Local

AMMAN — The Tourism Ministry said Tuesday it is studying a social media post promoting the ancient city of Petra as located in Israel to decide whether to file a lawsuit against those behind it.

"It is a fact that a certain body markets Petra as an Israeli location," the ministry's secretary general, Issa Gammoh, told The Jordan Times.

Noting that the practice is not new, he said tourists coming to the Nabataean city from Israel have to pay tourism authorities in Jordan JD90 as entrance fees, which is JD40 above the sum charged to foreign visitors coming from other places.

Kay Arthur, a US Bible teacher and author, posted a photo of Petra city, which is located some 245km south of Amman, with the words “2016 Israel Tour”.

"We have to first study the motives behind the post and whether it is posted by the author herself or not," Gammoh said.

The link posted by Arthur promotes a visit to "holy sites in Israel" in 2016 and an extension visit to several sites in Jordan as part of the tour.      

"Jordan is not an extension destination. We refuse to promote it this way. Jordan is an independent destination," Gammoh stressed.

The link Arthur posted on her official Facebook page introduces her organisation, Precept Ministries International, as the coordinator of the trip.  

Arthur removed the poster from her page later in the day, after a storm of criticism by both Jordanians and others on social media, who described the post as “misleading” and “problematic”.

David Scott left a comment saying: “This is Jordan not Israel,” noting that Jordan hosts Palestinian refugees who fled “Israeli aggression and land-grabbing”.

“This is a historical place in Jordan, Israel who? Educate yourself, Kay Arthur,” wrote Mustafa Ayad Dolimi.

“… Jordan [is] an Arab nation on the east bank of the Jordan River… it is home to the famed archaeological site of Petra, the Nabataean capital dating to around 300 BCE, set in a narrow valley with tombs,” Issa Awamleh commented.

Renad N. Samaan wrote: “Petra is one of the [New] Seven Wonders [of] the World, it is in my country Jordan, not Israel.”

Tarek Bakri, Palestinian activist, wrote: “First our food, then culture, and now Petra?”

The photo received about 1,720 likes, more than 2,300 comments, and 2,325 shares.

Meanwhile, the efforts of the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) to encourage internal tourism are ongoing.

“We want all citizens to visit Petra and promote it on social media. There are still Jordanians who have never visited it,” Gammoh said. 

He cited the packages of quality services with suitable prices for Jordanians planning overnight stays.  

In mid-August, a campaign funded by the government was launched to encourage tourists to visit the ancient city of Petra. 

In previous remarks, JTB Managing Director Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat said the campaign includes television and radio commercials, in addition to advertisements on billboards, taxis and tram stations in many countries around the world.

The number of visitors to the rose-red city dropped by 34 per cent in the first six months of 2015, compared to the same period last year due to regional unrest. The drop is blamed on regional unrest.

According to official figures, 215,970 tourists visited the Nabataean city in the January-June period, compared to 327,858 tourists in the same period of 2014.

AMMAN — A total of 65 per cent of the country's opinion leaders expect the draft elections law to result in a better parliament than the current one, according to the results of an opinion poll released Tuesday.

In the survey carried out between September 3 to 6 by the Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan around 80 per cent of the 700 interviewed opinion leaders said they agree with the proposed bill.

Furthermore, a total of 76 per cent of the sample said Jordan is moving in the right direction, with senior statesmen being the most optimistic as 85 per cent of them agreed to the statement, while businesspeople were the least optimistic with 68 per cent of them agreeing.

"This could be the first draft law to achieve such high consensus rates among opinion leaders," CSS Director Musa Shteiwi said at a meeting with the press.

The interviewees included 100 personalities under each of the following categories: university professors, senior statesmen, writers and journalists, leaders of labour and professional associations, leaders of political parties, senior business people and specialised professionals.

Statesmen, 98 per cent of whom said they are acquainted with the details of the draft law, were largely supportive of the bill, as 87 per cent of them said they agree with it.

Meanwhile, leaders of political parties, 98 per cent of whom said they are acquainted with the details of the draft law, registered lower levels of agreement, which stood at 76 per cent.

Concerning the role of the draft law in enhancing partisan life in Jordan, 60 per cent of the overall sample expected a positive effect, while only 53 per cent of political party leaders agreed. 

“The majority of political parties in Jordan are small in the number of members; therefore, it could be difficult for them to win seats according to the new proposed system,” Shteiwi said, adding that the multimember lists encourage the formation of large political coalitions.   

The vast majority of surveyed opinion leaders (92 per cent) agree with reducing seats from 150 to 130, while a majority of 71 per cent was in favour of the current list system, which does not exclude lists to political parties.

Moreover, 56 per cent of the total sample expected the draft law to form homogenous parliamentary blocs.

When it comes to women’s quota, 41 per cent of the overall sample said they agree with the proposed women’s quota with fixed 15 seats, while 29 per cent said they prefer women’s quota to remain open as in the current law.

“The proposed law is not perfect, but is expected to enhance political culture among political parties, candidates and voters,” Shteiwi said, calling for building on the positive changes that the proposed bill suggests.

Around 50 per cent of the sample believes the Lower House will pass the bill as it is and that the Senate will also pass it without changes, Shteiwi said lawmakers should take the remarks and comments of politicians and experts on the bill into consideration to improve it.

PARIS — Jordan on Tuesday reaffirmed its rejection of the targeting of religious or racial minorities in the region. 

Speaking at an international conference on the issue that gathered some 60 countries and representatives of around 15 NGOs in Paris, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said Jordan believes in the importance of safeguarding cultural pluralism in the region and putting a stop to extremism, which leads to sectarian and racial violence, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Stressing the Kingdom's commitment to combating terrorism, Judeh called for a comprehensive approach to counter the phenomenon, extending beyond military action to include cultural and social efforts on the long term.    

He quoted His Majesty King Abdullah’s address to the 69th UN General Assembly, saying: “Another critical global focus must be a decisive affirmation of mutual respect, within and among religions and peoples.”

“Arab Christians are an integral part of my region’s past, present and future,” Judeh said, quoting the King.

He also highlighted Jordan’s initiatives to promote interfaith dialogue and harmony, stressing the important role that young people play in shaping the region’s future, according to Petra.

Also at the conference, co-chaired by Judeh and his French counterpart Laurent Fabius, France said it will contribute 25 million euros to a global “action plan” for the protection of minorities in the Middle East that are persecuted by Daesh and other extremists, Agence France-Presse reported.

Fabius said the plan aims to help displaced minorities, fight against extremists and maintain religious and ethnic diversity in the region.

“We will not sit back and let the historic diversity of the Middle East disappear,” Fabius said.

So far, France is the only country to have contributed any funds to the action plan but other countries will follow, he added.

Of the 25 million euros ($28 million), 10 million euros will go towards an emergency fund for tasks such as de-mining, housing and rehabilitating displaced minorities.

The rest of the money is earmarked for refugee camps in countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.

Minorities in the Middle East — Yazidi, Kurds, Christians — have long suffered at the hands of Daesh terror group and many have fled from Iraq or Syria after terrorists took over their homelands there.

AMMAN — Interior Minister Salameh Hammad on Tuesday said the Jordanian-Qatari relations are based on mutual respect and interest in development and growth.

In an interview with the Qatari Al Sharq newspaper, Hammad spoke about Jordan’s security and stability amidst a region full of conflict.

He highlighted the Interior Ministry’s efforts to fight crime and implement the law, especially when it comes to drugs and smuggling, referring also to Jordan’s humanitarian role in hosting refugees.

AMMAN — Jordan on Tuesday celebrated the International Literacy Day under the theme of “Literacy and Sustainable Societies”.

Head of the Senate’s Education Committee Senator Abdullah Oweidat said that illiteracy is not a problem in Jordan, especially that its rate among adults stands at less than 10 per cent, attributing this low rate to compulsory education.

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, in her message on the occasion, said that despite the progress in fighting illiteracy in the world since 2000, there are still 757 million adults, two thirds of whom are women, who lack basic reading skills.  

AMMAN — Sixty decision-making representatives from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkey and European countries affected by the refugee crisis, and financing partners gathered in Marseille on Monday to discuss the long-term development challenges of the crisis in the MENA region, where more than four million people are displaced, according to a statement from the Word Bank.

Acknowledging that many of the countries in the region coping with large inflows of refugees are of middle-income, the participants said there is a major financing gap, in which countries do not have access to the medium-and longer-term development assistance.

Participants recognised the urgent need of increasing multi-year development resources to strengthen the capacity of countries and communities hosting refugees. The issue will be the subject of a discussion during the International Stakeholders’ Roundtable Meeting for the Middle East and North Africa Region, on the sidelines of the World Bank Group-International Monetary Fund Annual Meeting in Lima, Peru, on October 9, said the statement.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday bestowed medals on Royal family members, military institution retirees and former secretaries general of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO).

During a celebration marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the JHCO, the King bestowed the Order of the Hashemite Star on HRH Prince Hassan for his distinguished contributions and services to the Kingdom throughout the long years, and the Order of Al Hussein for Distinguished Contributions to HRH Prince Rashid, for his achievements and contributions to the JHCO, which he currently chairs, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The Monarch also bestowed the Order of Independence of the First Class to the Civil and Military Affairs Directorate of the Jordan Armed Forces — Arab Army (JAF) which was received by King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben.

The King also bestowed the Order of Independence of First Class to the former secretaries general of the JHCO Abdul Salam Abbadi, late retired Gen. Mohammad Majed Eitan, received by his son, Majed, and retired Maj. Gen. Ahmad Amyan, along with and the incumbent JHCO Secretary General Ayman Mefleh for their efforts in the organisation.

During the ceremony, Prince Rashid gave a speech, expressing thanks for the King’s and the army’s endless support for the JHCO.

The prince added that the JHCO has been performing its humanitarian duties, offering assistance and help to the needy people and victims of human and natural disasters all around the world.

In his remarks, Mefleh presented a briefing on the JHCO’s achievements, noting that it has offered assistance to people in 37 countries in coordination with the JAF in addition to implementing a number of projects inside and outside the Kingdom in Somalia, Bosnia and the Gaza Strip.

The ceremony was attended by several senior army officers and government officials as well as JHCO donors and supporters, according to the statement. 

AMMAN — The Senate on Monday upheld for the second time its position on the 2015 amendments to the Independent Elections Commission (IEC) Law, thus constitutionally requiring the legislation to be discussed in joint session with the Lower House.

During Monday’s session, the Upper House also referred the draft decentralisation law back to the Lower House after changing the deputies’ version to stipulate a 10 per cent women’s quota in governorate councils, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

For the second time, the Senate rejected the Lower House’s changes to the IEC Law to include appointments in the oversight agency under the jurisdiction of the civil service by-law, insisting instead that appointments at the IEC should be governed by a special by-law.

With the Lower House also insisting on its amendments for the second time, the two Houses of Parliament will have to hold a joint session to give a final say on the matter in dispute. 

According to Article 92 of the Constitution: “Should either House twice reject any draft law and the other accept it, whether or not amended, both the Senate and the Chamber shall hold a joint meeting under the chairmanship of the president of the Senate to discuss the matters in dispute.”

In the draft decentralisation law, the Senate rejected the Lower House’s version of the law, which does not include a quota for women in governorate councils.

Deputies had cancelled a 15 per cent women’s quota that they themselves had introduced to the bill.

The senators decided to amend the bill to include a 10 per cent women’s quota in governorate councils.

AMMAN — Despite its several advantages, the proposed draft elections law may negatively affect the political participation of young Jordanians, politicians said Monday.

The proposed “wording” of the bill will result in a single winner in each of the multi-member lists, according to Jerash Deputy Wafaa Bani Mustafa, who argued that candidates of the younger generation are less likely to win through this method while competing with older candidates with wider networks.

The new law is based on the at-large voting system in which all candidates can run for parliamentary elections on one large multi-member ticket. 

Under Article 9 of the bill, eligible voters will have a number of votes equal to the number of seats allocated for their district in the Lower House. 

During the elections, each eligible voter has to vote for a multi-member list as a whole and for individual candidates within the same ticket.

Although the bill links financial incentives for political parties with the percentages of young and female members, the lack of an internal democratic structure in the majority of parties hinders their chance to obtain leadership roles, Bani Mustafa said.

“The role of young people in the electoral process at this stage is limited to them being voters, not candidates and leaders,” she argued at the fourth coordination meeting of a project on democratic reform.

For his part, Saleh Irsheidat, secretary general of the National Current Party, said removing the one-person, one-vote system in the draft law was “a step in the right direction”. 

However, removing the national-list will weaken the presence of political parties, and thus the participation of young people in areas dominated by tribal loyalties, he argued

Under the 2012 law, on the basis of which the 2013 parliamentary elections were held, each voter was given two votes: one for a candidate at the district level and another for a closed proportional list that competed for 27 seats at the national level.

Nonetheless, political party activism needs to be further instilled to combat the mentality of the 32-year-long martial-law era, which still persists even among young Jordanians who hear stories from their parents and grandparents about the time when partisan activity was banned and criminalised by law, the former minister said.   

He noted that the young generation is more interested in working with some of the 4,000 civil society and non-governmental organisations with elected boards, highlighting the need for political parties to benefit from the potential of young people although it has so far “failed” to do so.

General Manager of the National Youth and Sports Fund Abdul Rahman Armouti said the fund’s strategy, which was formed based on opinions of some 90,000 young Jordanians, found that the main concerns of young Jordanians were information technology and political participation in 2005.

However, their major concerns at present are governance and anti-graft efforts as well as political participation, he said, a matter that reflects an “advanced” level of awareness.

Meanwhile, the director of the political affairs department at the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Khawaldeh, said the significance of engaging young people in political life is due to their large number in Jordan and their ability to learn and adapt to change.

Around 30 per cent of Jordanians are between 18 and 25.

Khawaldeh attributed young people’s modest political participation to the fact that they have more pressing economic challenges to deal with, arguing that the martial law mentality is not an issue as partisan activity continued “in secret” at Jordanian universities during that period.

Furthermore, loyalty to the tribe and region seem to be stronger than loyalty to any political agenda, he said.

The discussion was part of the “Towards a Multi-Party Democracy: Strengthening the Role of Political Parties in Jordan’s Democratic Reform Process” project, co-funded by the EU and implemented by Al Quds Centre for Political Studies, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the Jordanian Centre for Civic Education Studies. 

MAFRAQ — Around 20km to the south of Mafraq city lies the Khaldieh District, an isolated yet vibrant region that is home to 25,000 people, making it the second most densely populated area in the northeastern governorate.

Despite the difficult living conditions Khaldieh residents are enduring — nearly 46 per cent are below the poverty line — the Princess Basma Development Centre in the area is acting as a “hub for interaction and training opportunities for the local community”, according to Thuraya Khaldi, a member of the centre.

Improving young people’s self-esteem, leading and communications skills is the main goal of the facility, she said at a ceremony on Monday, during which HRH Princess Basma, president of the National Goodwill Campaign’s higher committee, handed out much needed assistance to a number of students and families.

Ibrahim Otein, president of the Mafraq Charitable Societies’ Union, cited another facility inaugurated by the princess in 1998 that brought change to the lives of many people in the area — the Khaldieh Society for Special Education, which provides services to people with disabilities.

Addressing Princess Basma, he said: “Your initiative to establish a physical therapy unit in Khaldieh in 1996 has had a huge impact on the lives of many.”

The princess, in cooperation with members of the campaign’s higher committee, distributed urgent assistance to 700 families, scholarship aid to 25 students, schoolbags to 800 students and assistance to three charities to start income-generating projects.

The schemes include a yoghurt manufacturing unit, a sewing workshop and a commercial kitchen.

In addition, a medical campaign was held to test for medical conditions that are common in the area, including enlarged prostate, helical bacteria, cardiac enzymes, cholesterol and diabetes.

If the test results reveal that a patient is affected, further assistance is given through the medical arm of the Goodwill campaign.

During a gathering that brought together a number of residents, tribal leaders and representatives of women and youth sectors, Princess Basma underlined the importance of genuine partnership between all the public, private and charitable societies to serve the development process in Jordan and encourage volunteerism.

She praised the activities of women and young people in the area, who are contributing to improving its overall development.

The princess visited Khaldieh Secondary School for Girls and Khaldieh Primary Coeducational School, where she handed out assistance and checked on the activities of the medical day.

Launched in 1999 by the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, the National Goodwill Campaign has provided, until February, around JD28 million worth of assistance to 287,023 people, reaching more than 1.43 million indirect beneficiaries.