After pouring my heart in to what was likely the longest post I’ve ever written, I cannot help but follow up the events of March 25th with my take on its aftermath. Now that a few days have passed, one is able to get a better view of the emerging landscape, especially with the veil of smoke beginning to clear. To start, I should probably answer the question I have been asked for the past few days by nearly everyone I talk to: what happens next?
It was my initial thinking that the events of March 25th would quickly fade and become a distant ghost in our collective memory. We do that often. We move on too quickly and forget to learn from this ongoing history we create. However, things here do not seem to be going in that direction. Believe me, I would love to sit here and paint a beautiful portrait for you all, but things need to be said; the cards need to be laid out on the table. We need to acknowledge certain things if there is any hope in moving forward, and I can assume that if you’re a free-thinking Jordanian who is reading this, you’re probably interested in seeing this country move forward. Where one stands on March 25 is irrelevant to this conversation, which is about the outcome of that event.
To begin with, the country is quickly becoming polarized. I do not remember it being this polarized in my lifetime. Despite calls for “national unity” from the state, including HM King Abdullah, this “national unity” is coming about in the most polarized and dangerous of fashions. A few weeks ago, those of us who live here saw this polarization slowly coming about when in the midst of calls for reforms from one constituency we saw another emerging through a manifestation of so-called loyalty declarations. Tribes and families declaring loyalty to the King in a published letter, while other celebrated his birthday weeks after it had taken place. I warned then that this would lead to an eventual break in society; a break that pitted brother against brother, citizen against citizen, one group against another. The emerging groups are those who seem to be pro-reform, and those who are anti-reform, or at least anti the pro-reformers. These labels came about organically and as a result of thrusting loyalty in to the equation where it played absolutely no role. Suddenly, anyone speaking about reforms has had their loyalty questioned.
Suddenly, the issue was no longer about reform. It became about loyalty. A line was being drawn in the sand, creating a split in the society and forcing people to choose. A red herring if I’ve ever seen one. These loyalty events were not only permitted by the state, they seemed to be encouraged on various fronts. Public officials attended birthday parties for the King held by tribes, while banners, signs and posters that were breaking the most simple laws governing public spaces were widely permitted, or, at the very least, overlooked. It is the same red herring that turned conversations regarding last Friday’s events in to a “for” or “against” the March24 shabab. That diversion has helped fuel another outcome of the event: an emerging sense of justification for the attack on peaceful protesters by violent official and societal forces.
As the days and weeks passed, this schism was becoming more apparent and with the loyalty question being thrown in the mix, stereotypes were cast on the two parties. Those that declared loyalty to the King were considered to be tribal Jordanians of Jordanian origin, while those calling for reform were said to be mostly Islamists, were Jordanians of Palestinian origin, and thus “naturally” had no sense of loyalty to, or allegiance for the King. The conversation became binary. Not about “for” or “against” reform, but “for” or “against” the King. To be “for” reform became to be anti-Monarch; and to be pro-Monarch was to be anti-reform.
You are with us, or against us.
And with this build up came the March 24th group that saw it being attacked by police, riot police and people I can describe as nothing short of being simply criminals. I realize that some reading this support those people and likely condone their actions, but in my book, any citizen who raises a finger against another citizen is a criminal committing a criminal act. By law.
What has emerged in the aftermath is a strong wind of enforced nationalism sweeping through the country. I use the word “enforced” here because of the way this nationalism is coming about. It is similar to those who drew a line in the sand weeks ago and forced people to take a side. Today, many are reacting to the events of March 25th as if it were an attempt to overthrow the King by Islamists and brainwashed youth all of whom were controlled by “foreign forces” and were squashed, prompting us all to put on red and white kuffieyas, attach flags to all our cars, plaster patriotic slogans in support of the King, and so on and so forth. All of this is happening at a rapid rate. It is spiraling. You can buy a flag at nearly every intersection, and you’ll even find them at the cash registers of supermarkets. Al Ghad plastered “sponsored” photos of the King all over four pages of its newspaper on Sunday. Motorcades of cars, many from outside Amman, drove though the capital’s streets honking horns, waving flags, shooting guns in the air, playing patriotic music, bringing traffic to a halt, and even wielding swords and knives. On the capital’s main traffic circles I watched two nights ago as such a scene played out in front of a dozen policemen who stood watching citizens shooting guns like crazed cowboys in the night air. Normally, an unbelievable scene. But after Friday’s events, the bar of expectations has been lowered. Nothing is surprising.
We don’t see this kind of “nationalism” on Independence day.
We are all left wondering if any of these demonstrations of loyalty serve either the King, the reform process, or even the country at large. My answer is an unequivocal no.
Nevertheless, everything is being framed as Jordanians vs. Palestinian. Brother is being pitted against brother, and there is a force behind it. I am not one for conspiracy theories but after Friday’s events, I am forced to question everything. I try to read the landscape as I see it, and do my best (for my own sake) to place things in their rightful context. But something is seriously wrong in our country these days.
The reform conversation is dying. The conversation on the street has now shifted to Jordanian-Palestinian identity. It has become binary and centered on the events of March 25, and specifically the misinterpretation and misrepresentation of the events by both the state and some of the people. By framing the March24 group as being Islamists, the government succeeded in convincing many that these people came with an agenda bent on overthrowing the monarchy; and of course, as the cliche stereotype goes, the only people who are Islamists and/or are interested in overthrowing the monarchy are of Palestinian origin.
Online, Facebook groups for “Pure Jordanians” for “100% Jordanians only” are propping up with thousands of people joining, while what appear to me to be newly created Facebook accounts have been leaving hundreds of racist comments all over the network. The same can be said of comments left on blogs, websites, and news sites. Seemingly endless calls in support of all the “brave Jordanians” who “cleansed” the Interior Circle from the “insurgents”, the “Islamists” and the “Palestinians”.
Today, there is fear and concern. Most of the people I speak to or interact with on a day-to-day basis are in my age group, and no one feels safe or stable. Fear is being induced. We are told that the country itself is now considered a “red line”, creating an environment where we are made to fear even being critical of its policies lest we be seen as traitors.
Vague statements like this one are made by the Prime Minister:
…Bakhit reiterated Jordan’s stand on the Middle East conflict. He stressed that Jordan, “with all its components†will confront any plans to compromise the Palestinian people’s legitimate right of return, warning against “following slogans meant to take the reform process off course through raising issues that cause sedition and cross red linesâ€. The statement was made in an apparent reference to a perception some self-described loyalists reportedly have that those who call for political reform are after establishing a substitute homeland for the Palestinians in Jordan, a matter which serves the goals of right-wing groups in Israel.
The prime minister accused “enemies that have always wanted to transfer regional conflicts… to this part of the Arab world of attempting to liquidate the Palestinian causeâ€. He did not elaborate. [source]
Fear, fear, and more fear. I feel it being pumped in to the atmosphere. I feel it transforming the way we, as Jordanians, deal and speak with each other. Dialog and the middle ground is being abandoned. Aggression is being silently promoted by the state, despite their declarations for peaceful dialog. I see this in videos of protesters being beaten by police, riot police and criminals that joined forces; and I see this before my eyes when young men drive through the streets of the capital shooting guns or waving swords right before the watchful eyes of the unmoved police. In public conversations, there is a constituency that approves. It believes those that were hurt on March 24th deserved to be. To me this is an indication of the kind of fear that is alive and well in Jordan these days. Those that condone the violence or were participants of it are just as much caught up in that cycle of fear of “the other”, and it is likely what drives and fuels the violent inclinations.
The seeds of social division are being sown, and the outcome will not only kill the reform process, but widen the ethnic divides within this society. We are told to unite by the state, but their idea of national unity seems to be under a banner that is exclusive. It is the same banner held up by those who were keen on throwing stones and beating fellow citizens with sticks. The same banner that seems supported by a state that will not apologize for its actions, and a social apparatus that is keen on justifying or condoning the actions of many. Now, even those who are pro-Monarchy are forced to fall in line with such banners in order to avoid being called traitors, or simply, not loyal enough.
So, to those of you reading this who are Jordanian, who care about this country, I say only this:
It is our responsibility to bring this national discord to an end. No one else is going to do it but ourselves and on a very, very personal level.
I refuse to have my loyalty questioned. In fact, I refuse the whole loyalty issue. It is irrelevant. I refuse anyone who tries to shove it down my throat. I refuse the state’s attempts to make anyone who is not offering declarations of support, loyalty and allegiance to the King out to be disloyal. I refuse to be tainted or painted. I refuse to carry the reform badge like it was a scarlet letter. And to any of you reading this: do not buy in to the sedition game. Do not buy in to any game that seeks to label people based on their origin. Whether it is being orchestrated by specific forces, or evolving as a natural outcome of the regional mood’s impact on Jordan – it’s irrelevant. What is relevant is that it exists and it is growing, and every time we buy into it we are allowing it to grow. It will take us down a dark path that will end with bloodshed, and worse, a national discord so bad that it will turn off the light at the end of the tunnel.
We must stand up and put an end to it, because no one else will. Forget about leaders, governments or any political apparatus that are reactive instead of proactive. Look to yourself and to those closest to you for leadership. Stomp your foot down when you are face to face with something or someone forcing you to choose sides. Forcing the loyalty issue down your throats. Forcing you to take a loyalty test. If ten people read this and can enforce that kind of sentiment on 10 other people, then that’s all it takes. Do not buy in to the conspiracies, do not buy in to the red herrings and all the issues that are thrown at us to distract us as if we were wild dogs being tossed a piece of meat. Focus on the only thing that matters. Reform and change.
Ignore everything else.
Question everything else.
Possible Solutions / Scenarios
Government Level Solution:
1) A Federal Monarchy with the King as head of State / Federation : Each federal district has full and open democratic elections every four years in order to choose representative in parliament of each federal district.
Every four years a national elections to choose Prime Minister / leading party.
2) A constitutional Monarchy which exercises free and fair elections every four years, with a two term limit – under a proportional representation voting system to tactically influence coalition government. King to remain Head of State to ensure and maintain national Jordanian identity. Baring in mind the four year term (eight years maximum), there will be no issues of abusive of power by a potential Jordanian/Palestinian PM.
Social Level Solution:
A freer media to provide a stronger system of checks and balances to eliminate corruption/human rights abuses etc at government level; a free media will provide the ‘checks’ to the framework of checks and balances and can work to the advantage of a successful government (becoming more in touch with their subjects), and creating an actively engaging Jordanian Community designed on working together for a brighter and prosperous future (we don’t need natural resources to prosper, using Tunisia as an example and using our amazing literacy rates to our advantage). Government should learn to work with the media instead of against it, be open to it instead of close/silence it, interact with and love it, not hate/block it. If the government or the state is working toward creating a prosperous Jordan that benefits each and every fully pledged Jordanian citizen, it should not have anything to worry about that the media reports on. If it feels media reporting is skewed and hell bent on ruining the government and is not based on authentic and fact based reporting, then the government can take that media organisation to the courts and sue the owner for every single penny he has got (therefore also cleaning up the state of Jordanian official and established media).
If you’d start a religion Naseem, I would totally follow.. Just saying.
I would like to mention that I was first introduced to this kind of “racist” slurs when I first went to the university, the insults were written at the walls of toilets “No Facebook walls at those days 1996”, My point I doubt those slurs were written as a part of a conspiracy plan, or out of fear of the “other”, but rather based by some on cultural raising, that we should acknowledge, point at it, and face it rather than basing it on hidden outsider hands, that may lead to increase the suspicion within us.
We are one ethnic group, through centuries our blood is mixed between Amman and Jerusalem, as it’s mixed between Amman and Irbid, I also refuse to have my loyalty questioned, and this is Jordan, and will always be Jordan.
I like your suggestion about paying it forward to 10 others, I will do it, and I hope all contribute in it.
It is rare that I agree with anyone completely, but this time I agree with everything you said.
Regarding the anticipated ban on the loyalty demonstration, to be fair and have integrity, I think it should not be a legal ban. The King should declare that these demonstrations do not serve him or the country, and discourage people from organizing them. If a group of people choose to PEACEFULLY demonstrate against reform it is their right. Police forces need to strictly deal with anyone that breaks the law, throwing stones on people, or shooting guns in the air.
It is obvious to me that there has been official forces behind these loyalty actions. Since I do not have material evidence to back my view, people can dispute that. But what cannot be disputed is that the government failed to do its job in protecting its citizens.
I agree with you 100% Naseem. What’s worrying though is the lack of enlightened leadership that would help cool things down and defuse the charged atmosphere. Many of my own friends and acquaintances seem to have jumped the ‘loyalty’ bandwagon, most I suspect without any knowledge of what the March 24 people were demonstrating about to begin with. I do not have a good feeling about this. My instinctive response is to withdraw from the whole discourse altogether on all levels.
Totally agree with Farah 🙂
786
Thanks for what is perhaps the most balanced “coverage” on blog-sphere of the unfolding situation here. After reading both this post and the previous one entirely I feel that the context of regional regime change needs to be taken into greater consideration when looking at the attitudes on the street and the posture of the government.
There is a pattern. In both Tunisia and Egypt the protests were about economic and security concerns respectively in their initial phases and then matters escalated until enough frenzy and emotion were whipped up to call for regime change. I think anyone who has been in Jordan for more than a few weeks knows that there are elements of the society here who are opposed to the monarchy and I fear that your attempt to paint all parties as loyalists ignores that fact and leaves a gap when it comes to objectively situating the attitude of the “anti-pro-reform camp” camp.
In your previous post you mentioned that “the organizers were unknown individuals” this is consistent also with Tunisia and Egypt. If this is the case how can we know or assume that they are loyal to the King? I am not a Jordanian, I’m a guest who considers that only a fool would know Jordan and not love it, yet I find it difficult to fathom how people can claim loyalty to the monarch while “demanding” that he relinquish some of his power to them on their terms. Then there is the timing.
The fact of the matter is that two regimes have been toppled and Libya has plunged into a civil war turned proxy invasion while other governments are being challenged. Perhaps reforms are needed for Jordan to progress, perhaps those reforms are precisely the ones that are being demanded. But those who are truly loyal should see: now is not the time to protest.
They shouldn’t have to be told. But then we don’t even know who “they” are.
La hawla wa la quwata ila billah. Allah protect this wonderful land, its Hashimi rulers, and its people, all of them, and frustrate the plans of those who would harm her. Amin.
Nas,
You either support the violent anti reform groups or condone what they did, because condoning by definition means you understand that what they did was wrong, which logically should “negate” support, unless we are dealing with illogical motives or beings. Whoever did that should be brought to justice no doubt.
Anyway, I think you are honest in conveying your feelings of fear, but lets not forget that our emotional apparatuses are not good at assessing the situation. We should be afraid, but lets be so rationally, lest unsparing fear contributes to an already dangerously charged atmosphere. Lets be, as you implied, proactive and not reactionary. It is a good thing to seek support from those around us, but the enlightened and aware are already surrounded by the enlightened and aware.
Why don’t we reach out to people who need this the most? The ones on the verge of the abyss? Therein lies the generator of the coming conflict. We should turn it off before it self sustain and we slide irrecoverable along with them. A potent way to do so would be meeting these people, face to face, in friendly atmospheres.
@ “The King should declare that these loyalty demonstrations do not serve him or the country, and discourage people from organizing them”
haha thats like Santa discouraging people from celebrating christmas!! lol as if we dont know who is really behind those…the number of people of true “loyalty” (take out all those loyal to a person not to a country, and take out most jordanian palestinians who find it difficult to be loyal to a country that questions their loyalty every morning and every night) is as low as it can get compared to other countries (compare to loyalty of the egyptians to their “country”)…
it seems to me that the lebanese version of march 8 vs march 14 is coming to jordan … it will be interesting to see how such a dynamic would work under a monarchy .. an arab one at that
the regime learnt well form its colonial creator: Ùرق.. تسد
@Londoner,
Although you and I know that you are right, most people seem to pretend not to know it. Let’s play their game; They argue that the King supports reform. Fine, let’s hold him accountable and ask him to show how genuine his support is.
Here is the evidence of the how Jordanian security and the thugs united, watch this video
عن أي ÙˆØدة وطنية تتØدثون ØŒ وم قال أننا نريد ÙˆØدة مع نظام بلطجي ØŒ لقد قلتها لكم من قبل وسو٠أكرر اليوم، أذا كانوا يريدونها مثل ميدان التØرير Ùلتكن ØŒ Ù†ØÙ† مستعدون للمواجه مهما كان الثمن- الاكثرية يريدن التغير ولن يخيÙنا هؤلاء الجبناء الذين ÙŠØتمون وراء الدرك ØŒ أقول لكم التغير قادم قادم قادم لا Ù…Øالة
I really wanted to voice my comments on what you have written, specifically the last paragraph
“We must stand up and put an end to it, because no one else will”
I was going to say that the way we should interpret this and implement it is key, and it should not be based on emotions, or “faz3a”, or just “do what has been done in Tahrirâ€, etc… but then I saw the comment by The Free Jordanian (http://www.black-iris.com/2011/03/29/the-march-25-aftermath-and-bridging-jordans-social-divide/#comment-145132), and I think this is exactly what should NOT be done. I’m pretty sure watching a brawl on youtube next Friday between “them” and the “others” would be entertaining to some, but that’s just the perfect recipe for failure.
My 2 cents.
the idea that ‘the 100% jordanian club’ defines its legitimacy by support of a king, born of a british woman and part of a family that was transplanted by the british from saudi arabia TO jordan less than 100 years ago…a ruler who is also married to a jordanian of palestinian decent…well, it pretty much defines the silliness of the ‘100% jordanian club’. the more i read from ‘real jordanian’ facebook page, the more it sounds like an offshoot of america’s current right wing clown, sarah palin; racist fear mongering based on self-serving political opinions born of an ignorance of history.
jordan is without a doubt, the most important country in the middle east, planted by the wisdom and grace of God, like an island of sanity in a sea of madness.
hmk must address racists from all sides and call them out for what they are if jordan is to stay afloat, and not drown like some cursed ship.
in singapore, it is against the law, to insult any person on the basis of their religious or ethnic background. offenses are judged in open and fair courts. if convicted, offenders are severely punished by caning and jail. the law is not enforced because of some respect for the dignity of man. quite the opposite, it is enforced because singapore knows how dangerous ethnic clashes can be. it is enforced because in a small country with four ethnic groups and as many religions, it is a necessary step to prevent ethnic slaughter. the gaza’s, west banks, bosnias, rwandas and nazi germany’s of this world all began with the ‘dehumanisation’ of one group of people by another.
hmk must beat this ugly genie of racism disguised as ‘patriotism’ back into to its bottle and cast it to the depths of the dead sea…where it belongs.
What is a pure Jordanian one can ask? How old is Jordan as a country? This façade of nationalism is ridiculous, there is no such thing as a “pure” Jordanian anymore we are mixed so mixed. that the idea of whomever trying (and unfortunately succeeding) to split us up into sectarian divides is working very well indeed.
THere are so many things we are not told, like the Tuesday before the 24th some of the “reformists” met with the King, and he laid it out to them what the plans for reform were, if that is the case why did they still insist on the 2sit-in” on a Thursday to Friday night the busiest night and on one of the busiest junctions where everyone passes by and it gets extremely congested? And then to turn around pretend to be surprised by the anger some people felt at that. The problem is that in the rural areas someone stands up and say that these protesters are against the king and there you have it truckloads of “loyalists” pour into town and cause more chaos.
A vicious cycle is what we have entered, and it doesn’t help to play the blame game, I am opposed to the 100% Jordanian sites. I am appalled (but not surprised, I mean think of where the policemen are from and the security/daraks) at the violence used on the protesters, and above all else disgusted by how easily everyone chose a side.
I understand the frustration, and the irritation when prices are sky-rocketing high, and people are embezzling this country left right and centre with impunity and no conscience, it makes me want to up and at them.
But if we are to have and effect any change it should be done slowly, logically, dispassionately, and not hysteria…
When will we ever learn not to be so reactionary? This is one of the reasons a lot of thinkers say that we are not ready for democracy because we would not know what to do with it, and add to that the “Jordanian” sense of entitlement and the fact that everyone wants to be boss!
We are a nation divided , this much is clear now, we have been given the wake up call and now it is time for us to band together to solve rather than to react with hysteria. We need to be able to sit at a table without the histrionics and we need to be able to say yes we do agree and disagree on a lot things but let us see the problem acknowledge the problem deal with the problem and move on!
Other than that we are heading towards something reminiscent of “Black September” the sequel and that is a place NONE of us want to go!
Maybe I am wrong and cynical, but that is how I perceive it so far, hoping it isn’t so…
HMK should have gone on television, and issued a statement that anyone who commits violence against a brother jordanian while waving the flag or holding my picture is NOT a jordanian. We are all brothers and sisters in this country… muslems, christians palestinians jordanians bedos and circasian. WE ARE ONE NATION. A nation of tolerance and justice and equality for all its citizens.
Radicals who claims to speak in the name of god and /or patriotism, who wish to impose their political views on others and wish to blame the ills of the country on others, are committing a dis-service to the nation.
And anyone who tries to divide this nations along ethnic or religious lines is a traitor to jordan and what jordan stands for.
A four page spread of photos of the king is not an answer.
More than ever HMK must come to the street and leads his people and listen less to those around him who defines their loyalty to the king and to jordan of how well they can cover their backs and protecting their own self interest.
The real tragedy will be if jordan fails the israelis will finally have the victory they always wanted but could never achieve… we would have done the job for them.
WAKE UP JORDAN.. We have started playing with fire… A fire that if it spreads will burn everything and everyone… then we would have destroyed the future of our children and our grandchildren.
You are saying the loyalty issue is irrelevant, my question is, exactly that. Is it really irrelevant? Apparently it is at the core of things, and what happened last Friday and has been happening since proves that this issue is NOT irrelevant. If it where, then it would have not resurfaced to the center of dialogue now! By claiming it is irrelevant, you are belittling an issue, which is clearly a big question to many, which can only keep it idle for so long. I think this issue should be addressed at not ignored or sidelined. A red herring visa vis the issue of reform, maybe. But that is clearly not the issue to the anti pro-reformers.
They are basically saying, look, we want reform (recall the many public letters written by X, Y, Z belonging to tribes A, B and C), but not before we deal with this identity issue. We dont want reform if people whos parents where born outside Jordan want it too.
Correct me if my analysis seems a bit far-fetched please.
Wisely said QaysArthur, wisely said indeed.
Hello Naseem,
i read both your articles on the friday events. from the first one I worried you were losing heart so i wanted to ask you not to give up on Jordan because despite all the obstacles this country and most of its people are well worth fighting for. reading the second i felt that my first message was not going to be necessary because you had already rallied behind yourself again. I have been writing on the need to worry less about loyalty and more about citizenship for decades. citizenship is what you and your friends are doing for jordan. I love watching you guys push the country forward. hang on it will happen!
affers,, He has gone on TV and you now what he said and quoting him “اللي صار صار ÙˆØنا كلنا مضايقن”
Unfortunately , this is the kind of leadership quality that he has, and the rest of the story I leave it to all of you ..
“the regime learnt well form its colonial creator:”
If by the “colonial creator” you mean Britain, they perhaps did not learn the important concept of a loyal opposition. A party can want reform, and disagree strongly with the current government, without being disloyal to the country.
The events of Friday and what followed whether speaches or threats by government officials oppened my eyes on many things I heard about but was not fully aware of. I heard about the civil war of 1979 and I fully understand what happened back then because it was explained to me by people who lived that era, saw what happened with their own eyes and also, had a family memeber killed in the tragic event. At the time, there was no such thing as East and West Jordanians. People were all one till the PLO decided to take over the country.
31 years later, peole are still worried and suspecious of each other especially the east Jordanians. What changed is that within 30 years, the west and east has become one. The west Jordanian in some cases became more loyal and patriotic that the east Jordanaian. The west Jordanians have grown up knowing nothing but this country and now their children know Jordan as their home.
I have been trying to analyse the psychology of east Jordanians that are causing most of this divide and wondering why they look at the King and the royal family as Gods. The only conclusion I can think of is the following:
Jordanian tribes have always been scattered beduin tribes whom they fought amongst each other till the Hashemites came and united them to a certain extent. To the Eastern Jordanian mentality, The Hashemite family became their identity and losing that identity means having an identity crisis.
Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
Much has been said about both sides of the 25 March quarrel. So, I will skip that discussion to be brief.
The issue at hand now is the continuation of protests. To protest is to use an extraordinary mean to seek attention to your viewpoint. That has now been abundantly done. The entire country has taken note of the demonstrators’ point. Any further protests are decidedly now “confrontational†and counterproductive to the health ahd well-being of this country.
Why?
Since the country has taken note, and king reconfirmed his already-declared question for meaningful and swift reforms, what cause will further protests do? Frankly, they can only cause damage. Reformers will be antagonized, and neutral elements in society will be polarized. This brews confrontation that is simply avoidable.
Another reason why protests are counterproductive is the gross damage it does to the image of the country. Jordan is now experiencing capital flight, significant slowdown of domestic investment and freeze of new foreign investment. Protesters want jobs, but jobs are running away. He foreign newsmedia portrays Jordan as unstable, causing more flight of capital, investment and tourism.
This is the time for Jordanians to demonstrate, to each other first and to the whole world next, that the country is united, safe, secure and, critically, stable.
The government is under the royal microscope to deliver, so giving it a chance while rehabilitating Jordan’s image before the world is the way to go.
اذا أردت السيطرة على الناس Ùأخبرهم أنهم معرضون للخطر ÙˆØذرهم من أن أمنهم تØت التهديد ØŒ ثم شكك ÙÙŠ وطنية معارضيك
(أدول٠هتلر) من كتاب (ÙƒÙاØÙŠ)..
This should be introduced to Jordan too… to let all the frustrations go! 🙂
http://www.pillowfightday.com/howto-guide
Realistically the Palestinian right of return will never be made real except perhaps in a symbolic or very limited manner. The Israeli’s should withdraw from almost all the West Bank and “Arab” Jerusalem and it should be incorporated into what is today Jordan. Jordan should become a democratic nation of all it’s people. . . but this really is just a fairy tale!