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AMMAN — The Rohingya Relief Campaign on Monday distributed the second batch of aid under the campaign implemented by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) and professional associations to help Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar to Bangladesh. The aid, part of the first phase of the campaign, included blankets, mats and coats, while the first batch included food items, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Jordanian delegation arrived in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh on the borders with Myanmar on Saturday and is scheduled to finish distributing aid today.

The campaign opened a bank account at the Jordan Islamic Bank (No. 49992) to collect donations, in addition to receiving assistance at the JHCO headquarters, the Professional Association Complex and its branches in governorates.

AMMAN — The Palestinian-Jordanian Business Forum has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the chambers union of commerce, industry and agriculture to reinforce economic cooperation and promote investment opportunities between the two countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Monday.

The memo was signed by the Jordanian-Palestinian Business Forum Chairman Talal Al Bau and President of the Palestinian Union of Commercial, Industrial and Agricultural Chambers Khalil Rizeq, on the sidelines of the third Silk Road Conference attended by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah. Both parties agreed to give investment in Jerusalem bigger attention to give Palestinians economic means to face plans of settlers.

The MoU covered means to enhance cooperation between the Palestinian and Jordanian private sectors and exchange information on the economic sectors in both countries. It also included cooperation in the organisation of conferences, seminars, trade and industrial exhibitions, and plans for the formation of a technical follow-up committee to monitor and evaluate joint projects and activities.

AMMAN — The Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) in partnership with Oxfam GB, on Monday held a concluding event for the second phase of the Women’s Access to Justice (WAJ) project, funded by the ministry of foreign affairs of Finland. 

The second phase of the project aimed at reducing the vulnerability and suffering of disadvantaged women among refugee and host communities, ARDD said in a statement e-mailed to the Jordan Times on Monday.

Two panel discussions on the status of women’s access to justice from the perspectives of civil society and the justice sector were held during the event, which attracted representatives from the government and judiciary system, along with representatives from local and international organisations, stakeholders and the media.

The first panel, titled “Civil Society: A Way Forward for a Supportive System for Women’s Access to Justice” discussed the state’s efforts in women’s and human rights issues and the costs and socioeconomic challenges associated with seeking justice. 

Jordanian government coordinator for human rights, Basel Tarawneh, member of Jordanian Parliament, Wafaa Bani Mustafa, consultant for ARDD’s WAJ II project, Nuha Muhreiz and journalist Rana Al Husseini were the panel speakers.

The second panel, dubbed “Justice Sector: Facilitating a Supportive Environment for Women’s Access to Justice”, focused on the root causes that prevent an enabling environment within the court system, gender sensitivity in policy making, the effect of court procedures and their costs on women, and the juristic perspective on Jordanian personal status legislation. 

The consultant of the Jordanian Supreme Judge Ashraf Al-Omari, Senator Fedaa Al Hmoud, President of the Centre for Women’s Studies Abeer Al Dababneh and SIGI Jordan lawyer, Enaam Asha led the discussion on these topics. 

WAJ II has been implementing a holistic approach combining legal, psychosocial, and financial empowerment, in addition to capacity building and community engagement, to facilitate legal system access and just outcomes for beneficiaries in Amman and Zarqa Governorates, the statement said.

It built upon WAJ I (2011-2014) by continuing to provide women in the MENA region with the tools to reduce vulnerability and suffering by securing just outcomes and verdicts. Phase II expanded on prior programmes in Jordan and Lebanon and introduced new programming in Egypt and Yemen, to create change at the individual, community, regional and national levels. 

AMMAN — The United Nations Population Fund Jordan (UNFPA), Seventh Circles and cartoonist Omar Al Abdallat have launched a global online cartoon competition, calling participants to submit original cartoons expressing the negative effects of child marriage and domestic violence.

As part of the 16 Days of Activism 2017, the competition was held from October 20 to November 20 on the Working Dreamers website, inviting people over 18 years old of all nationalities to join. 

“Showing an issue in one image is quite powerful, especially in today’s world, when people have a very short time to look into details. At a time when we have tweets, everything is very short and messages are very quick. So, to have one image portraying these concepts was an interesting way to do it,” Leana Islam, emergency youth officer at UNFPA told the Jordan Times at her office.

Two winners will be awarded a $500 prize each: one by the online voters and the other by a jury afterwards, according to Islam.

Child marriage and domestic violence are the most common types of violence, said Fatma Khan, the Gender Based Violence officer at UNFPA, who noted that “from our data, the most common types of violence that we come across are domestic violence perpetrated by the husband, and, among Syrian refugees, child marriage”.

She said that violence against women is highly underreported. “Even if we have some numbers, they are not very reliable,” Khan explained.

Khan said that “A Study On Child Marriage in Jordan 2017” conducted by the Higher Population Council of Jordan, showed a clear rise in the number of marriages of girls below 18 during 2010-2015 with an average number rising from 13.7 per cent in 2010 to 18.1  per cent  in 2015. 

Regarding domestic violence, the Demographic Health Survey 2012 indicated that 21 per cent of women married at least once in their lifetime  report experiencing physical violence from their current or most recent husband, while 9 per cent report sexual violence, and 25 per cent report emotional violence. 

The cartoon titled “Underage” by Ala Rustom is currently holding the leading position in the online voting contest, followed by the cartoon “Underage marriage” by Rashad Samie and “Victim of the ring!!” by Ayman Wasabi.

The jury consists of Laila Baker, UNFPA representative who has worked with a number of international agencies supporting sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes globally, Leana Islam, Mary Nazzal-Batayneh, named as one of Forbes’ Most Powerful Arab women for several consecutive years and Bryn Boyce, deputy director of programmes at the International Rescue Committee.

AMMAN — A mission of Jordanian archaeologists this week will start excavations on Al Bassah Cave in Iraq Al Amir to unveil whether the site was the cave where Jesus Christ and his followers rested as they passed through Jordan, according to a senior government official.

Located three kilometres from Wadi Al Sir in west Amman, the cave is carved out of rocks, while its arch-like gate is topped with engravings of crosses inside a large triangle, according to the Department of Antiquities  (DoA) Director General, Munther Jamhawi.

The mission of Jordanian archaeologists, which will be led by Jamhawi, will build on studies and excavations carried out by the DoA in 1974, when a mosaic floor was discovered in the cave as well as architectural planning resembling basilica churches, which were common during the 5th and 6th centuries.

The mission also discovered golden and silver coins that date back to the Umayyad era, Jamhawi said, noting that the mission then suspended its work inside the cave because of safety concerns about a possible collapse of the roof of the cave.

In 1996, another mission by the DoA also discovered ruins of a small church with colourful mosaic floors dating back to the 5th or 6th century in front of the cave.

“This theory of a well-known Jordanian archaeologist suggesting that Jesus Christ and his followers used the cave to rest and have dinner is not yet confirmed…, the mission seeks to dig deeper into the history of the cave to confirm or deny whether it is the cave of Jesus Christ,” Jamhawi told reporters during a press conference.

“The DoA is now in the process of appropriating the lands of Al Bassah Cave and Al Bassah Church,” he highlighted.

In addition to unveiling the history of the archaeological site, the mission will also carry out major maintenance to the roof of the cave, stone facades, inner pillars and mosaic floors, according to the government official, who added that the 3D laser scanning of the cave will also be used for documentation purposes.

The excavations and preservation of Al Bassah Cave and Al Bassah Church are all part of a mega-project that targets the archaeological sites of Iraq Al Amir, which also hosts Qasr Al Abd or Al Abd Palace, Al Mullaqa Cave and another 15 archaeological caves that tell different historial stories, Jamhawi said.

“The project is being implemented in strong partnership with the Greater Amman Municipality, which will also assists the DoA in the funding and conservation works of the excavations as well as setting up an advanced safety and protection system for Iraq Al Amir’s archaeological sites,” he said.

Located 15 kilometres from Wadi Al Sir in west Amman, Qasr Al Abd is a two-story castle that features several chambers. Its construction continued between 175 and 187 BC, according to Jamhawi, who said that it was never really completed.

“Qasr Al Abd is one of the very rare and limited structures in Jordan that dates back to the Hellenistic period. The massiveness of the blocks that make up the palace is what characterises and makes it so unique,” he said, stressing that one block of the structure can weigh up to ten tonnes.

Lions, eagles and several other wild creatures decorate the facades of the castle, according to Jamhawi, who said that a JD45,000 tender will be floated to carry out rehabilitation and renovation of the site.

“The overall goal of the project is to put Iraq Al Amir on the tourist map of Jordan. The area has a very rich history and is surrounded by beautiful natural elements, it has everything to qualify as a major tourist destination,” he underlined.

The project targeting Iraq Al Amir’s archaeological sites is scheduled to be completed by 2018, according to Jamhawi.

AMMAN — UNICEF Jordan on Monday celebrated World Children’s Day in Amman, in partnership with the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) as a commemoration of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by the UN General Assembly on November 20, 1989. 

Hundreds of children from schools and Makani centres attended the event, along with several government officials, members of civil society, diplomatic corps, private sector representatives and the media. 

Seventeen influential personalities in Jordan took part in a “take over” event, where young girls and boys played the roles of officials to speak up on what they would do for children if they were to take over their office for a day. 

“I would like to start a ministry for childhood to respond to the needs of children in Jordan,” said 16- year-old Inoor Alawneh who “took over” the role of Prime Minister Hani Mulki.

UNICEF distributed the first Arabic simplified version of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to the attendees, with the aim of further enhancing awareness among children and caregivers. 

A comprehensive handbook for adults including the official CRC document and the Sustainable Development Goals in Arabic was also disseminated at the event. 

“We are here today to commemorate the day when governments got together in a room like this one to make sure that every child, regardless of his/her nationality, gender or religion, has the right to have an education, healthcare and participation in the national life,” said UNICEF representative Robert Jenkins at the event. 

“UNICEF would like to thank the Government of Jordan, including the NCFA, ministries and the civil society for their continued commitment and efforts towards children; and the support from our donors,” Jenkins continued, expressing his “happiness over organisations and people from all walks of life coming together with and for children”. 

“Therefore, while we celebrate these achievements with and for children, let us also make a commitment to strive stronger together towards ending violence, achieving universal kindergarten and inclusive quality education, providing adolescents with the right kind of skills, and empowering the most disadvantaged girls and boys in Jordan to access these services,” he added.

For his part, NCFA Secretary General Fadel Al Hmoud stressed that “while Jordan has achieved a lot for its children, efforts must continue, especially through stronger collaboration with all sectors,” adding that “the NCFA, chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania, is deeply committed in its mandate for children and their protection through partnerships with the different governmental and non-governmental institutions, UNICEF and donors”.

Social Development Minister Hala Lattouf was also present at the event, where she thanked “UNICEF, the NFCA and every single person who contributed to the creation of the child-friendly Arabic version of the CRC”.

“As the Ministry of Social Development, it is our responsibility to provide every child with all the services they need, and, although we have made progress, we have a lot of work ahead,” the minister continued, noting that “we cannot keep on treating children the traditional way, and we shall listen to them and change the ways in which we work.”

The ceremony wrapped up with a performance by a choir comprised of children and Jordanian pop stars, who sang a song about children›s rights that said: “If you can’t see hope tomorrow, listen to my voice; I am a child, look at me, I am your hope, your peace. Take my hand in yours and comfort me.

AMMAN — In 1189, after the victorious siege which started in 1187 and the crusaders’ fall of Hatting, Saladin came into possession of the castles of Shawbak and Karak, where the largest settlement and administrative centre of Latin Transjordan was located, said Lorenzo Fragai, an Italian scholar in mediaeval archaeology.

“The Ayyubid dynasty invested considerable economic and political resources in both sites, turning them into the main governmental centres of Ayyubid Jordan, and constructing new fortresses such as Ajlun,” Fragai told The Jordan Times in an e-mail interview.

According to Fragai, the location of the main Ayyubid palatine complexes in the region in Shawbak and Karak, in addition to that of Ajlun, is in direct continuity with the political and administrative systems developed by the first half of 12th century by the lords of Latin Transjordan. 

Reception halls can be considered as the most important architectural and ideological spaces in Mediterranean palace complexes of many historical periods, he noted. 

As a powerful expression of governance, the Ayyubid reception halls (qaa) provided seats of authority for the sultans, administration, military command and control over economic resources, he emphasised, adding that they reflect simultaneously functional requirements and elements of palatine protocol, in addition to being a cultural hallmark of the Muslim Levant from the 12th to the 13th centuries.

“While the written sources for the Umayyad, Abbasid and Fatimid palatine protocols are rather exhaustive, the sources for the Ayyubid period are very scarce; therefore, the archaeological evidences and architectural surveys become very important,” Fragai underlined.

The cases of Shawbak and Karak suggest interesting observations about the development of palatine protocol and ceremonial in the Ayyubid period, said the archaeologist, who is a member of the Italian archaeological mission in Jordan called “Mediaeval Petra”.

In 2016, the mission,  which is run in cooperation with the Department of Antiquity, celebrated its 30th anniversary since its establishment in Jordan by Professor Guido Vannini from the University of Florence.

“After the death of Saladin in 1193, his brother Adil I dominated the Ayyubid scene, both through political and military means, as well as [ideologically] through expensive building programmes centered on palatine architecture,” the scholar continued.

Fragai said it is necessary to highlight the strong iconographic similarity between Ayyubid reception halls and palatine Abbasid architectures in Samarra in the 9th century, adding “In fact, all major components found within the Ayyubid reception halls — four-iwans plans, tripartite elevation, ornaments, portals and muqarnas — repeat well-establish formal types of Early Islamic palaces,” he stated. 

“As Yasser Tabbaa [an expert in Islamic art and Islamic architecture] observed in his work on Ayyubid Aleppo published in 1997, a clear difference between Early Islamic buildings and the Ayyubid ones can be found in the dimensions.

“However, this aspect seems to allude to the willing conjuring, by the Ayyubid, of a golden age which they clearly didn’t want to ignore,” the Italian researcher underlined.

“At the moment, I am conducting some investigation based on the stratigraphic analyses of Ayyubid/Mamluk reception halls in Karak castle,” he said, noting that he will keep working with the Italian archaeological mission of Florence over the next few months.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday received Tanzanian Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff  Lt. Gen. James Mwakibolwa at Al Husseiniyah Palace, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The meeting, which was attended by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat, went over the areas of military cooperation between Jordan and Tanzania and the regional and international efforts in the war against terrorism.

AMMAN — Government Coordinator for Human Rights Basel Tarawneh on Monday said that the number of civil society institutions operating in Jordan reached 5,700, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Tarawneh said that the number indicates the openness and seriousness of the Kingdom in building qualitative partnerships with institutions representing the civil society, which is a strategic partner in sustaining social development processes. 

AMMAN — Jordan on Sunday took part in the 77th Conference of the Council of the Education Affairs for Palestinians held at the Arab League, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Nidal Haddad, head of the Jordanian delegation, stressed the Kingdom’s keenness on supporting the educational sector in the “Arab occupied lands” and sharing expertise with the Palestinian education stakeholders.

He called for the continuation of UNRWA’s educational reforms and addressing the issue of the double-shift system at schools.