Arab States Intensify Pleas for Gaza Cease-fire as Public Anger Mounts

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Citing deepening fears for regional stability, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries are beseeching the U.S. to push Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza.

A rally in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in Amman, Jordan, on Oct. 27. | Khalil Mazraawi/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Facing growing anger from their own people, Arab countries are intensifying their appeals to the United States to pressure Israel to implement an immediate cease-fire in Gaza or risk sabotaging the security of the entire Middle East.

Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt have all implored American officials, including Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, to get Israel to halt its military assault.

“The whole region is sinking in a sea of hatred that will define generations to come,” the Jordanian foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, warned at a news conference this weekend.

As unrest spills into the streets and fear spreads that Iran-backed militias in the region will enter more directly into the conflict, some Arab leaders are worrying for their own security, said Elham Fakhro, an associate fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Program.

“Long-term resentment among the Arab public is fuel for extremist groups,” she said. “The region is already walking a delicate balance,” she added. “This is what drives Arab governments to use their available leverage to call for a cease-fire.” » | Vivian Nereim, Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Jordan’s Secret Police Accused of Targeting LGBTQ+ Community

THE GUARDIAN: Jordanian security services are abducting, harassing and ‘outing’ LGBTQ+ people, activists claim, despite homosexuality being legal

Jordan’s flag in the capital, Amman. Two LGBTQ+ activists have fled abroad. Society was being ‘weaponised against queer people’, says one. Photograph: Danil Shamkin/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Jordanian secret police have been accused of intimidating gay people by “outing” them to their families and of forcing the closure of two LGBTQ+ organisations.

Human rights groups say activists have been abducted, harassed and monitored, as well as having their sexuality revealed to religiously conservative families.

Sources say the intimidation campaign has seen a recent increase in targeting of LGBTQ+ individuals and groups by Jordan’s General Intelligence Directorate’s (GID). In January two activists were allegedly detained by GID officers and had their bank accounts frozen.

Mounir*, director of an unnamed LGTBQ+ centre, described being forced into a car by intelligence officers, before being interrogated and detained overnight. GID agents then called his parents, he said, and told them that he was homosexual. » | William Christou | Friday, August 18, 2023

LGBTQ+ rights

Sadly, anyone who thinks that attitudes to homosexuality are going to change much in the Middle East is whistling Dixie. As we all know, life in the Middle East is dominated by Islam—family life, public life, political life, everything—and it permeates each and every aspect of everyday life.

Attitudes to homosexuality, homoeroticism and homosexuals are profoundly hostile. The West’s relative relaxed attitude to homosexuality in the past decades is often viewed with scorn and derision and is also viewed as a sign of the decline of Western civilization.

This is not to say that homosexuality is rare in Middle Eastern countries; it is not. On the contrary, there is more homosexuality in Islamic countries than most people could possibly ever imagine. But it is hidden. In Islam, what you do in private, without being caught, is between you and Allah. The trick is not to get caught in flagrante delicto! And certainly not to talk openly about one’s sexual orientation or sexual proclivities. If you are caught in flagrante delicto, you’re in deep trouble! That was so, is so, and is likely to remain so for as long as Islam is their life’s guide and religion, or more accurately, Deen. Islam is considered to be far more than just a religion, or faith. Islam is a total and integrated way of life. It shapes and fashions everything; how you eat; how you dress; how you greet each other in the street; how you make love; how you go to the bathroom – absolutely everything.

There is no room in Islam for homosexuality. No room at all! However, it is true to say that being homosexual is less of a sin than behaving like one. In a Muslim’s eyes, if a man is a homosexual that denies himself all the pleasures, he will still go to heaven.

Having homosexuality accepted in Middle Eastern countries as it is in many Western countries, may be the hope of many politicians, but it will never become a reality. At least not in the foreseeable future. This is not being negative; rather, it is being realistic. Some younger Muslims might well have changed attitudes, but the laws in Muslim countries, fashioned as they are by Islam and the Shari'ah, are deeply hostile to LGBTQ+ rights. – © Mark Alexander

Key Moments from the Jordan Crown Prince's Lavish Royal Wedding

Jun 1, 2023 | For the first time in almost 30 years, a future King of Jordan’s Royal Hashemite Court married in a lavish wedding ceremony on June 1.

Jordan’s crown prince cements status with glitzy wedding to Saudi architect: Celebrities and UK royals watch Prince Hussein marry Rajwa Alseif in marriage seen to secure succession and boost state ties »

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Royal fever sweeps Jordan ahead of crown prince's wedding: Photos of bridal party of Crown Prince Hussein’s fiancee, Rajwa Al Saif, go viral as celebrations break from modest traditions »

EN FRANÇAIS :

Au cœur du mariage du prince Hussein de Jordanie et Rajwa Al Saif : récit d’une journée historique »

Queen Elizabeth Is a 'Beacon of Hope,' Says King of Jordan - BBC News

May 30, 2022 • The King of Jordan has described the Queen as "a beacon of light and hope."

In a BBC interview to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, King Abdullah II spoke of her dedication to the monarchy and high standards in public life.

The monarch congratulated the Queen, whom he described as a life-long family friend, on 70 years on the throne saying:

"Our heart is always going to have a very big and warm place for Her Majesty, The Queen."


Platinum Jubilee: The Queen has sought to be nation's comforter-in-chief: As the UK celebrates her 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II has become the keystone in the nation's architecture, a solid and immovable piece holding the country's image of itself in place. »

Revealed: King of Jordan Used Swiss Accounts to Hoard Massive Wealth

Queen Rania and King Abdullah. Composite: Rex/Shutterstock
THE GUARDIAN: Leak shows King Abdullah was beneficial owner of at least six Credit Suisse accounts

In 2011, as popular revolts reverberated around the Middle East, a monarch in the midst of it all made some banking decisions. Sometime that year, as neighbouring Egypt and Syria withered in the face of momentous civil protests, King Abdullah II of Jordan opened two new accounts with Credit Suisse, the Swiss bank that had discreetly served the region’s well-heeled for decades.

Abdullah, one of the world’s longest-serving current monarchs, had chosen a banker that shared his approach to secrecy, particularly surrounding his personal wealth. Over the next five years, the king was the beneficial owner of at least six accounts with Credit Suisse, while his wife, Queen Rania, had another.

According to a massive trove of data leaked from the bank that names both royals as account holders, one account would later be worth a remarkable 230m Swiss francs (£180m).

At home, King Abdullah had been experiencing a rocky ride. The revolts, which came to be known as the Arab spring, led to leaders being toppled in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, and a brutal, protracted war breaking out in Syria. Jordan, one of the region’s more efficient security states, was able to stave off a threat from a nascent opposition, through suppression of dissent and promises of better days.

But in the decade since, a struggling economy, persistent levels of poverty, high unemployment, cuts to welfare and seemingly ever-present austerity measures have continued to stir resentment across the country. One particular gripe has been the juxtaposition between the apparent wealth of the king and the constant grind endured by most citizens just to get by. As the IMF agreed to bail out Jordan, on the condition that its people tighten their collective belts, the king was moving enormous amounts between his Swiss accounts. » | Martin Chulov, Middle East correspondent | Monday, February 21, 2022

Wherever you look, to whichever country you turn your sights, the rich élite are playing the people for fools! And we, the people, the fools, are playing along with their game. – © Mark

A Denver Man from Jordan Opens Up about His Struggles as a Gay Man in the Middle East

Jun 25, 2021 • The thought of holding another man’s hand in public was once a far-fetched dream for Luai Qubain, a man raised in the Middle East; but those days are behind him as he gives his husband a kiss while sitting on a bench in Cheesman Park.

Phone Intercepts Shine More Light on Jordanian Prince’s Alleged Coup Attempt

THE GUARDIAN: Discussions took place before Prince Hamzah was put under house arrest

Aides to the former Jordanian heir Prince Hamzah sought pledges of allegiance on his behalf from tribal leaders and former military officers in the weeks before he was detained, conversations caught on phone intercepts and listening devices suggest.

The recordings are key pieces of evidence in the Jordanian government’s case against two men accused of acting as proxies for Hamzah in a failed attempt to oust his half-brother, King Abdullah, as monarch. Both men – Bassem Awadallah, a former envoy to Saudi Arabia, and Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, a cousin of the king – are expected to stand trial in Amman starting on Monday.

The calls and intercepts, which have been heard by the Guardian, took place over three weeks in March, a period in which officials say Hamzah tried to rally support from figures who could elevate what officials describe as a seditious plot into a serious challenge to Abdullah’s reign. » | Martin Chulov and Michael Safi | Sunday, May 30, 2021

Jordan Bans Coverage of Alleged Plot Involving Prince Hamzah

THE GUARDIAN: Information clampdown to keep investigation into king’s half-brother ‘secret’, says prosecutor general

The prosecutor general in Jordan’s capital, Amman, has banned the publication of any information about an alleged plot said to involve the king’s half-brother, Prince Hamzah, state television said.

“In order to keep the security services’ investigation into Prince Hamzah and the others secret, [it is decided] to ban the publication of anything related to this inquiry at this stage,” the prosecutor Hassan al-Abdallat said.

“The ban on publication involves all audiovisual media and social networks, as well as the publication of all images or video clips relating to this subject on pain of legal action,” he said in a statement shown on television. » | Agence France-Presse in Amman | Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Jordan’s Prince Hamzah Pledges Loyalty to Half-brother King Abdullah

THE GUARDIAN: Palace turmoil eases as former crown prince vows to remain ‘faithful to the legacy of my ancestors’

Jordan’s Prince Hamzah has pledged loyalty to the king as the monarch accepted mediation over a rift within the royal family that saw the prince placed under house arrest, the palace said.

The government has accused Hamzah, an ex-crown prince and half-brother of King Abdullah II, of a “wicked” plot and involvement in a seditious conspiracy to “destabilise the kingdom’s security”.

Hamzah, detained along with at least 16 others, had earlier struck a defiant tone saying he had been placed under house arrest inside his Amman palace, but insisting he would not obey orders restricting his movement.

But in an apparent easing of the palace turmoil, the 41-year-old prince pledged his backing to King Abdullah. “I will remain … faithful to the legacy of my ancestors, walking on their path, loyal to their path and their message and to His Majesty,” he said in a signed letter, quoted by the palace.

“I will always be ready to help and support His Majesty the King and his Crown Prince,” he is quoted as writing. » | Agence France-Presse | Monday, April 5, 2021

Jordan Accuses Prince Hamzah of 'Malicious Plot' to Destabilize Kingdom | DW News

Jordan says it has foiled a plot by a former crown prince to destabilize the kingdom. The government maintains Hamzah bin Hussein and others were undermining security with the help of foreign powers. As many as twenty high level officials have been arrested. Hamzah denies being part of a conspiracy, and says he is being silenced.

According to Jordan security officials, the King's half-brother had been under investigation for some time. The country's foreign minister said the former crown prince was trying to mobilize tribal leaders against the government - with support from abroad. Sixteen people, including a former adviser to King Abdullah and another member of the royal family were arrested.

The military initially denied arresting Hamzah bin Hussein - but said it had issued him a warning for his actions. But in a video statement sent to media on Saturday Prince Hamzah claimed he had been placed under house arrest for associating with critics of the royal family.

Though he no longer holds an official title, Hamzah remains a popular figure in the country. And many see stability in King Abdullah the second. He has enjoyed widespread popularity during his reign.

Jordan is widely seen as an island of calm in a troubled region - strategically located between Israel, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The US, UK and several Arab nations have all expressed their full support for the reigning monarch.

But COVID-19 has hit the country's economy hard. Unemployment and poverty is on the rise, stoking domestic discontent.

Jordan Says Prince Liaised with 'Foreign Parties' over Plot to Destabilize Country

The half-brother and former heir of Jordan's King Abdullah, Prince Hamza, liaised with foreign parties over a plot to destabilize the country and has been under investigation for some time, the deputy prime minister said on Sunday. Video by JORDANIAN PRIME MINISTRY / REUTERS

Jordan's Prince Hamzah Defiant after Being Put under House Arrest

THE GUARDIAN: King Abdullah’s half-brother says he will disobey the army’s orders not to communicate with outside world

Jordan’s estranged Prince Hamzah bin Hussein has said in a voice recording that he will disobey orders by the army not to communicate with the outside world after he was put under house arrest.

The half-brother of King Abdullah and the former heir to the throne said in the recording released on Monday by the country’s opposition that he would not comply after being barred from any activities and told to keep quiet.

“I am going to escalate and won’t obey when they tell you you cannot go out or tweet or reach out to people and are only allowed to see the family,” he said in the recording he circulated to friends and contacts. » | Reuters | Monday, April 5, 2021

Jordan's Former Crown Prince under House Arrest over Alleged Coup

THE OBSERVER: Authorities also arrested two aides after raiding King Abdullah’s half-brother’s palace in capital Amman

Jordanian authorities raided the palace of the kingdom’s former crown prince on Saturday and arrested two senior aides after uncovering what intelligence officials believe was an attempted coup against the ruling monarch, King Abdullah.

The arrests focused on a network allegedly connected to Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, a half-brother of King Abdullah, who was removed from his post 16 years ago.

Prince Hamzah said in a video recording he was under house arrest and had been told to stay at home and not contact anyone.

Speaking in English in the video, passed by his lawyer to the BBC, he said he was not part of any foreign conspiracy and denounced the ruling system as corrupt.

“(Jordanians’) well[-]being has been put second by a ruling system that has decided that its personal interests, financial interests, that its corruption is more important than the lives and dignity and future of the 10 million people who live here,” he said. » | Martin Chulov, Middle East correspondent, and Michael Safi | Saturday, April 3, 2021

Jordan's Angry Tribes | People and Power

Jordan and its Hashemite monarchy have long been regarded as stable fixtures in a region often beset by political uncertainty.

But King Abdullah II is under growing pressure to reboot a struggling economy, institute constitutional reform, and stand firm against a controversial US-Saudi scheme, the so-called "Deal of the Century" to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

We sent filmmakers Mariam Shahin, Nada Issa and George Azar to find out why these pressures are becoming difficult for the government to ignore and what effect they are having on the kingdom's delicate demographic balance - between increasingly angry members of its indigenous tribes, known as "East Bankers", and Palestinians who have fled here in the past six decades and become citizens.

Nahed Hattar: Killed for a Cartoon – David Wood

Sheikh in Jordan Eid Al-Adha: Refers to Jews as "Brothers of Apes and Pigs," Prays: Oh Allah..."

Sheikh Ahmad Mana'i in Jordan Eid Al-Adha Sermon Refers to Jews as "Brothers of Apes and Pigs," Prays: Oh Allah, Destroy America, Russia, and the "Rabbis" of Tehran

WIKI: Rafida »

Jordan’s King Abdullah: What It Means to Be a Muslim : الملك : هذه القيم التي أربّي أولادي عليها

Anjem Choudary, Radical Muslim Cleric: Quran Justifies Jordanian Pilot Burning

THE WASHINGTON TIMES: Controversial Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary suggested Thursday that the filmed burning of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh by Islamic State militants was justified under the Quran.

Speaking with NewsmaxTV host Steve Malzberg, Mr. Choudary said the video showing the pilot burning to death “has several intended affects.”

“One of them, of course, is to terrorize the enemy, and I think it’s had that effect,” he said, the Daily Caller reported. “It’s had a huge propaganda effect all around the world. Now, if you want to look at this from a Islamic perspective, what they are arguing is that it is reciprocation. » | Jessica Chasmar | The Washington Times | Thursday, February 05, 2015

Jordan Must Avenge Pilot's Death, Says Muath al-Kasasbeh's Father

Speaking from his home village of A'y on Tuesday, Safi al-Kasasbeh, the father of murdered pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh, says the Jordanian government must take action against Islamic State (Isis) following the release of a video showing his son being burnt to death. Other Jordanian citizens also respond to the news of the killing. The Jordanian government has executed two Iraqi Islamist militants in response to the pilot's murder