After nearly six months absence, Mental Mayhem’s opinion poll is back. The topic this week is the ongoing Hamas debacle. So far the poll’s results are in favor of the Jordanian government version of the story. Part of me wants to believe yesterday’s airing of the confessions of Hamas members on Jordan’s national TV would alter the opinions of skeptics out there. But I think I might be mistaken. A quick sift through the comments posted on different Jordanian blogs here and here and on my own blog seems to prove otherwise. Sadly enough, and for reasons I won’t get into now, it seems that there is a segment of society that insists upon doubting anything coming from the Jordanian government — no matter what; even if it involves their own security.
I wonder if those that continue to deny Jordan was eyed by some Hamas members as a possible military target have forgotten that Jordan was recently attacked. Jordan has been — and still is — a target. That’s the sad reality we have to grasp. Whether the perpetrators were Alqaeda or Hamas, I believe Jordanians should stand up and condemn these attempts instead of resorting to the old Middle Eastern option: embracing conspiracy theories.
Anyway, arguments about this are endless, so I will leave you with a quote from one of my favorite Jordanian bloggers, Khalaf:
Any self-respecting Jordanian who cared about the welfare of the country should stand up and tell Hamas to keep their hands off of Jordan. Smuggling weapons into the country, monitoring the movements of members of security forces and tourists and planning to commit terror is not a game, and this should not be a subject for political football.
And anyway BoosShoof
Again this is all useless to sit and argue about this and that. We need to forget about all that and start thinking aobut how we can improve our standard of living in our countries, not only in Jordan, actually I think Jordan’s economic advancment within the recent years is great. Its not perfect but much better than many other places. This needs to continue and needs to spread to other parts of the Arab world.
“Handala”
BoosShoof
Can a Christian marry a muslim and keep his relegion?
“If you think there are no tensions between Christians and Muslims in Jordan, YOU give me a break Jareer and a clutch and a steering wheel with it as well. Does a Christian have full rights in any Arab country besides Lebanon?”
You belong as much as anyone else to the holy land, and this belonging superceeds religion or any other considerations. I think that’s how things have been before, on both sides of the jordan river.
if you have been wronged because of your religion, i am curious to hear the details. life is not perfect here, but you surprise me with this information. no one should be mistreated because of their religion. We have had enough of this from the jews in the holy land.
I am awaiting your comments.
Jareer, Boosshoof (bti3mal eh):)
I agree that my comments were somewhat off the topic. However, my comments were not directed at this ONE post. It is directed at this site and at the blogsphere in general.
1) If you think there are no tensions between Palestinians and Jordanians, you are naive and you have never lived in Jordan. Who is to blame? both.
2) If you think there are no tensions between Christians and Muslims in Jordan, YOU give me a break Jareer and a clutch and a steering wheel with it as well. Does a Christian have full rights in any Arab country besides Lebanon?
3) This is a civilized debate???? Are you kidding me. Deep down inside each person that is posting on this site is showing the tensions between Palestinians and Jordanians. You don’t need to admit it but its obvious.
4) Jareer, I have started with the little I can do. I have a higher degree from one of America’s leading institutions. I educate my American friendsd about the Middle East. I educate my Arab friends about America. I try to come up with ideas that help my people back home. While I agree that I can’t change the world alone, I do try, why don’t you help me Jareer?
I’m not saying that the Arab world is going to change to dream land in one day or overnight, however, the change has to start now. If I can change, you can change, the whole world can change.
The great USA did not become what it is in one day. I would love nothing more than for the Arab world to show the rest of the world what we can be. We have enough intellectuals and enough economic ability to prove ourselves.
This blog to me is doing nothing besides spreading hatered, you can feel the hate between people, its always here take this, ok now you take that, ok now see this, now you see that.
This is all useless. Discussions need to be constructive. I’m not seeing we all should agree together. However, my point is that it shouldn’t be my goal to make Jareer look bad, or for x to make y look bad. Thats a losing game.
So I want that empire, today, yes today, not tomorrow, please not tomorrow.
“Handala”
Anyone knows who Handala is?
Sabah il kheir ya 3arab, I love this one picture with Handala after the break of the civil war in Lebanon as he is looking up and saying “sabah il kheir ya Beirut”.
ON JORDAN VS PALESTINE
jareer, there many jordanians who don’t belive the official story regardless of their ancestry (syrians, pals, beduins, lebanese) and there are many others who do. the fault line does not seem to follow your theory. this is based on my personal observation as well as media reports here on the ground. case in point is jordan’s largest political/social bloc the islamic groups. this group is as homegrown as it gets. they often stand by the regime, but this time they did not buy into the story because they smell a rat too.
But i think it’s in the best interest of the regiem to play the artificial divide card and to portray every disareement with the regime as if it were between pals and jordanians to rally support by scaring off people. the old fashioned divide and conquer is alive and living here, and there are so many opportunists who have dedicated their lives to deepening this artificial division. because to divide is to be able to play judge between the divided.
I for one have been acutely aware of the absurdity of this division that is soley political and had no basis in history, geography, culture, or religion. this artificial division is a testemoney to the devilish nature of those who are committed to it. after all, unlike Iraq we have no shite, sunni, kurd issue; and unlike Syria we have no minority sect ruling a majority, and unlike lebanon we have no secterian differences. the population of jordan and palestine is one of the most homogenous groups in the arab world. so you must raise your hat to the evil that is working day and night to deepen the bogus differences. it’s all political and for the benefit of those who find security in dividing the same peopel.
i am not romanticist or nationalist or nasirist or islamist, i am a realist.
and that’s my 2 fils on this issue.
Boosshoof,
I think Handala is speaking the truth, and you just read the surface. I agree though, Handala is off the subject of this post.
No tension between Pals and Jordanians ! Give me a break ( or a clutch!)
“Truly what a shame. This exchange of messages contains nothing but a plethora of hatered between Palestinians and Jordanians, Muslims and Christians, fanatics and moderates. What a true shame.”
HUH? this is a civilized debate by western standards, and a coffee chat at the corner Gahwah by Jordanian standards. What are you talking about Handala? Where is the reference to chirstian vs muslims or jordanian vs palestinain? Are you sure you are reading this blog?
The only line drawn is between those who belive the official report and those who don’t. Other than that, you are reading things that I fail to see in any of the post.
And if anyone belives there is a difference between palestinian and jordanian anymore they obvioulsy have not lived long enough in either jordan or palestine. and if anyone belives there is christian/muslims tensions in jordan or palestine, they are living in a world of fiction. there are many problems in jordan, none of them are what you described.
Handala,
Why dont you start and lead the way. We will follow !
What a shame
This is the educated segment of Jordan and the Arab world. Truly what a shame. This exchange of messages contains nothing but a plethora of hatered between Palestinians and Jordanians, Muslims and Christians, fanatics and moderates. What a true shame.
Can you imagine what an Israeli reading this blog would be doing. He/She would be laughing like mad at how stupid Arabs are.
When are we gonna stop this stupidity. When are we gonna wake up. I long for a true Arab nationalist movement that leads our people in the right direction. And this Arbist movement I’m talking about is not one of a dictator like Saddam Hussein, a corrupt leader like Assad, not even a weak one like that of Abdel Nassir, but rather a passionate true sincere movement such as the one started by Aflac himself. Where have we gotten.
I want to see us build an Arab empire. Not an empire based on military power like that of the British, not one like that of the Ottoman’s thats based on relegion, but rather an intellectual economic empire. Not an empire that spreads hate and creates enemies, rather one that creates a better standard of living for its members, yes its members thats us.
I want that empire not tomorrow, no not tomorrow, I want it today. Lets stop living on the glory of the past and on the dreams of the future. Lets live today. Lets stop throwing the responsibility on the future generations. Growing up in the Arab world all I heard from the elders is “it is your responsibility to make sure Palestine is free, it is your responsibility to make sure the Arab countries are a power, etc…”
I will not do that to our children by giving them our responsibilities. I want to provide them with the right future.
No I don’t want it tomorrow, I want it today. I don’t want an empire that fights, I want an empire that provides, I don’t want a nation that is ruled, I want a nation that rules, yes people that make the rules, that choose their leaders. Not tomorrow, please not tomorrow….
“Handala”
Natasha:
“I believe Jordanians should stand up and condemn these attempts instead of…embracing conspiracy theories.”
“Sadly enough…there is a segment of society that insists upon doubting anything coming from the Jordanian government”
Those two quotes put the “so far” into perspective – Natasha is not an objective pollster and it sounded like she was cheering the poll when she said the “so far” comment rather than reporting the findings to date. You see how putting the quote back into context makes a lot of a difference?
And Jeff, take it easy man, you seem all worked out about the issue of the accuracy of the poll. Polling is not a toy to play around with, meaning that, unless it is done properly it should not be done at all because a poll speaks the people’s ideas out, and if done improperly, you are forging or misrepresenting what the people say. You have no right to do that.
So yes, unless this poll is scientific (or a clear disclaimer is added), it is, in itself, a political tool rather than a research tool. And Natasha’s shown bias point to the fact that this poll was intended to be a political tool.
P.S. I know Natasha has nothing to do with politics, but she clearly took sides and cheered for one all the while doing a poll.