Jordan National Movement
Jordan National Movement
Free Dr. Al-Abbadi
By Awen Al-Meshagbah, Ph.D., International Consultant on Strategic Management
May 2, 2008 marked the first anniversary of the imprisonment of former Jordanian Parliamentarian, Dr. Ahmed Oweidi Al-Abbadi.
A national figure, Dr. Al-Abbadi was arrested on flimsy charges and was tried and imprisoned for exposing the regime’s undemocratic practices. Dr. Abbadi is now in precarious health and recently shared with his family that he has frequently been mistreated by his jailers. In order to further punish and demoralize him, he was recently transferred to Al- Muwaqar prison where he is being held in incommunicado.
As justification for the arrest of Dr. Abbadi, the regime alleged that statements made by him had negatively affected
According to Dr. Al-Abbadi and many other concerned Jordanians, including the writer of this piece, the King and his authoritarian government have done a great deal of harm to Jordan by depriving the Jordanian people of the liberty, freedom and economic prosperity they deserve. The only “crime” that Dr. Al-Abbadi committed was that he articulated this sentiment in a public forum.
King Abdullah’s regime is inarguably one of the region's worst. It has wrecked
Furthermore, since Abdullah ascended to the throne,
Both Jordanian and international human rights organizations have confirmed more than one hundred reported cases of police abuse, and Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have corroborated and documented chilling accounts of torture in Jordanian prisons.
It is clear that not only has the regime gone unchecked for years, but that it has been strengthened by foreign financial and political support. Like other autocrats with declining legitimacy, Abdullah is trying to do everything he possibly can to reinforce his grip on power.
Each year, the
Dr Al-Abbadi’s political dream for
Dr. Ahmed Al-Abbadi has been unfairly and unlawfully imprisoned for more than a year now. If
Jordan’s Democracy, Human Rights and Economic Issues
Jordan’s Democracy, Human Rights and Economic Issues
The Jordan National Movement Executive Summaries and Opinions
Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Mualla
The Jordan National Movement: Is an authentic, independent Jordanian organization seeks to promote democracy, human rights, and political, economic and social reforms, and national strategic issues in Jordan, and constructive and peaceful dialogue to settle current and future conflicts in the Middle East region.
The author: Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Mualla completed his Doctorate in Community College Education and Instructional Technology at the Higher Education Program,
Abstract
Leaders lead either by force or by persuasion? By command or by consent? Through most of its recent history, the leadership of the Hashemite family was exercised by lifelong absolute authority. In a country which demands equality for all, equality in servitude as well as equality in freedom, King Abdullah II's leadership is becoming more and more thuggish, absolute and dictatorial. In fact, King Abdullah II’s popularity amongst the great majority of the population is dwindling dramatically. For King Abdullah II, the billionaire tycoon, it is easy to command leadership by force, and it is much harder to use argument, constructive dialogue and achievement to overcome opposition and win consent. The great majority of Jordanians firmly believe that leadership should be measured by results. King Abdullah II's continued irresponsible policies have resulted in abject poverty, many human rights violations, pork barrels, a knotted economy, massive corruption and lax management. Sadly, this economic and political predicament has been the norm since the establishment of the state; however, it has taken deeper root since King Abdullah II ascended to the throne in February 1999.
Human Rights and Democracy Dimensions
The most recent independent reports and statements issued by the
National Center for Human Rights in Jordan
(http://www.nchr.org.jo/pages.php?menu_id=6&local_type=1&local_id=0&local_details=0&local_details1=0&localsite_branchname=NCHR)
and Jordan Bar Association have declared and stressed that the recent parliament and municipality elections were conducted illegally and carried out with widespread forgery, vote-buying and rampant vote rigging. A scientific poll conducted by the University of Jordan's Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS), between October 17, 2007, and November 2, 2007, revealed that “more than three-quarters said they were aware of the phenomenon (vote-buying), and 66.3 percent of the polled voters said vote buying was taking place in their districts. Further, according to a factual report prepared by the National Center for Human Rights and issued on Wednesday, January 9, 2008, “Between 7:00P.M to 9:00P.M., at poll station #3 in Amman, the number of cast ballots suddenly increased from fifty-four thousand to 80 thousand!”
Further, preventing The Honorable Toujan Al-Faisal, a well-respected political figure in
Given the regime’s tragic human rights record (http://hrw.org/doc?t=mideast&c=jordan) and astonishing levels of corruption (http://www.transparency.org/publications/gcr/download_gcr#toc), it is hard to understand why the U.S. Congress and Administration continue to support King Abdullah II monetarily and provide carte blanche military support to his corrupt and unelected government and secret police to oppress the people of Jordan. On
The current regime in
For years the human rights community in
King Abdullah II of
The attack on Members of Parliament, journalists and human rights activities is emblematic of what international human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International (AI) have documented in their regular and recent reporting on
Human rights organizations have also been restricted. Independent groups, such as the Jordanian National Movement, that are strongly critical of the government's human rights practices have been refused legal recognition, and their activities are habitually obstructed and restricted by the authorities. Our nascent organization will work relentlessly in the near future, in full coordination with other political institutions and organizations in the
Corruption
Hardly a week goes by without news of widespread corruption practices in some part of Jordan: Police officers and judges taking bribes; Ministers and Senators, related to each other biologically and through sweetheart business contracts, are appointed by the king and his wife; business people paying off tax officials to avoid inspection of the books; and the handing over of state-owned lands to the king’s real estate companies to sell apartment projects and communities that have been fully and freely financed by foreign donors such as King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. To cover up the financial irregularities of the apartments project in the City of
Instead of helping the devastated poor people and diminishing middle-class, foreign economic aid to
Tyranny breeds terrorism and violence. As members of the Jordan National Movement, we are very much concerned that
Jordanians also suffer from preventable health problems. According to Dr. Nadeem Al-Jarah, a specialist in diabetes medical care, “One out of three Jordanians, above the age of 25 years old, suffers from diabetes, one out of six has high blood pressure, and one out of five has high bad cholesterol.” According to the National Center of Diabetes, “Over one million of Jordanians [20% of the population] are infected with diabetes.” While Queen Rania and her children are genetically diabetic (type 2), most of these one million Jordanians are diabetic due to malnutrition, abject poverty and severe stress. These very alarming figures have been met with ludicrous silence by King Abdullah II and his cohorts. On
Conclusion
The Jordan National Movement (JNM) will proceed with vigor to accomplish its visionary plan. Political reforms, of course, can not take place without direct and concerted support from the International community. Therefore, we urgently implore this community, particularly human rights and political organizations, the U.S. Congress and European Parliament, to work with us to take the necessary steps to effect real political changes in
In light of these facts, we strongly urge the
The Global Corruption Report for 2007: Decline in Jordan’s International Standing
By Dr. Awen Al-Meshagbah International Consultant on Strategic Management,
According to Transparency International (TI), corruption is the "abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It hurts everyone whose life, livelihood or happiness depends on the integrity of people in a position of authority."
The Berlin-based international organization has recently issued its Global Corruption Report for 2007. The report ranks 180 countries on a scale of one to 10 based on the perceptions of business executives and analysts. The report’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is a composite index that draws on 14 expert opinion surveys which scores countries in terms of the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians. It also scores countries on a scale from zero to 10, with zero indicating high levels of perceived corruption and 10 indicating low levels. Among those countries whose corruption score had worsened over the past year is Jordan.
According to the CPI, Jordan’s standing declined by 13 points from 40 to 53. Jordan scored 4.7 which placed it 53rd. Last year, Jordan scored 5.3 or 40th among the surveyed countries. According to the index, scores below five indicate serious levels of corruption.
Furthermore, according to this international publication, corruption in Jordan and in other countries with comparable ratings remains an enormous drain on the country’s resources that are essential for education, health care, infrastructure and other development needs.
It appears that previous and present governments have failed to deliver on their promises that they have made to vigorously fight corruption and generally improve the quality of life for their citizens. And it appears also that once again their political ideas alone are fruitless.
Without a doubt, the government’s failure in fulfilling its obligations to enhance the role of good governance and accountability is a major reason for this inevitable result. This serious decline can also be attributed to numerous factors such as political favoritism and thriving business kick-back practices that the state has tolerated in some instances and encouraged in some others. The report also specifically attributes Jordan’s corruption to a failing governance system that depends on highly incompetent and corrupt officialdom.
In addition, the report identifies serious flaws in Jordan’s judicial system. The politically appointed judiciary, which is routinely manipulated by the government and its security apparatus, is cited as a key source of this conclusion. The report states that no independent judges are allowed to even voice independent opinions. Not to mention also the restrictions that the regime is superimposing on the civil societies and freedoms of the speech.
The report also cites business corruption as another reason for this failing grade. For instance, in spite of all the rhetoric about economic reforms, not only has the government not succeeded in cutting regulatory and bureaucratic red tape, but it also failed to cut the time and cost of start-up businesses. In addition, bad business practices such as bribes remain acceptable norms among Jordanian officials.
It appears that the report findings have shocked the regime’s establishment both proponents and backers. Somehow, Jordanian officials were under the illusion that the organization would favorably come out supporting their policies. In their mind, the government of his majesty has created the necessary institutions and enacted pertinent laws to combat this social and economic disease, and hence their efforts should have been rewarded rather than rebuked.
Those officials are wrong to believe that the prevailing culture of corruption that has existed for many years can be eradicated through an inept bureaucracy or by enacting an unenforceable law (Financial Disclosure Law, the Access to Information Law and a law criminalizing the practice of wasta (favoritism)).
Needless to say, the regime’s slogans about reform and fighting corruption, while honorable on their face, may be perceived as a joke and a smokescreen to promote their public image. What is clear is the King and his advisors have done so much damage to the economic system of Jordan that the entire legal system needs to be completely overhauled in order to tackle the underlying causes of corruption.
As usual, instead of welcoming the report’s findings, to prepare the public for an honest and frank assessment of country’s business and judicial malpractices, the regime immediately went on the attack. The government’s supporters attacked the report for not being fair to Jordan and accused this international body of fabricating and promulgating false stories about the country’s achievements.
We all need to remind the regime that finding a solution for corruption will not be found by forging a new bureaucracy (e.g. Jordan Transparency Forum, General Intelligence Department’s Anti Corruption Unit) or creating a commission (e.g. Anti-Corruption Commission), or being a signatory on an international treaty (e.g. UN Convention Against Corruption) or sponsoring an international conference (e.g. World Economic Forum at the Dead Sea). Finding a solution to corruption requires a comprehensive institutional set up, where political culture and practice that adhere to openness, transparency and rule of law, as well as, the respect for human right and freedom of speech are the norm.
Undoubtedly and unfortunately, the findings of the report will have adverse effects on the country’s international creditworthiness and credibility, which in turn will further inhibit the country’s ability to sustain economic growth and development. It is also worth mentioning that the latest attempt by the government to monitor and restrict electronic media will definitely have a negative impact on TI future rating as well. This is certainly an undesirable and counterproductive measure to adopt.
I must admit that I am unable to propose magic solutions to tackle Jordan’s corruption issues. However, I would argue that Jordan will not overcome its economic and legal challenges until corruption is checked through improved government. I can also add that unless there is adept and sincere political and economic leadership, which Jordan lacks at this time, these challenges will continue to exist for years to come.
Jordan should seize this opportunity and use the Transparency International’s Global Corruption Report of 2007 and carefully study its findings so it can move forward with its reform agenda. In doing so, the regime will demonstrate its commitment to serious and meaningful programs to fight corruption.
To read about the report and its findings, you can visit: http://www.transparency.org/publications/gcr/download_gcr#toc
King, Oh King By Amal A.
We received this beautiful poem from a Jordanian-American young lady who just returned from her summer vacation in
King, Oh King
By Amal A.
King Abdullah, Oh King,
Your people still wait,
For change to happen,
Before it's too late.
Waters are polluted,
Food poisoning spreads,
Hospitals filled with the ill,
Morgues welcome the dead.
Survival is becoming tough,
Something you know nothing about,
For us, life is just rough,
With a tomorrow filled with doubts.
As your pretty queen reads
Through her monthly Vogue magazine,
There are people with little to eat,
And have worries with every heart beat.
The land's farmers cry for help,
Don't look out just for yourself,
The leader is the one to blame,
When situations are still the same.
Genuine change is what we ask,
And that shall be your task,
Step up and be the man,
Show you understand.
King Oh King, do hear,
Your people have no fear,
To speak out and demand,
For their rights in their homeland.
Do not take them for granted,
They believe not the lies you chanted,
Do not belittle the wise,
Exposed is your disguise.
The time has come Oh King,
For great change and better things,
To bestow onto your land,
True human rights for every woman and man.
The Corrupt Kingdom of King Abdullah II: Misery and Anarchy
By Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Mualla
These days, things are going down the drain in
In March 2007, King Abdullah II ratified the Law of Penalties that allows for the prosecution and imprisonment of journalists and citizens who commit action or publish an opinion that represents an insult to people’s religious sentiments or beliefs, instigates sectarianism or racism, slanders or libels against the state, individuals or their personal freedoms and spreads false information or rumors about them. This law forbids sending emails that carry criticism of the king and royal family, stressing such emails must be considered as a form of terrorism: The punishment is three years in prison plus hard labor. This law represents the Hashemite dictatorship at its best! Further, King Abdullah II has refused to amend or change the current Parliamentarian elections law, a very unfair and controversial piece of legislation, criticized by many domestic and international observers and experts on national elections. King Abdullah II reported in Al-Arab Al-Yawm Newspaper, on Tuesday, May 15, 2007, that “the government decided not to change the current Parliamentarian elections law,” which is a fabricated response designed to mislead the public and international community since the government in Jordan is appointed directly and fully controlled by the king. Parliamentary and municipality elections take place in
King Abdullah’s skullduggery in the municipality elections held across
The Jordan Bar Association (JBA) issued a powerful statement on
Who is responsible for all of this misery and anarchy? No doubt: The unaccountable King Abdullah II. No single change in the political, economic, legislative and/or social arenas takes place and shapes in the country without the blessing and direct involvement of King Abdullah II and his intelligence community. He chooses and terminates the Prime Minister, ministers, senior judges and advisors, ambassadors, and governors, and gives full authorization to his Gestapo-like security forces to terrorize citizens, human rights activists and journalists. On Friday, July 27, 2007, between 4:00AM and 5:00AM, the personal car of Osama Al-Ramini, Editor-in-Chief of the Weekly News publication, was set on fire and completely destroyed by undercover officers from the General Intelligence Department (GID) and supporters of King Abdullah II’s corrupt regime. In his weekly articles, Mr. Al-Ramini has been very critical of the lawlessness, abject poverty and human rights abuses that have been growing exponentially in
Scientific polls reported from
Due to the above practices of absolute monarchy, rising corruption across
The disparity between the well-off and the barely surviving always has been evident in
On
Furthermore, economic development alone won't resolve
To conclude, the despicable tendencies that have been displayed by King Abdullah II toward daily corruption, abuse of power and human rights must not be condoned under any circumstances. All worldwide defenders of human rights must do everything within their power to focus upon, censure and condemn the exponential and rising corruption and human rights violations by King Abdullah II and his intelligence community. The international community must exert mounting pressure on King Abdullah II to take solid steps to expand Jordanian democracy from its current embarrassing level by demonstrating more respect for the judicial community, human rights issues and freedom of expression, and not just by paying lip service to these ideals in private meetings behind closed doors.
Shame in King Abdullah II House
By Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Mualla
بقلم الدكتورعبدالسلام المعلا/واشنطن
In his recent book, Lee Iacacco cites a quote from Winston Churchill, "The longer you look back, the farther you can look forward." The Hashemite regime in
With the repression of the press and judiciary growing day after day, with the absence of any effective political parties, with a bribed Parliament, and with the added monopoly of the press, radio and television stations at the behest of King Abdullah II, the morphology of the civil society, of which all the above institutions are crucial pillars, has a disturbing meaning in the country.
For a desperately poor country,
In a significant sense, what we are seeing and observing in Jordan these days is the history of massive corruption and lax management, a travesty of justice, press-monarchy conflict, ghastly threats toward opponents of the absolute monarchical regime, a tangled and defunct economy, endless abuse of people’s basic rights, such as freedom of expression, and abject poverty inflicted on the diminishing middle class and urban and rural working people. The outcome: A countless number of evil terrorists like Abu Musab Zarqawi and his associates (e.g., Al-Maqdsi, Abu Trab, Al-Bana, Al-Jarrar, Saqallah and Al-Smmadi) has been planted in
One of the many weaknesses of King Abdullah II is his lack of effective communication, a key leadership skill in the 21st
century. Commanding the native language of a country is a very important skill for the proactive and successful leaders of that country. In fact, it is a key tool for those leaders to communicate with their followers and the people in the street. King Abdullah II lacks this important communication skill and tool. This embarrassing shortcoming has been evident at key Arabic events as well. In the recent Arab Summit held in
The domestic audience and international community are watching! Note the following salient statements: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/05/22/jordan15973.htm issued by Human Rights Watch in New York on May 22, 2007, the important chapter in the U.S. State Department’s 2006 human rights report, the stunning report: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/cp76_choucair_final.pdf contemplated by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC, in December, 2006, the comprehensive reports: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=2442&l=1 issued on November 23, 2005 and February 19, 2003 respectively, by the International Crisis Group’s (Crisis Group), several scientific polls and surveys: http://www.css-jordan.org/polls/index.html conducted by the Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan, the stunning 38-page report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/arabic/middle_east_news/newsid_6313000/6313195.stm (Arabic news story) published by Manfred Novak, the United Nations Human Rights Commission's Special Rapporteur on Torture, on Tuesday, January 30, 2007, and the recent statement: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=22118 released by Reporters Without Borders (RWB), condemning the arrest of Dr. Ahmed Oweidi Al-Abbadi, former Member of Parliament and the author of 57 books. All point to one key fact that King Abdullah II of Jordan has done nothing less than silence all public dissent. Most of this was done, no doubt, to keep control of his absolute monarchy in choppy political waters and to show American and European critics that he does not shrink from sticking a finger in his own eyes.
In a speech, delivered on Thursday, May 24, 2007, King Abdullah II stated, “For our democratic march, we are very much concerned that it must take deep roots…we must reactivate the role of civil society, respect the principal of pluralism, in the frame of national unity that must become intact, above all differences…pluralism and diversity are the streams that foster this march and allow the citizens the freedom to choose and express themselves…”
Following is the Arabic version of this quote:
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When asked about the current Parliamentarian elections law, a very unfair and controversial piece of legislation, criticized by many domestic and international observers and experts on national elections, King Abdullah II reported in Al-Arab Al-Yawm Newspaper, on
Again, here is the Arabic version of the above quote: يبدو أن الحكومة ارتأت حاليا الإبقاء على قانون الانتخاب وعدم تغييره
On
Now, who is the bluffer? Who is behind of all of the massive corruption, lawlessness, human rights abuses, abject poverty, and bribery and force of members of parliament to enact laws that support the ailing monarchy in
The answer is very obvious: our illustrious King Abdullah II. No single change in the political, economic, legislative and/or social arenas takes place and shapes in the country without the blessing and direct involvement of King Abdullah II and his intelligence community!
Americans must be true to themselves. For any action on King Abdullah II’s cruelties that the
On the other hand, the Jordan National Movement (JNM) calls for national unity against the corrupt regime of King Abdullah II. JNM is for all Jordanians, including our brothers and sisters, the large Palestinian-Jordanian community in
The Hashemite regime in
A new constitution, a popular government, and an independent justice system in
The Jordan National Movement (JNM) will proceed to assist in accomplishing this visionary plan with full responsibility and vigor. These political reforms, of course, will not take place without direct support from the people of Jordan and their friends in the
Open letter to "Queen" Rania of Jordan
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Your Upcoming Public Diplomacy in Washington DC: Royal’s Ideals
To Queen Rania of Jordan:
While poverty and unemployment are widespread throughout our Jordanian communities, you and your husband take very expensive trips to the United States and Western Europe to appear before businesses, political groups and civic organizations to talk about “democracy,” “human rights” and “transparency.”
In wealthy democracies, such trips are respectable, encouraged, and, perhaps most importantly, affordable. However, for the leaders of a small country like Jordan, which is beset with tremendous foreign debt, stagnant economic performance, a high unemployment rate, and appalling poverty, surely the wisdom of such trips is dubious, if not downright capricious.
It is reported that you are scheduled to make another trip to Washington, DC in the coming few days to speak before an Arab-American audience (the Arab-American Anti Discrimination Committee) about democracy and human rights in your beloved “kingdom.” According to event officials, it is anticipated that you will address your Arab American audience about the need to adopt meaningful reforms in their respective native countries and thereby encourage them be active participants in these reforms. In addition, you will also be sharing with your audience your experience with Jordan’s efforts to institutionalize democracy and respect for human rights.
“Your majesty,” these will be empty, pointless speeches if they are not followed by sincere and tangible efforts to implement the ideas, concepts, and changes put forth in them. In our opinion, and the opinion of many other concerned Jordanians, these talks border on impertinence when one considers that the current political climate in Jordan is notorious for its rampant disregard of human rights, for its grossly intolerant and inhuman treatment of political opponents, and for its unfair and brutally unjust conduct toward its critics.
Furthermore, this trip and other royal events are flagrantly expensive given the dire economic conditions that Jordan is currently enduring. Consideration of a thorough and reputable financial analysis would surely indicate to a wise person that this kind of trip, at this challenging time, is irresponsible. Certainly, the most economically impoverished Jordanians might even see it as insensitive.
For example, a simple economic analysis can be made by merely reviewing public records pertaining to basic costs that would be incurred on such a trip: the cost of operating a private jet, airport landing fees, daily allowances and hotel accommodation expenses, to mention just a few. Furthermore, if one assumes that the costs for accompanying personnel would also be charged to the public coffers, expenses would rise astronomically: consider the cost to travel with approximately 70 protocol and personal aides, security officers, and communications specialists. The cost of one trip could easily exceed $500,000 US. This sum, while modest by international standards, is a huge amount of money for a country like Jordan.
Might these funds not be better spent to help establish small business projects in rural communities? Projects which would be essential to the creation of jobs for Jordan’s masses of your Unemployed citizens. Would such funds not be more judiciously used to finance social programs to feed the poor and hungry in your “beloved kingdom”? It would certainly seem that half a million dollars could ease a lot of pain for a lot of people who have been suffering for a long time.
Frankly, “your majesty,” many people consider trips of this kind to be the utmost in political and fiscal irresponsibility. For you and your husband to take even one of these expensive trips while your people are struggling to sustain their daily lives is unconscionable.
It has been reported that your husband has instructed his cabinet to cut administrative and travel expenses to conserve public funds. If “your majesties are serious about introducing genuine reform and public accountability to your system of governance, you must also cut expenses in every way possible. Only in this way will you begin to convince the citizens of Jordan of your personal integrity and your commitment to their well-being.
While it is important that the country’s political leaders are engaged with international stakeholders in government, business and civic organizations, there should be prudence on how that is done. One reasonable and realistic option to an expensive trip would be to appear via satellite to present your “passionate” speech about government and individual responsibility”, “transparency”, and “democracy”.
If the current regime is serious about its commitment to democracy and respect for human rights, it will require significant, observable changes in your public conduct and rhetoric. In effect, the cost of your upcoming trip will affect your government in more ways than simply the financial havoc it will cause. Such a trip will severely undercut your credibility on the precise ideals you plan to endorse before your Arab American audience, and we are confident that this will not be well-received.
As you may already be aware, many Jordanians are speaking out against policies of the current Jordanian government and the public conduct of its government officials, including the king.
We hope that you will see the comments offered in this letter as a healthy exchange of ideas, a window of opportunity for all who love and care about Jordan and its citizens to express their concerns and speak up for "democracy", "fiscal responsibility" and "respect for human dignity."
The time for profound change in policies and personalities has never been so favorable. Seize the opportunity!
Respectfully,
Awen Al-Meshagbah, Ph.D., International Consultant on Strategic Management
To Queen Rania of Jordan:
While poverty and unemployment are widespread throughout our Jordanian communities, you and your husband take very expensive trips to the United States and Western Europe to appear before businesses, political groups and civic organizations to talk about “democracy,” “human rights” and “transparency.”
In wealthy democracies, such trips are respectable, encouraged, and, perhaps most importantly, affordable. However, for the leaders of a small country like Jordan, which is beset with tremendous foreign debt, stagnant economic performance, a high unemployment rate, and appalling poverty, surely the wisdom of such trips is dubious, if not downright capricious.
It is reported that you are scheduled to make another trip to Washington, DC in the coming few days to speak before an Arab-American audience (the Arab-American Anti Discrimination Committee) about democracy and human rights in your beloved “kingdom.” According to event officials, it is anticipated that you will address your Arab American audience about the need to adopt meaningful reforms in their respective native countries and thereby encourage them be active participants in these reforms. In addition, you will also be sharing with your audience your experience with Jordan’s efforts to institutionalize democracy and respect for human rights.
“Your majesty,” these will be empty, pointless speeches if they are not followed by sincere and tangible efforts to implement the ideas, concepts, and changes put forth in them. In our opinion, and the opinion of many other concerned Jordanians, these talks border on impertinence when one considers that the current political climate in Jordan is notorious for its rampant disregard of human rights, for its grossly intolerant and inhuman treatment of political opponents, and for its unfair and brutally unjust conduct toward its critics.
Furthermore, this trip and other royal events are flagrantly expensive given the dire economic conditions that Jordan is currently enduring. Consideration of a thorough and reputable financial analysis would surely indicate to a wise person that this kind of trip, at this challenging time, is irresponsible. Certainly, the most economically impoverished Jordanians might even see it as insensitive.
For example, a simple economic analysis can be made by merely reviewing public records pertaining to basic costs that would be incurred on such a trip: the cost of operating a private jet, airport landing fees, daily allowances and hotel accommodation expenses, to mention just a few. Furthermore, if one assumes that the costs for accompanying personnel would also be charged to the public coffers, expenses would rise astronomically: consider the cost to travel with approximately 70 protocol and personal aides, security officers, and communications specialists. The cost of one trip could easily exceed $500,000 US. This sum, while modest by international standards, is a huge amount of money for a country like Jordan.
Might these funds not be better spent to help establish small business projects in rural communities? Projects which would be essential to the creation of jobs for Jordan’s masses of your Unemployed citizens. Would such funds not be more judiciously used to finance social programs to feed the poor and hungry in your “beloved kingdom”? It would certainly seem that half a million dollars could ease a lot of pain for a lot of people who have been suffering for a long time.
Frankly, “your majesty,” many people consider trips of this kind to be the utmost in political and fiscal irresponsibility. For you and your husband to take even one of these expensive trips while your people are struggling to sustain their daily lives is unconscionable.
It has been reported that your husband has instructed his cabinet to cut administrative and travel expenses to conserve public funds. If “your majesties are serious about introducing genuine reform and public accountability to your system of governance, you must also cut expenses in every way possible. Only in this way will you begin to convince the citizens of Jordan of your personal integrity and your commitment to their well-being.
While it is important that the country’s political leaders are engaged with international stakeholders in government, business and civic organizations, there should be prudence on how that is done. One reasonable and realistic option to an expensive trip would be to appear via satellite to present your “passionate” speech about government and individual responsibility”, “transparency”, and “democracy”.
If the current regime is serious about its commitment to democracy and respect for human rights, it will require significant, observable changes in your public conduct and rhetoric. In effect, the cost of your upcoming trip will affect your government in more ways than simply the financial havoc it will cause. Such a trip will severely undercut your credibility on the precise ideals you plan to endorse before your Arab American audience, and we are confident that this will not be well-received.
As you may already be aware, many Jordanians are speaking out against policies of the current Jordanian government and the public conduct of its government officials, including the king.
We hope that you will see the comments offered in this letter as a healthy exchange of ideas, a window of opportunity for all who love and care about Jordan and its citizens to express their concerns and speak up for "democracy", "fiscal responsibility" and "respect for human dignity."
The time for profound change in policies and personalities has never been so favorable. Seize the opportunity!
Respectfully,
Awen Al-Meshagbah, Ph.D., International Consultant on Strategic Management
King Abdullah II’s Destructive Leadership: Open Report to the International Community
King Abdullah II’s Destructive Leadership: Open Report to the International Community By Dr. Abdul Salam Al-Mualla, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, The Jordan National Movement Leaders lead either by force or by persuasion? By command or by consent? Through most of its recent history, the leadership of the Hashemite family was exercised by lifelong absolute authority. In a country which demands equality for all, equality in servitude as well as equality in freedom, King Abdullah II's leadership is becoming more and more thuggish, absolute and dictatorial. In fact, King Abdullah II’s popularity amongst the great majority of the population is dwindling dramatically. For King Abdullah II, the billionaire tycoon, it is easy to command leadership by force, and it is much harder to use argument, constructive dialogue and achievement to overcome opposition and win consent. The great majority of Jordanians firmly believe that leadership should be measured by results. King Abdullah II's continued irresponsible policies have resulted in abject poverty, many human rights violations, pork barrels, a knotted economy, massive corruption and lax management. On Sunday, December 17, 2006, Dr. Mohammad Al-Sqoor, member of the board of directors at the National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR), stated, before King Abdullah II, that “78 percent of Jordanian families are renting and do not own an apartment or house.” He added that “80 percent of Jordanians, even though they work full-time jobs, are ranked under the poverty line.” Sadly, this economic and political predicament has been the norm since the establishment of the state; however, it has taken deeper root since King Abdullah II ascended to the throne in February 1999. The hypocrisy of King Abdullah II and his family is endless. He wants Jordanians to perform a “belly loyalty dance” and offer “morning prayers and evening penitence” for him and his family. The Jordanian people are striving for freedom and democracy. This quest has grown from a struggle of individuals and small groups into organized movements. When asked about the current Parliamentarian elections law, a very unfair and controversial piece of legislation, criticized by many domestic and international observers and experts on national elections, King Abdullah II reported in Al-Arab Al-Yawm Newspaper, on Tuesday, May 15, 2007, that “the government decided not to change the current Parliamentarian elections law,” which is a fabricated response designed to mislead the public and international community since the government in Jordan is appointed directly by the king. The Hashemite monarch, who arbitrarily carries out immoral acts, wants to save face and his international image. His dictatorship and inhuman rule is shaking badly. The king has intentionally overlooked working with a new generation of educated Jordanians who offered to work with him to help him run the country. Instead, he has relied on a group of individuals who are very corrupt, destructive, bossy, negative, and self-promoting. So far, much has been seen to support that assertion. The younger generation of Jordanian intellectuals has scarcely been encouraged to participate in the decision-making process. Instead, King Abdullah II prefers to rely on the same narrow coterie of men who are without popular appeal, but offer no serious challenge to him. The latest example of this is undoubtedly a depressing tale of cronyism gone awry, involving a senior government official appointment. It happened when Mr. Bassem Awadallah, the king’s current Office Director and one of his closet advisors and business partners, recently recruited Mr. Maher Matalaka to head the Economic Office at the Jordanians are in sharper pain. Dozens of already broke enterprises are being pushed into bankruptcy, and thousands of already idled workers are losing their jobs. The decision makers in the royal family are learning the old ways and unlearning new ones; this leads to uncertainty and tentativeness. This family lives with ambiguity and creates false orders and dogmas to live by. Members of the Hashemite royal family make grave personnel decisions that have resulted in embarrassing circuestances to the political leadership of the country. The latest of those embarrassing episodes took place when the regime’s former Deputy Prime Minister, Marawn Al-Mausher, violated the World Bank’s ethics rules while defending his current boss, Mr. Paul Wolfowitz. Needless to say, King Abdullah II was Mausher’s reference to get his post with the World Bank. With the support of these corrupt senior advisors, Jordan's potentate appears to be maintaining his grip on power, but given the heavy burden of external and internal debts, mammoth corruption, and exponential abuses of human rights, outbreaks of social unrest appear likely, and, while the reaction of the regime domestically is predictable, there is much less certainly about how it might seek to divert attention through its activities on the international stage. Jordanian unelected authorities continue their crackdown on free speech, including closing independent domestic media outlets (e.g., Al-Majd Weekly Newspaper), and harassing political activists, journalists and reform-minded figures. One recent example is the detention of Dr. Ahmad Oweidi Al-Abbadi by King Abdullah II and his security services. The current 90th unelected government continues to use its vast unchecked powers to prevent any organized political opposition and severely limit civil society activities and anti-government manifestations. Mismanagement of the economy is forcing up both inflation and unemployment. In March 2007, King Abdullah II ratified the Law of Penalties that allows for the prosecution and imprisonment of journalist(s) and individual(s) who commit action or publish an opinion that represents an insult to people’s religious sentiments or beliefs, instigates sectarianism or racism, slanders or libels against the state, individuals or their personal freedoms and spreads false information or rumors about them. This law forbids sending emails that carry criticism of the king and royal family, stressing such emails must be considered as a form of terrorism: The punishment is 3 years in prison plus hard labor. This law represents the Hashemite dictatorship at its best! Not only is the average Jordanian entirely frustrated and powerless in the face of a thuggish monarchical regime, but he suffers economically as well. High level officials in the royal court, the government, and politically privileged public corporations do as they please. Much of Jordanians’ hard earned money and foreign assistance funds are given away by the royal court for political reasons to interest groups in the already bribed parliament and to those with political pull who manage to enjoy government benefits, subsidies, grants, preferential treatment, and privileges at the expense of the common Jordanian citizen. According to a published report presented to the Jordanian Parliament in July 2005 by MP Abdullah Zraiqat, total proceeds of oil donations and U.S. foreign aid to the Jordanian government between 1990 and 2004 were $9.2 billion, broken down as follows: $6 billion (free oil from Iraq), $2 billion (free oil from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait), and $1.2 billion (economic aid from the U.S.) Unfortunately, large sums of these donations are not accounted for due to mismanagement, misappropriation and theft. None of those officials has been sent to jail for illegal conduct. Undoubtedly, some of those officials are involved with the King and his family in business deals. For instance, when the State of Kuwait presented free donations of oil to the people of Jordan in 2004, the royal family and a former appointed Prime Minister, made shocking “behind the scenes” arrangements to sell a major part of this donation to a foreign oil exporting firm, known by the name Free Market Petroleum, and deposited the proceeds into their private accounts outside the country. The information of the fund transferring process was confirmed by a member of Kuawit’s Parliament, Mr. Ahmad Al-Sadoon, in April 2004. Another major scandal discovered just a few months ago was a cell phone franchise state license that was sold, through secretive arrangements between the royal court and high ranking appointed officials in the unelected government to an unknown local IT company for $6.3 million. Within a few weeks, the same company sold the license to another IT company in the Another example is the 2006 report issued by the General Auditing Bureau (GAB) in Many Jordanians firmly believe that the issue is not just bringing corrupt individuals and businesses to justice, but also enacting laws to fight these illegal practices. According to the current anti-corruption laws, if a senior government official (minister) is found guilty of corruption, he or she “shall be punished by a fine of JD10 ($14) to JD50 ($65) and imprisoned for one week to three months.” In other words, the government has in essence adopted laws and statutes which are very ineffectual in fighting this social and economic epidemic. Also, the justice system itself is breading injustice. According to a report submitted by Mohammad Samed Al-Raqad to King Abdullah II, on Jordanians must demand major amendments in the constitution, such as reducing the authority of King Abdullah II so that his role would be curbed to that of a titular leader henceforth and demand constitutional changes that would shift executive power from the king to a Prime Minister, elected directly by the people, which is the hallmark of any true democratic system. Full respect of Jordanians’ civil rights must be kept in mind. Physical abuses, suppressing dissenting voices and official harassment of political activists and journalists must be legislatively prohibited. Our belonging and allegiance must be first and foremost to Jordan and its people, not to the king and his family. We must start working toward a “Genuine Housecleaning Strategy,” which will permanently restore and refurbish the economic and political landscapes in our homeland. This long-term restructuring strategy will make