The slow demise of press freedom in Jordan

I lost hope in freedom of the press in Jordan a long time ago. I can't remember exactly when but I think it goes back to my early twenties when I first joined the ranks of repressed Jordanian journalists. I have written about violations of press freedom on this blog many times, then I got tired of it. Until when, really? Things seem to be going from bad to worse.

From the whole fiasco of ATV to suing AmmanNet, I do not see any bright future for the press in Jordan. I decided to write about the most recent press violation, the sentencing of four journalists to prison, for two reasons.

1. I find it ironic that after Jordan proudly announced that journalists would not be sent to jail, the trend continues using other legal artillery, the Penal Code rather than the Press and Publications Law.
2. One of the journalists sentenced, Osama El Sherif, was my boss for my many years and was the one who trained me and taught me the tricks of the trade. What's baffling in this case is that the journalists' crime is publishing a news item "about a citizen who filed a motion with the Higher Judicial Council against the judges of the Higher Court of Justice, who had upheld a decision by the Civil Status and Passport Department depriving the plaintiff from his citizenship." Since when is reporting on a court case a crime in Jordan? I'm baffled. 

Anyway, enough about this. Talking about press freedom in Jordan is simply pointless. There's more on Lina's blog.

Jordan's torturous tales in The Washington Post

Accompanying Jeff to the department of motor vehicles this morning, I brought along The Washington Post to read while he took care of business. On the front page I found a lengthy story about Jordan. No, this was not a story about the two Jordanian entries for the Sundance Film Festival -- a first in the history of the Kingdom. Rather, it was a report of something else: torture.

What was new this time was a photo illustrated table listing the inmates allegedly held and tortured in Jordan alongside the methods of torture used upon them. According to the article, torture in Jordan comes in two flavors: Falaqa and Farruj

Former prisoners have reported that their captors were expert in two practices in particular: falaqa, or beating suspects on the soles of their feet with a truncheon and then, often, forcing them to walk barefoot and bloodied across a salt-covered floor; and farruj, or the "grilled chicken," in which prisoners are handcuffed behind their legs, hung upside down by a rod placed behind their knees, and beaten.

Of course the report disturbed me for obvious reasons. But I'm also upset at seeing my country's name linked yet again to this inhumane practice. Living in the DC metro area, where everyone is politically charged, I get a comment or two about Jordan being linked to torture when I reveal my nationality. If the information were true, then really Jordan should put an end to it. It is inhumane and uncivilized. Just end it!

I also got annoyed because the Post seems hung up on the issue when discussing Jordan. How many times do you have to report on this, really! Why not replace the front page story with something positive for a change. Here is a headline for you: Two Jordanian entries at Sundance Film Festival boost Kingdom's cinematic ambitions.

Okay, this post is giving me a headache so I'm going to stop whistling in the dark here and find something better to do. I of all people should know that journalists revel in bad news and rarely file reports that leave you loving life and wanting more. Uff!

Update: Ammon News is reporting (Arabic) that Jordan has introduced a new law into the Penal Code that penalizes anyone that tortures any citizen to get information. The penalty is imprisonment for a period of between six months to three years. Here is the news in Arabic:

بشكل هادىء ودون ضجيج ادخلت الحكومة الراحلة تعديلا مهما وكبيرا على
قانون العقوبات الاردني يمثل انتصارا كبيرا لكل المدافعين عن حقوق الانسان والحريات العامة .. ويتمثل هذا التطور القانوني في تعديل المادة 208 من قانون العقوبات بما يكفل انزال عقوبات مشددة بحق اي موظف عام يمارس التعذيب ضد اي مواطن بهدف الحصول على اعترافات منه وذلك انه كان يكتفى بتجاهل هذه الاعترافات اذا تبين انها اخذت تحت التعذيب ..

وبحسب النص المنشور في الجريدة الرسمية بعددها 6734 جاء فيها انه وبناء على قرار مجلس الوزراء بتاريخ 9-10 -2007 فقد تقرر ادخال تعديلات على قانون العقوبات ليصدر بصفة قانون مؤقت يحمل الرقم 49 لسنة 2007 ليقرأ مع القانون 16 لسنة 1960 .

وجاء في نص القانون الجديد من سام شخصا اي نوع من انواع التعذيب التي لا يجيزها القانون بقصد الحصول على اقرار بجريمة او على معلومات بشأنها عوقب بالحبس من ستة اشهر الى ثلاث سنوات

That's really good news. Hopefully this inhumane practice will come to an end soon, not only in my home country, but all over.

Am I in the wrong line of work?

The latest projections of the US government rank being a journalist as one of the worst jobs for the 21st century, as newspapers cut costs and jobs. Some other of the "worst jobs for the 21st century" include textile workers, file clerks and electric meter-checking guys. But journalists will also have a hard time getting jobs, despite the increase in media outlets. According to the Labor Department, reporting positions are expected to grow by a mere 5% in the next decade, and most of these jobs are expected to be in small –- low-paying -– markets.
Source: [Editors Weblog]

I have always known that journalism didn't pay well but I chose this line of work when I was young, motivated and did not care about such things. I hate to say it, but as you get into your thirties and start committing yourself to a number of financial responsibilities you realize that a good paying career does actually matter. All said and done, journalism as a career, is still evolving:

This projection is based on a relatively restrictive definition of journalists, which will probably evolve in the years to come.

Maybe, just maybe, there is still hope that I won't live and die poor.

Jordan jails former deputy for 'false news'

A critic of Jordan's royal family was sentenced to two years in jail on Tuesday for sending e-mails abroad that the court ruled to be carrying "false news" and harmful to the dignity of the state. The verdict against after a two-month trial, comes at a time that human rights groups are voicing concern about what they call an official clampdown on the media. Judicial sources said Abbadi, a right wing former deputy, was found guilty on three charges of undermining state dignity, publishing "false news" on e-mails sent to foreign figures and illegally distributing leaflets. Abbadi had pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Before his arrest, Abbadi had stepped up criticism of Jordan's royal family and accused top officials of corruption on a Web site he ran. Supporters said he had sent an e-mail to U.S. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid decrying what he called a steep rise in official corruption. Source: [MSNBC]

Although I disagree with the ideologies disseminated by Jordanian National Movement leader Ahmad Oweidi al-Abbadi, I was dismayed to see that he received a two-year sentence for carrying "false news." Here is what Human Rights Watch has said about Abbadi's case:

"The only reason al-Abbadi languishes in jail waiting for his court verdict is that he's a government opponent exercising his right to free speech," said Sarah Leah Whitson, director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East division.

This is yet another step in Jordan's moves against free expression, right alongside Jordan's announcement last month that it would be monitoring online sites. Not to mention that all this is happening while the fate of Jordan's first independent TV station is hanging in the balance. The sad reality nowadays is that Jordan is taking step after step backwards when it comes to the freedom of the press. I'm of the opinion that for democracy to prevail in any place, the press must be free. Sadly, this is not the case in my home country.

It is also worth nothing, that Abbadi's accusations of official corruption in the Kingdom came shortly before Jordan was named as a country facing a disturbing increase in corruption according to the Transparency International scale.

Interview with award-winning blogger Wael Abbas

For those interested in the development of the Arab Blogosphere, here is an interview I did with Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas, who just last month was named last month winner of the prestigious Knight International Journalism Award. I enjoyed talking with Wael. He was very eloquent and quite determined to expose corruption and human rights violations in Egypt. You can read the full interview on the International Journalist's Network. Here is an excerpt:

For 33-year-old Egyptian Wael Abbas, the Web log is not merely a personal journal; he has a specific mission. He sees his blog as an avenue for freedom of speech in a country that has relatively little of it.

Legal harassment of independent journalism is common. According to the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, there were 85 criminal cases against the press from 2004 to 2006. It was in this atmosphere that Abbas launched his Egyptian Awareness blog, available at http://misrdigital.blogspirit.com [Arabic].

He says he took it upon himself to expose human rights violations in Egyptian society and shed light on issues of corruption and torture, among others.  In an interview, Abbas told IJNet that what compelled him to start his blog was "the need for real, transparent, independent media that cover stuff often neglected by mainstream media." Armed with a video camera, Abbas sees video blogging as a way to silence skeptics of his reporting. "I focused on images and video footage so that no on can discredit my work," he said. He uses colloquial Egyptian Arabic on his site to appeal to a younger generation that might find traditional reporting "boring."

'Live from Jordan' reviewed in The Jordan Times

Here is a link to a book review I wrote for The Jordan Times. The book, Live from Jordan: Letters home from my journey through the Middle East, was written by Benjamin Orbach who was based in Jordan for almost a year. As a Jordanian and fan of travel writing, I enjoyed this book and recommend it. Here is my conclusion:

It is no secret that Orbach's book is intended primarily for Western readers. It is written with the aim of giving the Western audience a glimpse of life in the Middle East. The Western reader is given a fairly accurate accounting of life in modern Amman and some neighbouring Arab cities. To Jordanians, though, the book offers a chance to reflect back on pre- and post-Iraq invasion sentiments, and is a dissection of the lifestyle of modern Amman with all its complexities and the social and economic disparities of its residents. While the Western reader will have a great deal of material to digest, for Jordanians, the book primarily serves as an avenue for contemplation and critical self-examination.

Read the whole review here. 

Horror at Prince Hamza Hospital and the power of the blogosphere

As are the majority of bloggers in the Jordanian blogosphere, I was shocked and dismayed by the treatment of the father of a fellow blogger at Prince Hamza Hospital. It really beggars belief. However, this is not the main reason for this post. I'm blogging about this to highlight the effect of the blogosphere in a country that has been used to government-dominated media outlets for the last few decades. You see, word spread about this inhumane treatment through the blogosphere and it has already found its way into traditional media. Addustour daily published the story and it was picked up on a news website called Rum. Hopefully, this will bring still more attention and prompt concerned officials to act.

When I was growing up in Jordan, I never had such an outlet. We heard of similar heart-wrenching stories occurring to friends and family but we felt completely helpless. There were instances when we could not do anything to highlight the predicaments caused by an inefficient public system or institution. Things are no longer the same. There is now a way to spread the word even if traditional media outlets shy away from reporting what they may regard as "daring" stories or incidents that might air the country's dirty laundry.

I'm glad that I'm witnessing this first-hand. The effect of the blogging phenomenon should never be underestimated. After all, bloggers are getting international recognition. Just last week, outspoken Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas was named as one of the recipients of the prestigious Knight International Journalism Award. Yes the blogs are here to stay, despite what others might think.

Update: Blogger Who Sane reports that he has been contacted by officials from the Health Ministry following his post and the reactions that followed.

Upon republishing the story in Addustour Daily, (Batir, I owe you my life), senior officials at the Ministry of Health contacted me yesterday and confirmed that the newly appointed Minister of Health, Dr. Salah Al Mawajdeh, sends his regards and is personally very concerned about this issue and has given direct orders to start an investigation lead by the Head of Internal Auditing Department at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Azmi Al Hadidi, who called me and visited my dad at the hospital yesterday (September 5th, 2007) and assured us that the investigation will prosecute those who have caused this ordeal.

Rana’s Husseini’s upcoming book

I was very pleased to stumble upon the website of my former colleague Rana Husseini, who is currently working on a book on honor crimes. I really can't wait to put my hands on this intensive piece of work. According to her site, the book:

... will provide people with a credible source based on real-life experience tackling a sensitive issue which is often susceptible to misconception. The book is entitled Murder in the name of honour and is expected to be published in the next few months.

It should be good. I can't wait!

Reactions to alleged involvement of Jordanian doctor in UK plot

The Jordanian blogosphere is filled with reactions to the alleged involvement of Jordanian doctor Mohammad Asha in the UK terror plot. Blogger and journalist Batir Wardam is hoping that Asha is innocent, saying:

I am deeply in hope that Dr. Mohammad Asha (27) who is a Jordanian will turn out to be innocent from the suspicions of an alleged role in the planning of terror attacks in London and [Glasgow]. Not only because he is Jordanian but I feel very alarmed that the profile of Dr Asha is very far away from the typical terrorist, in fact he can be a replica of thousands of Arabs and Muslims trying to seek a career of excellence in Europe.

The story of Asha is all over the news here in the US. The Today program is showing a picture of him with Queen Noor. Nothing has been confirmed so far and he may turn out to be innocent as his family claims. But I think harm has already been done. Jordan's name is now linked to this terror plot. What a shame! I do disagree with Batir on the issue of Asha's profile. I'm of the opinion that the current "profile of a terrorist" is not that of the disenchanted and the unemployed. On the contrary, many of those involved in terrorism are highly educated. Here is an excerpt from today's Washington Post:

Ayman al-Zawahiri, deputy leader of the network, is an Egyptian-trained physician. Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged chief planner of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacking plot, earned a degree in mechanical engineering from North Carolina A&T University. The lead hijacker, Mohamed Atta, studied architecture. Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden was educated as a civil engineer.

Meanwhile, blogger Firas is not surprised by the possible radicalization of Asha. Firas showed a more recent picture than above of Asha with him fully-bearded, something that could be interpreted by some as a shift towards extremism. He says:

If he is truly involved, there might be some explanation, and I've personally witnessed this: What happens is that Arab students go to study abroad in countries where political and religious freedoms are granted for all, say countries like: US,UK,Canada and Australia. Now these students get to know other Muslim students usually Pakistanis who got some extremists among them, and that's when they are fed with all this crap. And this is out of personal experience (a close friend would stop talking to you, because you are a Christian,the guy was transformed in 5 months). As in Pakistan extremist groups and parties are deeply rooted in that country, and for an Arab student who finds him/herself in an alien culture and lately a hostile culture to Islam (think of post 9/11,the Danish cartoons,the Pope's lecture,etc) these guys would have some affect.

Regardless of whether Asha is innocent or not, it is a shame to see Jordan's name dragged into this. As if the effect of Zaraqwi on Jordan's reputation was not enough!

UPDATE: The International Herald Tribune is running a story that highlights comments from Asha's colleagues who are saying that he was "absorbed in his studies and had no ties to terrorism." The story quotes a Jordanian government source saying that British authorities described Asha as a "possible subject" not charged with any crime. The same source called connections to the physician "very sketchy."

Azmi Mahafzah, Mohammed Asha's instructor at the University of Jordan medical school, said he knew Mohammed Asha during his studies and training from 1998 to 2004 and did not have the impression that he was religious. "He interacted with others, both boys and girls. He has no prejudices. He is not a fanatic type of person," he said. "I wouldn't believe that he would risk a very, very bright future in medicine for going into such things. He's very smart," Mahafzah said. He said Mohammed Asha graduated with top honors from his medical class.

Another colleague of Asha's in Amman, Aseel al-Omari, described herself as a "close friend" of the Jordanian doctor. She said she knew him for the past decade since they attended a school for gifted students. The school, founded 14 years ago by Jordan's Queen Noor to promote religious tolerance, is mixed -- a rarity in this conservative Muslim society, which often separates the sexes.

Newsweek's interview with Ali Farzat

Reader Peter S. drew my attention to this Newsweek interview with Ali Farzat, whose cartoons were banned by the Syrian regime but eventually picked up by the BBC in the form of an animated series.

Hassan Abdallah: Bashar al-Assad used to come visit you at home before he became president, and he's responsible for [at first] legalizing the publishing of your drawings. Why this change of heart?

Ali Farzat: Before he became president, he used to attend my exhibits and a friendship developed as a result. But there are those who thought that Al-Doumari had crossed the line in exposing corruption and putting into doubt the reputation of some institutions and individuals. We used to cover important issues dealing with reform and the things holding it back, and we sent an open letter to the president asking him to institute needed reforms.

They viewed that as a threat to their control. They wanted me to follow the official line, they offered all sorts of incentives, and then they threatened. Finally, they shut down the paper. People in Syria remember that Al-Doumari preferred telling the truth, even if that led to its demise, over lying to the people and staying alive. There are Baathists who consider Syria their property and they behave as if they are first-class citizens, better than the rest. Syria has become the property of a group of monopolists.

Source: [Newsweek]

You can read the whole interview here. I really do not know why authoritarian regimes spend all of this time and effort trying to stifle freedom of expression when nothing can be censored anymore in this globalized era. The public is no longer naïve. They can see it all.

Media watch: The work of consultants

For those that care about media issues, here is an article I wrote about the work of The Rendon Group in Afghanistan.

Consultants say they focused on skills, not influencing media

Rendon Group, a public relations firm known for helping the U.S. government make its case for the war in Iraq, denied any direct influence over Afghanistan's news media at a June 8 event in Washington, D.C. Linda Flohr, a consultant at Rendon, said the group's work in Afghanistan was only with training that government's press officers. "We only worked on skills," she told IJNet.

The work of Rendon Group and other public relations contractors hired by the Pentagon was once nearly unknown to the public. But they have faced higher public scrutiny since 2005, when news outlets reported that another firm, The Lincoln Group, paid Iraqi journalists and newspapers to publish stories favorable of the U.S. military's work in Iraq. Flohr said that any articles connecting Rendon Group with those efforts have since been retracted.

Read more: [IJNet]

MEMRI: Lost in translation?

Besides writing and editing, I spend a big chunk of my day as a linguist, translating Arabic to English and vice versa. Although the process itself is tedious and hectic at times, I enjoy it for the most part, particularly when I'm trying to find the exact word match. I look at a challenging text as a riddle that can only be solved by hunting for the most accurate missing pieces. It is an elusive game but I enjoy it and better, I even get paid for it. Any translator dreads the time when they end up choosing words that do not match. It is the ultimate horror when the translator "mistranslates" especially when it comes to the business of news. Misquoting someone's words and then broadcasting them to the public is the news translator's ultimate bad dream. Luckily, I have yet to face my interpretation nightmare.

All that said, it should come as no surprise that I was extremely intrigued by Brian Whittaker's piece in The Guardian that highlighted the mistranslation of the now infamous Al-Aqsa TV clip, which was eaten up by US media outlets. While I found the show and its content extremely off-putting, as children are being cajoled into parroting political ideologies, Whittaker makes a very valid point: The MEMRI translators either mistranslated or intentionally decided to embellish what was said on the tape. What was most intriguing about his piece was the argument that occurred between MEMRI's founder and one of CNN'S Arabic speakers, Octavia Nasr.

Among those misled by Memri's "translation" was Glenn Beck of CNN, who had planned to run it on his radio programme, until his producer told him to stop. Beck informed listeners this was because CNN's Arabic department had found "massive problems" with it. Instead of broadcasting the tape, Beck then invited [MEMRI's] Carmon on to the programme and gave him a platform to denounce CNN's Arabic department, and in particular to accuse one of its staff, Octavia Nasr, of being ignorant about the language.

Carmon related a phone conversation he had had with Ms Nasr: She said the sentence where it says [in Memri's translation] "We are going to ... we will annihilate the Jews", she said: "Well, our translators hear something else. They hear 'The Jews are shooting at us'." I said to her: "You know, Octavia, the order of the words as you put it is upside down. You can't even get the order of the words right. Even someone who doesn't know Arabic would listen to the tape and would hear the word 'Jews' is at the end, and also it means it is something to be done to the Jews, not by the Jews."

And she insisted, no the word is in the beginning. I said: "Octavia, you just don't get it. It is at the end" ... She didn't know one from two, I mean.

As a native speaker myself, I heard nothing about annihilating the Jews. What I heard was: بطخونا اليهود which translates into: "The Jews are shooting at us." So the question becomes: Did MEMRI embellish their translation on purpose or was it simply an innocent translation mistake? I cannot say for certain. What I do know is media organizations should take MEMRI's translation with a grain of salt, especially after this incident. Here is what Whittaker thinks:

The curious thing about all this is that Memri's translations are usually accurate (though it is highly selective in what it chooses to translate and often removes things from their original context). When errors do occur, it's difficult to attribute them to incompetence or accidental lapses. As in the case of the children's TV programme, there appears to be a political motive. The effect of this is to devalue everything Memri translates -- good and bad alike. Responsible news organisations can't rely on anything it says without going back and checking its translations against the original Arabic.

Hat tip: [Jordan Journals]

Can't wait for the 'Newseum'

I'm really excited about the opening of the new news museum dubbed the "Newseum" in Washington, DC in October of this year. It looks to be a top-notch museum and will focus on issues in news-making, which happens to be both my passion and my career.

Here is a brief description:

The Newseum is located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., between the White House and the U.S. Capitol and adjacent to the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall. The 250,000–square–foot Newseum will feature seven levels of galleries and theaters that will take museum-goers behind the scenes to experience how and why news is made, and will offer them an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up–to–the–second technology and hands–on exhibits.
Source: [Newseum website]

Among the exhibits featured in the museum will be an interactive newsroom, a great hall of news, "Today's front pages," and a journalists' memorial. How cool is that? I'm literally counting the days until it opens. This city gets more and more exciting by the day. I really can't wait for this phenomenal museum to open its doors to all the news junkies out there.

Jordan's latest press freedom violations

The nature of my current job requires me to keep a close eye on press freedom violations across the world. I was surprised to see Jordan's name pop up twice over the last ten days or so as a violator. The first violation involved the confiscation of an Alajzeera interview tape. The second involved the banning of Almajed newspaper because the Jordanian government alleged its front page article "harmed relations with the Palestinian government". Here is an excerpt [full article here] from the Committee to Protect Journalists' report:

Jordanian authorities should lift their ban on today’s edition of an independent paper, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. Fahd al-Rimawi, editor of the weekly Al-Majd, told CPJ that security agents moved Sunday to prevent printing of the edition because of a front-page story about a "secret plan" to oust the Hamas-led Palestinian government. Al-Rimawi said security officials told him they would ban the April 30 edition if he did not remove the article, the Associated Press reported. In an interview with CPJ, al-Rimawi said the issue had already been sent out for printing. Like many small tabloids in Jordan, Al-Majd is printed by larger publications that own printing presses. In this case, the leading pro-government daily Al-Rai handles Al-Majd's printing.

Are we witnessing a press freedom backslide in Jordan? For the past several years or so Jordan has been making baby steps towards safeguarding the freedom of the press. One step was the recent scrapping of an article that allowed for the imprisonment of journalists. However, from what I read this week, things are not looking good. It seems the kingdom is regressing to previous years where stifling press freedoms was the norm. I don't want to jump to conclusions quickly here so I must point out that the Jordanian government has denied banning the newspaper.

Government Spokesperson Nasser Judeh told journalists Tuesday that the government had nothing to do with the issue of printing or banning the fortnightly. Meanwhile, the commercial printing press of the Jordan Press Foundation said it did not print Al Majd because it carried items "violating Article 26 of the Press and Publications Law," which prohibits publishing any material that might threaten national security.
Source: [The Jordan Times]

Danish daily's chairman stands by decision to publish Prophet cartoons

I attended a discussion two weeks ago given by the publisher of the Danish daily that published the controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that unleashed a major row last year. During the lecture, given at the National Press Club here in DC, the publisher stood by his paper's decision to publish the cartoons. Here is a link to the full article I wrote about the event with an outtake below.

Launching his speech by displaying the controversial cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, the Chairman of JP-Politikens Hus, a Danish media conglomerate, defended his paper's decision to publish the caricatures, while criticizing U.S.papers for failing to republish them.

Joergen Ejboel, speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on April 11, insisted on his publication's right to free speech in regard to the cartoons that sparked a wave of demonstrations and riots throughout the world last year resulting in more than 100 deaths. Ejboel dubbed the unrestricted freedom of speech as a "truth" that should not be compromised. "A lot of people were offended by the truth," said Ejboel, referring to a recent court decision of a libel suit filed by French Muslim organizations against the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo for republishing the cartoons.

"The truth can never be characterized as defamation," he said, expressing discontent at the French judge's usage of the word "offensive" when referring to the cartoons. "If a cartoon can be legal in one context and a crime in another, then this will leave the door wide open to any group that can come forward and insist that any cartoon of their leader or hero amounts to defamation," he told the audience at a lecture organized by the World Press Freedom Committe. Source: [IJNet]

Aljazeera vs. Jordan ... again

It seems Aljazeera has upset the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan yet again, though this time the event involves HRH Prince Hassan. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported the following yesterday:

The Committee to Protect Journalists protests the Jordanian government's seizure of a taped Al-Jazeera interview with former crown prince Hassan bin Talal last week. Ghassan Benjeddou, Al-Jazeera's bureau chief in Beirut, told CPJ that Jordanian intelligence officers stopped his producer at Amman's Queen Alia Airport on Wednesday, shortly after the interview. They proceeded to confiscate the videotape of the interview, as well as several photographs taken of Prince Hassan during the interview.

In the interview conducted by Benjeddou, Hassan spoke critically of Saudi Arabia and U.S. policies in the Middle East, the journalist told CPJ. Citing a U.S. report, the prince said a Saudi official was financing Sunni militants to confront the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. Al-Jazeera identified the official as Prince Bandar bin Sultan, secretary-general of Saudi Arabia’s National Security Council, The Associated Press reported. Hassan also criticized Saudi Arabia for holding political negotiations in the holy city of Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest site, Masjid al-Haram.

And the Jordanian response:

On Saturday, Benjeddou used his program to discuss press freedom in the Arab world and discuss what happened to him. He invited Nasser Judeh, the chief Jordanian government spokesman, to comment. The Jordan Times reported that Judeh told Al-Jazeera that Prince Hassan is "an intellectual whose views are respected the world over," but "there are national interests that should be protected."

The Jordan Times quoted Judeh saying "we cannot afford to have any misinterpretation of Jordan’s stand at this delicate stage," adding, "after all, remember that we live in the Middle East where media outlets are sometimes employed to serve political purposes."

I can see how HRH Prince Hassan's comments could be controversial but at the same time I'm someone who believes in the total freedom of the press. In my humble opinion, I believe harassing journalists in this fashion and confiscating their work should not occur in a country that strives to be "democratic ." But then again, many would argue that things are not so black and white in the Middle East, and that sometimes there are exceptions. Ah well, I will agree to disagree!

'Invisible money' hindering Mideast independent media development

Last week, I got the chance to attend a lecture in Washington, DC delivered by Alghad newspaper CEO Mohammad Alayyan on "Developing Media as a Business Model in Jordan." Alayyan raised some very intriguing points while focusing on what he called the "invisible money" hindering the development of independent media. Here is an excerpt from an article I wrote on the lecture:

Publisher and CEO of the Jordanian independent daily Alghad, Mohammad Alayyan, cited what he referred to as "invisible money" as one of the major obstacles hindering the progress of independent media outlets in the Arab World. Alayyan who is planning to launch Jordan’s first independent terrestrial and satellite TV station, Al Ghad TV, on June 1 made his remarks during a lecture entitled "Developing Media as a Business Model in Jordan" in Washington, D.C., United States, on March 28.

"Historically, investment in media has not been that great because governments have always invested in the media. People were afraid of opening up media [outlets], so basically it created insufficient funds [for] the development of independent media," Alayyan told the audience at a talk at the Human Rights Campaign building. But this has changed since 2001, according to Alayyan, as investments in the media have dramatically increased in the past few years.

However, Alayyan argues that investments are not made in a transparent way. "A lot of invisible money is going into the media and I think this is one of the major obstacles facing independent media in the Arab World," he said.

Source: [International Journalists' Network]

You can read the full article here.

The depressing status of Jordanian journalists

Jordan's Press Association (JPA) slammed parliament Thursday for approving a clause in a draft law that allows the imprisonment of journalists. "We reject this decision. We are opposed to the imprisonment of journalists for expressing their opinions by writing, verbally, or by any other means, and linking this to four taboos," JPA president Tarek Momani said. "At the same time we welcome parliament's decision to scrap a clause calling for the arrest of journalists over publication matters," he added. During its deliberations of a controversial press and publication draft law, the 110-seat lower house approved Wednesday a clause to imprison journalists over four violations outlined in Article 26.

Source: [Middle East Times]

Yes, I'm disturbed by the news but not surprised. The sad reality is that such a step was somehow expected from the current parliament -- whose performance thus far has been extremely disappointing. The Jordanian blogosphere wa quick to react to this new development. Khalaf has a nice wrap up of Jordanian columnists' reaction to this new draft law. Also the UN news agency, IRIN, ran a feature last week detailing the depressing situation facing Jordanian journalists. Here is an excerpt:

Several incidents of attacks and harassment against journalists in Jordan have been reported since the beginning of this year. The latest involved a reporter from al-Rai newspaper, the most widely circulated Arabic daily, who was beaten up by a group of policemen last month in Amman. The journalist, Khalid Khawaja, was admitted to hospital because of wounds sustained in the attack. The police denied wrongdoing and shifted the blame on Khawaja for allegedly "beating and insulting a policeman on duty."

A few weeks earlier, three journalists from al-Ghad, al-Arab al-Yawm and al-Doustour dailies were arrested when they tried to cover a story in the northern city of Irbid and were reportedly threatened by the military governor to leave the area. Also, the editor al-Mehwar weekly tabloid, Hisham Khalidi, was fined US $15,000 on 9 February for publishing controversial material about a public institution. These events have provoked angry reactions from the media community, including the Jordan Press Association (JPA) and rights groups, who said such measures represent a flagrant infringement of basic human rights and curtail media freedoms.

You can read the full IRIN article here.

High school: East Vs West

Update: Very good news! Soon after posting this, I was contacted to run this article. I've moved the whole of it there, but here's a bit of it with the rest now on their site.

Here's the link to the full article, as published on Common Ties. Enjoy!

I submitted the following essay to an unnamed media outlet but it never made it to print. So I thought I'd give it exposure in the place it really belongs: Mental Mayhem. Comments are welcome.

If you scratch the glass

My husband and I moved to the Unites States from Amman, Jordan a year and a half ago. During this period I had to adjust to a myriad of lifestyle changes. Whether it was learning how to use the garbage disposal, handle a furnace, or even attempt to catch a glimpse of the American dream, my life in the past 18 months has been overwhelming and hectic at most times.

But of all the pieces of Americana that I try to acquaint myself with on a daily basis, there is one that never ceases to dazzle me to this day. It is the American high school. We currently live in the suburbs of Washington DC, right next to a buzzing high school. This location has its perks, one being the serenity of the suburbs and affordable rent. But living next to a school can be tiresome, as it brings into our quaint neighborhood at some instances a good share of noise. From weekend concerts to high school football games, the serenity of our suburbs gets shattered as a result of this constant teenage activity.

Putting the inconvenience aside, I have to admit that our location near an educational edifice has introduced me to a new realm: the world of American high school kids. It is a world that I had previously watched in awe from my parent's house in Amman via American movies. Of course, being so close to a high school doesn't really give me a full access to the mysterious life inside this building. I am merely a voyeur. I observe from afar as kids march half asleep to school in the mornings and drag themselves back home in the afternoons.

Read more

Anti-Jordan ad runs in The Washington Post

While the world's eyes are focused on Jordan these days, I was shocked to find a quarter page anti-Jordan ad in The Washington Post yesterday [image enlarges on click]. The ad, entitled Highlighting intimidation by the Jordanian authorities was signed by a New York-based businessman named Omar Karsou. In the ad, Karsou alleges that his son was intimated and harassed by the Jordanian authorities due to the father's dealings with some Jordanian businessmen. Karsou concluded his ad with the following: This to me looks more like a move away from basic human values towards a police state more akin to those hated regimes that exist in certain parts of the Middle East. I never heard of this case or this businessman before reading this ad. Karsou obviously has a grudge, as he was wailing to pay big money to broadcast his case to the world and try to put Jordanian authorities to shame. Of course, we are only hearing one side of the story. We really do not know what happened. Nor do we know if his allegations are accurate. Regardless, I believe Jordanian authorities should reply to his ad and publish a rebuttal ad -- one that offers some explanations -- in the same spot in the Post, if possible. Those, like myself, that read the ad yesterday, need to hear an official Jordanian response to such serious allegations, ones which seemed primarily aimed at tarnishing the image of Jordan.

Update: Omar Karsou left a comment on this blog with a bit more detail, saying:

Natasha,
I do not have a personal grudge against Jordan, or the majority of Jordanians. I love that country, I spent the better part of life in it. But I happen to love my Son just as much, if not more.. Anyway, before I placed the ad, I contacted the Jordanian Embassy in Washington, pleaded with them to help out, even sent them a draft of the ad, to no avail. Again, I am pleading with the Jordanian authorities to let justice take it's course, clamp down on corrupt officials. Only then will I have achieved my "objective", which I believe, is yours too.
Omar

Petra inspires the artwork of Marité Vidales

Here is a link to a feature that I wrote about a Costa Rican artist who is currently displaying her Petra-inspired artwork at the Jordanian embassy in Washington DC. The feature was published in The Jordan Times last Thursday.

Artist displays Petra-inspired paintings in Washington, DC
By Natasha Twal Tynes

WASHINGTON, DC -- For Costa Rican artist Marité Vidales, a brief trip to Jordan in the summer of 2005 served as more than just mere tourism. It was in this trip where she found a muse in the Nabatean city of Petra. Her fascination with Petra started from the first time she laid eyes on it. "I have to paint something about this," Vidales told her husband as soon as they got there. Immediately, the artist and her spouse started taking various pictures of the red-rose city to document everything they saw. "As I walked in the Siq, everywhere I looked I began imagining paintings, in the niches, on the stained rocks and the textured and wind-worn columns," Vidales explained. "I imagined the colors slowly changing throughout time. As soon as I returned from Jordan, I began to paint these images, based on my photographs and memories. I wanted to reproduce and perpetuate the experience," she added.

Read the full story here.

Abu Odeh interview controversy: A blow to free speech

I was dismayed to read that former Minister of Information Adnan Abu Odeh was charged after an interview he granted Aljazeera during which he expressed his opinions about the situation of Jordanian-Palestinians in the Kingdom. I regard it as a real blow to free speech in Jordan.

I interviewed Abu Odeh some years back for a university project that I was working on. I did not agree with everything he said, but I respected his right to say it and even used some of his quotes for my project. In this day and age, charging Abu Odeh for stating his personal opinion is simply outrageous. I want to reiterate what Abu Aardvark has said on the issue:

Whatever one thinks of Abu Odeh or about Jordanian-Palestinian identity politics, nobody interested in liberal reform in Jordan (or in the Arab world) should be happy to see someone like Abu Odeh being prosecuted for simply stating political opinions in public.

Indeed. I also would like to highlight some extracts from today's The Jordan Times editorial:

Are we never going to learn that silencing the voices of dissent is, ultimately, a self-defeating act? Whether we like it or not, what former Royal Court chief Adnan Abu Odeh recently told Al Jazeera Television should be his right. That he should be charged with sedition is preposterous. First of all, someone engaging in what might be called a seditious enterprise usually intends to create public disorder or disturbance and thereby cause violence. This certainly, by any stretch of the imagination, was not Abu Odeh's intent ... Let us remember that the Jordanian Constitution guarantees citizens freedom of worship, press, opinion, petition and peaceful assembly. That the indignation of some towards Abu Odeh's opinions should be allowed to be translated into legal charges, flies in the face of these sacred guarantees.