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AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Tuesday said the Kingdom’s stance towards the Syrian crisis remains consistent, as it has been since its beginnings five years ago.

Judeh made his remarks during an international meeting in Paris called for by the French government to discuss a political solution to the crisis with the participation of regional parties, and in preparation for a wider meeting in Vienna to be held next Friday.

Jordan, the US, the UK, Germany, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar participated in the meeting, hosted by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

"A comprehensive political solution is the only exit out of the crisis, and the entire world agrees on the necessity of it being based on the Geneva I resolutions," Judeh said in his remarks at the meeting.

The political solution should be comprehensive and should meet the aspirations of the Syrian people and be the result of an agreement among all components of Syrian society, he added.

Moreover, Judeh said the solution should repel terrorism, bring about peace and stability, allow refugees to return home and preserve the unity of Syria and its political independence.

Judeh also stated that the situation in Syria remains critical and has in fact observed a recent set of worrying developments that indicate that the conflict’s repercussions have extended not only past Syria’s interior to its neighbours, but to the international community as well, referring to the influx of refugees into EU countries.  

AMMAN — A senior Palestinian official has said that the Palestinian leadership and Jordan see eye-to-eye on the developments in the Palestinian lands and it fully supports Amman’s recent moves.

He described Jordan’s position on Jerusalem as “daring” and “irreversible” in the face of Israel and the US administration.

Speaking to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, from Ramallah, chief Palestinian negotiator and PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat  said that Jordan’s recent arrangements with the Israelis over Jerusalem have been coordinated between His Majesty King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

“Jordan is the loud and daring voice in the face of Israel and the US administration especially on Jerusalem,” he said. 

“There is no dispute between Jordanians and Palestinians over any issue. We both share a common interest in ending the assaults by the Israeli occupation authorities and Jewish settlers on Al Aqsa Mosque,” he told the agency.

Commending Jordan’s efforts in protecting Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites, Erekat stressed that the “Hashemite custodianship over Jerusalem’s holy sites is the shield against the Israeli schemes”.

“Neither [Israeli premier] Benjamin Netanyahu nor anyone on earth can shake or weaken the deeply rooted Jordanian-Palestinian relationship,” he said.

Erekat’s remarks came after Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Malki criticised an agreement Amman reached with the Israelis to install video cameras at Al Haram Al Sharif in Jerusalem to ease the tension there and ensure that the status quo remains intact.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Wednesday met with Transparency International Director General Cobus de Swardt to discuss political reform efforts in the Kingdom. 

During the meeting, attended by Public Sector Development Minister Khleef Al Khawaldeh, Ensour said Jordan has achieved “true and deep” political reform, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

He highlighted the government’s vision to build institutions based on justice and integrity, noting that there have been no allegations of corruption in the government’s work.

Jordan enjoys security and stability and is a role model for peace in the region, the premier said, noting that the Kingdom has been focusing in particular on the quality of health and education services, and on developing and improving the role of women in public life. 

De Swardt, who is currently visiting the Kingdom to take part in the 10th Government Leaders Forum to be held this Saturday in Amman, said Transparency International works to entrench principles of integrity and anti-corruption, noting that the Royal discussion papers authored by His Majesty King Abdullah give hope to the future and coming generations.

Also on Wednesday, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh met separately with De Swardt and his accompanying delegation to discuss ways to activate and develop cooperation.

Tarawneh reviewed the House’s achievements before and after the Arab Spring. 

He said the Lower House is in active partnership with the Audit Bureau, a major oversight agency that provides the House with periodic reports on violations in public institutions.

De Swardt reviewed his agency’s role in the field of combating corruption and voiced his trust in Parliament’s integrity and efforts to boost awareness of the importance of transparency and accountability.

AMMAN — Journalists on Wednesday criticised a recent decision by the Law Interpretation Bureau that slander on news websites and social networking sites is covered by the Electronic Crimes Law, opening the door for the detention of media practitioners.

The decision, the journalists said, represents a setback in media freedoms in the Kingdom and will be used to restrict the press and freedom of expression in the country.

The ruling, which stated that Article 11 of the Electronic Crimes Law applies in cases of online slander, was made after Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour requested an interpretation by the bureau on whether the Press and Publications Law or the Electronic Crimes Law could apply to such crimes. 

“This is a setback in the history of media in Jordan,” Jordan Press Association (JPA) President Tareq Momani said at an emergency meeting at the syndicate on Wednesday.

“We reject the detention of journalists in cases of publications and we will take all legal measures to prevent it,” Momani added.

Such laws, he said, restrict media freedom without serving the process of reform in the sector, he said.

“The association will take a series of measures to push for rescinding the decision. We will resort to the Constitutional Court in this regard and we will continue to defend media freedom,” he added.

Mahmoud Qteishat, the JPA’s legal adviser, expressed fear that the articles of the Electronic Crimes Law will be loosely interpreted, resulting in misunderstanding and lack of clarity on what is considered slander and what is considered objective criticism.

In a statement to The Jordan Times, the Centre for Defending the Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) said the Press and Publications Law, which bans the detention of journalists, should apply in cases of publications.

However, the bureau’s interpretation will lead to the detention of more journalists, the CDFJ said.

CDFJ President Nidal Mansour said the interpretation is in violation of international standards which call for media freedom.

He also urged the authorities to go back on this decision.

Basel Okour, chief editor of jo24.net news website, charged that the move is “a clear targeting of media outlets by the government”, calling for escalations to protest the decision.

AMMAN — Orange Jordan will complete the roll-out of Fourth Generation (4G) mobile service across the Kingdom by the end of November, the company’s CEO, Jerome Henique, said Wednesday.

“We will focus on increasing connectivity across Jordan as part of our Essentials 2020 strategy for the coming years,” Henique said at a press conference.

Stressing that there is a significant room for growth in the Jordanian market and that demand for telecom services is on the rise, he said Orange Jordan will focus on high-speed broadband amidst increased data usage in the Kingdom.

Henique added that Jordan is one of the most rapidly growing markets in this regard, noting that 4G technology will drive demand. 

Orange Jordan launched its 4G service in May after signing a deal with China’s Huawei in March to build its 4G network and upgrade its second and third generation networks.

Under its Essentials 2020 strategy, the telecom operator is allocating JD200 million for the enhancement of its network infrastructure.

In addition to Orange Jordan, telecom operators Zain Jordan and Umniah are also licensed to provide 4G services. 

AMMAN — Around 600 dunums of vegetables and the furniture of 180 houses were destroyed in Northern Shuneh flashfloods caused by “15 minutes” of heavy rain on Sunday, officials said Wednesday. 

Northern Shuneh District Governor Adnan Otoum told The Jordan Times that two committees were formed to evaluate losses caused by floods: one to assess damages to households and the other to see how bad farms were affected. 

Furniture of 180 houses was severely damaged, he said, adding that the National Aid Fund and the Ministry of Interior gave JD300 in emergency aid to each family and the government will be distributing JD500 to each household. 

Otoum said a number of benefactors — individuals and societies — have expressed readiness to help the families hit by the floods. 

The governor said the committee evaluating damage to farms is still working to assess the cost of damage but indicated that 600 dunums planted with vegetables were hit hard by the floods. 

‘15 minutes of rain’

Mayor of Muath Bin Jabal Municipality Ali Dalki said the flash floods were caused by heavy rain that lasted for only 15 minutes, noting that the damage to the region, whose population is estimated at 30,000, was due to floods from surrounding mountains that swept rocks and uprooted trees in the town. 

Muath Bin Jabal is the main municipality in Northern Shuneh District and it is just 25 kilometres west of Irbid city in the Kingdom’s north. 

Dalki described the floods as beyond the capabilities of all government departments as he said that he has never witnessed such heavy rain in his 45 years of age.

“The weather that day was sunny but suddenly it turned cloudy and started to rain heavily,” he said.

The mayor said 10 cars were swept away by the floods. 

AMMAN — Arab business owners operating in the region should “be entrepreneurs, but serve [their] community”, according to a participant in a forum on corporate social responsibility (CSR) that concluded Wednesday.

Speaking at the two-day conference — organised by the Ministry of Social Development, the Prime Ministry and the Arab Organisation for Social Responsibility — Director of Al Ahli Holding Group CSR Division in Dubai Lina Hourani said more than 60 per cent of populations in the Arab world consist of young citizens. 

“If we don’t work in the next 20 years on improving their skills and teaching them about CSR, then the next generation is ruined… young Arabs have to be familiar with the right definition of the concept,” she added at the “Regional Conference for Social Responsibility in the Arab World” held at the Royal Cultural Centre. 

The conference was held for representatives of organisations and companies to share their experiences in developing social responsibility in Jordan, according to Fawaz Ratrout, the Social Development Ministry’s spokesperson.

“There are no criteria or standards set for legislating or organising local initiatives in the Kingdom,” Ratrout told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

Speaking at the forum, Mohammad Adwan, the ambassador of cooperation affairs at the Arab Organisation for Social Responsibility, said the purpose of the conference was to stress the importance of CSR and to distinguish it from other types of social development work.

“No one claims to know all the information on social responsibility, yet all companies involved should know that it’s not only about offering financial and in-kind support, it’s about permanent social development,” Adwan added.

For his part, Coca-Cola’s director of human resources and external affairs in Jordan and Syria, Iyad Samman, said international companies licensed to operate in the Kingdom should benefit the local community.

“Companies have to always be transparent with customers,” Samman said at the conference, adding that the connection between the company, stakeholders, and customers should be a three-way relationship. 

Coca-Cola is currently involved in a five-year initiative for students at the University of Jordan, according to Samman, in which a percentage of the price of each product sold will be donated to a student fund. 

He said companies following international CSR practices should put their expertise into practice “in a Jordanian mould”.  

Haifa Abdullah, from the Civil Defence Department’s media office, said in order to improve the quality of work, business owners must set a plan to empower women and agree on a unified CSR concept among companies of the private and voluntary sectors.  

Ratrout said the authorities plan to open three offices in Amman, Irbid, and Aqaba to prepare a strategy for CSR-related legislation and a project to fund initiatives.

The plan also includes setting regulations and standards for organisations and CSR divisions in the private and the voluntary sectors, he added. 

AMMAN — Fifteen Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Jordan have been granted certificates of approval to be resettled in America under the US Refugee Admissions Programme (USRAP).

The refugees underwent a series of interviews, and security and medical clearances before being granted approval for travel, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). 

During a ceremony on Wednesday, US Ambassador Alice G. Wells called on the approved refugees to integrate into American society, describing them as a “valuable part of America”.

The ambassador addressed concerns about finding jobs in the US by saying, “The unemployment rate in the US stands at only 5 per cent, so you have strong chance to work there.”

The USRAP focuses on resettling the most vulnerable Syrian refugees and aims to meet the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2016, which hopes to resettle 10,000 Syrians by the end of fiscal year 2016, according to a US embassy statement. 

The US Department of Homeland Security decides whether applicants are refugees and eligible for resettlement in the United States under US law.  

Once they are ready to travel, they attend a four-day cultural orientation session to prepare them for their arrival in the United States and for life in their new country. 

Jamal Fakhouri, IOM regional cultural orientation coordinator, said refugees admitted to the US, Australia and the UK are given a cultural orientation and air tickets after they pass the clearance stage.

“Over 1,000 Syrians have already been sent to America from Jordan since the beginning of the Syrian crisis,” he said, adding that it is the UNHCR who decides who the most vulnerable among refugees are.

Anne C. Richard, US assistant secretary of state for population, refugees, and migration, previously said that 70,000 refugees from around the world have been brought to the US under the US Refugee Admissions Programme, adding that the programme for Syrian refugees in particular has been enlarged.

AMMAN — Students of Omar Bin Al Khattab School in Zarqa went on strike on Wednesday after a student’s father attacked their principal and a teacher on Tuesday, according to a Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) official. 

JTA Spokesperson Ayman Okour said the principal has been admitted to a nearby hospital in Zarqa, some 22km east of Amman.

“He is receiving medical treatment at the hospital right now,” Okour told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

Zarqa Governor Raed Odwan visited the principal, Abdullah Hazaimeh, along with the head of the JTA’s Zarqa branch, Hussam Smadi.

Odwan checked on Hazaimeh’s health and denounced any assault on educators, stressing that they symbolise the moral and educational system of the nation, a JTA statement said.

He promised to follow up on the incident with the relevant parties.

Okour did not give specific details on the possible reasons behind the incident but noted that most of these attacks against educators are related to student behaviour or the issue of transferring students to different schools. 

“School staff members simply implement the regulations of the Ministry of Education,” the JTA official added. 

In another incident on Wednesday, a student and his brothers attacked the principal of another school in Zarqa, the Prince Hamzah Secondary School, the JTA said in a statement.

The principal, Ali Qaralleh, filed a complaint against the student and his family, and the assailants were detained by police, according to the JTA.

Okour said the government must move quickly to ensure the safety of teachers. 

A total of 70 assaults have been registered against teachers since the beginning of this year, according to a JTA statement. 

“We can understand the reaction of this school’s students and the situation might develop into strikes held by the teachers,” Okour added.

AMMAN — Jordanian audiences will get a taste of Japan’s culture at the Japanese Film Week, which opens Sunday and concludes on November 5 at Amman’s Rainbow Theatre.

A film will be screened every day at 7pm, and admission is free. 

The films are in Japanese with English subtitles, according to a statement from the organisers. 

The first film, to be screened on Sunday, is the romantic drama “Jinx!!!”, in which outgoing Korean girl Jiho tries to engineer a love connection between two fellow students at a Japanese university. 

Monday will witness a more sombre drama in “Be Sure to Share,” about a father and son facing illness and death at the same time.

In the film “My Pretend Girlfriend”, to be screened on Tuesday, a high school student is asked to pretend to be the boyfriend of a girl in a nearby class.

On Wednesday, audiences can watch the romantic comedy “Beyond the Memories”, in which a man and woman with tragic pasts become attracted to each other. The film won the Best Supporting Actress award at the 38th Hochi Film Awards.

The last film, “It All Began When I Met You,” which will be screened next Thursday, features six intertwining stories centred on Tokyo Station, one of the busiest railway stations in the world.

Several of the films were previously screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival and other events.

The film week is organised by the Japanese embassy and the Royal Film Commission.