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AMMAN — The Ministry of Environment on Tuesday launched a campaign to collect electronic wast e and guide the public on ways of handling it.

Under the campaign, the ministry distributed 240 bins in different governorates to collect unwanted computers, cell phones, chargers, dry batteries and fluorescent light bulbs, Environment Minister Taher Shakhshir said on Tuesday.

The campaign also entails three pillars, including evaluating governing regulations and drafting a new mechanism for the safe disposal of electronic waste at the Swaqa landfill for hazardous waste, Shakhshir said.

“The second pillar includes training workers at the hazardous waste landfills and encouraging recycling… while the third pillar is about raising public awareness,” Shakhshir said at a press conference to launch the campaign.

A total of 200 bins with a capacity of 240 litres each were placed for collecting computers, cell phones and dry batteries, while 40 wooden boxes were distributed for fluorescent light bulbs, which contain mercury.

“The bins were distributed at schools, universities, hospitals and municipality headquarters to facilitate access for the public,” the minister noted.

The improper disposal or processing of electronic waste causes serious health and pollution problems, as some electronic scrap components contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury and brominated flame retardants, according to web sources.

The campaign is implemented in cooperation with UNDP, which provided $100,000 in funding, according to UNDP representative Zeina Ahmad Ali, who noted that the campaign ends in 2015.

Ali underscored that further funding will be provided to the ministry to carry out a second phase of the campaign, when the private sector will be encouraged to handle the collection of electronic waste.

Environment Ministry officials believe that the absence of sound management of electronic waste threatens the environment and public health. Official figures indicate that 94 per cent of Jordanians own at least one cell phone and two-fifths of households own PCs, which are often discarded with the regular garbage when outdated.

In Jordan, the average age of PCs ranges between two to five years, while it is eight to 10 years for TV sets and fridges, and two to three years for most cell phones, according to ministry studies. Statistics indicate that at least one million Jordanian households are linked to the electricity network and thus each has a minimum of one electrical device.

Officials have repeatedly urged the public to drop off their unwanted or outdated computer equipment and any electronic waste at the ministry, which discards the materials at the hazardous waste unit in the Swaqa Landfill, 160 kilometres from Amman.

AMMAN — The Lower House’s Legal Committee on Tuesday rejected the participation of non-members in its ongoing meetings to investigate allegations of corruption against the head of the chamber’s Finance Committee.

The decision was taken a day after Abdul Munim Odat, head of the committee, announced that the meetings are “closed” and was met with displeasure by MPs who are not members of the legal panel. 

Deputy Motaz Abu Rumman issued a statement after he was denied entry to the committee’s meeting on Tuesday, saying the decision raises questions about the investigation. 

“Although I am member of the Integrity Committee in the Lower House, I was denied entry,” he said.

Abu Rumman was accompanied by Mustafa Rawashdeh, head of the Integrity Committee, when Odat denied them entry. 

The Legal Committee is investigating a suspected corruption case involving Deputy Mohammed Saudi, who tried to acquire a plot of state-owned land in the Dead Sea area at a cost below market price.

Saudi had called for referring the case to the relevant parliamentary committee to review and provide its recommendations.

The House decided to investigate the matter after Maha Khatib, the chief commissioner of the Development and Free Zones Commission (DFZC), submitted her resignation, reportedly accusing the government of exerting pressure on her to transfer ownership of the state-owned land to Saudi at a price less than the market rate.

Government officials have denied the allegations, saying “it was the DFZC that set the price for this land.”

AMMAN — Jordan was one of the first countries to recognise the independence of Bangladesh in 1971; however, bilateral ties need further expansion, Bangladeshi Ambassador to Jordan Muhammad Enayet Hossain said.

In an interview with The Jordan Times on the eve of his country’s national day, celebrated on March 26, Hossain said there should be more visits between officials from Amman and Dhaka, which he will focus on.

These visits, he explained, will help deepen bilateral relations in various sectors, including trade, which is below expectations.

Jordan’s main imports from Dhaka are garments and textiles, he said, voicing hope that the Kingdom will become a market for Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals, which are exported to 100 countries across the world.

According to Hossain, the main agreement signed between his country and the Kingdom is the one related to labour, noting that there are between 50,000 to 60,000 Bangladeshi workers in Jordan.

He also noted that another agreement in the field of agricultural cooperation has been drafted and will be signed soon between the two governments.

The ambassador explained that agriculture is one of the most important sectors in his country, which might consider importing fertilisers from Jordan.

According to the Agro Bangladesh website, Bangladesh is primarily an agrarian economy. 

Agriculture is the single largest producing sector of the economy since it comprises about 30 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product and employs around 60 per cent of the total labour force. 

Jordan and Bangladesh are also cooperating in the military domain, with Jordanian army officers giving training courses in Dhaka on a regular basis, Hossain said.

He voiced hope that there will be further cooperation in the tourism sector, noting that Jordan and Palestine are popular destinations among Bangladeshis, especially for religious tourism.

To capitalise on that, Hossain called on Jordanian authorities to facilitate visa requirements and procedures for Bangladeshi citizens, expressing concern over the recent rejection of entry visas for a group of Bangladeshis who were planning to come to the Kingdom for tourism purposes.

“The group was planning to go from here to Jerusalem. They are very religious and from well-off families; I don’t find any reason why they were not given visas,” the diplomat said.

According to the embassy’s figures, 493 Jordanians were issued visas to Bangladesh in 2013 and “we expect more this year.”

Having a direct flight between Amman and Dhaka would also increase the number of visitors, Hossain said, noting that around 40 to 50 of his compatriots travel between the two countries every week.

AZRAQ — The opening of a third refugee camp in Jordan next month would take some of the pressure off the country’s main Zaatari camp and host communities as a soaring number of about 600 refugees is crossing into the country daily, UN and local officials said on Tuesday.

The Azraq Refugee Camp, located some 100km east of Amman near the eponymous town in the Zarqa Governorate, will eventually be able to accommodate up to 130,000 people sprawling over 15 square kilometres.

“This camp is an international effort in support of the government of Jordan,” UNHCR Representative to Jordan Andrew Harper told a press conference in the camp, adding that “what is different at this camp compared to Zaatari is that we have had the time to prepare… and prepare we have”. 

Azraq camp is planned to open around April 30, according to the UN official.

“There is an enormous need in Jordan, which is currently hosting over 600,000 Syrian refugees in addition to Iraqis, Sudanese, Palestinians, and every day we see hundreds more cross the border,” Harper said.

This week, between 600 and 800 Syrians have crossed into Jordan on a daily basis, according to the UNHCR.

Unofficial figures suggest the number of refugees in the Kingdom could amount to over one million, putting a strain on the country’s health and education services and the already scarce water resources in one of the world’s 10 driest countries.

“We must tell the international community that Jordan cannot do this alone, nor can the agencies do the impossible with nothing. Syria is a humanitarian disaster and Jordan is absorbing this humanitarian disaster off its own cost. The international support to Jordan has so far been insufficient,” Harper added.

The international community has invested JD45 million in the new camp, a cost that includes roads, infrastructure, shelters, a hospital, water systems, schools, a police station. The daily cost will depend on how many people will be in the camp, the officials said at the press meeting.

But using Zaatari as benchmark, providing support to its 100,000 refugees cost $400,000/500,000 on a daily basis, UNHCR figures show.

So far 3,000 units have been completed in the new camp, while around 800 more are under construction.

The UNHCR is committed to building 5,300 units before the end of April.

Each of the 24-square-metre house-like shelter costs JD1,900, and JD24 per person would be granted to each refugee per month in food.

“In December, we appealed for $1.2 billion in humanitarian aid, but so far we have received only 16 per cent. How can we continue to do what we are doing if the international community is largely ignoring or taking Jordan for granted?” Harper added.

Camp Security Director Colonel Atef Al Omoush said that the swelling number of the refugees has prompted the construction of the new camp.

“We decided on the location in April last year and we started building the facilities in Azraq in December,” Omoush told reporters.

“There are four villages inside the camp. Each will be provided with facilities to host between 10,000 to 15,000 refugees,” the official added. 

The camp’s central hospital will be run by the Red Cross providing 50 beds, while two double-shift schools will accommodate 10,000 children. A daily supply of 1,500 litres of water would be delivered by tanks at first, pending the drilling of a well inside the camp.

Refugees who found sanctuary in Zaatari will not be relocated to Azraq. The new refugees who cross into Jordan after the opening of the camp would find shelter in the new facility, director of the Syrian Refugees Affairs Directorate, Brig. Gen. Wadah Hmoud, told the press conference.

“There is no indication the Syrian crisis is going to end soon; therefore, we need support from the international community. We are expecting big waves of refugees in the near future,” Hmoud added.

Twenty-one humanitarian agencies have jointly planned the camp, in collaboration with the government.

“Our common goal is to provide refugees with services as close as possible to their living areas. The camp infrastructure would serve an initial planning for 51,000 refugees. We have built this site in very close cooperation with the Syrian refugees directorate and involving the local community of Azraq,” UNHCR senior field coordinator Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth told the press conference.

“We hope to save money concerning costs in Azraq. We have invested in solar energy so that in the long term, electricity consumption will not come at such a high cost as it does in Zaatari,” Castel-Hollingsworth said.

Neither the camp nor the refugees’ living areas have been electrified, UNHCR officials noted.

Solar street lights would be scattered across the camp, and refugees would be given solar lanterns to charge their electronic devices.

“We planned to electrify the camp but in a way it will allow us to manage the consumption of electricity. This will be a sort of green camp as we are also looking into solar farms. UNHCR is trying to switch to green energy in camps around the world but this would be the first of this kind considering its vastness,” Castel-Hollingsworth said.

AMMAN — The Lower House on Tuesday referred the draft amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Law to its Legal Committee to examine the bill and provide MPs with its recommendations.

The decision was taken after a dispute arose between MPs, with some voicing support for the draft amendments and others rejecting them.

Former Lower Speaker MP Abdul Karim Dughmi (Mafraq, 1st District) criticised the bill, saying “there is no need for this legislation,” as the government did not introduce any significant changes.

He led a campaign under the Dome against the bill, but the House voted against his proposal, sending it to the Legal Committee for examination.

Out of the 104 MPs present in the meeting, only 47 voted in favour of rejecting the bill.

MP Mohammad Al Haj, a member of the Islamic Centrist Party bloc, charged that “certain external powers imposed this draft bill” on Parliament, while former House speaker and current MP Abdul Hadi Majali (National Current Party) described some of the law’s provisions as “harsh”. 

He called for referring it to the Legal Committee and discussing it thoroughly.

Other MPs expressed opposition towards this piece of legislation, arguing that the crimes under its jurisdiction are covered under other laws, including the Penal Code.

However, MP Mohammad Qatatsheh (Tafileh, 1st District) linked the importance of the draft bill to the ongoing instability and terrorist activities across the region.

“It is an important law amid the chaotic security situation surrounding our country,” he said.

Speaking at the session, Justice Minister Bassam Talhouni noted that some provisions and crimes under the anti-terrorism bill fall under the jurisdiction of other laws, but “we want to bring such crimes under one specialised bill, used by special courts.”

MP Rula Hroub (Stronger Jordan Party) said the law expands the scope of terrorist crimes to include even certain debates broadcast on satellite TV channels, hence, “it violates public freedoms and rights.”

Deputy Mefleh Ruheimi (Jerash, 1st District) suggested that MPs give the bill urgency status as there are terrorist activities taking place each night on “our northern border”.

During Tuesday’s session, deputies also endorsed the temporary agriculture law and voted against forming a panel to probe alleged interference in the 2007 and 2010 parliamentary polls after a group of deputies submitted a memo proposing that.

ZAATARI REFUGEE CAMP — Under a huge white tent in the desert dust of Jordan, 100 Syrian refugee children, their own lives blighted, rehearse King Lear, one of Shakespeare’s great tragedies.

They form a circle around Syrian actor-turned-director Nawwar Bulbul, who has worked with them for more than two months at the Zaatari Refugee Camp in the hope of drawing attention to their plight.

“I seek to revive laughter and joy among children to help them express themselves,” said Bulbul, who was in several hit soap operas at home before falling foul of President Bashar Assad’s regime and fleeing into exile.

“I seek to reproduce their childhood, which has been destroyed by war.”

Jordan currently hosts more than 500,000 Syrian refugees including 100,000 in Zaatari — more than half of them children.

Laughter, joy and childhood innocence are not commonly associated with the story of Lear, an ageing monarch who decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters.

Because of a misunderstanding, he disinherits the only one who truly loves him. The others betray Lear, destroying not only his family but also his kingdom.

The king goes mad, raging against his misfortune.

“Blow, winds and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow!” he rails in a storm, calling on the sky to send down “sulphurous and thought-executing fires” to “singe my white head!”

Majd Ammari, a green-eyed 13-year-old from conflict hotspot Daraa, is entranced by his role as Lear.

Shakespeare in classical Arabic

He will of course not utter those thundering lines in the Bard’s English, but in classical Arabic.

“This makes me happy. I really want to become an actor when I grow up,” said Ammari, who fled to Jordan with his 10-member family last year.

Bulbul has adapted and modified the play to make it more suitable for the children, and says it “has nothing to do with politics and the Syrian uprising”.

“I only took the roots of the story — that there is a dying king who wants to divide his realm among his three daughters. Two of them are liars and the third is honest.

“I focused on the comparison between lying and telling the truth,” said the actor from the Syrian city of Homs.

“I focused on what is interesting for children. All children like acting. A boy likes to play the role of king, prince, knight, while a girl wants to become a princess.”

Bulbul said he chose Lear because he feared “a play about the bombs that fell on people’s heads in Syria would not interest” children who have become jaded by the death and destruction they have seen.

The actor, who left Syria after being blacklisted for joining anti-regime protests, said he gets little support in Zaatari.

He depended on friends to buy the tent and help gather equipment and props.

‘Children pay the price’

Boys line up to the right and girls, most wearing headscarves, to the left as Lear stands in the centre holding a wooden sceptre, listening to his daughters pitch their expressions of loyalty.

All of the children are under 15, and most come from Daraa and the Damascus area.

“We want to tell the West: ‘Leave the children out of this dirty game of war.’ They have nothing to do with war, but they always pay the price,” Bulbul said.

“Children should be playing with toys and learning science, arts and music.

“When I first came here, children were using the language of war... tanks, bullets and bombs. But that has changed now. To me, this is an achievement.”

Bulbul plans to stage the play at Zaatari on March 27, World Theatre Day.

Written invitations have been arranged for UN chief Ban Ki-moon, actress and UN special envoy Angelina Jolie and French football legend Zinedine Zidane.

“To me, the children are the real revolutionaries. Performing Shakespeare’s play in the heart of Zaatari is a different kind of a revolution against politics and society,” Bulbul said.

Bushra Nasr, 13, plays eldest daughter Goneril, while Weam Ammari, 12, is Cordelia, the one who is wronged.

“The play brought joy to all of us. We needed that,” said Nasr, who fled to Jordan with her five sisters and two brothers a year ago.

Ammari, who has five sisters and a brother, said she has finally found something to entertain her.

“My role was not easy at first because I had to speak classical Arabic. But now, everything is smooth and I have a lot of friends. It makes me feel much better.

“I do not feel lonely any more in this place.”

The following is the official translation of His Majesty King Abdullah’s speech at the 25th Arab Summit in Kuwait on Tuesday:

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate

God’s blessing and peace be upon Prophet Mohammad, the Faithful Arab Hashemite Prophet.

Your Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah,

Your Highnesses, Excellencies,
Your Excellency Secretary General of the Arab League,

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.

It is my pleasure to extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to my brother, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, and to the state of Kuwait for hosting this session of the Arab summit, and to His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, and the state of Qatar for hosting the previous summit, and to the Arab League Secretary General Nabil El Araby and his staff for their efforts to ensure the success of this meeting.

Our Arab region continues to struggle with several challenges and threats arising from the failure to reach a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause, which is the Arabs’ primary cause and core conflict in the region. Furthermore, there is the escalating Syrian crisis, the increasing magnitude of the human suffering of the Syrian people, the growing burden borne by Syria’s Arab neighbours and the continuing challenges faced by some of our fellow states, after the transformations they have undergone, to establish security and stability and continue to rebuild.

Activating pan-Arab cooperation and joint action is the way to realise the aspirations of our peoples to live in peace and security and build a better future. In this context, we should highlight the significant role played by the Arab Parliament and the need to enhance its efforts. Jordan will continue to play its brotherly and humanitarian role in upgrading and promoting pan-Arab cooperation. It will harness all its potential and energy in all international forums, particularly the UN Security Council, to serve Arab interests and issues.

Your Excellencies and Highnesses,

We have consistently stressed that the establishment of a sovereign and viable Palestinian state, based on the envisaged two-state solution, relevant international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, is the basis for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, achieving comprehensive peace and enrooting security and stability in the Middle East. The achievement of these goals is a higher Jordanian interest, as Jordan hosts the largest number of Palestinian refugees and has among our top priorities the protection of their rights.

I emphasise that all agreements on final status issues must uphold Jordan’s higher interests. Therefore, today the international community is required to assume its responsibilities, move immediately to compel Israel to stop its unilateral policies and measures and urge it to take advantage of the Arab Peace Initiative and the historic opportunity available now to achieve peace.

Jordan will also continue to carry out its religious and historical duty of preserving Jerusalem and its holy Islamic and Christian sites. It will work to help Jerusalem’s Arab population stay on their land, support their steadfastness, strengthen their presence and stand up to address Israeli violations and measures, particularly those targeting Al Aqsa Mosque, by all available means and in coordination with our brothers in the state of Palestine.

Your Excellencies and Highnesses,

The continuing crisis in Syria and the spread of extremist groups there portend disastrous consequences for the region and the world. The solution to this crisis necessitates a swift and comprehensive political transition to end the suffering of the Syrian people and meet their aspirations. It must be a solution agreed upon by all parties, one which ensures that the entire political spectrum is represented, preserves the territorial integrity and political independence of Syria and triggers internal reforms towards pluralism and democracy, leading to the return of Syrian refugees to their country.

Today, Jordan hosts around 1,300,000 Syrian nationals, including approximately 600,000 who have taken refuge in the country since the outbreak of the crisis in Syria. This makes us the third largest host of refugees in the world.

We should emphasise the need to support the hosts of Syrian refugees, and enhance their capacities and capabilities, in addition to providing support to local communities affected by the influx of refugees within these countries, not to mention the need to improve humanitarian conditions inside Syria.

Towards this end, I appreciate the great efforts exerted ??by my brother, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, and the role played by the state of Kuwait, to host the second international conference of donors to support the humanitarian situation in Syria, and all those who contributed financial support during the conference.

My brothers, Arab leaders,

Since its foundation, Jordan has consistently adhered to the principle of moderation and resisted all forms of religious, ethnic and sectarian prejudice and all aspects and root causes of extremism and terrorism.

We see that the multiple conflicts in the region have created a fertile environment for the spread of such extremism and terrorism. This requires further sincere efforts to consolidate moderation, advance the principle of active citizenship and unleash the potential of future generations.

Finally, again I thank my brother, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, for hosting this summit and ensuring its success. I also thank our brethren in Kuwait for their warm reception and hospitality.

Praying to God Almighty to help us realise the good of our nation and our people.

Peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday met with the emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, on the sidelines of the Arab summit currently hosted by Kuwait.

The two leaders praised the historic relations between the two countries, and discussed recent developments in the region, especially the efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East.

The King also met with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and UN-Arab League envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi. Discussions covered ways to enhance joint Arab action, the Syrian crisis and issues of common interests. 

AMMAN — Jordan and Morocco on Tuesday underlined their commitment to boosting cooperation at all levels, to better serve the interests of both countries.  

During a meeting between Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and his Moroccan counterpart, Abdul Ilah Bin Kiran, on the sidelines of the Arab summit in Kuwait, the two premiers discussed prospects for further cooperation and the latest regional developments, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

They agreed to hold the Joint Jordanian-Moroccan Higher Committee’s meetings soon.

Ensour also highlighted challenges facing Jordan due to the regional unrest, saying that the Kingdom is a “small country that is affected by whatever goes on around it”.

Later on Tuesday, Ensour met with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah. 

The premier commended Kuwait’s arrangements to host the Arab summit, thanking the Gulf country for its support to Jordan.

KUWAIT— The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) on Tuesday called for support of the rebels seeking to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad with sophisticated weapons, as Saudi Arabia accused the international community of letting the Syrian opposition down.

“I ask you [Arab leaders] to put pressure on the international community to commit to its pledges to provide heavy weapons to the revolutionaries,” Ahmad Jarba, president of the SNC, said in a speech at the opening session of the 25th Arab Summit in Kuwait.

Jarba, who addressed the summit as a guest, criticised the decision not to give Syria’s seat, at the summit, to the coalition.

“Leaving Syria’s seat empty sends a message to Assad...’kill, kill, the seat is waiting for you once the battle is over’,” he said.

At last year’s summit in Doha, Arab leaders agreed to give Syria’s seat to the SNC. However, Iraq and Algeria have expressed reservations, while Lebanon has maintained a neutral stand on the issue. 

The rest of the Arab states support the move, with conditions. It was decided that the seat would be vacant this year until the coalition completes procedures required by the Arab League.

Jarba also urged Arab states to hand over Syrian embassies to the coalition.

“Reality dictates that Syrian embassies in the Arab capitals should be given to the coalition after the regime lost its legitimacy and nobody remains to cater to Syrians’ interests in Arab capitals, making their situation worse,” Jarba said.

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz said the international community has let down the Syrian opposition, reiterating Riyadh’s support for the SNC as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

“There is a legitimate resistance in Syria that was betrayed by the international community and left as prey in the face of an oppressive force,” the prince, who is also deputy premier and minister of defence, said at the summit.

“It does not make sense that we do not see the coalition today taking Syria’s seat at the summit and assuming its natural place. We hope this situation will be corrected,” said the prince.

The Saudi prince called for changing the balance of power on the ground in Syria, where he said terrorist groups from several areas have entered the country.

“The crisis in Syria has reached catastrophic levels, as half of the Syrian people are either displaced within their country or refugees abroad,” Prince Salman said at the summit, which was attended by 13 Arab heads of state.