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AMMAN – Thousands of Jordanians took to the streets of Amman and other cities across the Kingdom to protest Israeli provocations against Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. 

Participating in a march in downtown Amman that was organised by the Islamic Action Front (IAF) following Friday prayers, hundreds of angry demonstrators chanted slogans expressing their support for Al Aqsa Mosque and calling for action by Arab countries to protect Al Haram Al Sharif, the third holiest shrine in Islam. 

Murad Adailah, IAF spokesperson, described Friday as a day of anger against the Israeli aggression on Al Aqsa Mosque.

“Jordanians from across the Kingdom took to the streets in support of Al Aqsa today,” he said.  

Adailah noted that demonstrators want the Jordanian government to put an end to diplomatic relations with Israel and stop what he termed political and economic normalisation with Israelis.  

Jihad Al Shaikh, one of the demonstrators in downtown Amman, said he took part in the rally to show solidarity with Palestinians as they struggle to safeguard Al Aqsa Mosque compound from Israeli acts of aggression and also are to send a message that all Jordanians stand ready to protect Jerusalem from Israeli plans to Judaise the holy city.

“We want to send the same message of His Majesty King Abdullah that Al Aqsa Mosque is a red line,” he told The Jordan Times. 

Mohammad Kanaan, another demonstrator, warned that Israeli violations against the holy shrine will only inflame the region. 

“We call on Arab leaders to quickly meet in order to stop Israeli provocations,” he added. 

Also Friday, dozens of activists gathered outside the Kalouti Mosque near the Israeli embassy in Amman to protest the Israeli actions.   

Demonstrations and activities in solidarity with Al Aqsa were also held in several parts of the Kingdom including Baqaa, Ruseifa, Tafileh, Karak, Irbid and Salt. 

The rallies started following Friday prayers, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.  

AMMAN — The UN Security Council on Friday stressed that Palestinian Muslim worshippers at Al Haram Al Sharif, Al Aqsa Mosque compound, must be allowed to worship in peace, free from violence, threats and provocations. 

In a statement issued on ongoing situation in Jerusalem, members of the Security Council called for full respect for the sanctity of Al Haram Al Sharif, noting the importance of the special role of Jordan as confirmed in the 1994 peace treaty between Jordan and Israel. 

The Security Council members expressed their “grave concern” regarding escalating tensions in Jerusalem, especially surrounding Al Haram Al Sharif compound, including recent clashes in and around the site.

The Security Council called for the exercise of restraint, refraining from provocative actions and rhetoric, and upholding unchanged the historic status quo at Al Haram Al Sharif — in word and in practice.  

The members of the Security Council urged all sides to work cooperatively together to lower tensions and discourage violence at holy sites in Jerusalem.

The members of the Security Council appealed for the restoration of calm and encouraged increased coordination between Israel and Jordan’s Awqaf Department.

The statement said that members underscored that visitors and worshippers must demonstrate restraint and respect for the sanctity of the area and for maintaining the historic status quo at the holy sites. 

The members of the Security Council urged that the status quo of Al Haram Al Sharif should be maintained and visitors should be without fear of violence or intimidation.

The members called for the immediate cessation of violence and for all appropriate steps to be taken to ensure that violence ceases, provocative actions are avoided, and that the situation returns to normality in a way which promotes the prospects for Middle East peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The Jordan News Agency, Petra, said that Al Haram Al Sharif phrase was used for the first time in 15 years by the Security Council thanks to Jordan’s intensive diplomatic efforts. 

His Majesty King Abdullah has issued directives to use all channels and ways to pressure Israel into stopping its continuous violations against Al Aqsa Mosque. 

King Abdullah made a series of calls with several regional and world leaders to discuss the developments in Jerusalem. 

UNITED NATIONS — Every time youth issues come to the UN Security Council, they come as a problem — foreign fighters, victims or perpetrators — according to a senior UN official, who called for establishing a mechanism to deal with young people as peace builders.

“There is a very important mechanism at the Security Council called ‘women, peace and security’, so we think it’s time for the Security Council to have ‘youth, peace and security’,” said Ahmad Alhendawi, the United Nations secretary general’s envoy on youth. 

At a meeting with journalists last week at UN headquarters in New York, Alhendawi spoke about the Amman Youth Declaration on Youth, Peace and Security, which was the outcome of a UN conference hosted by Jordan last month. 

The declaration’s follow-up action has to be at the policy level led by member states, and at the programme level for UN agencies, he said, noting that the campaigning must continue to keep the momentum going. 

“We’re already working now and developing our joint matrix at the UN for the follow-up on the Amman Youth Declaration,” the Jordanian UN official added.

Some 11,000 young people around the world contributed to online consultations on the declaration.

Jordan is also committed to using the declaration to draft a Security Council resolution on youth, peace and security.

“With all the burning fires around the world, you need to get young people for their voices to be heard,” Alhendawi added, noting that youths are the first to be sent to the frontline in times of war.

“They are probably the ones who are going to be killed… but when you have peace talks, you don’t see young people sitting there,” he said. 

“So young people are good to be sent to fight and die, but they are not good to be brought to the discussion, and that’s just crazy. We have to change that.”

Around 600 million young people live in conflict zones or fragile security situations around the world, according to UN estimates.

Pointing out the need to engage youths in politics more effectively, Alhendawi said young people are even under-represented in youth organisations.

“If you go to an organisation working in women’s rights, most likely who will be there? Women. If you go to an organisation of indigenous people, who will be there? Indigenous people… but only when you go to an organisation for young people, it is likely that you will see no young person on the board or in the room,” he added.

“I think even youth issues have been hijacked in some way.”

Describing violent extremism and its effect on young people as a social disease, Alhendawi said more work is needed to understand the phenomenon in order to counter it.

“The world has been investing [funds] to understand cancer and HIV/AIDS for decades now and we have not been able to find a cure. This is much more difficult… and I don’t think there’s one way of explaining it,” he noted.

Poverty alone is not a factor, the UN official said, but he acknowledged the adverse impact of frustration among young people over issues such as unemployment and lack of services.

“It seems to me that the international community has become more aware of the need to support young people and to work for positive youth development because we’ve recognised that we’re hitting the wall with this generation,” Alhendawi said.

“I’m really hoping that this wake-up call … would scale up the investments in supporting young people, but without us losing the focus that the massive majority of young people are not terrorists. They are not potential terrorists; they are ones who need a better life, and we have to offer that to them.”

AMMAN – Three Jordanian cartoonists are holding a joint exhibition to highlight the plight of Syrian refugees, especially those seeking haven and a better future in Europe. 

Omar Abdallat, Nasser Al Jaafari and Amjad Rasmi chose the theme “Western Countries are my home,” mocking a slogan taught to Arab schoolchildren for decades “All Arab countries are my home,” dating back to the post-WWII pan-nationalism era in the region. 

“We wanted to send a humanitarian message” on the need to protect human life and provide children with a safe environment to live a normal life,” Abdallat told The Jordan Times in an interview during the opening ceremony of the exhibition, held at a café in Jabal Luweibdeh on Thursday.

Al Jaafari underlined another goal. The trio sought to present cartoons as shapers of public opinion and collective awareness.

Editorial cartoons, he said, are very important during times like the ones witnessed by the region in recent years.

“This art is important because it is honest and conveys its messages bluntly,” he added. 

Al Jaafari noted that oppressive regimes are responsible for the emergence of extremist groups and the craziness in the Arab world.

“This is what we wanted to say at this exhibition,” he said.

Musa Hijazeen, a Jordanian comedian, commended the idea of the exhibition. 

“These young people speak for all Jordanians because they express our feelings towards refugees through their works,” he told The Jordan Times.  

Linda Khoury, the owner of Fan Wa Chai, a café and art gallery, said the exhibition features a collection of art pieces that have been scattered in mainstream and social media. 

She noted that the show, which runs through September 29, showcases a total of 33 works.   

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday sent a cable of condolences to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, over the passing away of Sheikh Rashid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Saturday morning. 

In the cable, the King expressed his deep sorrow and sympathies to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and prayed to Almighty God to bless his soul. 

The King also extended his condolences and sympathies to Al Maktoum family and the Emirati people, a Royal Court statement said. 

Sheikh Rashid died at the age of 34 of a heart attack, according to reports.

He was the first son of Sheikh Mohammed  and Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum. In addition to his role as Dubai ruler, Sheikh Mohammed is vice president and prime minister of the UAE.

Sheikh Rashid was an avid sportsman and horse-racing enthusiast. His younger brother Sheikh Hamdan is Dubai’s crown prince.

AMMAN — European Council President Donald Tusk is expected to discuss issues of common concern with senior officials Sunday, a source said.

The European official was due in Amman Saturday night.

The source, who preferred to remain unnamed, did not give details about the expected meetings, but told The Jordan Times that talks are to address bilateral ties, with emphasis on the refugee issue.

The “brief stopover” is also to include a visit to the Zaatari Refugee Camp.  

Tusk has recently visited Turkey and met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a visit followed by another to Egypt where the EU official met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

On his Twitter account, Tusk said he will report the findings of his visits to Jordan, Egypt and Turkey to the EU extraordinary summit, convening this Wednesday to discuss refugee crisis.

AMMAN — India’s embassy on Thursday held a ceremony marking Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Day, in the presence of Jordanian officials and ITEC alumni, who commended the quality of training under the ITEC programme. 

“India has always believed that it should share what it has and what it learns with its friends, the developing countries,” Ambassador Anil Trigunayat said at the ceremony, pointing out that the programme was launched on September 15, 1964 by India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Since then, September 15 has been celebrated as ITEC Day. 

Thirty Jordanians will be able to benefit from ITEC scholarships this year, while Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury, whose ministry coordinates cooperation with the Indian side in this regard, said Jordan will push for the number to go up during a high-profile visit by Indian officials to Jordan, expected for the fourth quarter of this year. 

“We are going to be stubborn to increase the seats,” he said, highlighting the importance of strengthening technical cooperation, especially South-to-South cooperation. 

The minister described such training as “critical in building the capacity of the public sector in many fields”, pointing out that Jordan will work to deepen its historic partnership with India, at all levels. 

He added that Jordan is also interested in discussing country-focused training to bring trainers to Jordan to maximise benefits, in this regard, especially in areas where India can assist in achieving the goals of the major components of the economic blueprint “Jordan 2025” which was launched in May this year.

ITEC training covers different specialisations, ranging from IT to small-scale business, finance and even defence, according to the ambassador.  

Taking the podium at the ceremony, several ITEC alumni expressed their gratitude for the programme, which they said provided them with an opportunity to acquire practical knowledge and at the same time learn about India’s culture.  

One of these graduates was Nimer Haddadin, currently the Ministry of Agriculture’s spokesperson, who said his dream to visit India came true through the ITEC programme during which he visited historic sites in the subcontinent and learned about its policies, parliament and rich civilisation. 

Another alumnus, Loai Al Keswani, shared similar views and expressed his respect and appreciation for the opportunity to receive a two-month training in quality management in 2008.  

Suleiman Al Shouha said his four-week programme in performance and auditing “covered all I needed and helped me achieve progress in my career”.

Other participants voiced hope that the Planning Ministry would succeed in its efforts to increase Jordan’s slots and expand the age limit. 

MPs from the Friends of India Society at the Lower House were also among the attendees. MP Amneh Gharaghir explained that the society, launched around a month ago, seeks to boost the Indo-Jordanian political and economic relations. 

Over the past 50 years, India has provided technical training to 161 countries through fully funded scholarships, according to the Indian embassy in Amman.

AMMAN — The government and the German Development Bank (KfW) on Saturday signed a soft loan agreement worth 30 million euros to finance the second segment of the Water Resources Management Programme in its third phase. 

The agreement was signed by Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury and KfW Director in Amman Florian Rabe in the presence of German Ambassador to Jordan Birgitta Siefker-Eberle, according to a ministry statement.

The loan will be allocated to finance several projects aimed at improving water carriers, sewage networks and the reuse of the water provision system in the Kingdom, Fakhoury said.

The loan will be paid back within 15 years that includes a five-year grace period with a fixed interest rate of 2 per cent, the minister added.

Fakhoury expressed Jordan’s appreciation to Germany for its financial and technical support for vital projects in the sectors of water, education, energy and refugees, indicating that Germany is among the biggest supporters to Jordan at the bilateral level, citing 193 million euros recently allocated by Berlin within the joint development cooperation programme.

Following the signing ceremony, Fakhoury met with Siefker-Eberle and discussed ways to boost cooperation between Jordan and Germany, with the minister acquainting the ambassador on latest repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Jordan.

There is a dire need to finance and support the 2015 Jordan Response Plan to address the consequences of the Syrian refugee crisis, the minister said.

For her part, Siefker-Eberle praised the Jordanian role regarding regional and international issues, highlighting the Kingdom’s reform efforts despite regional circumstances.

Also on Saturday, Fakhoury held a meeting with Nadine Morano, member of the European Parliament, who is currently on a visit to the Kingdom to have a first-hand look at Jordan’s challenges and needs, and to discuss means to enhance bilateral cooperation, a Planning Ministry statement said.

Fakhoury told the EU lawmaker that supporting Jordan to be able to deal the impacts of the Syrian crisis contributes to the security and stability of Europe and could alleviate the pressure caused by the unprecedented wave of refugees and immigrants.

Morano stressed that Europe’s support to Jordan is in Europe’s best interest, stressing that she will convey the messages she heard in Jordan to the European Parliament.

AMMAN — Two police officers from the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) were injured on Saturday during a shoot-out with drug dealers in the southern part of the Kingdom.

One of the officers is in critical condition, while the other is in fair condition, according to a statement issued by the media office of the Public Security Department (PSD). 

The statement said officers from an AND team, who were on  duty to watch and collect information on a number of drug dealers in the Rashidiya area, in Maan Governorate, found themselves targets of gunshots that hit their vehicle, adding the policemen responded to the assault and the attackers fled the scene. 

The statement described the shooters as “very dangerous armed men” who are wanted for a number of drug trafficking cases. 

On Saturday, the PSD media office said the anti-narcotics agents have carried out a number of raids on drug traders across the Kingdom, adding an Arab national was arrested while attempting to smuggle 5,000 pills outside the Kingdom.

The suspect, who was arrested at a border crossing, tried to hide the pills by taping them around his body.  

The raids targeted dealers, smugglers and addicts in Amman, Balqa, Ramtha and Ajloun, the police statement said. 

The AND said it will go on with its campaigns against dealers “wherever they are”, calling on people not to hesitate in reporting any drug suspects “who are a threat to society and its security”.

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat on Saturday stressed the ministry’s achievements and future plans to further ensure a healthy school environment and raising awareness of health practices for students.

He cited campaigns to combat smoking in schools and education offices. During a meeting with the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Jordan, Maria Cristina Profili, Thneibat reviewed the ministry’s efforts in the regard, saying that education authorities observe the Public Health Law.