Global Voices » Ebtihal Mahadeen

Jordan: Campaign Launched Against “Rape-Marriage” Law

Ebtihal Mahadeen — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:25:51 +0000

In March of this year, 16-year-old Moroccan Amina Filali committed suicide after she was forced to marry her rapist, and Moroccans expressed their outrage at the incident. Now Jordanians are speaking up about a 15-year-old rape victim who has been married off to the man convicted of raping her, whose death sentence has been dropped as a consequence.

The sentence was dropped thanks to Article 308 of the Jordanian Penal Code that allows convicted rapists to walk free if they marry their victims. A campaign has now been launched to get the law abolished.

No to 308 campaign.

Blogger Naseem Tarawnah summarised the case that has angered people:

A 19 year old Jordanian kidnaps a 14 year old girl (with the assistance of his family) – takes her to a location where a tent was set up for him to rape her repeatedly for three straight days before the police roll in. The court sentences him to death by hanging but he manages to produce a very recent marriage certificate signed by a judge. The court then stays the execution but claims that it will be reinstated should the boy divorce her without a “justifiable cause”. A professor of sociology from the University of Jordan was widely quoted by the original article produced by Arab Al Yawm – that “women are different in nature from men” and that the girl should now make her best of the situation and play the role of a good wife, mostly by putting this whole silly rape thing behind her.

Twitter users in Jordan have condemned Article 308 and expressed their outrage at the way criminals are permitted to escape punishment while their victims are effectively punished. Activists and concerned Jordanians have been tweeting about Article 308 under the hashtag #جريمة308 (#Crime308) [ar] in order to raise awareness, and to garner support for a petition that aims to collect 20,000 signatures [ar] against Article 308:

نعلن رفضنا القاطع لما يطال النساء المغتـَـصبات من جرائم مركـّبة تحت مسمى العقوبات المخففة التي يوفرها القانون للمغتصب، ونسجل مواقفنا الرافضة لتخفيف العقوبة عن المجرمين، وتضييع حق الضحية والمجتمع تحت حماية القانون

We declare our unequivocal rejection for the multiple crimes that befall female rape victims because of the legal provisions for sentence reductions for rapists. We take a firm stance against both sentence reductions for criminals, and the dismissal of the victim's and society's rights, all under the banner of the law.

The petition also calls for stricter punishments for sexual assault and for the annulment of the category itself. In Jordan, sexual assault is any forced sexual act save for forced penile-vaginal penetration, which is the only act legally regarded as rape. Consequently, the rape of a male is not legally seen as rape, and neither is the forced penile-anal penetration of a female.

Tweets under the #Crime308 hashtag have mostly focused on the personal and social cost of Article 308 and highlighted its failings.

Zain tweeted:

@ZainMN: القوانين يجب أن تكون علاجاً لآفات المجتمع وليس تجسيداً لمفاهيم و ممارسات الظلم فيه.

@ZainMN: Laws should be a cure for society's diseases, not embody concepts and practices of oppression

Abd Ashhab wrote:

@abdashhab: جريمة 308 فن تحطيم شرف و مستقبلها البنت و كرامة عائلة و الدعس على مجتمع و بالآخر تبرئة الجاني

@abdashhab: Crime308 is the art of destroying a woman's honour and her future, as well as her family's dignity. It tramples on society and in the end the criminal is acquitted

Hadeel Abdel Aziz, Executive Director of Jordan's Justice Center for Legal Aid affirmed:

@hadilaziz:‬ لن نسمح بمعاقبة الضحية ولن نسمح بافلات المغتصب من العقوبة سنعمل على تعديل قانون العقوبات

@hadilaziz:‬ We will not allow victims to be punished and rapists to walk free anymore. We will change the penal code.

Raffoul H. Abubaida wrote:

@Raffoul: #جريمة308‬‏ معالجة ذيل المشكلة بعد الاغتصاب دون التفكير بان الاصل منع الاغتصاب ابتداءا وذلك بوضع العقوبة الرادعة

@Raffoul: [The current law] addresses ‎‫ the problems after rape without considering that we should prevent rape from happening in the first place by enforcing punishments that are a deterrent

Hadeel Maaitah tweeted:

@girl_brainy: Imagine tweeting once a day using ‫#جريمة308‬ saves one victim! Cumulative effort will save victims & save girls from becoming ones

The campaign against Article 308 was launched just weeks ago, but in this short period the campaign has had two volunteer meetings, gathered over 2000 signatures on its petition, and received considerable media coverage. Active beyond Twitter, the campaign is also present on Facebook.

Its use of social media has enabled it to get the support of prominent figures like the head of the Jordan National Commission for Women, an ex-minister, and an MP. However, Jordanian public outrage at this injustice is yet to bear fruit in the form of the abolishment of Article 308. There are high hopes this will be achieved before Jordan gets its own Amina Filali.

Jordan: Third “Blog About Jordan” Day a Success

Ebtihal Mahadeen — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:51:44 +0000

Jordanian bloggers marked the third Blog About Jordan day on March 12th. As was the case in previous years, the cyber event was organized by U.S.-based Jordanian blogger Qwaider:

It's that time of year again. March is is the month of Blog for Jordan day. March 12th to be exact. This year it's going to be even more spectacular than the last two years.

The event, while primarily focusing on blog posts about Jordan, went live on Twitter as well under #B4JO where new posts and tweets about it were publicized. Clearly a testimony to the rising importance of Twitter as a social networking tool, tweets also opened up the event to non-bloggers.

Qwaider not only organized the event but also published an excellent roundup of what transpired during March 12th, linking up to the blogs that took part in the event. Since his roundup is so stellar and in order to avoid online redundancy, here are a few of the things bloggers have actually said on the third BAJD:

Nido on bringing up her children to love Jordan:

We're bringing my kids soon to visit you Jordan,
We'll make sure we take them downtown,
We'll make sure they BOTH eat mansaf, shawerma, knafeh and falafel,
We'll make sure we visit a lot of houses, for friends and family,
We'll make sure they bathe under your sun and they watch your sunset from the main balcony in my parents' house.

MommaBean on the Jordan of her heart:

Changeable weather that is summer today and winter tomorrow
Traffic that is never ceasing and never predictable
Opportunities to befriend the rich and the poor alike and enjoy both equally
An intoxicating blend of home-comforts and exotic strangeness
A country that takes in those without other places to go… that opens its arms and its heart - often at detriment to itself.

Miss Khasawneh on borders:

I know now that we might not be the largest of countries, but as cliché-like as this might sound, Jordan is large in its cities, each with its own history, its ability to hold within it so much diversity, its people, who prove themselves to be more creative, more successful and more worthy of admiration with each passing day.

Nadine Toukan on freedom of expression in the country:

Media today, be it legacy, traditional, new, or social, is a conversation. And no one can shut you up. Censorship does not stop anything, never has. […] Go ahead, blog about Jordan - share what you love, what works for you, and what else you want…with no holds. Speak your mind about the Internet environment you want, teach your readers and viewers something we don't know, demonstrate why open matters.

Image courtesy of Ola Oeliwat

Ola Oeliwat on why it's easy to be creative in Jordan:

A lot of material to work with,Just look around you! Wherever you look it’s a blend of interesting people, phenomena and landscape. […] There’s actually a lot of support for those who choose to tap into their own potential. […] There’s always something to look forward to. A photo exhibition, a book signing, a movie showing, you name it! There are actually newcomers who are becoming well-known for their work all around Jordan, some sore of local celebrities, and I think this creates an energetic vibe and could be encouraging to other aspiring young people, or old for that matter!

Ranging from critique of pedestrian life in the capital to analysis of the educational system and a vocal protest against web censorship, Jordanian bloggers tackled current hot topics in marking March 12th, the third Blog About Jordan day.

Jordan: Tweeps Celebrate their Country

Ebtihal Mahadeen — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:32:07 +0000

In an initiative that was adopted by tweeps from other Arab countries, Jordanian users of micro-blogging site Twitter created and maintained a hashtag that celebrates the top 50 things they love about their country. #Top50Jo soon attracted tens, if not hundreds, of participants from across Jordan, eager to express their big or small Jordanian love in 140 characters or less.

Farah from Observations of a Jordanian listed some of her favourite things on her blog:

- How everyone you meet knows someone you know

- How everyone has an “uncle” who's high up in the government

- That our Queen has YouTube and Twitter. and actually contributed her #Top50Jo

- That you can complain to the mayor @MayorOfAmman on Twitter

- How everyone gets together in happy as well as sad occasions

Naseem Tarawnah over at The Black Iris linked up to #Top50Jo on his blog as “a mental break from all the cynicism and the daily realities that can make you forget how great Jordan really is,” while Roba Al-Assi from And Far Away borrowed some from other tweeps and classified them into different categories:

- The Jordanian National Anthem at the end of broadcast day on Jordan TV

- The serene call for prayers resonating across Amman.. and definitely the weather..second to none!

- Mansaf :-) That’s simple

- Watching the excitement of kids on first day of Eid, dressed up, in streets, sizing the other, hustling over gifts & play plans.

Even Queen Rania took part in the tweet-a-thon, posting her picture with Abu Ahmad, an Ammani symbol who used to sell peanuts in downtown Amman and who has just recently passed away. To take the initiative even further, two Jordanian tweeps are planning to film what people love about Jordan:

“We have started #Top50Jo. Now let's document it on Video. Come on and join us to film what we love most about Jordan.”

What started out as a pastime for a Jordanian Twitter user (some say @shusmo,) turned into a trend that was passed on to Egyptian and Lebanese users who created their own hashtags, was endorsed by bloggers and royalty, and is now going offline quite creatively. Twitter sure works in mysterious ways!

Jordan: Bloggers Take On Controversial Court Ruling

Ebtihal Mahadeen — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 06:13:25 +0000

Following the recent Jordanian Cessation Court’s decision to subject electronic websites to the Press and Publication Law, the Jordanian web has been overflowing with reactions to the court ruling which many Jordanians see as a step back for freedom of speech in the country.

Awen Al-Meshagbeh, writing for Mideast Youth, gives an example of the Jordanian governments' treatment of an online writer, Mr. Salah Momani. Al-Meshagbeh has this to say about the governments' various methods of censorship:

Relying on a mix of indicators such as detentions, regulations, and intimidation to crush any peaceful and generally loyal opposition, the Jordanian regime has now emerged as one of the leading online and print media oppressors in the Middle East. This is evidenced by the outright and clear violation of the fundamental principles put forward by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to measure a society’s tolerance of free speech; these principles include but are not limited to: governments’ use of filtering, monitoring, and regulation (Arab Times newspaper and its online version is an example); authorities’ use of imprisonments; and other forms of legal harassment to deter critical journalistic writing (Mr. Ahmed Al-Abbadi is another example).

Parallel to these efforts, BamBam goes over the list of things that may no longer be discussed in the Jordanian web:

Anything that goes against national responsibility
Anything that goes against Human rights
Anything the goes against islamic and arabic sensibilities
~~Anything that would harm the King and the royal Family~~
Anything concerning the Jordanian armed forces or security apparatus unless otherwise authorized
Anything ridiculing any of the religions or sects recognized by the constitution
Anything that harms the national unity and incites on committing crimes
~~Anything that ridicules, disses or slanders heads of Arabic, Islamic, or friendly states, or disturbs Jordanian relationships with other countries~~
Anything that promoted deviancy and corrupts morals
~~Any False information or gossips that harm public interest, Government institutions or those who work in it~~
Any information related to the secret session of the national council
Any non-disclosed government documents
~~Anything that would shake the confidence people have in the national currency~~

To further illustrate the gravity of the court decision, Gaith Saqer over at Arab Crunch quotes Basil Okur, one of the founders of Ammon News, a Jordan top-ten site according to Alexa as saying that “according to the court order, a publication definition is any thing published, meaning anything circulating online: forums, Tweets, blog posts and comments, Facebook wall comments and email.”

Other blogs, like La Sharaf Fil Jareemah (No Honour in Crime) which is dedicated to combating honour crimes in the country, takes part in the ongoing discussion of the new ruling by providing a list of relevant coverage of the news in myriad sources ranging from local and international news papers to news websites and blogs. Yet others only half-jokingly mock the new situation, take Kinzi for example, who writes:

Guess I’ll have to keep most of my drafts unpublished, and that the ————— ooops, can’t go there. And the —– oops, can’t go there either. I hope complaining about local driving doesn’t fall into these categories.

The general feel in the Jordanian blogosphere, however, seems to be one of defiance. Several bloggers are pushing for an active challenging of the court rule, like Razan Khatib who maintains that:

amongst other freedoms we don’t enjoy in Jordan, this is something we actually know what it tastes like, something we love so dearly, we nurture and are leaders in our region because of it. So this time around, we will not let that freedom be taken away from us so very easily!

Urdun Mubdi3 (Creative Jordan) contributor Zeid Abu-Odeh echos Khatib's sentiment, as he writes under the title “In Defence of Freedom of Speech and the Internet“:

This is a golden opportunity for us all to fight together for a decent life. Let us make our voices heard for the whole world, and preferably in Arabic so we could be taken seriously for once.

While several news websites are actively publishing stories about the new restrictive ruling, Naseem Tarawnah at The Black Iris advocates a thorough inspection of the new situation. He says in reference to recent reactions:

Some are jumping to conclusions and some are launching various campaigns, and I just feel we don’t have the right information at this point, which in itself is a problem the Jordanian government has created - but that’s nothing new.

In the meantime, Eyas Sharaiha's bilingual article on 7iber “Websites and Publication Law“ is an attempt at analysing the possible ramifications of said law. Sharaiha holds that:

Extending anti-defamation laws to the internet is natural, and does happen in European countries and the United States (albeit with minor stipulations). It is based on the simple expectation that what you do in the “cyber world” is entailed by what you do in the “real world”.

Reserving individuals’ rights for protection against false claims and attacks on reputation in the internet is highly important. However, such protection of rights should not be done in the frame of media, press, and publication legislation, as that would hinder the openness of the web as we know it.

The article has generated quite a flurry of responses, many discussing the nature of censorship and others differing on what can be considered defamation under the Jordanian Press and Publication Law, and which now extends to websites and electronic media more generally. If the responses generated on 7iber and other Jordanian websites are anything to judge by, this is one discussion that won't die down quickly.

Interestingly, the court's decision corresponded with Freedom House's publication of its Freedom in the World 2010 report in which Jordan was downgraded from Partly Free to Not Free. Jordanian bloggers have not missed the opportunity to comment on the ironic correspondence, and MommaBean concludes “after all, without a voice, without a presence, without a dialog, where does that leave this wonderful, vibrant country of ours? Apparently it leaves us sad, silenced, and lacking critical reasoning.”

Jordan: Community Work Changing Lives

Ebtihal Mahadeen — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:08:42 +0000

In a heartwarming story from Jordan, Sha3teely blogs about his local community's efforts to help a visually impaired street vendor.

Here are the main characters:

توفي والد علاء وهو مازال مراهقاً صغيراً وأصبح على عاتق علاء مسؤولية كبيرة تكمن في رعاية أسرة من خمسة أفراد. ومن هنا بدأت رحلة أخرى لعلاء حيث لم يجد سوى العمل على بسطة صغيرة قرب أحد المساجد في عمّان.

Ala's father died when he was a teenager, and left his son to shoulder the responsibility of caring for a family of five. From then on, Ala' had no choice but to work as a street vendor near a mosque in Amman

توفيق وخالد صديقان من روّاد ذاك المسجد الذي حوى بسطة علاء. وفي كل مرّة يمر بها توفيق وخالد من أمام البسطة تقصر المسافة بينهم حتى أصبح السلام واجباً بين الشباب. وفي كل مرّة يمر توفيق أو خالد من أمام البسطة يتوقفان قليلاً للاستماع إلى قصص علاء الطريفة واسلوبه الساخر في وصف واقعه الذي يعيش

Tawfiq and Khaled are two friends who go to the mosque where Ala's had his humble business. And each time they passed by him they said hello and stopped for a short pause to listen to his funny stories about the reality of his situation

And then one day:

وفي يوم من الأيام اختفت بسطة علاء وطال غيابه واستمر هذا الوضع ما يقارب الشهرين مما أثار استغراب كل من توفيق وخالد اللذان سوارهما القلق والحيرة تجاه صاحب البسطة الضرير. وبعد شهرين عاد علاء إلى موقعه فسارع توفيق وخالد لسؤاله عن سبب هذا الغياب. فكان السبب أن التنمية الاجتماعية إعتقلت علاء بسبب البسطة وأصبح هذا العمل لا يجدي نفعاً أبداً ولكن لا يوجد لديه أي خيار آخر سوى الاستمرار في هذا الدوّامة.ومنذ تلك اللحظة قرر خالد وتوفيق أنه أصبح من الضروري تغير واقع هذا الرجل المأساوي ومساعدته بأي طريقة.

One day, Ala disappeared and was no where to be seen. Tawfiq and Khaled wondered what happened to their friend, who returned after two months. Ala's told his friends that he was arrested by the Ministry of Social Development, and that his work is no longer feasible, but that he has no other choice. From that point on, Tawfiq and Khaled decided that they had to do something to change this man's life.

Thinking of a way to help Ala':

في البداية حاول خالد وتوفيق تأمين كشك صغير لعلاء يستطيع من خلاله العمل ولكن عملية الترخيص كانت مستحيلة … وبعد أشهر عدّة إتصل علاء بالشباب وأخبرهم أن هناك بقّالة معروضة للبيع بالقرب من منزله. ومع أن الرقم كان فلكياً بالنسبة لعلاء ” ٨٠٠٠ دينار” إلاّ أن هذا الأمر لم يثبط من عزيمته وإقدامه. وهنا بدأ الشباب بالتفكير جدياً في المشروع ومساعدة علاء على تحقيق هدفه

At the onset, the two friends tried to get Ala' a small kiosk to work from, but were unable to obtain a license for it. After several months, Ala' told them that there was a small shop for sale close to his house. And even though the price for the place was set at JD 8000 (a little over $10,000), an astronomical number for Ala', he was determined to get it. This was when Tawfiq and Khaled started thinking seriously about helping Ala' realize his dream.

The story gets better:

وجد توفيق وخالد أن مساعدة علاء لن تكون مجدية بمجرد إعطاءه بعض النقود وأن عليهم أن يعملوا أكثر من أجل تغير حياته جذرياً. ومن هنا قرر الإثنان أن يتحول علاء من صاحب بسطة إلى صاحب دكّان قادر على شق الطريق بنفسه … بدأت عملية جمع المبلغ لشراء الدكّان، وقد ساهم الجيران والمعارف وأهل المسجد في ذلك.. وقام خالد وتوفيق بإقناع إمام المسجد بإلقاء خطبة عن المشروع لدعم الفكرة.وفي النهاية تم تحصيل المبلغ إمّا على شكل تبرعات أو ديون يتم سدادها من أرباح المشروع فيما بعد.

The two thought that they won't be helping Ala' if they just handed him some money, and decided that they must work to change his life dramatically by turning him from a street vendor into a store owner. So they started raising money to buy a store for Ala' — neighbors, acquaintances, and mosque-goers contributed to their efforts. They even managed to convince the mosque's Imam to give a sermon about the project in order to garner support for it. Eventually, they managed to get the money either through donations or debts to be repayed when the project turns in profits.

The project gets bigger:

ولكي يضمن كل من خالد وتوفيق نجاح المعروف بدأوا بطبيق الأفكار التي تساعد على تطوير العمل وديمومته.. فتحدثوا إلى صاحب محل تجاري ناجح وأخبروه القصّه، ولم يطلبوا منه دعماً مادياً بل طلبوامنه أن يقوم بتدريب علاء ونقل ما يستطيع من خبرات لديه، فاستحسن الفكرة ووافق على الفور. …
لكن صاحب المحل التجاري الناجح وجد أن جهوده ستذهب سدى لأن حال الدكّان والبضاعة التي فيها كانت في حالة مزرية وشحيحة. فاقترح على خالد وتوفيق جمع نقود أخرى لشراء بضاعة جديدة. وبالفعل تم جمع مبلغ آخر من المال على شكل تبرعات أو ديون لتأمين المحل بالبضائع.

To ensure the project's success, Tawfiq and Khaled started to implement ideas to help sustain Ala's new business. They convinced a successful store owner to train Ala' and did not ask him for any material donations. The man said yes but complained that his efforts will be in vain as long as the new store remained in its modest shape with so little merchandise. He suggested that they raise some more money to buy new merchandise, and they did.

…and bigger:

طلب توفيق من عمرو “وهو مخرج للأفلام” من تصوير المحل قبل وبعد البضائع الجديدة، إلاّ أن عمرو وجد أن حال المحل مزري ويحتاج بالعربي إلى نفض “فاقترح أن يتم تنظيفه ودهانه من جديد”. ولكن الوقت لم يكن في صالحهم فالدكّان قريب من مدرسة للبنات وقد شارف إنتهاء العطلة وبدأ دوام المدارس، فكان لا بد من البدأ بعملية التغير بأسرع وقت.

Tawfiq later asked Amro, a film director, to record how the store was before and after hauling in the new merchandise. The latter, however, thought that the place needed an overhaul, so he suggested it be cleaned and painted. As the weekend was about to end and the girls' school nearby was about to get crowded, the crew were pressed for time.

Sha3teely continues:

في صباح يوم جمعة، إتصل بي عمرو وأخبرني أنه يريد أن يأخذني إلى مكان ما بعد صلاة الجمعة. فكان المكان دكّان علاء وهناك قابلت علاء وأخاه ووالدته وعرفت عن حكاية علاء. وقال لي عمرو أنهم يريدون تغير المحل خلال يومين.. ظننت في البداية أنه كان يمزح ولكن عمرو لم يكن كذلك.

One Friday morning, Amro called me up and said he wanted to take me somewhere after Friday prayers. He took me to Ala's store, where I met Ala' and his brother and mother and learned about his story. Then Amro told me that they want to have an “extreme makeover” for the store in two days, I thought he was joking. But he wasn't.

وصراحة تحول العمل من مجرد دهان جدران إلى تغيير كامل للمحل… وبدأ الشباب بالاتصال بمعارفهم من الحرفيين من حداد ونجّار وكهربائي ودهّين ومعلّم ألمنيوم. وشارك الكثير من الشباب والأصدقاء كل حسب خبرته ومستطاعه.. كما ساهم شباب الحارة وأصدقاء علاء في كثير من الأعمال التي شملت النقل والتنظيف والمساعده وسهروا حتى أوقات متأخرة لإنجاز العمل.

The project turned from just painting the place into a complete makeover. The guys started calling their acquaintances; masons, carpenters, electricians, painters… Many friends contributed to the work, each within their capacity. Neighbors and Ala's friends stayed up late working, moving stuff, cleaning, or lending a hand.

بعد الانتهاء من العمل تحسنت أوضاع البيع والشراء وتضاعف المدخول وأصبح علاء قادر على إعالة أسرته وأصبح فرداً عاملاً ومنتجاً في هذا المجتمع، وفي الوقت الحالي يقوم هادي -وهو محاسب متخصص- بأعمال إستشارات وتدريب في الإدارة المالية والمحاسبية في المشروع.أمّا بالنسبة للمدرسة المجاورة فقد قام الشباب بشرح القصة لمديرة المدرسة التي أبدت دعمّا كبيراً لفكرة الدكّان وساعدت على ترويج الدكّان بين طالبات المدرسة.. ولكن مازالت هناك تحديات كبيرة أمام علاء وهي تسديد الديون المتراكمة وضمان إستمرار العمل. والآن تأتي الخطوة التالية لعلاء وهي تعلّم قيادة السيّارة!! ربما!

After the work was completed Ala's business started to take off and his income doubled. He was able to support his family and became a productive member of society. Right now, an accountant called Hadi is doing financial consultation and training work in the project. The guys even reached out to the nearby school, whose headmistress encouraged the students to support Ala's business. Ala' still faces many challenges, like repaying his debts and making sure his business stays afloat. Now comes the next step for him: learning to drive! You never know!

Sha3teely has a video up about the project, directed by Amro:

In concluding his post, Sha3teely says:

جعلتني أدرك هذه التجربة أن بذرة الخير موجودة لدى الجميع، مهما كانت أفكاركهم أو إتجاهاتهم، وأن عمل الخير معدي وقادر على التأثير في الجميع. وأن المجتمع في لحظات الحاجة قادرٌ على التكافل والوقوف في صف واحد من أجل التغيير.

This experience made me realize that everyone holds a seed of goodness, no matter what their ideas and ideologies are. I realized that doing good is contagious and able to affect everyone, and that in its moments of need, the community can stand together for positive change.

Jordan: Bloggers Come Together in Celebration

Ebtihal Mahadeen — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:13:37 +0000

Jordanian bloggers came together to mark the second Blog About Jordan Day on March 12, an initiative started in 2008 by Qwaider, who, this year, encouraged people to participate in the day:

It's blog about Jordan day, a time to take a few minutes, out of your busy schedule -saving the world- to give Jordan, the country that is as unlikely to exist as the universe itself. Yet, it's there, and it's loved. And despite all the dark disadvantages, and horrible challenges, Jordan and Jordanians press on, and take on major challenges, to displace a spot among the stars

Many bloggers opted to take part in the event by posting photographs, like Jordan Journals below:

A Jordanian Sunrise .. Image courtesy of Jordan Journals

Jordanian and expat bloggers wrote about Jordan's perks and advantages, about its problems and future, and some were inspired to reflect on their personal attachment to the country.

The Arab Observer, explained the importance of the occasion:

It is like a national holiday where sentiments of nationality and patriotism are spread in the air, mostly with appreciation for the achievements and prospects Jordan has

Naser recorded the top 10 annoying things he misses about Jordan, Sozan reminisced about her life in Jordan, while Wings of Butterfly wrote a short poem to celebrate the day:

As I walk through the street of Amman
Exchanging greeting and smiles
Noticing ambition in youths’ eyes
Being supervised by people who’re old and wise
I deeply sigh at the lovely sight
And realize that Jordan’s name had been carved on my heart

Ammar, from Confessions of a Vegetarian Shark, wondered “why Jordan seems to age much faster than it should, as signs of early dementia are creeping into the collective psyche:”

“See Jordan, isn't a cabinet position, and loyalty to Jordan, shouldn't be measured by how many government positions are held by a clan, a city, or a cardinal direction. Jordan isn't a farm, not a principality, it's not a bank or an ATM machine, not a supermarket, not a postcard, it's not a hotel, and it certainly isn't a never ending chain of intellectual experiments.”

And on the question of what Jordan is and isn't, Hareega evaluated the national mood:

“Whenever we realize that we actually have to work a little bit with no immediate gain on the horizon we get discouraged. We don't get democracy. We don't get patriotism. We think of it as a song and a flag and not as concept of self-sacrifice for the sake of others living in the same land”

Farah agreed:

People who complain about everything here without actually doing something bug me just as much as those who don't want to admit we have problems. We do, there's nothing wrong with that as long as we're willing to do something about it

But it wasn't all criticism. Some bloggers personalized the occasion by reflecting on their positive experiences in the country. In the words of Kinzi:

Where else would every person you meet have a cousin in every city you’ve lived?
Where else does everything stop the first rain of the season and even adults are seen drinking it in outside?
Where else is ‘pita bread and hummous’ a daily delight and not an expensive exotic delicacy?
Where else does one word of badly spoken Arabic elicit a roomful of oohs-aahs and encouragement to learn more?
Where else can you call for help from a creepy groper and have five men pounce on the wayward-handed one?
Where else can you walk by a neighbor you never met and they invite you for tea that minute?

Layla, from Caledoniyya, concurred that Jordan has a bitter-sweet taste to it:

Complex yet imbued with a beatific simplicity; hectic yet vastly empty; freezing damp yet equally arid, it is a country of contradictions, and if she had been a contestant on one of my favourite guilty pleasures, Jordan would be the ‘ugly-pretty’ girl on America’s Next Top Model.

Traditions still alive in Jordan.. Image courtesy of Hamede

On the occasion, Mohammad Badi extended a welcoming hand to his non-Jordanian readers:

If you’re not jordanian or even not an arab you will live in peace and also you’ll have the respect and the love from all, because we are in jordan one family muslims, christians and others living and sharing our feelings, dreams and thoughts with each others without no intolerance or bias.

Hope for positive change propelled some bloggers to write down their dreams for the country:

As much as I love this place and can always find something good to say, I know that the changes that need to happen can happen. One of the reasons I stay is that I want to be a part of such changes, even if in the smallest capacity. That's my hope. - Southern Muslimah

I dream that our country will have honest elections, and that our people will select their representatives based on qualifications and not nepotism or JD 50 bribes - Hamede

As Jordanian bloggers now await the next BAJD in March 12th, 2010, it would be interesting to see if their styles for commemorating the day will remain the same. Will there be more criticism? More praise? More hope? BAJD 2010 will answer these questions.

Jordan: Blog About Jordan Day Approaches

Ebtihal Mahadeen — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:33:47 +0000

Blog About Jordan Day, an initiative started in 2008 by Qwaider, has begun. The day designated for all bloggers, Jordanian or not, to write about Jordan in any shape or form, is marked on March 12th of every year.

In the words of the blogger behind the idea, Qwaider says:

“It's that time of year again. March is the month of Blog About Jordan day. March 12th to be exact. This year it's going to be even more spectacular than last year.”

A Facebook group for the day states:

This is an initiative to start something that will hopefully last for years to come. March 12th of Every year will be called: Blog about Jordan day.

A live coverage on the day is also available here.

123-Jordan, or BAJD, garnered a lot of attention last year both online and offline, as a local radio station contacted several bloggers to interview them on the occasion. It remains to be seen if the 2nd BAJD will be as successful. We'll keep you posted!

Jordan: The Gaza Connection

Ebtihal Mahadeen — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:19:05 +0000

As Israel continues its attack on Gaza, Jordanian bloggers move beyond condemning the violence and translate their words and feelings into action. A 7iber/Action Committee campaign to collect donations spirals beyond what was planned by its organizers, as The Black Iris reports:

I remember seeing the sheer volume of donations piled up in mountains, sprawled across the warehouse floor.
The next day was New Year’s Eve but we managed to get just enough people, arriving in different shifts throughout the day, to help sorting. This process has taken about four days as of now.

We are talking about roughly 40 tons of donations.

All collected in 48 hours, if not less.

Blogger Ali, among others, was actively involved in the campaign and he provides a detailed account of the sheer magnitude of the campaign along with videos of the event.

The feelings of Jordanians are also echoed by companies supporting their efforts to send aid to Gaza. Jordan Journals mentions efforts by Pharmacy One to collect medical supplies, which was an initiative of blogger Southern Muslimah. 7iber and the Action Committee report that their donations campaign could not have succeeded if not for the help of Aramex, Cozmo shopping center, and various food and beverage outlets which supported them throughout their hard work.

In addition to sending aid to Gaza, Jordanian bloggers keep a close eye on traditional media coverage of the situation. Jad posts a video of Queen Noor's interview on CNN, while Lina, author of Into the Wind blog, publishes a round-up of American media treatment of the situation, and Ramzy Baroud bemoans the largely verbal reactions of world leaders.

Other bloggers focus on the involvement of their governments in the attacks on Gaza. Qwaider writes critically about the Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty, while Tololy urges Jordanians and Arabs in general to shoulder their responsibility toward Palestinians. More creatively, Sha3teely mirrors these sentiments through a cartoon.