Update: Jordan continues Christian deportations

Here is a quick update to my last post. Compass Direct, which broke the story about the ongoing deportations of Christians in Jordan, ran a follow-up today that I personally found extremely heart-wrenching. Here is a highlight from the article:

More Deportations

While it was unclear what the government considered false in the report, the fact of deportations of Christians was further verified as authorities on February 10 expelled an Egyptian pastor with the Assemblies of God church in Madaba –- one of five evangelical denominations registered with the government.

Married to a Jordanian citizen and the father of two children, Sadeq Abdel Nour was handcuffed and blindfolded and taken to the port city of Aqaba. There he was placed on a ferry to Egypt. The previous week an Egyptian pastor from a Baptist church in Zarqa was arrested, held for three days and also returned to Egypt by ship from the port city of Aqaba. The pastor, 43, is married to a Jordanian woman and the father of three children.

If these pastors were working for legally registered churches why would you deport them in such a humiliating manner? The response of Acting Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh to the initial Compass Direct article was: "The authorities have deported a number of people who entered the country under the pretext of performing voluntary work but were spotted carrying out missionary activities."

Was this really the case in the issue of Sadeq Abdel Nour? I wonder.

Frankly, I find these to be dark times for Christians in Jordan. There are obviously discrepancies between what the Jordanian government is saying and what's actually happening on the ground. The government needs to be more transparent. Handcuffing, blindfolding and deporting a pastor with no explanation should not happen in Jordan or any country that claims to respect basic human rights. I'm angry and disappointed.

My friend Dan and Obama

My friend Dan has been working to convert me into joining the Obama cult for the past month or so. Every morning he comes to the office and tells me about Obama. I keep telling Dan I'm not sure my citizenship papers will be completed in time for the elections, "so you might be preaching to the wrong crowd here." "But you can convince your husband," he tells me.

I tell him: "I like Obama, but Hillary is the one with the experience. She is the one who will be able to deal with the sharks."

He says "You are from Jordan, you like monarchies and you feel secure with having the same family in politics." "Maybe," I respond.

"But Obama strikes me as arrogant and overconfident for a junior senator,"  I say. "And Hillary is not?" he retorts.

Dan never stops. He sends me links and articles to show me how good and genuine Obama is. I have to admit, though, Obama is looking good these days. Even as a self-described Clinton supporter, the Obama charm is reaching me. I guess it is the message of hope that touches me most. We all need hope. Obama might sound naive and might be describing a fairytale political existence, but hearing him is inspiring although I do not quite buy it. I guess I'm too jaded to believe in radical changes, especially when it comes to politics.

Today is Super Tuesday and you can feel the excitement in the air, at least here in DC. I would be happy with either one of them winning, but then again my opinion doesn't mean much. However, my husband is still undecided. Maybe Dan needs to go chat with him.

The ramifications of supporting Hillary

I'm fascinated by the amount of angry messages and "Wall posts" I'm getting on my Facebook page from my friends these days after I announced that I'm supporting Hillary for president (for reasons that I do not wish to delve into now). Most of the angry messages came from my Jordanian/Arab friends who made sure to tell me that they do not agree with me. Here are some examples:

Come on now, she flip flops, she is owned by the Jewish lobby and she has a one sided view of the Arab Israeli conflict. She is no Bill.

Boooo.... Obama...Obama!

Why Hillary she is a devil wearing Prada...Because she is a woman ?!!

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

I am aware that Hillary is a pretty divisive choice but I never realized how much she is hated in the Arab World until now. I guess I have been away from the Middle East for a long time and now I'm no longer connected with the "Arab street." However, I'm not backing down. I'm someone who believes in the individual's freedom of choice. By that I mean a choice that stands on its own that is not influenced by the preference of a community or society. I'm at a stage of my life where I no longer want to chant the same song with a familiar crowd. I want to chant my own song and make individual decisions. So for that I say, go Hillary.

Iraqis accepted in Jordanian public schools: where is the applause?

Jordan has been facing a great deal of criticism over its treatment of Iraqis at Jordan's Queen Alia airport, some of it deserved, some not so much. However, I have not seen many reactions or blog postings hailing Jordan's decision to allow the entry of Iraqi children into the public schools.

AMMAN -- Public schools in the Kingdom are witnessing a heavy turnout of Iraqis residing in the country, who want to enroll their children before classes start next week. Last Monday, the Ministry of Education finalized a decision to allow Iraqi students to study in public schools as of the beginning of this scholastic year, without the prerequisite residency permit.

The decision, which was taken in response to the humanitarian situation the Iraqis are going through, is intended to ensure that Iraqi children have access to education, according to an Education Ministry official. Previously, private schools were accepting Iraqi students, and only Iraqis holding residency permits were allowed to enroll in public schools. "Large numbers of Iraqis are registering their children in schools across the country," Managing Director of General Education and Students Affairs Mohammad Okour told The Jordan Times yesterday.     Figures of how many Iraqi school age children have been registered so far are not yet available, he said. According to Okour, some 50,000 Iraqi students are expected to enter the country's public schools, in addition to 14,000 who are already in the educational system. Source: [The Jordan Times]

In my humble opinion, I think this is a very courageous and noble step by Jordan. I wonder how the expected enrollment of 50,000 Iraqi children will change the makeup of Jordanian public education in the long-run. How will Jordanians react to this huge influx of Iraqis into their children's schools when there is already a great deal of tension between Jordanians and Iraqis over the refugee issue and others. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, where is the applause?

Update: Here is a quick update from The Jordan Times.

HRW hails acceptance of Iraqis in schools

AMMAN -- The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday welcomed Jordan's decision to accept all Iraqi school-age children into public schools, but criticised country's refusal to recognise Iraqis as refugees. In a press release, the group said: "For the first time, Jordan has officially pledged to allow Iraqi children to attend public schools regardless of their residency status." Responding to the statement, a senior official reiterated that Iraqis residing in Jordan do not meet the criteria of refugees as stated in the 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees. Read more.

Quick rant: East Bankers vs. West Bankers

I really do not understand why, in this day and time, there are some people that are still hung up on the issue of East Bankers vs. West Bankers. I'm talking about a comment I received yesterday by someone calling themselves "Fairfax Boy." Here is Fairfax Boy's contribution to the discussion about Amman's urban development.

Palestinians built Amman from the ground up. you East Bankers have a lot to learn.

Will we ever evolve beyond this endless and pointless argument? Geez!

Ibrahim Nasrallah profiled in 'The Guardian'

Last week, The Guardian newspaper ran a profile of Jordanian-Palestinian novelist/poet Ibrahim Nasrallah. Of course I was thrilled to see a fellow countryman profiled in such a highly acclaimed publication. However, it ailed to realize that the focus of the article was on the constant harassment he was/is receiving from the notorious Jordanian censorship department. It really is a shame what intellectuals have to go through in our part of the world for simply speaking up. Here are some excerpts of the article:

Last June, a journalist phoned Ibrahim Nasrallah and asked him how it felt to face a host of charges concerning national security. It was the Jordanian-Palestinian writer's first warning that he was facing prosecution ... The charges related to his fourth collection of poetry, Nu'man Yastariddu Lawnahu (Anemone Regains Its Colour). These highly figurative poems, first published in 1984, were suddenly banned, while the poet himself faced charges of insulting the state, inciting dissension and reporting inaccurate information to future generations.

... The authorities raided the offices of his Lebanese publisher in the Jordanian capital, Amman, confiscating copies of the banned collection. Protests from the Jordanian Writers' Association and the Arab Writers' Union were soon joined by support from the press in Jordan and the rest of the Arab world, while an internet campaign mobilised support from further afield. After almost four weeks which Nasrallah remembers being "haunted by these threats", the case was dropped on July 9 2006.

You can read the whole article here. I have to admit, I have never read anything by Nasrallah. Shame on me I know. Anyone out there willing to loan one of his books (In Arabic please)? Now after reading this article, I'm really intrigued. Here are two of his of poems translated by Ibrahim Muhawi.

Battles They'll wake up in the morning And they will fight That which you saw last night was my dream The other will answer: no, it was my dream They will gently retrieve two pistols From the sides of the same pillow And at the same moment They will fire

Bewildered In the beginning The horses said, we need plains The eagles said, we need summits The snakes said, we need lairs But the humans remained bewildered

Aching!

I haven't had the time to jot down a word on two on this blog in a while; the reason being that I'm simply at a loss for words. What is happening in the already volatile region ails me to no end. From Gaza to Iraq and now to Lebanon, things are deteriorating from bad to worse. Israel's actions in Lebanon are yet another form of collective punishment that the Jewish State has so skillfully mastered over the years, with the latest example being Gaza where dozens of civilians, including women and children, have perished. Someone, somehow, must put an end to the carnage. It really is beyond comprehension.

What Hizbullah did was provocative and stupid. I see it as Hizbullah's way of flexing their muscles. They say their attack across the border was to show solidarity with the Palestinians. What I see is that they not only drug their whole country to the bring of war, and killed civilians from both sides of the conflict, but, ironically, they have managed to distract the world's attention away from the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Lebanon occupies a special place in my heart. I have visited this beautiful country so many times and every time I go there I fall even more in love with this breathtaking place. I have a number of Lebanese friends who I admire greatly and have the utmost respect. My heart goes out to you in these very difficult times. My heart also goes out to the Gazans who are also being bombarded for the actions of one group who also chose the now trendy regional game of muscle flexing.

My heart also goes out to the Iraqis who are now immersed in a civil war. My heart also goes out to the Syrians, the Egyptians, the Jordanians, the Somalis and eventually to humanity itself for what we are witnessing nowadays is a sheer insult to our state of being.

Jordan's fight against corruption

It seems efforts are underway to fight corruption in Jordan.

The Amman prosecutor general recently indicted 350 people on charges of corruption, a senior interior ministry official said on Monday. "Abuse of public and private posts has wrought havoc on our economy and development," said the official, preferring anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. "We need to send a message that Jordan is a safe country for foreign investors. We can only do that by cracking down on corruption."

The official went on to point out that, of the 350 indictments, at least 300 were handed out to members of the private sector. While he was unwilling to disclose the precise amounts of money involved in the cases, he conceded that some involved amounts in the millions of dollars. "Some cases involve hundreds or thousand of dollars, but others are in the tens of millions," he said. Source: [IRIN]

However, some remain skeptical.

"We have thousands of high-profile corruption cases, but they're covered up by the government and influential personalities," said MP Abdul Rahim Malhas, who accused successive governments of "lacking serious motivation" for fighting corruption. "The past four governments used all kinds of rhetoric to announce their 'wars on corruption', but we later discovered that top officials from the same governments were themselves corrupt."

I guess one reason behind such cynicism is Jordan's ranking in the official statistics:

In a 2005 report by corruption watchdog Transparency International, Jordan ranked 37th out of 145 countries in the world in terms of official corruption levels. The report ranked Jordan fourth in the Arab world, after Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

I think it's best to take a "wait-and-see" attitude. Maybe Jordan's shameful rating will improve after this new anti-corruption drive.

Wanted!

Jordanian blogger Hamzeh has unleashed his anger at the Jordanian deputies who showed support for Zarqawi by posting this powerful image.

Meanwhile, Roba is disappointed by the lack of female protesters at the sit-in that took place today in front of Parliament. For sure, Zarqawi's death and its repercussions have galvanized the Jordanian blogoshpere.

Jordanian bloggers angered by deputies' despicable acts

Jordanian bloggers have expressed anger over the actions of a number of Islamic Action Front (IAF) deputies who paid condolences to Zarqawi's family and called him a "mujahid" (Arabic). Jordanian blogger Ahmad Humeid calls the deputies' actions "shameful," saying:

... anger for Palestine, Iraq and no feeling of oppression or humiliation and no 'jihad' justifies the killing of 60 people in Amman's hotels last year. The public stance of the three IAF deputies in mourning and praising Zarqawi is shameful. What kind of society will we live in when some of our elected representatives are ready to offer us for slaughter by anyone who 'fights the Americans.'

Meanwhile, Nas wrote a personal letter to the IAF:

... I don't care about Hamas calling him a martyr. I care when IAF deputies in Jordan go to his funeral and call him a "Mujahid," someone fighting for the "Islamic" cause. Those deputies should be removed from their seats. I would try them for treason if I could. And what was their excuse for attending the funeral? It was a religious duty, they said. They can't pass judgment on a fellow Muslim, they said. Screw You! When a fellow Muslim turns against the Ummah and starts killing his own people in cold blood that should be some indication that he isn't one of us, you dumbasses! And to the IAF, if these deputies spoke out of line from the party's position then now would be a good time to condemn them and for good measure state your position clearly to Jordanians.

Batir has a powerful post (Arabic). He's also posted in, unleashing his anger at both the state of Israel and Zarqawi:

... other bastards are here, living amongst us and stabbing us in the back. The four "deputies" of the Islamic Action Front who visited the Zarqawi home to consider him a martyr are a shame to Jordan and the country, they are nothing but a group of leeches sucking our blood and supporting criminals and terrorists like Zarqawi. They must be prosecuted, go to jail and never ever be allowed to represent the Jordanian people who were targeted by Zarqawi gang. I hate the IAF, and if they do not apologize right now to the Jordanian people they must be chased down in every corner of this country and never be allowed to express any kind of political activity. The 60 people who died due to Zarqawi's acts, plus the [tears] of the Jordanian girl Marah who lost her father in Iraq at the hands of a Zarqawi assistant is a real Jordanian purity that will wipe away all those cockroaches thriving on the dirt of the worst ideas in our time and by this I mean the terrorist IAF. Those do not need to blow bombs themselves, if they support Zarqawi then they are terrorists as well.

I just want to echo much of what my fellow bloggers said. What the deputies did is simply despicable and can never be justified. Their actions show the ultimate disrespect to the souls of the 60 victims who died last November as a result of the sinister acts of the "Mujahid" Zarqawi.

In other news, Batir reports that there is a sit-in tomorrow in front of Parliament to condemn the actions of the MPs and to pay tribute to the victims of the Amman bombings. In other developments, the same deputies who showed support for Zarqawi were arrested today. Batir thinks it's a "step in the right direction."

The end of Zarqawi

So Zarqawi is dead. Good riddance. To all the skeptics out there, it seems that Zarqawi wasn't a "US invention" or a "creation by Jordanian intelligence" after all! What will the conspiracy theorists say now? "We need proof!" "We want to see the corpse." [There's now pictorial evidence] Frankly, I would have preferred seeing him captured and then put to justice so that everyone could see how sinister this man was and that he really existed, inflicting terror upon millions and millions of people.

David Igantius wrote in the Washington Post in November of last year that Jordan was determined to capture or kill Zarqawi following the terrorist attacks on the kingdom.

A senior official told me that Jordan is considering aggressive new anti-terrorism operations that will seek to capture or kill Abu Musab Zarqawi and his top lieutenants. When I asked King Abdullah about the campaign, he explained, "Zarqawi brought the war to our doorstep, and there's a feeling in Jordan that we'd like to bring him to justice."

Well, they were true to their word as:

A Jordanian official said Jordan also provided the U.S. military with information that helped in tracking al-Zarqawi down. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was addressing intelligence issues, would not elaborate, but Jordan is known to have intelligence agents operating in Iraq to hunt down Islamic militants. Source: [MSNBC]

Today is a good day for humankind!

Update: Zarqawi's relatives are now calling him a martyr. Yeah, whatever! I hope he enjoys a prime place in hell as a slave to the devil himself. What's wrong with these people, really! Were they not the very same ones who declared that they disowned him following the terror attacks in Jordan last November.

Update 2: According to Aljazeera (Arabic), Al-Qaeda in Iraq has confirmed Zarqawi's death.

The use of the word 'observer'

The United Nations News agency IRIN ran a story today about the ongoing Hamas vs. Jordan issue. The thing that bugged me about the article was its choice of headline: Observers skeptical about Hamas plot in kingdom. The reason I'm peeved about this is not my subjective take on the issue but the fact that the writer/editor of this article chose the word "observers" for the headline when the article only quotes members of the Muslim brotherhood.

My humble experience as a journalist/writer taught me that "observer" is a label used for renowned writers, academics and scholars -- pundits. I do not really buy the labeling of members of an opposition group as "observers." Another thing worth highlighting is the article's quote from IAF member Zaki Abu Rsheid saying:

Neither I, nor anybody else in the kingdom, believe the government's story that Hamas planned attacks against targets in the kingdom, despite a televised confession by two men arrested in connection with the case, said Abu Rsheid.

Dear Mr. Abu Rsheid, please do not speak for all Jordanians ... or at least do not speak for me. Okay, enough about Hamas for now. I hope I don't have to discuss this topic again, as whenever I do the discussions on this blog get heated, bordering at times on the offensive. If you choose to leave a comment on this very subjective blog, please keep it civil. Thank you.

Kuwaiti public hanging: It's a mad, mad world!

While doing my usual daily surfing of the Arab blogoshpere this morning I came across this disturbing picture of public hangings occurring in Kuwait City as featured on the blog 2:48AM ~ The B Sides. [Click the picture to enlarge] Yes, you heard me right. Public hangings are occurring in this day and time!

Welcome to the Middle East ladies and gentleman. It's a place where you cannot kiss in public -- or show any public displays of affection -- but you'll definitely get an opportunity to see the sights and sounds of public executions! Yes, I'm frustrated!

Atwar Bahjat, rest in peace

I am really shocked by the horrifying news today of the murder of Alarabiya reporter Atwar Bahjat and her crew in Samarra, Iraq.

Two gunmen pulled up in a pickup truck, shooting in the air and shouting: "We want the correspondent," The Associated Press quoted Al-Arabiya as reporting. "Atwar was in the news van and shouted to the crowd to help her."

"The crew tried to speak to the gunmen, but they snatched them and took them [to] an unknown location. By this time, night had fallen," Reuters quoted Al-Arabiya's Baghdad correspondent Ahmed al-Saleh as telling viewers. Saleh said the bodies had been dumped near the town of Dawr near Samarra. All three were Iraqi citizens. Source: [CNN]

I met Atwar briefly last year in Doha, Qatar. I remember her as being so extremely friendly. I'm really just appalled by such a cold-blooded murder. May her soul rest in peace. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has issued a statement on the killings:

We are horrified by this appalling act. We will never stop repeating that journalists are neutral and vital observers. They are neither combatants nor targets to be shot down. Their work must be protected and respected, whatever their nationality and regardless of which media they work for.

... A total of 82 journalists and media assistants have been killed since the start of the war in Iraq. Seven of them have died since 1st January 2006, making this start of the year the most deadly in three years. Atwar Bahjat is the 7th woman journalist to be killed since the war in Iraq began.

The situation in Iraq seems to be getting worse by the day. When will all this mayhem come to an end once and for all!

'My nationality: a right for me and my family'

Probably one of the most inspiring campaigns I've seen in the Arab world lately is the Lebanese campaign "My nationality: a right for me and my family," which is geared towards pushing for the right of Lebanese women to pass citizenship on to their children. As is the case in a majority of Arab counties:

"According to Article 1 of the Lebanese Domestic Law, only the child born of a Lebanese father" is deemed Lebanese.

While Lebanon acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1997, it placed a reservation on the article that stipulates that "states parties shall grant women equal rights with respect to the nationality of their children." The reservation exempts the government from having to implement the article. Source: [IRIN]

I have discussed this topic on my blog a number of times, primarily because I am personally affected by this sexist law and I just can't get over it. Apparently, things in Lebanon are somewhat better than Jordan. In particular:

Since 2004, an administrative measure taken by the General Security body in the interior ministry, permits children born of Lebanese mothers and foreign fathers to obtain renewable residence permits every three years free of charge. Before this, such parents had to pay US $200 for a renewable, one-year residency permit for their children. Source: [IRIN]

This is not the case in Jordan. Even a residence permit for children with foreign fathers is not given automatically or free of charge. This campaign is appealing to the Lebanese government and parliament, asserting the full citizenship rights of Lebanese women and calling for the "amendment of the articles deemed discriminatory against women." The issue is controversial, as the primary reason behind this law is political!

"Politicians fear that if women are allowed to pass their nationality onto their husbands, many Palestinians will take advantage of this and start marrying Lebanese women en masse," said Ahmad Halimi of the Popular Aid for Relief and Development NGO that works with Palestinians in Lebanon. Source: [IRIN]

Kudos to the Lebanese for their efforts! Hopefully they will get what they want some day soon and then other Arab countries will follow suit.

Between a rock and a hard place

Once again Jordan finds itself between a rock and a hard place. It is an awkward position where Jordan is torn between fulfilling its commitment to international treaties and its role as a US ally. Here are the opposing arguments:

"Jordan's parliament should firmly reject this strong-arm attempt by the United States to exempt its own citizens from international law," said Richard Dicker, International Justice Director at Human Rights Watch. Amnesty International noted in a statement: "No one should enjoy impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes, regardless of their nationality."

And the current reality on the ground, as seen by Jordanian politicians:

Jordanian politicians, however, insisted that ratification of the accord was crucial to maintaining its current levels of US aid. US law requires the suspension of military and economic aid to states signatory to the ICC treaty if they refuse to ratify the exemptions. Last July, US President George W. Bush used his executive authority to grant Jordan a six-month grace period in order to give it time to ratify the agreement. In the same month, the US awarded US $333 million in aid to the Hashemite Kingdom for the coming year.

Source: [IRIN]

Which is more important in this case? US aid or respecting international agreements? Is safeguarding our economy more important than satisfying human rights organizations? Frankly, I'm glad I was not in a position where I had to make this decision, as the simple reality is: Doomed if you do. Doomed if you don't! Here are some reactions from the Jordanian blogosphere: Khalaf, and Ameen.

'No conspiracy theorists'

In its editorial condemning the assassination of Lebanese journalist Gibran Tueni, The Jordan Times came down hard on believers of conspiracy theories. Here is an excerpt:

The criminals who are orchestrating all these attacks are definitely doing Syria no favour. Still, this is no time for conspiracy theories. Only backward elements, sad dinosaurs entrenched behind a long-gone cold war mentality and naïve enough to think that anyone could believe them in this 21st century of ours, would point the finger at their usual suspects: The Zionist enemy, imperialist America, or both.

Thinking that serious allegations could be brushed off merely by resorting to decades-old rhetoric and propagandistic slogans is as ridiculous as irresponsible.

Indeed. I voiced similar sentiments in an earlier post published after the release of Melhis first report, saying then:

I wonder how believers in conspiracy theories in the Arab world (and there are loads of them) will spin this one? How will they find a way to pin the blame on the favorite Middle East culprits, the US or Israel? It will be interesting to watch. Never underestimate the creativity of analysts in the Middle East.

Unfortunately, I'm starting to believe that conspiracy theories will never die in this part of the world. They will always find a niche in the Middle East.

A few thoughts on 'Syriana'

I had been looking forward to watching Syriana since I'd read an article about it nearly three months ago. Back then, the movie seemed to have all the elements that would prompt me to eagerly await its release: Middle Eastern politics, the relationship between US and Arab leaders, and, of course, George Clooney (I hope the husband is not reading).

After we watched it last night, I came to the conclusion that while the movie is intriguing, with an engaging script, it could have been directed better as I found some parts of the film confusing and extremely hard to follow. The film revolves around oil and the world of corruption that surrounds it, sending one central message: Oil affects us all. However, I could not fully understand the behind-the-scenes politics of the oil industry in the US. Maybe it was just me, but for some reason I could not connect the dots on a number of occasions.

A number of my friends expressed concern that the movie might be condescending to Arabs, but after watching it I felt that despite some Arab clichés, the flick was more critical of the US pursuit of oil than anything else. Actually, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee thought the movie was acceptable and highly recommended it. Here is an excerpt from their press release.

The overriding plot does not vilify the Arab world, its people, religions, or cultures, but rather creates a world in which evil feeds off of itself, much to the detriment of Arab and American societies. Money determines everything, and individuals, including oil company executives, Arab princes and covert CIA operatives, are expendable.

Syriana is an entertaining, if not always completely lucid, thriller, representing many of the anxieties in post-9/11 America. It represents a commendable effort to deal seriously with numerous troubling aspects of the relationship between US and Arab societies, and as such is highly recommended by ADC.

The use of the Arabic language in the film was an issue for me, as it wasn't consistent, proving a bit annoying at times. The Arab-speaking characters in the movie spoke both classical and colloquial dialects, which I thought undermined the authenticity of some situations. Also, Alexander Siddiq, the actor playing the role of prince Nasir, spoke with an accented Arabic that really got to me. Was it really that difficult to find someone that spoke proper Arabic? Hearing George Clooney speak in my native tongue was really priceless, although I could not understand a word of what he was saying beyond 'Shukran' and so had to revert to subtitles.

All in all, despite its glitches, the movie is worth your time and money. It's insightful and touches upon a basic commodity that is currently making our world go round if not ruining it at times.

UPDATE: Here are some reactions from the blogosphere: Moorish girl, Black Iris, Raja, and Darren Barefoot.

The new cabinet and its promise of reform

The dominate topic in the Jordanian blogosphere as of late is the newly appointed Jordanian cabinet. It was discussed here, here, here and here. I really don't have that much to add to what my fellow bloggers have already said. But I do want to highlight the fact that, sadly enough, I'm losing interest in cabinet-related news. Since I left Jordan in October of 2003, three new cabinets have been appointed. That is three changes in two years, which means an average Jordanian cabinet life span is down to about eight months.

Since my exodus, the changes went as follows: First, Faysal Al Fayez's and his cabinet followed by Adnan Badran and now Ma'rouf Bakhit. When I first left, any minor cabinet change would grab my attention immediately, prompting me to religiously follow the story and all the developments. But three in two years is wearing me down. I'm starting to view cabinet reshuffles as more of the "same old, same old" in terms of Jordanian political development.

It does seem, however, that reform is the name of the game this time around as everyone is talking about it. The new government is promising real change while a major think-tank urges the kingdom to adopt quick reforms before it is all too late. Will it actually happen this time? Will the terrorist attacks of Jordan's 9/11 wake officials up to the urgent need for reform? Only time will tell, but frankly there is a jaded skeptic in me that is not that hopeful.

One change that is really notable is the reduction in the number of women in the current government to a lonely one. That's a disturbing drop from previous governments such as the days of Al-Fayez, when there was a record four female ministers. Why this drop? Is this part of the promised reforms? I wonder.

The Iraqi massacre and the Jordanian reaction

Over 60 Iraqis were butchered today. This horrible attack is the latest in a series of massacres committed by, you guessed it: the insurgents in Iraq. After reading this, the first thought that came to mind was how will Jordanians react to this now.

It is no secret that a number of Jordanians cheered the evil doings of the insurgents, seeing it as a form of "legitimate resistance." Now that Jordan has been hit by what seems to be Iraqi insurgents from Falluja, will Jordanians -- including the Jordanian media -- publicly denounce the doings of the "resistance" and support ongoing efforts to stabilize Iraq.

Will the Jordanian public and media now support the democratic steps taking place in Iraq, including elections? Do Jordanians realize now that stability in Iraq means stability at home? Let's wait and see.

The surviving Amman bomber confesses

I just watched the chilling confession of this low-life, bloodsucking terrorist whose efforts to butcher still more Jordanians failed. I really do not know what to say. Words escape me at this moment. I will just reiterate what His Majesty King Abduallah said on CNN last night: " ... these people are insane." Here is the link to Alarabiya's story (Arabic). Ms. Rousan, do you still think it was Mossad that did this (Arabic)? UPDATE: Here is CNN article about the Jordanian reaction to the confession.

Jordan and the US torture trail

The following paragraph caught my eye yesterday while reading this Washington post article:

Salah Ali and Muhammad Bashmilah, who were living in Indonesia, were arrested in August and October 2003, respectively; Ali in Jakarta and Bashmilah in Amman, Jordan. They were taken to a Jordanian prison and tortured -- badly beaten and chained in uncomfortable positions -- by Jordanian authorities before being transferred to U.S. custody, according to Amnesty International. Both men had traveled to Afghanistan in 2000 to learn about jihad, but neither man fought against the United States, according to FitzGerald.

Source: [Washington Post]

A number of Jordanian bloggers -- here, here, and here -- have discussed the issue of Jordan's alleged involvement in interogating and torturing terror suspects. I have to admit, this issue has been tormenting me for a while. As much as I loathe the evil doings of the bloodsucking terrorists, I believe the Geneva Conventions, which ban torture, should be upheld. It is a tough situation, I know, as many might argue that these particular suspects are not really prisoners of war. I have the same dilemma as Jameed but I'm leaning towards banning the use of torture all together.

Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian DJs get together

An Israeli club DJ who has helped make ethnic Arab music the hottest late-night trend in fashionable nightspots in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the 26-year-old Tel Avivian said to himself 'if Arab music has become so popular among Israelis, then bringing Arab DJs to Israel will be even better.'

So last week, Einhorn made history of sorts by bringing together Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli DJs under one roof in Jerusalem in the name of coexistence and a common love of fusing together traditional Arab music with club rhythms.

Bridge For Peace featuring Einhorn, Palestinian DJ Khalil from Ramallah, and Jordanian DJ Kalice from Amman, drew over 800 people to Jerusalem's bursting after-midnight dance club Haoman 17, where Israelis gyrated to the dizzying sounds of the ancient/modern music.

Source: [Israel 21C]

Why I am not surprised that this was not reported in the Jordanian press? I guess journalists shy away from covering these kinds of stories for fear of being labeled "normalizers." I believe these initiatives should be highlighted in the local and the international press as it shows that in spite of the bloody mayhem taking place in our region we can still co-exist peacefully and even create music.

Paying the price for their dictators' arrogance

In a strongly worded editorial the Washington Post is suggesting sanctions be imposed upon Syria.

The Security Council has a good precedent to follow here. When Western investigators linked the Libyan government to the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am airliner over Scotland, the United Nations applied sanctions to the regime of Moammar Gaddafi and kept them in place until his government accepted responsibility for the crime and surrendered two of its authors for trial. The United Nations should demand no less in this case. The Syrian sponsors of Mr. Hariri's murder must be identified and brought to justice; if that includes Mr. Assad and his relatives, so be it.

It is extremely frustrating and quite ironic that in the Arab world it is mostly the helpless citizens who pay the price for the actions of dictators and their cronies. The Iraqis paid the price for Saddam's arrogance, enduring years of sanctions. Now it seems the Syrians will be next.

It is the weekend here and I can't seem to relax. The repercussions of the Mehlis report could engulf the whole Middle East. If unrest starts in Syria, it might start a domino effect through neighboring countries. I'm worried. Anyway, I leave you with some more reactions from Syrian bloggers:

• Damascene blog is worried and confused
• Sinan from MFLS says it is time to make a difference

Will they be able to spin this one?

So the truth regarding the assassination of Rafiq Al-Harriri is finally out. The Melhis report boldly points a finger at top Syrian intelligence officials. Surprise, surprise!