Amman Revisited...

Hajjaj's Latest Cartoon Controversy

2009-03-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

Hajjaj's latest cartoon has provoked some controversy among Jordanians and especially Christians, for criticizing the pure waters of the Jordan River at the Baptism site.

The cartoon, although cynical, is a bit edgy and the tone of attack is tangible. Hajjaj's style and talent has grown into a Jordanian phenomenon, closer to the beat of the street and to the life vibe of everyday low and middle class Jordanians.

It is also essential to acknowledge that a cartoon, no matter how critical of a certain issue is supposed to provoke controversy to a certain level, and that's what cartoonists' talent is all about. However, Jordanians are not used to linking religion to any of our contemporary issues. In a statement issued on his personal website, Hajjaj spoke of his respect for the Christian religion, and explained that his cartoon's message was aimed at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation and the latest furor over the polluted water matter.

Jordan Engineers Association: The Mini Jordanian Politics

2009-03-02T02:05:00.000-08:00

It is a funny tale of two colours; Green and White, and yet it seems to be the mere true political arena in Jordan, where politics and elections get people going. May be not with enough momentum to make changes, but at least mobilizing them to a certain degree.

The Tale of Two Colours in JEA (Jordan Engineers Association) is a small replica of the political scene in Jordan; where variety is limited to two colours only, and two modes of political campaigning, one loyal to the banner of Islamist thought (White) or right wing, and another devoted to change and thus holding on to left wing thought (Green). The White is dominating the engineering political scene and consequently the union itself, and thus controlling JEA's wealth, estimated roughly at JD 450 million - not a humble amount of money at all in Jordan's economic standards!

So the Whites are controlling the money, Greens want change, and yet the majority of 76,000 Jordanian Engineers are absent from the equation. The monetary contributions poured by engineers into the JEA purse resembles contributing to the mafia! Without effective transparency; the engineers have no idea where the money is going and how. And yet the engineer feels the need to contribute sums of his/her money, to his/her union, after all the union represents their profession and is (supposed to be) a sign of civilized society.

The election battle is fierce and the young (20 and 30 something) Jordanian engineers are not lured into taking part yet. The same faces, shuffle randomly but remain in the picture, leaving many activists of change and variety disappointed.
It is the same old story where Jordanian activism is concerned; we all feel the need to change things, we all have thought about change at some point; but when actions are needed, we tend to dither a bit, and that remains our eternal cultural faux pas!

The New City of Amman Logo: An Acquired Taste, Perhaps?

2009-02-08T02:22:00.000-08:00

The city logo is something that is linked to a city like a name to a person, it is a signature, an identity, and most importantly it should represent a mega entity, not a singular perception. It is something that shouldn’t be put together haphazardly, fortuitously or without deep thought and consideration. It certainly is not an art work assignment, or a graphic design contest. A city logo is official, formal, or at least that's how it is known to be.

The new logo of Amman published by GAM recently, is, although interesting; not a great success, unless we want to portray an image of Amman, as the playful, child friendly city, where the logo is not really different from that of Madrasi initiative, or children museum. The colours, although beautiful, are not timeless; they somehow present a single view of the city at a certain time. The logo does not tell a great deal about what the city itself, given the attributes of history, culture and people. I should be intrigued to find pink and mauve and other colours present at every corner round Amman, but it is certainly not the case. Amman's image is far from that city of neon ghettos, or mystic blue and mauve ice covered mountains.

I think that the traditional wives –tale of the seven hills of Amman, is outdated and obsolete. Amman now represents a cosmopolitan growth, so to build a logo design on a concept that is more than 200 years old, is less sellable nowadays. Besides, some people believe that there are more than seven hills in Amman to begin with.

Changing the logo of the city is an effort that GAM should be applauded for for sure. But decisions are responsibilities, and that responsibility should be handled with ultra proficiency. I hope that they can be more sensitive towards creating a life-long legacy, rather than the flashy temporary brain storming oddities, that we seem to adore in Amman nowadays!

Livni and Rice: Bestest of Friends!

2009-01-19T03:52:00.000-08:00

In this article written by Rice for Time's top 100; "Condi" Rice describes her fondness of her "colleague" and "friend" Tzipi Livni, and tells of how they sit together and have long chats about their dads and how exciting motherhood is for Livni who is apparently a "proud Mum"!!!

I am certain that what happened in Gaza has been a great adventure for both of them - not only that they managed to do what is considered "their jobs", but they were able to fit in some quality friendship pondering time as well, how lovely is that!

I am sure that the "children" enjoyed the adventure along with the mother; let's be honest here; how "cool" is it to watch from the distance people with blown-up heads, scattered limbs and blood spilled over freshly-flattened houses, who could miss that?!

This post is nothing but to say:

Thank You Livni, Thank You Rice

You've both HONOURED MOTHERHOOD!
Without role models like yourselves; women and mothers round the world would be lost. Thank you for saving the day, and for caring in providing entertainment for your children throughout. But most importantly, thank you for your hard work and dedication for creating a better world for all the people in the "region" including women and children.

Speaking of which…
Gazan Mothers,
You have utterly SHAMED MOTHERHOOD!

Refusing to sacrifice trivial things like your children, your peace of mind and your lives, for such noble purposes like Elections! Political Friendships! Agendas! Entertainment! The Bush Administration! The "Peace"!

Shame on You!

New Beginnings! What New Beginnings?!

2009-01-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

“The blazing sun filled the streets with the colour of blood. And Gaza was brand new, Mustafa!” -Ghassan Kanafani, Letter from Gaza.

It’s hard to talk about new beginnings, when the suffering is never-ending, and history fails in anything but in repeating itself. For Gazans and for the Palestinians, the tunnel is definitely dark, narrow and end-less.
And yet there seem to be a huge amount of worship for the Palestinian cause, equivalent or even surpassing that of frustration. This worship has established the Palestinian cause as a religion that speaks to the conscious of humanity - There are children under the debris in Gaza, that have taught us lessons about freedom and determination, to whom the world cannot but bow in awe! But sadly, when such dignified values clash with the reality of power, strategies and state terror practiced by Israel, the results are tragic. Even talks about the aftermath of come what may this tragedy is always guilt wrapped , ideologized, censored or even muted.

So what does the future hold?

Ironically, the near future holds nothing new for the Palestinians, who are still under occupation and that’s the major issue. Unfortunately, this story is not a Hollywood masterpiece where the ultimate courageous hero will win at the end; this is a real life story, an episode in a long epic documentary about the story of Palestinian struggle. So regardless of who claims to have won or is winning now; realities on the ground speak a more honest truth about what is happening.
Hamas will still be in the picture, although more empowered, more legitimized than before. Israel cannot rely on international forces to guard its borders with Egypt, so an actual truce is only achieved through opening dialogue channels with Hamas and only Hamas, this way Israel can guarantee safe borders, and Hamas will bounce back more politically empowered. Now the Palestinian Authority will have to stand facing Hamas in an awkward position, who has the final say on the future of the Palestinians? Mustafa Barghouthi clearly points out that any authority under occupation is a false authority, so the answer would be to unify all the factions to form one Palestinian government. But, who will guarantee for Israel that this new government will work for the security of Israel? An important milestone to any peace talks from a solely Israeli and American perspective. The Palestinians however (Gazans more specifically) see things differently, and clearly believe that resistance is the only way to combat in-justice practiced by Israel - Israel which will not stop building more settlements, or stealing more Palestinian lands, or even solve the refugees problem or discuss Jerusalem. For Israel, these are a bunch of topics for another day!

But can there be any hope for their cause?

Che Guevara once said that “Whenever death may surprise us, let it be welcome if our battle cry has reached even one receptive ear and another hand reaches out to take up our arms” - May be illuminating the Palestinian cause – which seems more honest and just than ever- is the only good thing that came out of this tragedy. The death toll up until this moment is horrendous (more than 1070), and that’s not just a number. There are children’s dreams involved, mothers’ love, and dads and toys and aspirations and homes and hopes all gone! But for the Gazans, life will have to go on at some point, and hopefully they will be able to enjoy new beginnings just like every other human being!

Is Israel’s Diplomatic Failure Hinting to A Military Failure?

2009-01-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

Israel’s war against the Palestinians is questioning with some odd thoughts the diplomacy of Israel; certainly not succeeding as a military force to convince the Palestinians still of its occupation, or justify for the angry Arab masses the latest assault on Gaza; despite some Moderate voices who are still convinced that Hamas is the issue.

Strategically, its military occupation is definitely focusing on its targets and working by the imperialist old book of creating sub-ordinate entities within the Palestinian lands – By basically dividing Gaza and the West Bank from the rest of the Palestinian territories.

The Israeli project, although logistically winning; is definitely failing in the diplomatic arena. Israel’s long history of violence, right-wing driven politics armed with an extremist cavalry, infantry and war machine, have reduced Israel’s popularity to plummeting levels.

Compared to a colonial success like that of Great Britain, one has to again evaluate the power of diplomacy when it comes to military success. Albeit Britain’s vast conquer of more than two thirds of the world, it has also succeeded in keeping its record clean, and also in maintaining good diplomatic ties with its colonies. The British diplomacy, along with supreme tactics and a legendary army, have never failed both logistically or politically.

Prince Harry was forced to apologize yesterday for calling fellow army officer with offensive remarks , mainly “Paki” (Pakistani), and another that he looked like a “raghead” (often used for Iraqis and Taliban). His apology was quickly reported in the media, so the British prince wont be called racist. British diplomacy came to the rescue of Prince Harry – The third in line to the throne, in the middle of their war in Iraq and Afghanistan. In British diplomacy laws, it is okay to declare war on nations, but to call them ragheads is definitely off limits!

If only Israel can use a bit of diplomacy in its current assault on Gaza! Why Is it off limits if one Israeli diplomat condemned at least one single Israeli violation against innocent Palestinians? If they only read enough history books; they might teach them a bit about THE POWER OF DIPLOMACY!

Left or Right: Which Way Jordanian Moderates Will Bounce To?

2009-01-09T11:14:00.000-08:00

The shadows cast by the latest escalations in Gaza, will leave the Jordanian Moderates in a tough spot; many will choose to politically move to the left, or towards Islamist ideology.
Chafez (A good old Leftie) made a welcomed gesture of expelling the Israeli ambassador to Venezuela, perceived now as a hero in Jordan; this will certainly add to the popularity of Leftists like Che Guevara, Videl Castro who are all symbols of resistance and have been popular in the region for years, but now are viewed as role models, with protestors carrying their portraits everywhere.

A roughly drawn sketch of the political party scene in Jordan will show Islamists, Centrism Moderates, and Leftists - Not a great variety when it comes to adapting or practicing an ideology.

The Jordanian Middle or Moderate Middle, however, will not stand a chance amidst the anger and turmoil fueled by the current Gaza escalations. Some of them Moderates will resolve to Islamist ideology – a solid organized religious activism with “boycott Israel” as its favourite slogan. While The Jordanian Lefties will wave the flags of boycotting Israel now, albeit supporting the peace treaty with Israel before. The Left is the one to watch certainly, as it re-establishes itself politically in Jordan.

The Moderate stance that Jordan as a country represents will remain intact, although terribly disturbed by the latest Israeli atrocities.
Perhaps Moderation is a hard word to swallow when there’s an ongoing bloodshed and violations of human rights. Harder to swallow still is the fact that the Moderate Arab states are dealing with an Extreme Right Israeli government - Moderation in this case can be described as a risky adventure, while sitting on the fence!

Today Was The End of The World - By Mary Sparrowdancer

2009-01-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

It was the end for hundreds of unarmed civilians, including children. The Israeli military, one of the most powerful military forces on earth, has held the 1.5 million civilians captive within Gaza for years. Like the "dog in the manger," Israel has also deprived these civilians of the simple necessities of life, such as food and water. Still not satisfied with their under-reported atrocities against Palestinian civilians, not satisfied with the hunger, fear, malnutrition, misery, and slow death Israel has delivered to the Palestinians, not satisfied with the Palestinian homes, lands, and orchards Israel has already stolen from the rightful Palestinian owners, the Israeli interlopers have now ordered their massive military to bomb Gaza neighborhoods in a fierce attack that has today reportedly killed hundreds of civilians.

Israel justifies their latest brutality by claiming that they cannot "tolerate" the homemade, sugar-propelled Qassam projectiles fired out of Gaza toward Israeli "settlements" such as Sderot. The fact, however, is that the Qassam projectiles rarely hit anything other than desert sand as was noted by Israeli Defense Minister Yaakov Toran. He stated, "We need to remember that Qassams are more a psychological than physical threat."

Sderot is located upon the ashes of the former Palestinian village of Nadj. According to a book by Dr. Walid Khalidi, (All That Remains: The Palestinian Villages Occupied and Depopulated by Israel in 1948), the Palestinian inhabitants of Nadj were driven out of their village when this village was ethnically cleansed by Israeli settlers in 1948. Nadj is but one of at least 418 Palestinian villages that were ethnically cleansed by Israeli "settlers" who invaded Palestine from other countries and claimed ownership of Palestine.

It is in sifting through these ashes of Nadj that we can begin to see a hint of the true reason behind the Israeli overkill, the Israeli frantic and brutal rage, and the Israeli racial violence against the Palestinians. Many are surprised to learn that the Palestinians are people who are without an organized military, without aircraft, without tanks, and without sophisticated weapons with which to protect themselves and their loved ones from the brutal Israeli military forces. Many are surprised to learn that, like the American Indians, the Palestinians are refugees in their own country. The reason for the brutal rage against the Palestinians is rooted in international laws regarding the Right of Return of refugees to their homes. According to these laws, the Palestinian refugees must be permitted to return to their own ancestral lands or be compensated justly for what has been taken from them by Israeli force. The simple truth is that Israel, with its ever-mutating, Swiss-cheese borders, cannot remain in existence if this international law is enforced.

Today, the scene in Gaza can only be described as horrifying as Israeli air strikes on the unprotected Gaza civilians have resulted in decapitations and amputations, hospitals overflowing with wounded, black smoke, screams and wailing from those who have seen too much and lost too much, and limbs, flesh, and blood scattered throughout bombed-out neighborhoods. This is "home" if one lives in Gaza and is forced to exist under the jackboots and gloved fists of the Israeli military.

In the meantime, Israel's Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, who is perhaps the Israeli equivalent of a "hard-hearted Barbara Allen," has defended her "country" (which is still spreading like buckshot wounds throughout stolen Palestinian lands). She is the current mouthpiece asking, as Israel has always asked for the past 60 years, for international sympathy and support of its barbarian brutality. Israel is pretending to be the "victim" yet again while orchestrating another bloodbath.

Perhaps it is time for the international community to finally show some sympathy and support for the limbless corpses and ashes Israel has again left lying throughout the civilian neighborhoods in Palestine that it continues to ethnically cleanse.

- Mary Sparrowdancer(www.sparrowdancer.com)

Glasgow Supports The People of Gaza

2009-01-06T13:03:00.000-08:00

Die in in Buchanan Street

Die in in Buchanan Street

Die in in Buchanan Street

Die in in Buchanan Street

Die in in Buchanan Street

Die in in Buchanan Street

Die in in Buchanan Street

Die in in Buchanan Street

Day 7: 11:35 PM: 431 Killed: 2280 Injured

2009-01-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

It’s 2009, day 7 of the Israeli attacks on Gaza, it’s 35 minutes past 23 hrs, 431 killed so far, 2280 injured. 0 reasons, 0 acceptable justifications. And the tragedy continues.

To co-exist or not-to-exist that is the question…

It looks like we have fallen to an epidemic of throwing the blames on others, and refusing to negotiate with any thought no matter how insignificantly different. Because in the hardest of times, it is usually easier –may be more comforting - to point the finger and blame someone whether you’re apathetic or helpless.

The people who blame Hamas, or blame Egypt, or blame governments, or even the Palestinian innocent democracy seem to have fallen to this epidemic, of throwing the blames and diffusing the carnage.

The universal truth that is co-existence is not found within the realm of military stubbornness. How can it ever exist? War has politized and polarized religions, and thus abducted spirituality and humanity. And in the name of fighting “extremism” justified cleansing whole free nations.

When a Friday prayer in Mecca this afternoon has called upon all Muslims to stand together and was totally dedicated to Gaza…

When Christians have canceled all New Year celebrations just to show solidarity with the people of Gaza…

And when Orthodox Jews protest in London and New York against Israel’s massacres in Gaza…

There’s something there to teach us about co-existence regardless of the political agendas.

If only Israel can believe in that!

There’s no future in blood, he who feeds hatred gets hatred, and who feeds love gets love.

Try and explain love to Gazan children now - they’ve been taught hatred, long before they have learned about love. And when soldiers finish their attacks, and go back to their kids and families, do they remember that Gazans are families and children too?

Israel have only succeeded in proving to many people that co-existence is just an illusion. The bloodshed in Gaza will cast its shadow on the future of the region for many years to come. Hamas' popularity will grow stronger and stronger, with followers from the outside as well as the inside.

Israel's war regime may gain popularity inside Israel, and thus affect the coming elections; may gain popularity in the west, thanks to a biased and false-fed media. But among its neighbours; Israel has portrayed itself as a blood-thirsty military entity, where any future of co-existence seem distant and unattainable.

The future of co-existence between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority remains bleak as well. A Palestinian government approved by the US and Israel, is a hard to swallow fact by the people of Gaza who chose Hamas in their elections. But the election game, is an open-to-all-possibilities game, and a multi-party system is a possible solution, should they learn to co-exist. Question is, will Israel and the US support their co-existence?

If a multi-party system government guided a democratic Palestinian elections, this elected new government or authority, should now learn to co-exist with newly elected Israeli government (depending on the going onslaught in Gaza and its set targets- the winner remains anonymous). Nevertheless, no matter how governments play the war card now, somebody brave enough is needed, because the real challenge is not the number of innocent people killed, or the tons of bombs dropped. The real challenge, is when the carnage is over, and there’s nothing left to bombard, or terrorize; the real challenge is how to sit on the table, with the very same people and negotiate and talk peace and co-existence. I think that if war lords had always learned this fact before hand, many war crimes could have been avoided. Iraq should be a very good lesson!

Anger Spills Into the Streets of Amman

2008-12-29T12:42:00.000-08:00

Around the world, crowds take to the streets in one Gazan solidarity chant; while anger spills into the streets of Amman.
Up until this moment 345 innocent Palestinians were killed as the Israeli air strikes bombard Gaza for the third day in a row. The world has silently witnessed a genocide unfold. A modern day riot against silence has erupted demanding action from all governments, leaders and political bodies.

But the world of leaders remains silent.

Jordanians take to the streets, protest in universities, camps and unions - even the local MPs burn the Israeli flag inside the House of Parliament in an un-precedented act of protest.

The voice of the people still isn’t heard.

A Royal Jordanian blood is on its way to Gaza, and dozens of donating campaigns are being organized.

But the world of power remains crippled.

And while in Jordan – the country with less population, less influential powers (due to the lack of resources, i.e. oil), less number of TV networks ( Rotana, MBC, Dubai for instance are still blasting and streaming trivial entertainment and American TV Junk), people in Jordan chant “Long live Gaza” - people round the globe chant a free Palestine, and "Israel, USA, how many children have you killed today?"

All that going on, and the ignorant Israeli War-mashine is still hunting innocent lives by the dozens in a unique stupidity stunt before the Israeli elections in February!!

The Fear that is GAZA

2008-12-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

“ History Will Have to Record That the Greatest Tragedy of This Period Was Not the Strident Clamour of the Bad People, But the Appalling Silence of the Good People” -Martin Luther King
photo courtesy:(aljazeera)

Jordan home to a little less than 3 million Palestinians, almost 50% of the population, together with the other 50% were glued to their TV screens, or any source of news about Gaza.
It’s almost impossible to mention Jordan as a separate entity from Palestine, or what’s happening west of the river Jordan.

So far 195 innocent Palestinians were killed in air raids by Israeli F-16 bombers.

The world is shocked by the news of civilian casualties, and many people have taken to the streets in protest.

Gaza is now a synonymous of fear, felt within every street corner, of every Arabian city. Amman is no exception.

Gaza now rhymes with anger, expressed by millions, at the appalling silence practiced by so many.

The frustration and anger is also expressed by the King of Jordan.

Sadness is felt in the air, Jordanian chests are tightened with fumes of smoke, massacres and burdening realities. But Jordanians are no exception.

Many have taken to the streets, hearts filled with paryers for Gaza. Ammanis are no exception.

But in the dictionaries of death; the laws of sacrifice; the epitome of courage; the tolerance of in-justice; the Palestinians were and still are the only exception!

A Moderate Christmas: Jordanian Style

2008-12-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

Having a small ride round the town would give you a feeling of a Jordanian Christmas. The city is somehow alight with Christmas trees and decorations, the local radio stations play the Christmas songs and count down the hours till Christmas. The Queen lights the Fuhais Christmas tree in a Jordanian Inter-faith Initiative.
December 25th is now a public holiday enjoyed by Muslims and Christians alike.

A lovely painted picture of a moderate Jordan; the country we aspire to be; where friends of all faiths are welcome - So change is happening, and now Christians are practicing their full religious rights alongside their Muslim friends. A Middle-Eastern success story amidst the turmoil and sectarian-infused havoc of our region.

Which makes me wonder…
Are we too obsessed with fighting to be the moderate model we aspire to be that our attempts at achieving our goals seem a bit over-done sometimes!
I know - although I am no expert - that in marketing strategies; simplicity is the key to winning most of the time, and we seem to over-do every thing while branding our country with modernization and moderation, that we might not be really winning!

In any case, a celebration of a Jordanian Christmas to please Jordanian Christians is a noble thing, especially that they constitute about 7% of the population, regardless of the marketing and branding agendas involved. Although, looking beyond the glitz and tinsel, some Jordanian laws are still pretty tough when inter-faith relations are concerned.

But, shall we forget all that and enjoy a…
Merry Moderate Christmas - Jordanian Style!

On Why It Should Rain More Often in Amman! Please Let It Rain!

2008-12-11T11:57:00.000-08:00

Having lived in the UK for more than four years, and have complained about the weather almost-always more than once a day, and dare I say, never liked the wet weather, nor the dampness, nor the rain. And always longed for sunny DRY Amman, with its extended dry days and the beautiful all-day sun exposure -- up until I arrived here, and now it’s almost mid-December, and there’s not a single drop of rain!

The climate change that is affecting Amman, and causing a dry and bitter cold, is taking its toll on people’s health: germs are spreading; heating bills: excruciatingly rising and wardrobe confusion for so many; who are certainly agonized by the difference between day-time temperature and night-time cold weather. More reasons to worry would be the likelihood of limited collection of water in the reservoirs and thus more agony during the summer.

If a four year period can show such significant change in weather and climate, I am really worried about what the coming decades have in store for us. While more studies are showing a decline in rainfall over the past fifty odd years; the impact of which may result in serious effects on desertification, drought, water resources and agriculture, a touch of change on how the weather is different on the small scale is quite unpleasant as well.

While the above would justify for a status quo of utter panic, I can’t see people worried the least! Which puzzles me especially when I see the degree of chaos driven by any change to the petrol prices. For some odd reasons, Jordanians worry if the matter involved that they will be required to WALK for a couple of hundred metres, but care not about the fact that they might die of thirst in the near future!

So after four years of hating the rain, and wishing for it to go away, and to come back another day, I am now ACTUALLY hoping for some rain! let it rain, let it rain!

A Spotlight On A Jordanian Childhood, A Western Union Stop And An Indonesian Community in Amman

2008-12-08T03:41:00.000-08:00

All the mentioned above is inter-related in a manner I find hard to describe, but I’ll try and speak about as much as I can. Although a much more shocking title would be in the lines of: A whole Jordanian generation is being raised by a newly formed Indonesian community, or Jordanian Parents no longer raise their kids, or even, Jordanians abandon the lives of their children. How shocking these titles may seem from a child’s rights perspective? I can’t yet describe the situation as problematic, but surely it cannot be less than alarming. What is the secret behind our fascination with maids in our households? How come Jordanian parents no longer play, eat, and engage with their kids, because, sadly, these precious parenting activities are now considered a maid’s job, or a baby sitter’s, or a servant’s.
A mere visit to the playground or the schoolyard or the shopping centre would tell you that Jordanian parents aren’t there for their kids. Has it become a degrading position in society, a hands-on-parent? What is so shameful about it?
Coming back from the UK, a country that celebrates abolishing slavery, I gasped at our fascination with the very own word; although I am being ironic here, and a maid’s job is categorized as a form of employment and a maid in Jordan gets a monthly salary from her employer, which brings me to my second observation about how Jordan is turning into a Western Union stop.
Basically, when most of the men “Jordanian men” are abroad, usually in the Gulf States transferring money into Jordan, a large part of this money is transferred via the same stop, to countries like Sri Lanka, Philippines and mostly Indonesia. Money made in Jordan, is a vague term, superstitious according to many, and that’s why Jordan is turning into a large Western Union stop, where money is just being transferred either into or from.
I really wonder about the outcome of such a phenomena! When I meet with kids, who speak in a confused language; an Arabic or an English or whatever sort of language it is, I get confused and wonder if they know who they are, where they belong. If their mums aren’t there for them to teach them about right and wrong; then surely, a whole parenting institution is falling on its face. What does the future hold for them? I ask myself!

My last observation is trying to shed a positive light on an emerging Indonesian community in Jordan - Immigrant workers or ex-pats who are inter-communicating in their own little gatherings, perhaps casual meetings beside the see-saw or the swing. Whatever involves their chats, they are acknowledging the fact that they are entrusted with the nation’s most precious thing: its children, and whether we as Jordanians are understanding the fact that this multi-cultural new society is giving them their full rights or ignoring the role that they play in our children’s lives - remains to be decided...

Jordan: Tradition Vs Transition

2008-11-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

One of the most magical things about Jordan, is the desert!
Let them fool you not the stretched-up high buildings; the westernized names given to recent developments; like The Vertex or The Living Wall. This country’s pride is the desert and its Bedouin culture. Bedouin traditions govern everything in this small aspiring country - the means that we live by belong to the west, but the traditions remain Jordanian and Arab in a unique contrasting way!

Do you still have your doubts?

Try and listen to this song (Hadabatly*) by Omar Al Abdallat, which describes his fondness of his Bedouin mother - the song carries a lovely sentiment and pride of Bedouin tradition.

Note: This is the best video I could find on YouTube

*Hadabatly means fixed my Shmagh with trims.
Shmagh : (traditional Arabic headdress – the Jordanian one is a distinguished red and white pattern)

Amman Revisited: After Four Years

2008-11-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

I took this picture almost four years ago. Amman has changed a lot since then. I was atop "Le Royal" thinking I got the best of whatever height the city architecture could give me back then. It's all changed now.
Somehow Amman is reinventing itself; waving last goodbyes to its childhood, and entering adolescence in preparation for the state of adulthood; and like rebellious teenagers; the city is transforming madly. What belonged, and what’s belonging and what is to belong to the city is what makes Amman - the city I am revisiting.