Which Prophet or King Allows Us to Speak?
Suleiman Al-Khalidi in Reuters raises warnings on a new cyber law in Amman, Jordan, which will quash civil liberties (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jordan-adopts-cybercrime-law-seen-threat-free-speech-2023-07-27/)
I would like to first thank U.S. Department of State Vedant Patel for boldly opposing the repressive bill publicly, warning the Hashemite Kingdom, it will upset the economic, political stability. Though, it was still passed.
Despite a long "documented history" of repression, Abdullah Hussein stated shortly after passage, according to the Jordan Times.
"Jordan was never an oppressive country, and will never be one, and its history is testament to that."
I would like to append my very few cents onto the topic and ask Accuracy in Media to peruse the following.
Firstly, Abdullah Hussein (not my King), came to power under controversial circumstances, and since 1999, stability has not been a noticeable trademark. Initially, I erroneously thought the repression was the Jordanian Intelligence's fault, as my article in Foreign Policy Journal
(https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/160812-Jordan-Intelligence-Siraj-Davis.pdf)
However, after remembering my English students who were Jordanian Intelligence,"Nothing happens without the King knowing, approving." And, after further research, I've realized differently.
I strongly feel Jordan's instability isn't the result of the Palestine/Israel issue, or Hamas, as Abdullah regularly complains to US officials, according to Wikileaks' cables. But instead, endemic corruption and a very nasty, distasteful childish repression.
Anchal Vohra in Foreign Policy described best.
He is his own worst enemy.
Hide Corruption, Repress Humans
It is no doubt, Abdullah's modus operandi of concealing and silencing dissent against a pernicious well-documented corruption -via falsely accusing Jordanians and foreigners of terrorism, or wrongfully imprisoning them for cyber crimes or for demonstrating non-violently- is the absolute real crux, instead.
Not Palestine/Israel. Not Hamas.
I believe former South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley, is correct in her salient observation that some who spread anti-Americanism, are also the very same ones spreading corruption, while simultaneously holding hands out, cadging for U.S. aid. I believe it's hypocrisy Abdullah allows insults against Western or Israeli figures, allowing the burning of their flags in Jordan, but not criticism against the Jordanian government, or him.
There are 7 billion humans, 14 billion faces, as a student once taught me.
Sort of like this following school, indirectly connected to Abdullah Hussein- the former who despises Hamas to US officials regularly- run by the Munib Al Mesri family, who are friendly to Hamas. Money.
Since 2011, approximately 11 prime ministers, 3 Intelligence chiefs, have been publicly removed for corruption matters. At a 19% unemployment rate, nearly 40 Jordanian tribes boldly lambasted Rania Abdullah in letters, castigating her corruption. (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/15/bedouin-accuse-jordan-queen-corruption)
Tribal leader, Fares al-Fayez, even courageously depicted Rania as a modern, Marie-Antoinette, exclaiming, "We will not accept you [King Abdullah] as a king, prime minister, defence minister, police chief and governor."
Minister Amjad Hazzah Al-Majali, demanded Abdullah Hussein and his family return stolen money, real estate, to the Jordanian people. (https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/jordanian-politician-slammed-king-abdullah-sponsoring-corruption)
Abdullah Hussei's tautology has consistently been, shift blame to others, even to those within his family, repress free speech further. As his uncle, Walid Al Kurdi, sentenced 18 years imprisonment in absentia for corruption.
However. I think it's no mystery where corruption truly derives to the perspicacious and honest.Those few of us, with integrity remaining.
Recently, the Pandora Paper's revelation of Abdullah's nearly 14 luxury homes across the United States and the United Kingdom, via shell accounts (a common tactic by dictatorships/criminals/terrorists globally), hammered the nail into the board of long-time suspicions.
And likewise, as usual, since Abdullah Hussein's suspicious power grab, the repression, lack of transparency, only got worse with the release of the Pandora Papers, predictably.
(https://www.icij.org/investigations/pandora-papers/jordan-king-abdullah-luxury-property/)
Abdullah Hussein ordered his tax-paying subjects -he doesn't pay taxes- to remain silent on the Pandora Papers, under threat of punishment, a public gag order.
He did so likely from his private jet, luxurious travel means off a developing nation's budget. Let's not mention Rania Abdullah's exorbitant wardrobe, which was described once as most expensive outfit among the world's royals in 2017.
(https://desktop.beiruting.com/LeMag/Queen_Rania's_Clothes_Cost_More_Than_Duchess_of_Cambridge's!/9227#:~:text=The%20royal%20with%20the%20highest,more%20than%20the%20average%20person's.)
As a researcher, I haven't heard of such pompous declaration, GAG ORDERS, within this century. As a historian, I wasn't aware public gag orders were still practiced.
Then, Parliament Member, Osama Al Ajarmeh, defiantly scolded Abdullah Hussein's corruption, inside parliament -something many are afraid to contemplate- he was quickly removed. Afterwards, he callously threatened Abdullah Hussein, then was cruelly imprisoned 12 years.
In Middle East society, molly coddling is oft practiced. The positive, it deters negative, harmful influences. The con, it creates stunted growth, grown children, incapable of handling criticism, without resorting to extremes.
(https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/jordan-protests-after-politician-jailed-insulting-king)
The distasteful narrative of insanity didn't cease, though.
Abdullah then accused "his own brother" of sedition and conspiracy, Prince Hamzah, placing him and family, under house arrest, incommunicado. And issuing "another public gag order" on the public.
The Prince's telephone, internet usage, is restricted, along with visits. His Jordanian American aid, Bassem Awadallah, was imprisoned also.
Prince Hamzah eventually renounced his title of prince.
I feel as Sarah Leah Whitson averred,
"It's disappointing that the Biden Administration has done little to pressure the King to respect the basic rights of Jordanians or to even mention the unjust detainment of Prince Hamzah."
Abdullah's repression arose its nasty head "with an iron fist" again, during the December 2022 Fuel Protests, as Suha Ma'ayeh pointed out in Arab Weekly. (https://thearabweekly.com/whats-driving-jordans-fuel-protests)
Abdullah consequently, banned Tik Tok.
(https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/jordan-bans-tiktok-police-officer-killed-protests-rcna62229)
I forgot to mention also.
Abdullah Hussein also issued a public Gag Order on the arrest of an indigent coffee-server, who harmlessly claimed on Facebook, PM Bisher Kasawneh's wife receives a salary. (https://www.newarab.com/news/jordanians-march-against-defence-laws-rising-prices)
Repression and Mysterious Incidents
But, the corruption-repression tautology, gets weirder.
Weirder than Abdullah Hussein's claim he is a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), which no primary written evidence exists to bolster, prior the 18th Century. If he is though, I will definitely leave Islam, the moment of confirmation.
In 2014, US Navy Seal John Zinn, departed a taxi in Amman, Jordan, intoxicated, only to negligently and clumsily stumble off a hill, to his death. (https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-businessman-falls-to-his-death-in-jordanian-capital-authorities-say-no-sign-of-foul-play)
His friend, Brandon Webb, later wrote a blog, contradicting this narrative
(https://sofrep.com/news/john-zinn-visionary-navy-seal-and-entrepreneur/)
In 2015, two beautiful, successful business sisters, Juwana and Soraya Salti, committed suicide via leaping simultaneously to their deaths from a rooftop. Both landing upon their backs.
(https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2015/11/08/Jordanians-mourn-shock-deaths-of-prominent-sisters)
Then, my deportation from Jordan in March 2016. 8 Jordanian intelligence agents rushed my apartment, 2 on the roof top, 3 in front of my apartment.
After incarceration for a week which concluded with a discreet phone call, initially denied to me, I was freed. I wasn't charged, I simply was released with an apology, welcomed to return in the future. The warrant had Abdullah Hussein's name on it. I can only describe my experience as...weird.
Was it my complaints of employment rights violations by private schools? Was it the corruption I reported in private education? Or was it my interviews with Syrian refugees? I will never know.
Article on my detention:
(https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-grim-conditions-of-jordans-immigration-detention-camps-blatant-human-rights-violations/5520571)
Under such lack of transparency, repression of free expression, and Gag Orders, it is very difficult to know the truth in Jordan. But, I know such deceptive fog, toxic mist, allows corruption to persist unabated.
Conclusion
It is my sincere opinion, Abdullah Hussein's repression record, is intolerable to digest, as a 15 year human rights enthusiast. Succinctly, to normalize his treatment of humans as animals, is a dangerous threat to precious humankind. Our posterity. More so, then his claims of Israel.
I truly believe he represses free speech due to his molly-coddled upbringing, unable to deal with criticism without resorting to extremes. His feelings are hurt easily. His size may also contribute to such insecurity.
I also believe Abdullah Hussein confirms former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's assertion, many Middle East leaders are uneducated.
Abdullah's lack of education, effaces the principle of tolerance for free speech normally grasped within higher education. He only has "earned" the equivalent to a High School Diploma, save honorary degrees for efforts toward peace in Palestine/Israel. There is no peace in Israel/Palestine today.
Perhaps the preceding, is why the treatment of teachers is so regularly horrible in Jordan.
But, most importantly, Abdullah represses his own people, to simply conceal his corruption, and its disastrous effects on all Jordanians.
Despite my own personal experience of deportation from Jordan, without charge, there is one single story that haunts me deeply, till this day.
A teacher and father, Ahmed Etoum, was imprisoned "10 years" in consequence for benignly posting on Facebook, Abdullah Hussein and his wife, are corrupt, according to Human Rights Watch
Something the majority of Jordanians confided to me consistently, within six continuous years of my residence in Jordan.
I feel this is simply, sick. Abhorrent to anyone who truly believes in God, distasteful to all humans who trust in good and wise governments, and completely contrary to what a fragile humankind can feel comfortably with at home, knowing such vicious repression exists within this turbulent world we equally share, and intend to pass down to our innocent children.
Abdullah Hussein often cites morals as justification for his repression. I say morality doesn't entail destroying a teacher, a father, a human's life, simply for bad words. And it is so in 4,200 religions globally. In 180 of 193 nations worldwide. Such dictum can not be erased by force.
I ask. Why are we so fixated upon Iran, Russia, North Korea - when allies are doing as bad, sometimes worse?
I believe Jordanians are good people, their precious children, are not animals. And Islam and human rights, are synonymous. Jordanians and Muslims deserve equal rights, as ordinary humans, globally.
It utterly disgusts me to the core, when I see Abdullah treat them inhumanely. He hasn't grasped another lesson from within higher education, tolerance is a mark of education and character - morality and honor.
I blame Abdullah for the persistent instability in Jordan. I blame Abdullah for Islamophobia globally, by those who confuse Islam with his repression. And, I blame Abdullah for no qualitative investment or labor, ever entering Jordan and remaining. A true leaders wishes best for his or her people. He's not it.
I believe Jordan's answer is to pass the torch of leadership to his son, #HusseinBinAbdullah. Jordan needs a new perspective, fresher, more youthful energy. It could be Jordan's only hope.
Recently, after passage of the above cyber-crime law, famous Satirist Ahmad Hassan Al Zoubi was imprisoned a year. Journalist, Heba Abu Taha, was arrested for an online post three years prior.
It seems worse is expected. I predict so.
(https://www.newarab.com/news/famed-jordanian-satirist-sentenced-prison-online-post)
- It is important to note, despite claims of independent media reporting, the Jordan Times and Al Rai were founded by the Jordan Press Foundation, created by former Prime Minister Wasfi Al-Tal. He and Abdullah Hussein's father were assassinated for quelling the Palestinian resistance during the 1970s. Both were reportedly cooperating with Agency (CIA). Code:pink
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