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AMMAN — Security bodies have reportedly foiled an attempt to assassinate one of the Jordanian pilots whose name was mentioned in the video released by the Daesh terrorist organisation last year showing the burning alive of Jordanian pilot Muath Al Kasasbeh.

According to a report published Tuesday in Al Rai newspaper, the two suspects arrested in the case were Syrians who have been residing in the Kingdom since 2013. 

One of them is a juvenile who was referred to the Amman attorney while the other, in his 20s, was referred to the State Security Court, which already held a first hearing Monday. The suspect faced charges of plotting to carry out terrorist acts and using the Internet to promote the ideology of a terrorist organisation, Al Rai reported.

The two suspects are friends on Facebook and Skype and were found to be supporting Daesh's military operations in Iraq and Syria, Al Rai reported, citing a report detailing the case it has obtained.

The adult suspect, Al Rai said, used his Facebook account to follow news and videos of Daesh's military operations and to build contacts with people affiliated with the terrorist organisation.  

Following Daesh’s release of the video showing the burning alive of Kasasbeh in February last year, the adult suspect contacted a member in the ultra-radical group, calling himself “Al Shamil Al Shami” to check on the authenticity of names of Jordanian pilots mentioned at the end of the grisly video, to kill one of them and win the 100 golden liras Daesh put as a prize for that, Al Rai reported.

After succeeding in building contacts within Daesh, which promised to secure them the prize of 100 golden liras, the two suspects agreed to assassinate one of the Jordanian pilots mentioned in the video, who lives in Howara in Irbid Governorate, in collaboration with a third party who has not yet been identified, Al Rai reported.

The two suspects then agreed to reside in a house next to the pilot’s residence, allegedly waiting for a $15,000 payment from Daesh to buy weapons for the assassination.

AMMAN — An official source at the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) on Tuesday dismissed as false reports of an alleged shooting near the border crossing between Aqaba and Eilat. 

The army source said the reported news is baseless, attributing the sounds of shots heard to a “routine military training” by a Border Guard unit.  

The army official called on the various media outlets to verify the tips they receive from non-official sources, warning of action against rumour-mongers. 

In a related development, a JAF source said Tuesday that Border  Guards on Monday foiled an infiltration attempt by a person who holds a foreign nationality.

He reportedly tried to cross the border into Jordan from a nearby country. 

The inident was dealt with in accordance with the rules of engagement and the suspect was apprehended and referred to the appropriate authorities, the army officer said.  

Moreover, Border Guards received 107 Syrian refugees during the past 48 hours, provided them with essential needs and transferred them to refugee camps, according to the army source. 

Royal Medical Services cadres applied the necessary medical care to the ill and injured, the source added. 

AMMAN — An official committee aiming to prevent the use of fabricated medical reports in trials and enhance the rule of law in this area recommends that doctors use a unified and more detailed report form.

The proposed form will spare judges the confusion that occurs when the doctor’s report is based solely on the claims of the patient, said Amman Prosecutor General and committee member Abdullah Abul Ghanam.

Speaking at a meeting with the press on Tuesday marking the end of the committee’s four-month-long deliberations, Abul Ghanam added that the suggested form requires doctors to fill in separate information on the claims of the patient, a physical examination and obligatory medical tests.

Fake or inaccurate medical reports concern legal authorities because perpetrators of quarrels or car accidents could gain equality with victims before the law if they obtain medical reports stating they were injured or hit. 

Abul Ghanam said the committee suggested intensifying the penalty on those who issue and use fabricated medical reports, noting that the current “non-deterrent” penalty involves only a fine, while the suggested amendment increases this to a one- to two- year prison sentence.

Amman Public Attorney Ziad Dmour agreed, adding that the suggested unified report would “regulate” the process, as private and public medical facilities have different procedures for issuing medical reports.

Furthermore, he proposed carrying out awareness campaigns targeting emergency room doctors, forensic doctors and judges in order to acquaint them with the details of the issue.

When a complaint reaches the police station, Public Security Department personnel will work on “extending” the investigation process for medical reports they suspect to be untrue, with the assistance of forensic doctors, according to PSD representative at the committee Sari Khashashneh.

Meanwhile, the strict measures do not seek to hinder doctors from performing their jobs, said Radwan Abu Dames, a legal consultant at the Ministry of Health and another member of the committee.

Justice Minister Bassam Talhouni, who heads the panel, said the work of the committee seeks to handle this newly emerging phenomenon, through which a few think they can manipulate the law. 

Talhouni also highlighted a need to include an article in the Penal Code to punish doctors who issue fake medical reports “with bad intentions”, especially if such reports harm other parties. 

The committee of experts also recommended amending the Ministry of Health’s by-law on medical reports to incorporate further details on the suggested report form and penalties for violations.

The committee consisted of senior representatives of judicial bodies, as well as representatives of the Civil Defence Department and the Ministry of Health, in addition to forensic medicine experts.

AMMAN — Several universities around the Kingdom organised  demonstrations on Tuesday in what was described as “The Day of Rage” to condemn the killing of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and attacks on Al Aqsa Mosque.

Students from all fields and majors came together to protest the situation in the West Bank and the recent violations of holy sites in Jerusalem.

At the University of Jordan, around 500 students participated in the march, celebrating the Palestinian resistance.

Members from the leftist, communist and Islamist parties joined the rally.

“We are all here… to protest the assaults on our mosques and churches, on our people in Palestine, to fight for their right to live, and their right to exist and resist,” Mona Adwan, one of the students at the demonstration, said.

Another activist, who preferred anonymity, said the demonstrations among all Jordanian universities are due to the events in the West Bank and what is referred to as the “Third Intifada”.

“Killing young and helpless citizens in cold blood is inhumane… no religion allows this,” a protester said.

Students condemned the “silence” of Arab countries regarding the attacks in some cities in the West Bank.

“[The young] generation is responsible for change, which is why we will not be silenced,” said student Ibrahim Dalain.

“Many people are not aware of what is happening in the occupied lands; this march is also to raise awareness among students,” another participant said.

Waleed Rawadyeh, the director of the public relations and cultural department at Mutah University in Karak, some 140km south of Amman, told The Jordan Times the march is to protest attacks in the occupied lands.

“Thousands of students from different backgrounds, religions and origins united to condemn the assaults and to show solidarity with Palestinians,” he said.

Around 30 Palestinians have died and 1,450 have been injured in confrontations with Israeli forces and settlers since the start of October, according to figures released by the Palestinian health ministry.

Rawaydeh added that the series of protests organised in universities around the Kingdom aims to prove that Jordan is the closest country to Palestine in all aspects.

Yarmouk University’s dean of student affairs, Ahmad Shayyab, told The Jordan Times hundreds of students joined the demonstration from all political parties to denounce the killing of Palestinians.

“It is a march for university students across the country to express their feelings and thoughts on the events currently happening,” he added.

Asem Daraghmeh, a student at the Hashemite University, said every Jordanian considers the Palestinian conflict as their own.

“Everything that happens in the occupied lands reflects on Jordan and we as Arabs and Muslims are responsible for it,” Daraghmeh added.

Similar demonstrations took place at Tafileh Technical University, Al Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, Philadelphia University, Mafraq’s Al al-Bayt University, Maan’s Al Hussein Bin Talal University and Balqa Applied University.

The protests were described by university officials and witnesses as “peaceful” and “goal-oriented” with no clashes or incidents reported.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday received cables of congratulations from several leaders of Arab and Muslim countries on the occasion of the Hijri New Year.

The King and HRH Crown Prince Hussein also received cables from senior officials and officers, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. On Thursday, Jordan, along with other Arab and Muslim countries, celebrates the Hijri New Year (1437).

The Islamic lunar year begins on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the calendar and one of the four sacred months in Islam. Hijra refers to the migration or journey of Prophet Mohammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina, which paved the way for the establishment of the Islamic nation.

AMMAN – The production of “The Wanted 18” was an exciting journey for Palestinian director Amer Shomali, who sought to build a bright image of the Palestine he imagined throughout his childhood, which he spent in Syria’s Yarmouk Refugee Camp.

Shomali recalled that in his childhood, he constructed an image of Palestine based on children’s books, posters and stories of the heroes of the first Intifada.  

“When I went to Palestine in 1997, after the peace agreement, I was disappointed and what I saw was a kind of deception. I thought that I would see a cohesive community in which everyone was preoccupied and concerned with the country. 

“Instead, I saw a normal country like any other country. Later, the movie characters told me that everything I had imagined of Palestine was real, but I came at the wrong time,” he told The Jordan Times in an interview before a screening of his acclaimed movie in Amman.  

The 34-year-old spent five years working on the movie: writing, researching, doing the animation, seeking financing. The film was co-directed by Paul Cowan.

“I finished working on the movie in 2014 and we formally launched it at the Toronto Film Festival. The film received the best Arab documentary award at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival and best documentary at the Carthage Film Festival,” he said. 

The film documents the incredulous story of 18 cows in Beit Sahour village in Palestine during the first Intifada, starting in 1988 until the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993. 

“It talks about the civil disobedience in the village and about all aspects of intifada the village went through,” Shomali added. 

The story looks at how the village sought self-sufficiency through the purchase and milking of 18 cows, with which they hoped to replace Israeli milk purchases and find a way to provide the community with milk while boycotting Israeli products as part of their resistance.

“The Israeli army did not like the idea and started chasing the cows to put an end to their farm,” the filmmaker added. 

He decided to have the cows speak and turned them into central characters because he “thought it was unfortunately an easy way to talk to the West who will feel more sorry for the cows than for Palestinians”.     

Shomali, who is originally from Beit Sahour, said the timing was suitable for screening the movie in Amman. 

The Palestinian-Syrian director said the younger generation benefits from the film because it acts as a window into the first Intifada.

“When the Intifada first started, it included throwing stones and confrontation with the Israeli army and it developed from throwing stones and confrontations into replacing the system of occupation in all aspects of life and applying alternative options in terms of education, economy and food,” he added. 

Shomali stressed that the image new generations have of the Intifada is incomplete.

“The idea of the Intifada that has reached them is one of anger, including throwing stones and confrontation at the barrier. But the first Intifada was so much more than that. It incorporated a number of stunning efforts including boycotting Israeli products and refusing to pay Israeli taxes,” he added. 

“The Wanted 18” is Shomali’s first film. Previously, he studied architecture in Palestine and he later received a diploma in animation in Canada. He went on to obtain a master’s degree in fine arts in Britain. 

The movie will be screened at Rainbow Theatre at 7pm in Jabal Amman on Wednesday and Thursday. 

“There are many projects I am thinking of but I need to take a long break and think carefully about my next work,” the filmmaker said.

Shomali believes movies tackling ideas similar to what he addresses in “The Wanted 18” are needed these days, arguing that there is a kind of saturation in stories of Palestinians being subjected to violence, which is widely covered by the news. 

“I think we do not want movies that show us as victims, we want movies that show our humanity to the world.”

AMMAN — A book calling for boosting media freedom in the Kingdom was recently issued by the International Programme for the Development of Communication under the title, “Assessment of Media Development in Jordan”.

The book is based on UNESCO’s Media Development Indicators conducted as part of the Support to Media in Jordan Project, funded by the European Union.

The study urged a comprehensive review of laws that limit freedom of expression or freedom of the press, or encourage secrecy, including the Temporary Law of Protection of State Secrets and Documents. 

The assessment also urged the government to conduct a review of laws that are restrictive of media freedom, including the Press and Publications Law, the Audiovisual Media Law, the Jordan Press Association Law, the State Security Court Law, the Anti-Terrorism Law and the Contempt of Courts Law.

Limitations on who may practise journalism should also be removed, the assessment indicated, including laws that prohibit those who are not members of the press syndicate from working or presenting themselves as journalists.

To ensure more freedoms, military courts should not have the power to handle cases related to publication or expression involving media personnel or civilians, said the assessment.

AMMAN — A number of tribal leaders in Salt signed an honour pact on Tuesday limiting the Jalwa (forced relocation) to the persons listed in the family booklet and not the entire family.

Theeb Ensour told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that expanding the Jalwa to include all the members of a killer’s tribe is unfair.

In tribal law, the term “Jalwa” refers to the forced relocation of a tribe if one of its members kills someone without just cause.

The measure is meant to avoid friction between the two clans, both of the killed and the killer, living in the same place.

AMMAN — In regions where religion plays an integral role in shaping societies, drawing on religious institutions to inculcate better energy conservation practices can be the “wisest” strategy, experts highlighted on Tuesday.

Linking sustainability to spirituality has proven to be “very effective” in influencing change among the mainstream as seen in the German Development Agency’s (GIZ) experience, according to Peer Gatter from the agency. 

“Why does the GIZ work with Islamic actors? We get this question a lot. For many decades, we have worked with Christian organisations in Africa and Latin America and it worked.” 

“Religious actors enjoy long-term cooperation with local people and therefore, we should build trust with these entities and show them that we do not have hidden agendas,”  Gatter added.

He made his remarks on the second day of a conference organised by the West Asia North Africa (WANA) Institute on the environmental Sustainable Development Goals. 

The two-day event, which concluded on Tuesday, was carried out in cooperation with GIZ and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

Noting that Islamic figures are very “influential” in their communities, Gatter cited a project implemented by GIZ in Algeria which introduced biodiversity awareness lessons in  mosques and religious schools, reaching more than 400 educational institutions. 

Awqaf Minister Hayel Dawood also cited an initiative implemented by the German agency in Jordan to change behaviours towards sustainability.

Rainwater harvesting techniques, recycling of greywater and installing water-saving devices at mosques are the pillars of the project, which seeks to reduce water consumption and cut down on mosques’ water bills, which stand at JD2 million per year, Dawood noted. 

The project, he added, has reached 6,500 mosques across Jordan so far. 

However, former Palestinian minister of water Shaddad Attili said the issue of water in the region cannot only be addressed by Islamic scholars conserving water during ablutions.

“The water situation in almost the entire region is a tragedy by itself. This issue should be taken seriously as an Arab security issue that threatens the well-being of nations and not as an issue of being careful with water during ablutions,” he said. 

Known as the “Green Sheikh” in the UAE, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Ali Al Nuaimi, environmental adviser of the Ajman government, highlighted his experience in raising awareness on environmental and sustainable issues. 

He noted that Jordan has the potential to become the “heart of innovation in the Middle East, but needs support”, adding that there are “many young Jordanian people who have great innovations in the area of renewable energy”.

AMMAN — Deputising for Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, Public Works Minister Sami Halaseh on Monday inaugurated the eighth Interbuild Jordan Fair and the Spark Exhibition taking place simultaneously with the ninth Jordanian International Electrical and Electronics Engineering Conference (JIEEEC 2015).

The Interbuild Fair 2015 is being held at Zara Expo Halls near the Grand Hyatt Amman Hotel and will conclude on Wednesday at 9pm.

A total of 100 local, regional, and international companies are taking part in the fair, SPARK and the international conference, according to Hani Ghanem, head of Interbuild’s organising committee.

The fair focuses on construction materials, targeting contractors, engineers, consultants, or anyone who wishes to rebuild or build a house, according to Souad Aljaghoub, general manager at the Golden Gate for Organisation of Exhibitions and Conferences Services, the event’s organising company. 

Exhibitors at SPARK, which takes place every two years, focus on electricity and electronics, including IT, communications, software safety and security, according to Aljaghoub.

Nathalia Toro, corporate communications manager at the Dubai-based Marmo Classic Stones Factory L.L.C, said this is her company’s first time participating in the Interbuild Fair Jordan 2015.

Toro said the number of visitors does not matter but what matters are the visits of professionals who are interested in a certain company’s products.

Hassan Khalifah, section manager at Industries for Constructional Equipment Limited (I.C.E), said such fairs give companies the chance to expand their work as well as keep up with updates in the job market.

Exhibiting companies are able to meet and benefit from each other, and they bring convenience to customers who find everything gathered in one place, Khalifah said, adding that the fair should have been organised in a larger place.

Ricky Young, sale consultant at Pujin Grandeur Global of Pujin Group, said the fair is a great opportunity for them to showcase their products to Jordanians and to know Jordan as well, adding that they are planning to take part in next year’s fair.

The Interbuild Fair featured exhibitors from Jordan, China, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, according to the organisers.