this poor man to “death”. Why can we not wait until we have all the facts.
Fadi
Randa habib indeed started the writings on Awadallah, but one thing is sure the palace was never closed to her, as HM the king granted her regularly interviews. The palace was never the property of Awadallah for him to be able to close it inher face or anybody’s face. So, to Mohanned (No 10)check your facts before you talk. Every new government formed was announced by Randa Habib before everybody else. Awadallah was one person, a passerby that I hope the country is rid of. You are being very simlistc and you state things on people wthout checking the facts.
I have known Mr. Awadallah for many years. What is being written about him is baseless. The man is smart, served Jordan and will conitues serve Jordan for as long as he will lives. His haters do not know the fact that Dr. Bassen was born wealthy and it is no shame to star with a JD 600 monthly salary. Many smart people get rich in handfall years?