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
Showing posts with label Jordan. Arab Spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jordan. Arab Spring. Show all posts
Monday, September 10, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Jordan Islamists Seek to Emulate Morsi's Victory
June 26, 2012
by Abdullah Omar
Source:The Media Line
AMMAN, Jordan -- The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan celebrated the election of Islamist Mohamed Morsi as president of Egypt as if he was one of their own, opening their offices across the kingdom to hand out sweets and gloat before shocked Jordanian authorities.
“What we saw in Egypt clearly shows that reform is coming. It is a matter of time,” said Ali Abul Sukkar, president of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.
“The victory of Morsi in the elections is a great boost for the Islamist movement and a wake up call for the regime to implement reforms as promised,” said Abul Sukkar.
Minutes after it was confirmed that a fellow Islamist Morsi won, the leadership of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement calling on supporters to join their celebrations spilling out of its 24 branches across the kingdom.
King Abdullah II sent a cable of congratulations to Morsi, stressing Jordan’s commitment to continued efforts to boost its relations with Egypt in all domains and in a manner that helps activate Arab and Islamic cooperation, a Royal Court statement said.
Diplomacy aside, analysts say the Islamist movement will be emboldened by the victory of a major ally and could harden its stance with authorities over demanded reforms. At the moment, the Islamist movement is set to boycott upcoming parliamentary elections later this year.
While authorities are still assessing the impact of Morsi’s victory on the local scene, some Jordanian officials have already voiced concerns that the local Muslim Brotherhood movement could be seeking to emulate their Egyptian counterparts.
To the dismay of opposition parties including the Islamist movement, the parliament on Sunday endorsed a controversial election reform bill that has been described as backward and anti-reform legislation and an effort to kick start the long overdue reforms promised since the Arab Spring swept the region 16 months ago.
The bill kept the balance of power in the hands of conservative tribes loyal to the regime and made sure political parties have minor, if any, representation in the legislature.
Opposition parties say the amendments will continue to enable pro-regime candidates from tribal dominated areas and influential businessmen to win at the expense of party candidates.
Zaki Bani Rashid, senior leader from the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, said his group is planning to create a shadow government and a shadow parliament after having given up on reform promises.
But Islamist leaders say the government is delaying the inevitable.
In Jordan’s first free elections since 1989, the Islamist movement swept parliament seats and enjoyed a slight majority, before authorities amended the law in favor of Bedouin tribes and loyalists.
King Abdullah is expected to sign a royal decree in coming days to officially pass the bill as law, paving the way for elections by the end of the year.
Analyst Mohammad Abu Rumman believes that authorities are adamant to maintain their grip on the country without giving concessions.
“It is too late, we missed the train. We wished results of the Egyptian elections were announced before the elections law was endorsed,” said Abu Rumman, warning against what he believes are inevitable and dire consequences to the political current political stand off between the regime and the Islamists movement.
“Are we going to rectify the situation or wait to pay a heavy price?” Abu Rumman pondered.
Hamzah Mansour, secretary general of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, sent a veiled message to authorities, saying his group was headed for victory in the style of its larger Egyptian sister.
"I think victory is a temptation for another victory and encourages success. Victory of the Egyptian people will have an impact on the governments of all of the Arab and Islamic countries. They must reconsider their policies and respect the will of their people," Mansour said.
Morsi defeated former general Ahmed Shafiq in a run-off last weekend by a convincing 3.5 percentage points, or nearly 900,000 votes, taking 51.7 percent of the total, officials said, ending a week of disputes over the count which left nerves frayed over who was going to be named the leader of the Arab world’s most populous nation.
Shafiq has since reportedly fled Egypt for a Gulf state.
Morsi succeeds Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown 16 months ago after a popular uprising. The military council which has ruled the biggest Arab nation since then has this month curbed the powers of the presidency, meaning the head of state will have to work closely with the army on a planned democratic constitution.
by Abdullah Omar
Source:The Media Line
AMMAN, Jordan -- The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan celebrated the election of Islamist Mohamed Morsi as president of Egypt as if he was one of their own, opening their offices across the kingdom to hand out sweets and gloat before shocked Jordanian authorities.
“What we saw in Egypt clearly shows that reform is coming. It is a matter of time,” said Ali Abul Sukkar, president of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.
“The victory of Morsi in the elections is a great boost for the Islamist movement and a wake up call for the regime to implement reforms as promised,” said Abul Sukkar.
Minutes after it was confirmed that a fellow Islamist Morsi won, the leadership of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement calling on supporters to join their celebrations spilling out of its 24 branches across the kingdom.
King Abdullah II sent a cable of congratulations to Morsi, stressing Jordan’s commitment to continued efforts to boost its relations with Egypt in all domains and in a manner that helps activate Arab and Islamic cooperation, a Royal Court statement said.
Diplomacy aside, analysts say the Islamist movement will be emboldened by the victory of a major ally and could harden its stance with authorities over demanded reforms. At the moment, the Islamist movement is set to boycott upcoming parliamentary elections later this year.
While authorities are still assessing the impact of Morsi’s victory on the local scene, some Jordanian officials have already voiced concerns that the local Muslim Brotherhood movement could be seeking to emulate their Egyptian counterparts.
To the dismay of opposition parties including the Islamist movement, the parliament on Sunday endorsed a controversial election reform bill that has been described as backward and anti-reform legislation and an effort to kick start the long overdue reforms promised since the Arab Spring swept the region 16 months ago.
The bill kept the balance of power in the hands of conservative tribes loyal to the regime and made sure political parties have minor, if any, representation in the legislature.
Opposition parties say the amendments will continue to enable pro-regime candidates from tribal dominated areas and influential businessmen to win at the expense of party candidates.
Zaki Bani Rashid, senior leader from the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, said his group is planning to create a shadow government and a shadow parliament after having given up on reform promises.
But Islamist leaders say the government is delaying the inevitable.
In Jordan’s first free elections since 1989, the Islamist movement swept parliament seats and enjoyed a slight majority, before authorities amended the law in favor of Bedouin tribes and loyalists.
King Abdullah is expected to sign a royal decree in coming days to officially pass the bill as law, paving the way for elections by the end of the year.
Analyst Mohammad Abu Rumman believes that authorities are adamant to maintain their grip on the country without giving concessions.
“It is too late, we missed the train. We wished results of the Egyptian elections were announced before the elections law was endorsed,” said Abu Rumman, warning against what he believes are inevitable and dire consequences to the political current political stand off between the regime and the Islamists movement.
“Are we going to rectify the situation or wait to pay a heavy price?” Abu Rumman pondered.
Hamzah Mansour, secretary general of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, sent a veiled message to authorities, saying his group was headed for victory in the style of its larger Egyptian sister.
"I think victory is a temptation for another victory and encourages success. Victory of the Egyptian people will have an impact on the governments of all of the Arab and Islamic countries. They must reconsider their policies and respect the will of their people," Mansour said.
Morsi defeated former general Ahmed Shafiq in a run-off last weekend by a convincing 3.5 percentage points, or nearly 900,000 votes, taking 51.7 percent of the total, officials said, ending a week of disputes over the count which left nerves frayed over who was going to be named the leader of the Arab world’s most populous nation.
Shafiq has since reportedly fled Egypt for a Gulf state.
Morsi succeeds Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown 16 months ago after a popular uprising. The military council which has ruled the biggest Arab nation since then has this month curbed the powers of the presidency, meaning the head of state will have to work closely with the army on a planned democratic constitution.
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