September 10th, 2012
Source: Albawaba
It is an often told story that former prime minister of Jordan, Abdul Raouf Rawabdeh stole millions from the country during his time in office. The Irbid native was only in power for fifteen months but rumors of corruption persist to this day.
So it came as no surprise that he was a target for opposition group, United Jordan Opposition (UJO). The activists were looking to take their allegations of corruption to the worst culprits in Jordan.
First on the list was Dr. Imad Fakhoury, Director of the King’s Office. UJO members turned up to his house and posed the allegations without incident.
But it was a different story when they got to the former prime minister’s villa, set in a sleep suburb of the capital. After three days camped out on his doorstep, the 73-year-old ex-politician called in reinforcements to deal with the pesky activists.
14 protestors arrived by car at the house on Sunday and were met by nearly 1000 members of Rawabdeh’s tribe, complete with AK47s and wooden bats: it was hardly a fair fight.
Leader of the activists, Husam al Abdallat, was beaten so badly that he spent the night in the ICU, giving interviews to local TV networks. In scenes reminiscent of the beginning of the Egyptian revolution, Abdallat spoke out against the impunity of tribal leaders in the Kingdom.
His attorney and cousin, Moussa al Abdallat, put out a statement last night calling the ex-PM’s tribe a ‘militia’:
“My relative’s life is in danger. The regime is responsible for what happened,” he said.
In a strange twist of fate, members of Abdallat’s tribe began rallying to get revenge for their relative’s injuries. Husam said he was currently fielding angry phone calls and trying to avoid all-out tribal war.
The events were a hotly discussed topic on local TV stations with commentators coming on air to argue the case. But there was very little support for the activists in Jordan. In fact, most of the talking heads said they shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Sidelining the whole issue of corruption, one said: “The Egyptians lost their kindness when they had their revolution. Good kind hearted Jordanians wouldn’t do this.”
Showing posts with label Albawaba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Albawaba. Show all posts
Monday, September 10, 2012
Is this the start of Jordan’s Arab Spring? Protests spread through the capital
September 8th, 2012
Source: Albawaba
Late last night, around 1000 protestors gathered in central Amman calling for the entire Jordanian government to be dismissed and for King Abdullah II to step down.
It was the first real indication that the Arab Spring might finally be knocking on Jordan’s door. Previously, calls for reform have been lackadaisical at best with even the sternest of opposition pitching up for tea and shisha mid-way through demonstration. This time was different as an unprecedented number of protestors chanted: ‘Freedom from Allah, down down Abdullah,’ in scenes reminiscent of the start of the Egyptian revolution. It seems the tide could be turning for the Middle East’s safe haven.
As we made our way towards the protest in Jabal al Taj, the quiet streets gave no indication of the bitter crowd gathered at the bottom of the hill. But, enraged chants gradually began to fill the air.
Protest was sparked by the arrest of an activist in Tafila, but soon spread from the historically rebellious south into more obedient Amman after further arrests were made of activists from Hai al Tafaileh. In total nine out of Jordan’s 12 provinces saw their own anti-government rallies.
By the time we reached the scene of dissent in Amman, around 500 protestors filled the streets facing an intimidating wall of 50-armed policemen. There weren’t any obvious clashes between the crowd and the police but tensions were running high.
The crowd made their way to the bottom of the hill where they sat on the floor in an attempt to prove to the system “that the people calling for reforms are peaceful – the King is protecting the corrupt people.”
One of the protest leaders sat atop of a car chanting reformist slogans. Cheers broke out and protestors moved aside as an ambulance carrying a man who had been injured amidst the earlier commotion drove past the sit-in. The people we spoke to were keen to make their point as peacefully as possible.
Abdul was one of the protestors eager to speak to us about the issues that caused the gathering. He asked us to leave out his last name to avoid "retaliation from the secret police."
“We’re asking for freedom against a corrupt regime,” he said.
Protest leader Bara al Saoud explained: “The King isn’t serious about reform…he employs corrupt officials, arrests reformists and acts as a dictator.
“We want to find a resolution for the good of the country… We don’t want to topple the regime – we want reform!”
Yet, despite Saoud’s claims, the protestors we spoke to believed that last night marked the beginning of a growing movement of people uniting to overthrow the regime.
As pressure from the people mounts on the Jordanian government and particularly its prime minister, Fayez al-Tarawneh, and its King, this is just the latest example of an increasingly powerful culture of dissent in the country.
By Alice Cuddy and Helen Brooks
Source: Albawaba
Late last night, around 1000 protestors gathered in central Amman calling for the entire Jordanian government to be dismissed and for King Abdullah II to step down.
It was the first real indication that the Arab Spring might finally be knocking on Jordan’s door. Previously, calls for reform have been lackadaisical at best with even the sternest of opposition pitching up for tea and shisha mid-way through demonstration. This time was different as an unprecedented number of protestors chanted: ‘Freedom from Allah, down down Abdullah,’ in scenes reminiscent of the start of the Egyptian revolution. It seems the tide could be turning for the Middle East’s safe haven.
As we made our way towards the protest in Jabal al Taj, the quiet streets gave no indication of the bitter crowd gathered at the bottom of the hill. But, enraged chants gradually began to fill the air.
Protest was sparked by the arrest of an activist in Tafila, but soon spread from the historically rebellious south into more obedient Amman after further arrests were made of activists from Hai al Tafaileh. In total nine out of Jordan’s 12 provinces saw their own anti-government rallies.
By the time we reached the scene of dissent in Amman, around 500 protestors filled the streets facing an intimidating wall of 50-armed policemen. There weren’t any obvious clashes between the crowd and the police but tensions were running high.
The crowd made their way to the bottom of the hill where they sat on the floor in an attempt to prove to the system “that the people calling for reforms are peaceful – the King is protecting the corrupt people.”
One of the protest leaders sat atop of a car chanting reformist slogans. Cheers broke out and protestors moved aside as an ambulance carrying a man who had been injured amidst the earlier commotion drove past the sit-in. The people we spoke to were keen to make their point as peacefully as possible.
Abdul was one of the protestors eager to speak to us about the issues that caused the gathering. He asked us to leave out his last name to avoid "retaliation from the secret police."
“We’re asking for freedom against a corrupt regime,” he said.
Protest leader Bara al Saoud explained: “The King isn’t serious about reform…he employs corrupt officials, arrests reformists and acts as a dictator.
“We want to find a resolution for the good of the country… We don’t want to topple the regime – we want reform!”
Yet, despite Saoud’s claims, the protestors we spoke to believed that last night marked the beginning of a growing movement of people uniting to overthrow the regime.
As pressure from the people mounts on the Jordanian government and particularly its prime minister, Fayez al-Tarawneh, and its King, this is just the latest example of an increasingly powerful culture of dissent in the country.
By Alice Cuddy and Helen Brooks
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