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AMMAN — More than 20 organisations have begun work on a plan to limit acts of sexual harassment in areas across the Kingdom during the 16-Day Campaign of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence that started on November 25, Arab Network for Civic Education 

(ANHRE) Executive Director Fotouh Younis said Thursday. 

ANHRE's local initiative, titled “Youth for Eliminating Harassment”, launched a
USAID-funded campaign in November that aims to raise awareness of all types of harassment in Jordan, the organisers said.

“According to the studies we conducted, young people see this phenomenon increasing without any known reasons,” Younis said, “which is why we equipped teams in all governorates to tour schools and universities to inform students about the importance of fighting harassment."

She told The Jordan Times that the organisation is highlighting the social aspect of the issue, not the legal side. 

“The silence of the victim is not the solution to the problem — the problem itself has to fade. If harassment happens, the woman has to fight back and not stay silent.” 

“If women are silent towards verbal harassment, it means they are on their way to remaining mute about all other incidents, even more serious ones,”  Younis noted.

“The 16-day campaign is not long enough to address all the challenges women face. However, there are several issues being discussed during the 16 days that are of huge significance.”

Professor Rula Quawas, who teaches feminism and American literature at the University of Jordan, said the future is “gloomy” regarding harassment in Jordan.

“The phenomenon is escalating because there is no enactment of a law [against it]. Women are paying the price for it and they are in so much pain, yet they cannot share it with anyone,” Quawas told The Jordan Times. 

“In societies like ours, there is a hierarchy, a sense of entitlement… objectifying, catcalling, fragmenting a woman’s body when she walks down the street… she becomes a body part only,” she said.

“She becomes eye candy,” the professor added, “He [the harasser] feasts his eyes on her… Just like in commodification; he’s the consumer and she’s the product.”

Quawas said women in Jordan remain reluctant to this day to admit they have been victims of any type of harassment.

“The sad part is that women face internalised misogyny and no one is courageous enough to admit it.”

The professor added that many women and girls fear telling those around them about an incident of harassment, since it would be considered as a “disgrace” and they would be “slandered”.

“Silence is a disease in a patriarchy — [we must] break the silence [and the] culture of fear,” she said.

Quawas refused to “categorise” harassment, explaining that “harassment is harassment — if we sort its types, we devalue the crime committed.”

The academic called on Jordanians to “speak back to the harassment, push back to change the mindset of the people".

"It’s all about the mindset and the mentality of entitlement," she added, encouraging people to "live against the mainstream".

AMMAN — Social media users have launched a campaign calling on Jordanians to refrain from licensing their cars in objection to the new fees.

While authorities say the new charges, which went into effect on Tuesday, are to further organise the licensing process, the campaign views the categorisation based only on engine size as "unfair", according to its founder Hussein Kurdi.

Under the new decision, licences for cars with 1,600 to 2,000cc engines will cost JD64; while the rate rises to JD173 for engines with a capacity between 2,000 and 2,500cc, JD225 for 2,500-3,000cc engines and JD440 for 3,000-4,000cc vehicles.

In a phone interview with The Jordan Times, Kurdi explained that the previous licensing system depended on the value of the car. But under the new decision, the licensing fee for a jeep with a 5,000cc engine worth JD60,000 will be the same as the fee for a JD12,000 pickup truck with a similar engine.

He noted that the campaign, with a two-day old Facebook page and some 17,000 likes, demands a revision of the decision in a way that keeps its positive aspects, including the reduction of licensing fees for hybrid cars.

Kurdi, who heads the Toyota Owners Club Jordan, suggested a licensing system with a fixed minimum fee, based on the engine size.

He also called for applying the decision on cars that are yet to enter the market, as licensing fees "definitely" affect purchase choices. 

Kurdi noted that cars manufactured in 1999 and before are of low market value and often belong to people with modest financial capabilities.

"We do not wish to be anarchic, we only hope that the social media campaign will encourage decision makers to review the measure," he said, adding that the campaign will issue a list of demands on Friday and submit it later to the concerned authorities.

AMMAN — MPs on Thursday called on the government to stop resorting to citizens' pockets as the only means to solve economic problems, citing recent decisions to increase vehicle licensing fees and the price of gas cylinders.

In their pleas, mostly taking the form of memoranda and official letters sent to the government and the Lower House speaker, deputies described the new price hikes as "unfair, untimely and arbitrary", warning that citizens' patience has limits.

In a letter to Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh, MP Assaf Shobaki (Amman, 4th District) called for a vote of no confidence against the government, accusing it of making citizens' lives unbearable.

"Your government is taking advantage of citizens' keenness on the country's security and stability to 'innovate' unprecedented and unheard-of money-collecting methods," Shobaki said in another letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, warning that the government's policies would lead to greater anxiety among citizens and social unrest.

In his two letters, copies of which were made available to The Jordan Times, the MP described the recent increases in the price of gas cylinders and car licensing fees as "unconstitutional", citing Article 111 of the Constitution. 

According to the said article, "No tax or duty may be imposed except by law. Taxes and duties shall not include the various kinds of fees which the Treasury charges in respect of services rendered to members of the public by government departments or in consideration of benefits accruing to them from the state domain. In imposing taxes, the government shall be guided by the principles of progressive taxation, coupled with the attainment of equality and social justice, provided that taxation shall not exceed the capacity of taxpayers or the state’s requirements for funds."

Describing the recent decision to raise gas cylinder prices as "unjustified" in light of the decline in international oil prices, MP Khamis Atiyyeh (Homeland list) urged the government to reverse the decision, especially in light of people's house-heating requirements in winter.

"There is a need for prudent economic policies that safeguard the middle class other than the arbitrary and never-curbed hikes in prices of basic commodities," Atiyyeh said in a memo he referred to Ensour.

Deputy Rudaina Ati (Zarqa) said in a statement on Thursday that pressure on citizens is mounting day by day to the point that "they no longer trust the government's decisions".

Ati said Ensour's government has failed to transform its development and social welfare pledges into tangible facts on the ground and has been adopting strict austerity measures "as if entirely ignorant of citizens' economic woes".

Echoing her colleagues, Ati called on the government to cancel its recent decisions and "stop testing citizens' patience and endurance".

Earlier this week, the government increased the price of the 12-kilogramme gas cylinder, used for cooking and in winter for heating, to JD7.50 from JD7 under the new pricing list.

New charges for car licences went into effect Tuesday, with the fee for cars with engines under 1,600cc set at JD45.Licences for cars with 1,600 to 2,000cc engines will cost JD64, while the rate rises to JD173 for engines with a capacity between 2,000 and 2,500cc.The fee rises to JD225 and JD440 for vehicles whose engines are sized 2,500-3,000cc and 3,000-4,000cc, respectively.

Owners of vehicles with 4,000cc engines have to pay JD650 for the car licence under the new system.

AMMAN — Scores of people on Thursday gathered in front of the Interior Ministry to express support for its efforts to safeguard the Kingdom’s security and stability, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Interior Minister Salameh Hammad thanked those who participated in the event for their “high sense of security” and “true loyalty” to Jordan.

AMMAN — Aqaba Criminal Investigation Department (CID) personnel have arrested a suspect for the murder of a man in his thirties in the Mahdud area, according to a Public Security Department (PSD) statement released Thursday.

The PSD said the victim was stabbed several times in the chest and received several blows to the head. The victim, who had been working in vehicle repairs in Aqaba for eight years, did not show up for work so his co-workers went to check on him.

Investigation led to a suspect who left Aqaba after the incident, and CID agents arrested him. The suspect confessed to killing the victim over a personal dispute and was referred to the prosecutor general. 

AMMAN — Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Khaled Kalaldeh on Thursday said the government cannot change the 2015 draft elections law, since it is now in the hands of Parliament, noting that the bill allows for forming coalitions through election lists and curbs vote-buying practices, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Kalaldeh made the remarks at a seminar at the University of Jordan.

The public did not approve of the one-person, one-vote system, the minister said, noting that previous election systems lacked justice and clear standards. Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh said the most important segment to offer its opinion on the draft elections law is young people. He added the draft law is a true indication of the political will to reform.

AMMAN — Mohammad Abu Jaber on Thursday said his brother Abdullah, a Jordanian prisoner in Israel, has been on hunger strike for 24 days.

In a statement released by the media team supporting Jordanian prisoners in Israel, Fedaa, Mohammad said his brother was in critical condition and was transferred to the Israeli Ramla Military Hospital.

Mohammad said Abdullah is striking to demand his release after serving two-thirds of his sentence, the statement added. Abdullah was arrested in 2000 for “resisting the occupation forces”, and is serving a 20-year prison term, Fedaa member Shireen Nafe told The Jordan Times in previous remarks.

AMMAN — For the 17th consecutive day, more than 200 Sudanese refugees are still camping in front of the UNHCR building in Amman with calls for better treatment and the same rights as refugees from other countries residing in Jordan.

Some protesters interviewed by The Jordan Times claimed that their resettlement files are being postponed in favour of refugees from other countries, while others said their children are not going to school as no party is covering the cost of their education this year.

Gassim Khalil, a member of the Sudanese community in Amman, said services provided to his fellow citizens are “the worst” compared to other refugees.

“We were promised to receive JD75 as winter assitance from the UNHCR, but we have not received anything so far … we live in difficult conditions,” Khalil told The Jordan Times.

Khalil, who arrived in Jordan more than two years ago, said his application to be registered as refugee with the UNHCR was approved in November last year, and since then, he has received no information about the status of his resettlement procedures.

“I was forced to leave my hometown in Darfur, and now it is not easy to live with no support here,” the 30-year-old said, adding that sometimes he works as a daily labourer to make a living.

According to Khalil, most of his compatriots camping in front of the UNHCR have no place to go now as they cannot afford to continue paying rent.

Andrew Harper, the UNHCR representative to Jordan, stressed again there is no discrimination against Sudanese refugees regarding processing their applications.

On the contrary, he noted “we are processing Sudanese [refugees] more than any other group of refugees and they have a great resettlement programme.”

However, the UN official told The Jordan Times that the UNHCR is concerned about the presence of the refugees in front of the agency’s premises for several days.

Harper said agency officials are talking to them every day to explain the processing issue and telling then “this is not the best practice.”

“They use women and children to push their case,” he charged, noting that the protesters are on municipal land and they have to respect the country’s laws.

According to the UNHRC official, Sudanese refugees in Beirut are staging a similar protest.

Commenting on efforts to end the demonstration, Harper said the agency is talking with Jordanian authorities about the next step. “We don’t want to create a situation.”

Meanwhile, a Sudanese refugee, who preferred to remain unnamed, told The Jordan Times that their children could not go to school this year as the agency stopped covering their education costs.

In response, Harper explained that “previously the Education Ministry provided a waiver for Sudanese students… now we are still waiting for the waiver.”

In previous remarks, the UN official said some 4,000 Sudanese are registered with the UNHCR in Jordan and they account for 0.5 per cent of more than 700,000 registered refugees in the Kingdom.

Jordan hosts refugees from 40 countries, according to Harper. The majority are Syrians (more than 600,000), followed by Iraqis. There are also Sudanese and Somali refugees, in addition to refugees of other nationalities.

AMMAN — A cold air mass caused by a Siberian upper trough started affecting the Kingdom Thursday evening, bringing chilly and dry easterly winds, according to meteorologists.

The effect of the cold air mass will peak on Saturday night, and is expected to cause frost formation and low visibility in all regions, including the Jordan Valley, according to the Jordan Metrological Department. 

"Siberian upper troughs usually have low humidity, making the weather dry and very chilly," meteorologist Amer Khalil told The Jordan Times on Thursday. 

He said temperatures will plunge to zero in Amman on Saturday and Sunday night, with a maximum of 11°C forecast during the day. 

Temperatures will be around five degrees below their annual average during this time of the year, according to Khalil.

In Aqaba, it will be cold, with temperatures dropping to a minimum of 11°C at night on Saturday and Sunday.  

Forecaster Omar Dajani from Arabiaweather.com noted that the easterly winds expected during the weekend will make it "even colder" than the thermometer readings due to the wind chill factor.

"The peak of the cold air mass will be on Saturday night and the early morning hours on Sunday, as minimum temperatures will be lower than zero degrees in large areas in the badia region," he added. 

The forecasters urged the public to follow instructions issued by the concerned authorities, especially in case of frost formation. 

The Civil Defence Department (CDD) urged motorists to be careful while driving, especially in the early morning hours when the roads are slippery because of frost.

“People are also advised to use gas heaters with extreme care to protect themselves and their families from the dangers of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning,” the CDD said in a statement issued on Thursday.

The department also highlighted the need to always keep a window partially open for fresh air to circulate.

It said residents from any area of the country can call the CDD at 911 in case of an emergency. 

AMMAN — Tafileh police on Wednesday night arrested a suspect wanted for 13 thefts after chasing him on the Southern Ghor road, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted a security source as saying on Thursday.

The source said the suspect attempted to flee, hitting two police cars, but his vehicle broke down and he was arrested. The suspect is wanted for stealing vehicles and robbing shops, the source said.

Police also found an amount of narcotics in the vehicle he used. The suspect is being questioned before being referred to court, the source added.