Jordan still has a long way to go....
Jordan is often shown as a shining light of fledgling democracy, freedom of speech and stability in amongst a clutch of countries which cannot claim all or any of the afore mentioned characteristics.
Unfortunately, this is often put to the test as with the recent case of Adnan Abu Obeh (a former Jordanian ambassador, information minister and King Hussain's chief of the Royal Court). Last week, Abu Obeh, during an interview with Al-Jazeerah, commented on the low representation of Jordanian Palestinians within the Jordanian government
From Friday's Jordan Times
AMMAN — The state security prosecutor on Thursday charged former Royal Court chief Adnan Abu Odeh with slandering the King and inciting sectarianism during an interview he gave to Al Jazeera satellite television.
Several citizens filed complaints against Abu Odeh, 73, over his statements to Al Jazeera, but Amman Prosecutor General Saber Rawashdeh referred the case to the military tribunal for lack of jurisdiction, officials said. Abu Odeh spoke in the interview about what he called the “exclusion” of Jordanians of Palestinian origin from political participation as well as their poor representation in government and Parliament. Abu Odeh also questioned the way King Abdullah is defending the Palestinian cause.
Jerash Mufti Ahmad Jaddiyeh said he was the first to file a claim against Abu Odeh.
“I was enraged by what he said,” Jaddiyeh told The Jordan Times.
“I am married to two Jordanian women, one of them is of a Palestinian origin… and I can’t accept what he [Abu Odeh] said about the country and the King.”
The mufti said he filed the complaint on his own volition.
Jordan was the only Arab country to have given full citizenship to the Palestinians, who fled their homes in the aftermath of Israel’s creation in 1948.
Abu Odeh, who faces up to three years in prison if found guilty, was quoted by Reuters as saying that those behind the complaints misread his remarks.
“I am surprised because they have misread the conclusions of my comments and understood it as an accusation against the state when I am one of its pillars,” said Abu Odeh, a member of the respected Brussels-based think tank International Crisis Group.
In 1965, Abu Odeh joined the General Intelligence Department (GID) as a political analyst and was named minister of culture and information in 1970. King Hussein appointed him minister of Royal Court in1984, political adviser in 1988 and Royal Court chief in 1991. King Abdullah named him political adviser in 1999, and in 2000 Abu Odeh resigned his post.
It is not the first time that Abu Obeh has spoken up in with regard to Jordanians of Palestinian origin, (of which he is one), in 1999, whilst a political advisor to King Abdullah, he published a book (Jordanians, Palestinians, and the Hashemite Kingdom in the Middle East Peace Process)in which he highlighted the difference in political standing between Jordanians and Jordanians of Palestinian origin.
However, The Jordan Times does report today that the charges have been dropped....
AMMAN (JT) — The State Security Court (SSC) prosecutor on Sunday dropped all charges against former Royal Court chief Adnan Abu Odeh.
The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted the court official as announcing “the case is closed,” without giving the reason for the decision.
Abu Odeh was charged Thursday with slandering the King and inciting sectarianism during an interview with the Qatar-based Al Jazeera satellite television station.
Several citizens had filed complaints against Abu Odeh, 73, at the office of Amman Prosecutor General Saber Rawashdeh. But the judicial official referred the case to the SSC for lack of jurisdiction.
Abu Odeh allegedly spoke in the interview about “exclusion” of Jordanians of Palestinian origin from political participation and their poor representation in government and Parliament. He also questioned the way King Abdullah is defending the Palestinian cause.
Jordanian Palestinians make up around 60% of Jordan's population and although I never really got involved in discussing politics whilst there (going on the safer than sorry way of thinking) it is obvious even to an outsider that there is a certain stigma attached to having Palestinian origins as opposed to true Jordanian roots...for the Hong Kongers amongst you its similar to the stigma attached to those who are from the Mainland as opposed to those who were born and grew up in Hong Kong.
Jordan has always trod a very fine line between allowing its people a certain amount of freedom and trying to keep the stability of the country...unfortunately it seems that freedom of speech is often one of the first victims in keeping this balance.
Unfortunately, this is often put to the test as with the recent case of Adnan Abu Obeh (a former Jordanian ambassador, information minister and King Hussain's chief of the Royal Court). Last week, Abu Obeh, during an interview with Al-Jazeerah, commented on the low representation of Jordanian Palestinians within the Jordanian government
From Friday's Jordan Times
AMMAN — The state security prosecutor on Thursday charged former Royal Court chief Adnan Abu Odeh with slandering the King and inciting sectarianism during an interview he gave to Al Jazeera satellite television.
Several citizens filed complaints against Abu Odeh, 73, over his statements to Al Jazeera, but Amman Prosecutor General Saber Rawashdeh referred the case to the military tribunal for lack of jurisdiction, officials said. Abu Odeh spoke in the interview about what he called the “exclusion” of Jordanians of Palestinian origin from political participation as well as their poor representation in government and Parliament. Abu Odeh also questioned the way King Abdullah is defending the Palestinian cause.
Jerash Mufti Ahmad Jaddiyeh said he was the first to file a claim against Abu Odeh.
“I was enraged by what he said,” Jaddiyeh told The Jordan Times.
“I am married to two Jordanian women, one of them is of a Palestinian origin… and I can’t accept what he [Abu Odeh] said about the country and the King.”
The mufti said he filed the complaint on his own volition.
Jordan was the only Arab country to have given full citizenship to the Palestinians, who fled their homes in the aftermath of Israel’s creation in 1948.
Abu Odeh, who faces up to three years in prison if found guilty, was quoted by Reuters as saying that those behind the complaints misread his remarks.
“I am surprised because they have misread the conclusions of my comments and understood it as an accusation against the state when I am one of its pillars,” said Abu Odeh, a member of the respected Brussels-based think tank International Crisis Group.
In 1965, Abu Odeh joined the General Intelligence Department (GID) as a political analyst and was named minister of culture and information in 1970. King Hussein appointed him minister of Royal Court in1984, political adviser in 1988 and Royal Court chief in 1991. King Abdullah named him political adviser in 1999, and in 2000 Abu Odeh resigned his post.
It is not the first time that Abu Obeh has spoken up in with regard to Jordanians of Palestinian origin, (of which he is one), in 1999, whilst a political advisor to King Abdullah, he published a book (Jordanians, Palestinians, and the Hashemite Kingdom in the Middle East Peace Process)in which he highlighted the difference in political standing between Jordanians and Jordanians of Palestinian origin.
However, The Jordan Times does report today that the charges have been dropped....
AMMAN (JT) — The State Security Court (SSC) prosecutor on Sunday dropped all charges against former Royal Court chief Adnan Abu Odeh.
The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted the court official as announcing “the case is closed,” without giving the reason for the decision.
Abu Odeh was charged Thursday with slandering the King and inciting sectarianism during an interview with the Qatar-based Al Jazeera satellite television station.
Several citizens had filed complaints against Abu Odeh, 73, at the office of Amman Prosecutor General Saber Rawashdeh. But the judicial official referred the case to the SSC for lack of jurisdiction.
Abu Odeh allegedly spoke in the interview about “exclusion” of Jordanians of Palestinian origin from political participation and their poor representation in government and Parliament. He also questioned the way King Abdullah is defending the Palestinian cause.
Jordanian Palestinians make up around 60% of Jordan's population and although I never really got involved in discussing politics whilst there (going on the safer than sorry way of thinking) it is obvious even to an outsider that there is a certain stigma attached to having Palestinian origins as opposed to true Jordanian roots...for the Hong Kongers amongst you its similar to the stigma attached to those who are from the Mainland as opposed to those who were born and grew up in Hong Kong.
Jordan has always trod a very fine line between allowing its people a certain amount of freedom and trying to keep the stability of the country...unfortunately it seems that freedom of speech is often one of the first victims in keeping this balance.
posted by Madame Chiang at 12:49 pm
1 Comments:
Very worthwhile data, lots of thanks for this post.
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