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AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday sent a cable of condolences to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, expressing his deepest sympathies over the death of Palestinian pilgrims in a road accident that took place on Wednesday night, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour sent a letter of condolences to Palestinian Premier Rami Hamdallah, also voicing his sympathies over the accident, according to Petra.  

At least 16 Palestinian pilgrims died and 34 others were injured on Wednesday night when their bus overturned near the Mudawara border crossing, said Walid Ruwad, director of Maan Public Hospital, adding that all the cases were transferred to hospitals in Amman and Aqaba.

The Public Security Department (PSD) said a technical committee formed to investigate the accident revealed that the reason behind the accident was changing lane abruptly that made the driver lose control of the vehicle, according to a PSD statement sent to The Jordan Times. 

The accident took place in Batn Al Ghoul, 75 kilometres southeast of the city of Maan on Wednesday night. 

The passengers were heading to Hijaz in Saudi Arabia to perform umra (the lesser Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca).   

Ruwad said the staff of Maan hospital dealt with several injuries ranging from severe to mild, adding that they started receiving cases as of 10pm. 

The death toll rose to 16 when two pilgrims succumbed to their injuries later in the day. 

“Several medics arrived from Karak, Tafileh and Amman to support their Maan colleagues,” Ruwad told The Jordan Times over the phone on Thursday. 

He said that Maan residents flocked to the hospital to donate blood (see separate story on page 3).

Ruwad added, the most severe cases were transported by a plane to the army-run King Hussein Medical Centre in Amman. 

The doctor said: “We decided it would be easier for their families to check on them in Amman and spare the relatives the trouble of travelling to Maan,” which lies 220km to the south of the capital. 

Palestinian Awqaf Minister Yousef Ideis, accompanied by the head of the Lower House’s Palestine Committee Deputy Yahya Saud, on Thursday checked on the injured being treated at the King Hussein Medical Centre, Petra reported.

Ideis thanked Jordan for providing the emergency and medical treatment to the injured and thanked the people of Maan who rushed to donate blood for the injured.

On Thursday night, nine Jordanians were injured in a road accident on the same Maan-Mudawara road.

Their vehicle, which had Saudi licence plate, overturned on the road, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported, quoting the Civil Defence Department.

The injured were taken to Maan Public Hospital, where they were listed in fair condition.

AMMAN —  After 19 days of protest, University of Jordan (UJ) students on Thursday decided to suspend their sit-in against the raise of tuition fees for the parallel and post-graduate programmes in response to a decision to gradually scrap the increase.

Alaa Hajjeh, one of the protesters, said the sit-in was suspended after UJ's board of trustees and the Higher Education Council met with students and decided to reduce the raise on the parallel programme tuition by 50 per cent this year, while the remaining percentage will be reduced over the next two years, with a 25 per cent drop each year.

Since the university decided to raise tuition fees some three years ago, students organised more than 30 protests to demand a total reversal of the decision.

Under the move, tuition fees for the parallel and post-graduate programmes went up by 100 to 180 per cent.

As for post-graduate programmes at UJ, the Higher Education Council has reached an initial agreement with protesters to reduce the raise on the fees by 50 per cent, Hajjeh told The Jordan Times.

The decision will be finalised on Monday, with students scheduled to meet with members of the board of trustees to discuss it further and reach a written agreement on the reduction of the raise, he added.

If an agreement does not materialise, students may resume their protest.

Since February 28, UJ students had been participating in an ongoing protest on campus, with UJ alumni and students from other universities joining it in a show of support.

Hajjeh said that before the implementation of the raise on tuition fees, one credit hour for a business major student, for example, used to cost around JD30 in the parallel programme. But the hike raised it to JD60.

After the decision to reduce the raise, the credit hour for business major students will now cost around JD45, he noted.

The parallel programme is allocated for students whose General Secondary Education Certificate Examination scores do not qualify them to study specific subjects at public universities through the regular programme.

Tuition fees for this programme are higher than regular programmes.

Students enrolled in the parallel and post-graduate programmes said the response from the university is an “initial start” to follow up on the demands of the protesters. 

The demonstrators on Thursday organised rallies from different faculties and departments on campus to announce the decision of the reversal of the hikes.

“This protest succeeded because we united from all backgrounds and parties to ask for our basic rights as students,” student Yaser Qarqash told The Jordan Times.

Students said the accusations that have been levelled at them since they started protesting were “proven wrong” and that “the younger generation in Jordan can achieve anything”.

University officials were not available to comment on the protest or the decision to lower the increase on the fees despite several attempts by The Jordan Times; however, in a statement released on Wednesday, the university said reducing the raise on tuition fees costs some JD10 million.  

AMMAN — Interreligious dialogue should surpass the intellectual discussion of similarities and differences, and focus instead on the dialogue of the heart to overcome difficulties, said Notker Wolf, the abbot primate of the Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict.

Delivering a lecture earlier this week, the author of 19 bestsellers talked about monastic interreligious experiences based on building strong friendships between the followers of different faiths. 

This method, he said, is the right way to achieve dialogue.

Wolf noted that in order to establish a friendship one must live the life of the other.

“In the summer of 1979, a large group of Japanese monks and nuns came to Europe for the first spiritual exchange between the East and West, where they stayed for almost two weeks in different Benedictine monasteries... Later some of [the] monastic priests lived in Zen monasteries, where we lived their life in full, worked, and read our sacred books together,” the abbot said.

Wolf added that such encounters create mutual respect and friendship. “It does not mean we become Buddhists or they become Christians,” he explained, observing that humanity needs to build on ethics to survive; otherwise, chaos will prevail. 

According to the representative of the worldwide Benedictine Order, followers of different religions should make the effort to come together, and “the rest is God’s work”.

The lecture was organised by the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, in cooperation with the Arab Thought Forum. 

“The world is growing and the time has come to surmount all kinds of cultural and religious clashes, and collaborate for a future peace, justice and respect, which means we need to learn to live together in harmony,” Wolf noted.

He said that equality and justice are key to harmonious living, and balance between faith and reason is equally important. “Without reason, we fall in the trap of fundamentalism; combining faith and reason — which is not easy — results in obtaining human dignity and freedom,” Wolf said.

“In our globalising world, we need a vision of unity in differences. The worlds of tomorrow will need a loving heart. Interreligious friendship will make it happen.”

TOKYO — Both Jordan and Egypt are moderate Muslim countries, and they have a role in spreading the “ideology” of moderate Islam for the people of Japan to know more about the religion to counter Daesh and similar terrorist groups, a Japanese official said recently.

“Both Japan’s government and the people of Japan are ready to support you in that regard,” said Kei Ando, deputy director of the Middle Eastern and African bureau at Tokyo’s foreign ministry.

At a meeting with Jordanian and Egyptian young leaders during a visit organised by Japan Foundation between March 5 and 15, Ando said Jordanian-Japanese ties are distinguished.

“When the Japanese journalist [Kenji Goto] was kidnapped and killed by Daesh, Jordan was very supportive for Japan,” Ando stressed.

“We are aware of the situation that Jordan is going through due to its geographic situation and being surrounded by [unrest-ridden] countries… Still, it is a stable country, and Japan is ready to support the Kingdom to remain stable as much as possible,” the Japanese diplomat noted.

Commenting on the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and Tokyo’s role in reviving talks, Ando said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Japan last month, and his country is considering ways to provide the opportunity to bring both sides, the Palestinians and Israelis, together.

“The peace process has been overshadowed due to other crises affecting the region, including the conflict in Syria and Daesh… [there has been] no news about the peace process recently,” he noted.

“The Japanese government [has been] and will always be supportive for peace building in Palestine,” Ando said, adding that since 1993, “we [have] provided $170 million in assistance to Palestine”.

He noted that the international community seems to be losing interest in the peace process. “Japan provides an opportunity for those who want to resume negotiations… but [there is] no plan for now”.

AMMAN — The Education Ministry has formed an ad hoc committee to ensure private education institutions abide by the regulations, an informed source said Thursday.

The panel will take legal measures against private schools found in violation of the regulations, the ministry's spokesperson, Walid Jallad, noted.

In a statement received by The Jordan Times on Thursday, the ministry said a number of private schools have so far rectified their situation and paid fines imposed on them for violating the regulations by enrolling more students than the specified capacity granted to them in their licences.

"This is a very positive step, and we call on all schools to follow suit," Jallad said.

The by-law approved by the Cabinet last December includes provisions related to the physical environment of private schools, the number of students and specifications of school yards.

Under the regulations, which went into effect this year, private schools are required to address any violations related to their buildings, including the need to vacate premises that are deemed residential and the necessity of having indoor yards.

Schools should also calculate the number of students they are allowed to accept based on their area in square metres, making sure that each student has an area of one square metre in classrooms and two square metres in the yard.

However, the Private School Owners Association claims that the by-law would result in closing down 75 per cent of private schools and kindergartens across the Kingdom, and the letting go of more than 100,000 students, 12,000 teachers and other staff.

In response to the accusations, the ministry decided last week to sue the association for publishing "misleading" facts.

The ministry accused the association of circulating "false" information on the number of schools that are expected to close down under the new regulations, saying that "many" school owners have underlined that they are not members of the association and that it does not represent them.

AMMAN — A specialised security force and Anti-Narcotics Department personnel have arrested eight suspected drug dealers after an exchange of gunfire, a Public Security Department (PSD) statement said Thursday.

Before the raid, AND received a tip-off that the eight suspects were in possession of “a large amount of narcotics and weapons” and that they are hiding in tents in an area south of Amman, where they allegedly sell drugs. 

When the force and AND personnel raided the location, the suspects opened heavy fire at them, prompting the task force to return fire, finally arresting all eight, one of whom was injured in the foot. 

After searching the place, the task force found 8.5 palm-sized sheets of hashish, nine bags full of Captagon, 16 bags full of synthetic cannabis (locally known as “joker”), in addition to automatic weapons, ammunition, surveillance cameras and communication devices, the statement said.

In the first half of February this year, AND agents arrested 226 suspected drug dealers in 129 cases, confiscating 39kg of hashish, 21kg of synthetic cannabis, 11,000 narcotic pills, 1kg of heroin and eight weapons, according to the PSD.

Last year, AND personnel arrested 14,000 drug users of different nationalities, AND Director Brig. Gen. Anwar Tarawneh said late last month.

Tarawneh noted that Jordan remains a corridor country — rather than a destination — for drug smuggling. 

AMMAN — Jordan is a major NATO ally with a significant role in undermining terrorism and sustaining stability in the region, said Paweł Soloch, head of the Polish National Security Bureau.

In an interview with The Jordan Times on Wednesday, during his visit to Jordan, Soloch said Poland, which will host the NATO summit this summer, is keen on strengthening Jordan’s cooperation with the organisation. 

Meanwhile, he cited “intensified” coordination between the Kingdom and Poland over the past few months, particularly in security and military cooperation.

The official said this cooperation has gained growing importance in light of regional crises — mainly the civil war in Syria — in addition to the influx of refugees, noting that bilateral cooperation is not exclusive to the military aspect.

Soloch reiterated the need to eliminate the reasons forcing people to flee their countries in order to start rebuilding them, such as in Syria, Iraq and Libya.

The second element, according to the official, is enhancing international solidarity to share the burden of countries hosting refugees. He noted that his country has committed to accepting some 7,000 Syrians from the migration waves to Europe that started last summer.

“But since Poland is not the richest state of the EU, we must admit that it is not the main target country for immigrants,” he said, noting that the majority of immigrants who entered Poland left for Germany, Sweden and other Scandinavian countries.  

On behalf of Polish President Andrzej Duda, Soloch on Tuesday presented the first class of the Polish Order of Merit to HRH Prince Hassan, for his efforts in supporting and enhancing dialogue among cultures and followers of different religions, as well as enhancing bilateral relations.

“Regional cooperation is crucial,” the official said, adding that Prince Hassan expressed a desire to see a kind of regional cooperation that includes Jordan and is similar to that among the European Visegrad Group, which includes Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

Soloch said the delegation on this visit does not only include members of the security bureau, but also representatives of military and security-concerned institutions, in addition to others that deal with refugees. 

The aim is also to enhance cooperation between Jordan and Poland in economic and cultural exchange.

He noted that Warsaw faces a similar burden to Jordan’s in hosting refugees, citing some 400,000 refugees from Ukraine and the eastern front. 

AMMAN — A request for blood donation for 34 Palestinian pilgrims who were injured in a road accident in the Kingdom’s southeast on Wednesday night was met with an overwhelming response by Maan residents.

Yahia Al Khattab was among those who hurried to Maan Public Hospital to donate blood.

But the grocery store owner waited 40 minutes for his turn, until he was finally told that the hospital does not need any more blood units.

“So many people from Maan had flocked to the hospital to donate blood. The hospital staff said they do not need any more units following the great number of people who donated,” Khattab told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

Sixteen Palestinian pilgrims died in the accident, when a bus taking them to Mudawara border crossing into Saudi Arabia to perform umra (the lesser Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca) overturned on Wednesday night,  said Walid Ruwad, director of Maan Public Hospital.

Ruwad said the hospital already had 60 blood units and needed more units as a back-up. 

“As soon as residents of Maan [some 220km south of Amman] learned about the need for blood units, so many people headed to the hospital to donate. We took 13 units, and so many people were upset because they wanted to take part in the donation process,” he added. 

Many of those who donated blood refused to be interviewed, saying they did it for “God, not for publicity”.

One of the city’s residents who gave blood said the donation is “our duty towards our brothers”. 

“I cried when I saw the injured people, and I am still thinking of them. I did not think twice about helping them, and this is a simple example of what the city’s residents do for their visitors,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone on condition of anonymity. 

He recalled that many people drove their own vehicles to help Civil Defence Department personnel transport the injured people, although the site of the accident is on the outskirts of the city, while hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital to offer help.

Akram Bazayaah, another Maan resident, said he saw many children and elderly people who wanted to donate blood as well.  

“Many people offered to host the injured and their families and provide them with food,” he said. 

Hussam Habahbah, another Maani who tried to donate and was unable to do so, said the city’s residents were urging people through social media networks and making phone calls to request  blood donations.

AMMAN — An exhibition in Rome that opens on Saturday will showcase ceramics by Italian artist Gastone Primon, inspired by his stay in Jordan and his interaction with art styles from around the Kingdom, according to a statement by Italian critic and poet Franco Campegiani.

“This exhibition comes after more than 50 years of artistic experience, in which Primon exhibited both in Italy and abroad,” Campegiani said.

“Primon’s stay in Amman, which was from 1987 until 1990, was his most inspiring and pivotal experience”, during which he was inspired by the Middle Eastern fashion of anionic decorativeness.

Campegiani added that the Foreign Ministry invited Primon to work as a ceramic expert at a ceramic centres in Jordan. This was where he built connections with relevant institutions, inspiring “many generations of ceramists”.

“It seems that the stones and  dust of Jordan carry fragments of [the country’s] civilisation and human history that are reflected in the works of international artists who have already visited Jordan,” said art critic Mazen Asfour.

Asfour told The Jordan Times recently that it is “a way to combine the past with the present”, as the Italian artist’s exhibition will embody “the unity of humankind with passion and joy around the globe”. 

He described Gastone’s art expression as a “visual way to remove barriers and remove ethnic differences brought by wars and migrations”.

AMMAN – HRH Prince Hassan, the president of the Arab Thought Forum, on Wednesday highlighted Jordan’s role in hosting waves of refugees from neighbouring countries despite its limited resources.

Speaking at a ceremony to launch the book “Political Reform and Participation in Jordan” by Amin Mashaqbeh and Hesham Khalayleh, the prince asserted the importance of the intellectual method of dealing with historical facts, away from negative emotions, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.