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AMMAN — Social media users continued over the weekend to criticise the government’s recent decisions to raise the price of gas cylinders and car licence fees, with some calling on the government to resign rather than resort to citizen’s pockets to solve economic problems.

“Everyone asks Ensour to leave and leave us with what remains of our dignity,” Yousef Raslan wrote on Twitter.

“The government of Abdullah Ensour made use of the national census to pass decisions that include raising prices of [car] licensing, gas and flour,” charged Twitter user Hatem Braikat, who also called on the government to leave office.

Anas Asaad, who writes under the Twitter handle @as3adAs, tweeted: “I would like to remind #Ensour of what has happened in the neighbouring countries! Safety and security are not enough without a bite [of food]."

Meanwhile, a hashtag that translates as “suggest a new tax for Ensour” was trending over the past two days, with users sarcastically proposing new taxes through which the government could extract more money from citizens.

“I suggest imposing a tax on each citizen who has high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer or high cholesterol,” Amjad Tawahyeh tweeted.

Social media users also used Facebook to debate the issue. 

Jumana Ghneimat, editor-in-chief of Al Ghad daily, wrote on her Facebook page: "It is not necessary for our government to leave office in order to fail… The incumbent government has already failed morally and its image has been distorted for a long time in the minds of Jordanians."

Mohammad Al Khateeb, former spokesperson of the Public Security Department, initially called on Jordanians to be patient.

However, he continued with an ironic address to the people: “It is your chance now to sell your microwave, dispense some of your smartphones and share the use of one phone."

For Mhmad (Mohammad) Hawari, the only factor encouraging citizens to be patient is the “safety and security” of the country.

Another social media user, Raad Bardaweel, voiced fear that even if Ensour resigned, “we [would] not benefit” if the next government’s policies simply remain the same.

Meanwhile, a post featuring a letter from an “obedient citizen” addressing the premier and his ministers went viral on Facebook.

Parts of the letter said: “After thorough thinking and as a Jordanian citizen… I am committed to paying all financial commitments, fees and taxes… However, after one year I want you to promise me that: I will walk on paved roads that have no potholes, or open manholes… streets will not be flooded again… public hospitals will be equipped and compete with the private ones… public schools will be at a high level and their students will receive education of the same quality as those in private schools."

The letter also called on the prime minister to fight corruption in the country and improve the living standards of Jordanians. 

It praised other authorities in the Kingdom, such as the army and the Public Security Department, but blamed the government for the current situation.

Some commentators, however, claimed that the criticism against the government was mobilised by some influential individuals to further their own political interests.

“This time, I feel that the attack against the government of Ensour is organised and the calls to oust him are serious," Nidal Mansour, president of the Centre for Defending Freedom of Journalists, wrote on his Facebook page.

“I have no idea who the parties are that led this attack, but deputies are at the forefront,” he added.

Mohammad Ersan, a journalist at Radio Al Balad, also claimed that “it is true that Ensour’s opponents are mobilising against him," but added that "every cloud has a silver lining.” 

AMMAN — The licensing fees of 67 per cent of the total 951,130 private vehicles in the Kingdom have decreased under the new pricing system, Ahmad Kafawin, director of the Driver and Motor Vehicle Licensing Department, said Saturday.

Kafawin noted vehicles with 2,000cc engines and below, which constitute 85 per cent of all private cars, have either witnessed a drop in their licensing fees or the charges are unchanged. 

Under the new system, published in the Official Gazette a month ago, the licensing fee for cars with engines under 1,000cc is JD30.

Licences for cars with 1,001 to 1,500cc engines now cost JD45; while the rate rises to JD60 for engines with a capacity between 1,501 and 2,000cc.

The fee rises to JD173 and JD225 for vehicles whose engines are sized 2,001-2,500cc and 2,501-3,000cc, respectively, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Owners of vehicles with 3,001-4,000cc engines have to pay JD450 for the licence under the new system, while the fee for engines larger than 4,000cc is JD600.

Petra quoted Kafawin as saying that the licensing fees of 33 per cent of vehicles increased, 65 per cent of which rose by only JD10-20.

He said there are 71,460 registered hybrid vehicles in the Kingdom, 67,000 of which (93 per cent) saw a decrease in licensing fees under the new system.

The licensing fee for hybrid cars with engines under 1,000cc is JD15.

Licences for hybrids with 1,001 to 1,500cc engines now cost JD22; while the rate rises to JD30 for engines with a capacity between 1,501 and 2,000cc.

The fee rises to JD86.5 and JD225 for hybrid vehicles with engines sized 2,001-2,500cc and 2,501-3,000cc, respectively.

Owners of hybrid vehicles with 3,001-4,000cc engines have to pay JD450 for the licence under the new system, while the fee is JD600 for those whose car engines are more than 4,000cc.

AMMAN — Police on Saturday said they were questioning four suspects in connection with the shooting death of two cousins in Karak over the weekend.

The victims, aged 40 and 26, were shot and killed during a brawl in Karak's Jadeedeh town on Friday morning.

Automatic rifles and pistols were used in the brawl, which resulted in two deaths and two injuries, Public Security Department Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

“We are still questioning the suspects to learn more about the incident but preliminary investigations point to a family feud,” Sartawi said.

He added that investigators have rounded up several weapons “believed to have been used in the brawl and sent them to the criminal lab for ballistic tests”.

The father of one of the victims is in hospital in critical condition, a senior official source told The Jordan Times.

The two victims were laid to rest in their home town of Jadeedeh amid high tension, the official source said, adding that the suspects’ families were relocated to a nearby town “to prevent any violent reactions”.

“The situation in the town is tense and police and community leaders are trying to secure tribal settlements to avoid any acts of revenge by the victims' family,” the source noted.

DEAD SEA — Educators convened on the eastern shores of the Dead Sea on Saturday, to network, engage and learn.

More than 1,000 educators from across the region are taking part in the second Teacher Skills Forum, which this year focuses on themes related to early, concept-based, differentiated and STEAM learning, which pertains to science, technology, engineering, arts and maths.

Revolutionising education to cope with changes taking place in the world, namely the digital revolution and the influx of information, is a requirement that Arab countries "cannot afford to neglect", experts said at the opening of the forum, held by the Queen Rania Teacher Academy (QRTA) and the International Baccalaureate (IB).

"The 2015 teachers forum seeks to provide participants with the opportunity to learn new pedagogies and develop innovative ways to integrate technology in education, while discussing means to improve classroom education and overall school communities," QRTA CEO Haif Bannayan said at the opening, held under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania.

He added that the two-day event, taking place at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre, also aims at bridging the gap between theory and practice when it comes to teaching.

The forum includes 132 training workshops, half of which are being presented in Arabic, according to Bannayan, who noted that the QRTA initiated pre-conference activities which enabled teachers to explore answers for their pressing education-related issues.

"A total of 383 teachers and 115 speakers took part in the pre-conference activities," he said.

George Rupp, chairperson of the IB board of governors, underlined the significance of the forum.

"We are meeting at a time and in a place that cries out for commitment beyond self-preoccupation and understanding that focuses on the challenges of respect across cultural differences."

He commended Queen Rania's efforts to develop education, noting that she has been "invaluable in encouraging and sponsoring outstanding educational ventures throughout Jordan and across the region".

"In particular, I congratulate her on the development of this teacher’s academy, which promises to become, or already is — an indispensable forum for teachers in the entire region," Rupp noted.

Also at the forum, Senator Haifa Najjar presented a paper focused on education in Jordan and challenges facing it.

She stressed that teachers are the Kingdom's tool for change and prosperity, a belief that stems from their ability to inculcate concepts of openness, respect and good citizenship among the younger generation.

"Educators should seize the opportunity to regain their role as social activists whose role goes far beyond closed classrooms," Najjar said.

David Hawley, chief academic officer for the IB, detailed ways through which teachers can motivate students to think and find solutions to different challenges they face.

In an interview with The Jordan Times on the sidelines of the forum, Ratna Ghosh, professor of English at McGill University in Montreal, expressed her enthusiasm about the forum.

"The future of our countries lies in the hands of teachers," she said.

Ghosh is participating in a forum session titled "The Right to Be Different", which tackles ways in which teachers can maintain students' different identities.

After living in "homogenous" societies, the world is entering a new era, when differences are colliding rather than celebrated, according to Ghosh.

"Globalisation, international migration, imported labour and the influx of people in and out mean that different cultures, religions and languages are coming together. We have to recognise these differences," she said.

"Difference does not mean deficiency. Teachers should respect and celebrate differences in children, because if they have good identities, they will be secure people," Ghosh added.

The professor underlined the importance of this concept in fighting radicalism, which thrives on people's lack of belonging.

DEAD SEA — The Education Ministry has trained more than 50,000 teachers this year, as it deems rehabilitating educators a top priority, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat said on Saturday.

Speaking to The Jordan Times on the sidelines of the second Teacher Skills Forum, Thneibat noted that training of teachers has been on the rise since 2012 in response to the new developments in the region, which have resulted in more crowded classrooms.

"The ministry will soon establish a college specialised in training and rehabilitating teachers," he said.

"The budget allocated for training stood at JD2 million two years ago, but has reached JD20 million this year," Thneibat said, adding that the ministry's training efforts will be held in cooperation with the Queen Rania Teacher Academy.

"The academy will be the executive wing of our training programmes," he said, underscoring the importance of the forum in changing educators' mindsets on emerging challenges facing the educational process.

Citing Their Majesties King Abdullah's and Queen Rania's focus on education, he said the ministry is embarking on comprehensive education reform that includes changing school curricula.

AMMAN — The documentary "Torn", in which Syrian artists displaced in Jordan and Lebanon discuss their experiences of conflict, aims to "show art in the time of war", according to its Italian producer, Alessandro Gassman.

The film, co-produced by UNHCR, was screened on Thursday at the conclusion of this year's edition of Italian Film Days, hosted by the Royal Film Commission and the Italian embassy in Jordan.

In the documentary, Gassman, who is also an actor and a UNHCR goodwill ambassador, talks to Syrian musicians, actors, directors, artists and poets about their lives in the aftermath of the civil war.

Rasha Deeb, one of the artists featured in the film, said the trauma of war directly affected her creative output.

“Art in Syria and art after the war is different,” she said. “The subjects of my work and the colours that I use have completely changed.”

Upon their arrival at Zaatari Refugee Camp, some of the artists involved in the documentary started organising workshops to teach young children photography, dance, music and painting.

“We want to create a new Syria, full of culture and art,” one of them said.

At a discussion with the audience after the screening, UNHCR Representative to Jordan Andrew Harper underlined the importance of presenting a human view of the refugee crisis.

“The documentary is particularly timely now, when there’s almost an attempt to demonise the Syrians and others who are fleeing and are in search of protection. It shows a positive view of refugees when positive descriptions about them are often hard to come by,” Harper told The Jordan Times.

“It shows Syrians as people rather than refugees. It shows Syrians as proud, resilient, brilliant people who just want to move forward,” he said.

According to Harper, the main reason the documentary follows Syrian artists is that artists are in the best position to be their communities’ spokespeople.

“It’s the poets, the artists, the painters and the sculptors who often represent their society. People can relate much more to people who are able to express themselves," he said. "Torn", in Italian and Arabic with English subtitles, was filmed in 2015 in Jordan and Lebanon.

The documentary was presented at the Venice International Film Festival and at the MedFilm Festival in Rome.

It was the final movie shown at Amman's Rainbow Theatre during Italian Film Days, which took place between November 30 and December 3 and covered a variety of genres.

Marco Marzeddu, second secretary at the Italian embassy, told The Jordan Times that the festival is an initiative to showcase and promote some of the most prominent Italian films recently released.

“We wanted to showcase different types of movies by modern directors. We believe that young Italian directors have a lot to say, mostly about current affairs and modern society.” 

AMMAN — As the centennial of the Great Arab Revolt approaches, Neil Dearberg, an Australian military historian, highlighted the contribution of Australian New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) troops to the war effort against the Ottomans.

The scholar researched his upcoming book, tentatively titled “Desert ANZACS: Our Under-Told Story of the Sinai Palestine Campaign 1916–1918”, at the American Centre of Oriental Research in Amman, as well as drawing on past field research in Jordan, Israel and Syria.

ANZAC's role in the Arab Revolt, led by Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, has not been adequately recognised by historians, according to Dearberg.

"Our military was called a 'Dominion' force and often simply referred to by the British as part of a British expeditionary force, without our national recognition, much to the annoyance of Australians today," the former Australian army officer told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

In British terminology, Dominion forces were troops from South Africa, India, the West Indies, Nepal, Sudan, Egypt, Australia and New Zealand.

"The main British-led force during the Palestine campaign was the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, which included five brigades of Australian Light Horse, a brigade of New Zealand Mounted Rifles, a squadron of Australian Flying Corps, 12 companies of Imperial Camel Corps and a light car patrol," Dearberg noted.

Lt. Gen. Sir Harry Cauvel, the Australian commander, took part in the final stages of the revolt, which culminated in the capture of Damascus and Aleppo and capitulation of the Ottoman army in the Arab theatre of war in October 1918.

In addition to his research on ANZAC, Dearberg published his interpretation of the heavily contested role of British officer T.E. Lawrence in the Arab rebellion in the T.E. Lawrence Society journal based in London.

According to the historian, Lawrence's autobiographical book "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" is a literary masterpiece, but highly self-promotional and lacking in accuracy.

"In the early decades after World War I, his [Lawrence's] story was read and believed in the absence of anyone else’s story."

Lawrence's account of his leadership and planning skills, capabilities and coordination of military actions was exaggerated, while his actual role was minor, said the scholar.

"Today, my view is that he may have thought he was doing right by the Arab cause, but I believe he was misguided in the political and diplomatic scene through youth, immaturity and lack [of] experience in such matters — he was a young archaeologist with no military and no diplomatic skills," Dearberg added.

The Great Arab Revolt Project, organised by the UK's Bristol University, was Dearberg's initiation into the Arab rebellion's history.

"They asked me to find connections between Australian troops, Lawrence and the Arab Revolt. I discovered many connections that I was totally unaware of, and also that there was little knowledge in Australia about this campaign and very little had been written about it, compared to the enormous volumes about Gallipoli and France/the Western front," he recalled.

The historian's military background not only provided practical grounding for his self-education as a military historian, but also motivated him to raise awareness of the achievements of Australian and New Zealand troops in this era of history.

"I decided I should write a book to inform the Australian and New Zealand public about this under-reported campaign, in which our troops were instrumental in achieving victory, and to give recognition to the soldiers who fought and died, were wounded or survived and to their families," Dearberg concluded.

AMMAN — All ministries, government departments and public institutions will observe a holiday marking Prophet Mohammad’s birthday on Thursday, December 24 instead of Wednesday, December 23, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour announced on Friday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In an official communiqué, the premier urged all ministries and public entities to celebrate the occasion, emphasising its importance. Prophet Mohammad was born on the 12th day of Rabi I in the Islamic lunar calendar, which this year is expected to coincide with December 23.

AMMAN — HRH Prince Raad, the Chief Chamberlain, on Friday attended the opening of the annual charity bazaar for Al Hussein Society-Jordan Centre for Training and Inclusion, held in cooperation with embassies, diplomatic missions and international clubs in the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Prince Raad, accompanied by HRH Princess Majda Raad, toured the bazaar, which featured 34 participants. Princess Majda told Petra that the society will be offering academic education and comprehensive rehabilitation programmes. She said the society aims at supporting the integration of people with disabilities in the local community.

AMMAN — Turkish Ambassador to Jordan Sedat Önal on Saturday said Ankara is working to urge the Turkish private sector to invest in the Kingdom. It is also working to boost the volume of commercial and industrial exchanges between the two countries, he said.

Attending a ceremony marking the launch of the Turkish village project in Irbid, Önal lauded the city’s initiative in transforming challenges into investment opportunities.

The projected Turkish village will house commercial stores for Turkish food items, sweets and natural products. Önal also underscored the strong economic relations between the two countries and the need to build on them.