Jordan Poll: Don’t Protest Unless Overthrowing Government
NASEEM TARAWNAH: Even after a year of demonstrations, the overwhelming majority still believe they cannot criticize the government openly.
Jordan: Another Disappearing Tradition
NASEEEM TARAWNAH: The river has been sucked dry over the decades to nothing more than a trickle of murky water.
“Expansion of the Status Quo”: Last Year in Jordan
NASEEM TARAWNAH: If you had to sum up the last 12 months events in Jordan it would be ‘running round in circles’. And in a single word – ‘corruption’.
“The King & Public Lands”: Taboo Issue in Jordan
NASEEM TARAWNAH: The way Jordan’s authorities have handled issues of public lands illustrates their meaning of the word ‘transparency’.
‘Chess Master of the Middle East’: How Would He Have Dealt with the New Arab World?
NASEEM TARAWNAH: Hussein was a politician of consummate skill; it’s a question I can’t help asking on the day he would have turned 76.
Royal Criticism: Crossing the ‘Red Line’ in Jordan
NASEEM TARAWNAH: It was until recently thought to be inconceivable to criticise King Abdullah in public. Recent events have shown that, in this remarkable year, another taboo has fallen.
The Impossible Job: Can Jordan’s New PM Awn Khasawneh Make a Difference?
NASEEM TARAWNAH: So, enter Khasawneh. Compared to Bakhit, he’s an out-of-the-box choice. What probably stands out most is his legal background.
Jordan’s Municipal Mess Leads to Protest
NASEEM TARAWNAH: The timing is wrong, the process is wrong and the failure of the authorities to acknowledge the tribal nature of all politics in Jordan has inevitably led to protest.
Dual Citizenship in Jordan: Not Acceptable
NASEEM TARAWNAH: So now those of us with dual citizenship will be required to give up our non-Jordanian passports if we wish to serve in government. Not a good sign.
Film Review: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
NASEEM TARAWNAH: While those of us in the Middle East may not necessarily face the exact same problems with advertising, we are facing very similar issues.
Pop Patriotism: The Picture that Tells a Story
NASEEM TARAWNAH: There’s a certain inevitability about how ‘pop patriotism’ is played out in Jordan. It was clearly on show during yesterday’s international football game in Amman.
Jordan: Where Wounds Get Deeper and Deeper
NASEEM TARAWNAH: The recent protests in Jordan appear to have attracted attention only because of the number of journalists who were attacked. It offers, however, more evidence of a deeply divided nation.
‘At least we’re not…’ Jordanians Compare Poorly
NASEEM TARAWNAH: We Jordanians have a problem. We’re always comparing ourselves to others but using the worst of the region as our benchmark.
‘Casinogate’: An Unwelcome Distraction
NASEEM TARAWNAH: On and on it goes with no end in sight. Some are calling it a ‘test of democracy’. Really? There are a lot more pressing issues facing the Jordanian people.
The Muslim Brotherhood & Democratic Reform
NASEEM TARAWNAH: There seems to be a desire to ‘craft’ an acceptable democratic transition in Jordan. The lesson of history is that democratic transition tends to be a little ‘messy’.
‘Royal Vision’: Deja Vu Meet Groundhog Day
NASEEM TARAWNAH: There was mention of ‘an elected government’ but apart from this vague aspiration the speech by King Abdullah stuck to familiar themes.
Dumb, and Dangerous: “Jordan Equals Palestine”
NASEEM TARAWNAH: 6,000 idiots from 69 countries around the world have signed a petition calling Jordan the alternative homeland for Palestinians?
Living in My Jordanian ‘Bubble’: Lessons Learned
NASEEM TARAWNAH: So Jordan’s Independence Day has come and gone. It’s a good time perhaps to reflect on some of the lessons I’ve learned.