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AMMAN — A walking aid is what inspired Lina Abu Samha to write a book about her daughter Miryana Jaroun, a child with cerebral palsy (CP), with the hopes of raising funds for a surgery that would enable her to walk independently.

“Let’s fly home” portrays Miryana, a child with CP, as the bright sibling of two brothers, Jaafar and Mustafa, as she helps them to get home on time by flying with balloons tied to her walker, Abu Samha told The Jordan Times over the phone on Sunday.

The story aims to change the societal perception towards children with disabilities and assist them in integrating into society, especially among their peers at school, Miryana’s mother said.

“Story telling is one of the few activities that my three kids can enjoy together. However, I hardly ever found a character that resembles my daughter in any story. I want to make children like my daughter more common for other children through such a story,” she explained. 

Nisreen Oteibi, the president of the Cerebral Palsy Jordan Society (CPS) said that CP patients often struggle with rejection and lack of support that hinder their integration into society.

“Support and acceptance from a friendly society can ensure a better integration of CP patients,” Otaibi said. 

The ratio of CP patients in Jordan was 0.4 per cent in 2016 and has not shown decline over the years, the CPS president said.

Raising funds for the surgery

Miryana has been suffering from chronic neuromuscular spasticity — manifested as an especially high and constant stiffness in the muscles of the lower body — that requires spinal cord surgery, also known as Selective Dorsal Rhizotory.

However, that medical practice is not available in Jordan, according to doctor Saad Abdullah, consultant of neurosurgery and spine surgery.

“In such conditions, continuous physical and occupational therapy can prevent contractures and reduce the severity of symptoms but will never allow her to walk,” he told The Jordan Times.

Miryana’s family contacted St Louis Children Hospital in the US, whose report confirmed that “she was an excellent candidate” for the surgery after reviewing her medical history. 

In a report sent to the family, Surgeon T.S Park said he expected “Miryana to be able to walk independently in all environments” if she underwent the surgery.

“Imagining my daughter able to walk freely motivates me to continue raising awareness and never stop until this dream comes true,” the mother added. 

Abu Samha has been collecting donations for her daughter’s surgery which is expected to take place in April 2018, in addition to the aftermath therapy, which will amount to an overall cost of $100,000.

Through the sales of over 4,000 book copies since September, as well as online fund raising, she said she has managed to raise $ 33,000 so far.

The family of Miryana is accepting donations at
www.gofundme.com/SDRmiryana.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Sunday announced that all ministries, government departments and public institutions will observe a holiday marking Prophet Mohammad’s birthday on Thursday, November 30, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Prophet Mohammad was born on the 12th day of Rabi I in the Islamic calendar.

Mulki stressed in an official statement released on Sunday that all official institutions should contribute in highlighting the "noble" occasion.

AMMAN — Jordan is distinguished by its moderate policy towards various regional challenges, Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani said on Sunday.

Speaking during a lecture at the Royal College of Jordanian Command and Staff titled "Jordan's media strategy", Momani, who is also the government spokesperson, said that the "Hashemite leadership's wisdom and solidarity in the face of challenges, the professionalism of our military and security institutions as well as the awareness of our citizens, are the real asset of Jordan".

He stressed that Jordan's Media Strategy aims to create a platform to support the Kingdom's "independent and enlightened" media, based on the principles of freedom and responsibility.  

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Sunday stressed the importance of joint Arab action to safeguard Arab national, economic, political and social security, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The remarks came during his participation in the ministerial emergency meeting of the Arab League that was held at the request of Saudi Arabia to discuss Iranian interference in internal affairs of Arab countries.

Safadi stressed Jordan's keenness, as the president of the current Arab summit, on cooperating with the league’s general secretariat to host or launch a pan-Arab dialogue to reach an understanding of threats facing the Arab nation's security.

The minister urged the league members to work together to achieve common goals, including the realisation of the rights of the Palestinian people to be free of occupation, helping Iraq in its anti-terror fight and the Syrian, Yemeni and Libyan peoples in restoring stability and security to their countries.

"Threatening the security of any given Arab state is a threat to all Arabs," said the minister, stressing Jordan's concern over the security of the kingdoms of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

The top diplomat condemned a recent ballistic missile attack targeting Saudi Arabia, describing it as "heinous", in addition to the terrorist blast that targeted an oil pipeline in Bahrain. He considered the two acts as  threats to the pan-Arab security.

He added that the region does not need more crises, stressing that Arabs seek peace rather than conflicts.

“We want regional relations to be based on cooperation, respect and no interference in the internal affairs of states, in accordance with international laws and conventions”, said Safadi.

“This is the message that the Arab summits have sent to Iran and other countries, and today’s message is that we want relations of respect rather than tension resulting from interference in the Arab affairs, expansionist policy, and pursuit of power and domination,” said the minister.

Reuters reported that participants in the emergency meeting in Cairo warned they would not stand by in the face of Iranian interference in Arab affairs.

Regional tensions have risen in recent weeks between Saudi Arabia and Iran over Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al Hariri’s surprise resignation, and an escalation in Yemen’s conflict.

Saudi Arabia also accuses Hizbollah of a role in the launch of the missile towards Riyadh from Yemen this month. Iran denies accusations that it supplies Houthi forces there, the agency said. 

“The kingdom will not stand by and will not hesitate to defend its security,” Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir told the assembly.

“Any leniency in dealing with their policies would only encourage them more, so we must stand together,” Jubeir said, referring to Iran and its regional policies.

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told ministers that Arab nations would raise the matter with international organisations, including the UN Security Council. But the assembly gave no details on what measures they would take. 

“Iranian threats have gone beyond all limits and pushed the region into a dangerous abyss,” Aboul Gheit said.

AMMAN — The Awqaf Ministry on Sunday launched the 37th international scientific conference to outline the content of the Amman Message, which saw the participation of 40 imams and preachers from 15 countries.

Awqaf Minister Wael Arabiat said that the Amman Message is inspired by the tolerant values of Islam that respect humanity and civilisation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Arabiat said that the message is not restricted to Arabs or Muslims, and that it addresses the entire humanity by encompassing all human values.

Deputy mufti of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army Ibrahim Abu Iqab said that the message, part of  His Majesty King Abdullah's vision, focuses on the values of Islam which rejects extremism and calls for moderation and the acceptance of others.

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Sunday endorsed the draft state budget law for 2018, with a foreseen increase in the domestic revenues to cover 98.9 per cent compared with 92.5 in 2017.

According to the draft, the domestic revenues are estimated at JD8.496 billion, of which JD7.796 billion comes from domestic sources and JD700 million from  foreign grants, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

The budget planners also see a slight expansion of 3.2 per cent in spending and an estimated deficit of JD688 million. In figures, public spending for next year is estimated to reach JD9.039 billion, up by JD572 million over public expenditure reestimated for 2017, including JD7.886 billion as current spending and JD1.153 as capital expenditures.

The latter covers several capital projects in partnership with the private sector.

The increase in current spending, which accounted for 6 per cent, is a result of settling dues of previous years and the routine annual increase in the salaries of public employees and the public debt service.  
The deficit before foreign financial assistance is expected to stand at JD1.243 billion, accounting for 1.8 per cent of GDP and shrinking to JD543 million with the grants.
The general budget is built to enhance the social security network by increasing social aid from JD702.4 million last year to JD788.8 million in 2018.

The law comes in line with the national programme for financial and structural reform and the implementation of the decentralisation programme through preparing capital budgets for governorates.

The Cabinet also endorsed the draft budget laws of governmental units, Petra said.
Revenues of these agencies are estimated to reach JD1.372 billion, while their spending is expected to be around JD1.187 billion, achieving a rare surplus when the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) and the Water Authority of Jordan’s debts are excluded. The two utility companies’ revenues are estimated to stand at JD292 million, while their spending will be JD626 million with a deficit of JD334 million, compared with JD258 million in 2017, according to the report. 

The total deficit of the general budget and the governmental units’ budgets is estimated to stand at JD831 million or 2.8 per cent of the GDP, compared with JD1.035 billion or 3.6 per cent of the GDP last year.

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Sunday stressed Jordan's keenness to support the Palestinian cause, noting that the Hashemite custodianship is the legitimate guardian of Jerusalem's holy shrines, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During a meeting with British Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden, Tarawneh noted that Jerusalem has been witnessing waves of illegal settlements, and the frequent Israeli violations against Palestinian land, people and holy sites will fuel extremism and terrorism.

Tarawneh also pointed out the fundamental steps taken by the Lower House to have an effective role in global and regional parliamentary organisations.

For his part, Oakden said that the UK is keen on developing bilateral relations with Jordan, emphasising on the importance of global assistance to Jordan. He also stressed the importance of investing in Jordan, and the role of the private sector in encouraging it. 

AMMAN — Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi on Sunday discussed over the phone regional developments with US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Safadi and Tillerson went over bilateral ties and cooperation between Jordan and the US. 

They discussed progress in establishing de-escalation zones in the south of Syria through the tripartite talks of Jordan, the US and Russia, in addition to the humanitarian situation in Syria. 

The officials stressed their countries’ support for the upcoming Geneva talks organised by the UN to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

The conversation also addressed a number of regional issues, including the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, the war on terrorism, and developments in Lebanon, where they stressed the importance of preserving its security and independence. 

AMMAN — Young people from across the globe on Saturday gathered at the UN headquarters in New York for a two-day validation consultation aimed at presenting key findings and recommendations from the Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) conducted throughout 2017.

Organised as the final stage of a series of discussions that started in December 2016, the event seeks to reflect on the seven regional consultations held with selected youth in the Arab world, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, East and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa and Europe.

"This grassroots consultation is essential in challenging the current narrative of youth being the problem or the danger in the heated parts of the world," said Barik Mhadeen, the Jordanian representative of the Arab regional study group.

A prominent peacemaking activist, the 24-year-old took part in the Arab world regional consultation held in December 2016. "This is a historic move and it is especially relevant for us: the youth in the Arab world,” he told The Jordan Times ahead of the conference, adding: “Because our region has been through so much conflict and instability, youth involvement in peacemaking is really an area that should be on top of the national agendas. Unfortunately, we haven’t yet seen that happen as it should have."

With around 30 per cent — 105 million people — of the Arab population being between 15 and 29 years of age, according to the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Arab Human Development Report 2016, the issue of youth contribution to peacemaking has become crucial.

Mhadeen, who was born in Karak in southern Jordan, voiced his pride to see Jordan take a leading role in the Progress Study, “in line with the vision of HRH Crown Prince Hussein”. 

“We have been deeply involved in this process, starting from the Amman Youth Declaration formulated at the Global Youth Forum held in Jordan in 2015,” he said, noting that the declaration “completely feeds into the UN Resolution on YPS”.

Adopted in December 2015, the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on YPS mandated the secretary general “to carry out a progress study on the youth’s positive contribution to peace processes and conflict resolution, in order to recommend effective responses at local, national, regional and international levels”, according to the UN website.

The resolution seeks to tackle the issue of youth participation in policymaking at a time when the vast majority of young people are being excluded from — or on the margins of — policymaking, a phenomenon further heightened in areas of conflict, where young men are predominantly perceived as primary perpetrators of violence while young women are seen as passive victims, a statement by Youth4Peace said.

A multi-stakeholder partnership between the UNDP, the UN Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), Search for Common Ground (SfCG) and the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY), Youth4Peace seeks to be the platform promoting and supporting the implementation of the UN Resolution 2250, according to its website.

“Because we are youth ourselves, who went through some of the same experiences and faced similar challenges, it is much easier for the young public to relate. They trust us because, for once, they feel like their voice is being heard,” the young Jordanian said, commending the grassroots horizontal approach adopted by the resolution.

Along with the seven regional consultations, over 120 focus group discussions have been conducted with “hard-to-reach youth” in 12 countries, in addition to a global survey and youth mapping.

The two-day UN Validation Consultation event is “an opportunity to improve and confirm the key messages and recommendations of the progress study from young people’s perspective,” the organisers’ statement said, noting that the open discussions combining diverse regional perspectives will help in better understanding the realities and priorities of young people.

A series of key messages and recommendations agreed upon by youth participants will be drafted as an outcome of the consultation, to help produce an operational and strategic report proposing a forward-looking agenda for the international community. 

“I can see a lot of change happening in the next 5 to 10 years, especially in the MENA region. It is clear that we are now at a shifting point, and I really have at heart to build a future on a positive dynamic alongside all those youth,” Mhadeen concluded.

AMMAN (JT) — HRH Princess Muna on Saturday honoured mothers and partners of the Families and Friends Society of Persons with Disabilities (FFSPD), the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The annual charity event, attended by Social Development Minister Hala Lattouf, included an exhibition of the society and its members’ products.

Reema Zuraiqat, the FFSPD's founder, expressed appreciation of the Princess' care and support for the society's humanitarian and development endeavours to support people with disabilities.

For her part, Riham Zuraiqat, the society's deputy president, noted that the FFSPD is planning to open a physiotherapy centre.

FFSPD was established in 1994 to serve people with disabilities and help them integrate into the society.