Jordanian bloggers are currently talking about women’s rights in Jordan. Sweet! I like that. The reason for the interest in this issue now is because Jordan recently endorsed a United Nations convention eliminating discrimination against women — albeit with some reservations. I’m not sure if this endorsement will really mean anything since Jordan did express […]

I was baffled when I saw this picture on Lina’s blog. The photo highlights the new face of Amman: cranes dotting the new skyline of the Jordanian capital. It took me a while to recognize that I was looking at was my beloved hometown, which I have not visited for over a year. At first […]

I was asked by reader Mohammad to give some exposure to the message below. I’m obliging, as the threat to "Jordan’s only real forest" is really quite distressing. According to the Friends of the Environment website, Dubai Capital Company has plans to build four hotels right in the heart of the Aleppo forest. Here is […]

Jordan’s ancient city Petra was officially declared a candidate Tuesday in the contest to name the new seven wonders of the world at a ceremony amid its rose-colored stone buildings. Contest founder Bernard Weber presented Jordan’s Queen Rania with Petra’s official candidacy at the event that included a presentation on the way the city’s first […]

Jordan dominated the news cycle of American news stations this morning. The reason: Bush’s visit to the Kingdom to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki. Seeing images and sounds from Jordan on American morning shows while sipping my coffee in our Maryland apartment was, of course, exhilarating. "Hey, look, Richard Engel is on […]

The husband needed new pants. He claimed that a number of his pants had shrunk due to my excessive drying methods. I did not argue. Instead, I accompanied him last weekend on a shopping spree to Filene’s Basement. After maybe an hour and a half, the husband managed to find himself some pants that suited […]

Khalaf has drawn my attention to the sad fact that the Jordanian delegation has withdrawn Muna Nijem’s nomination for head of the Information Telecommunication Union or ITU. He says: After the first round of voting, the candidate from Mali received 53 votes, Germany 45; Brazil 29; Switzerland 14; and Tunisia 9. Nijem received 5 votes. […]

Hamzeh has notified me that the charges against Abu Odeh have been dropped. A military prosecutor has dismissed the case brought against a former cabinet minister who was charged with slandering Jordan’s King Abdullah II and harming national unity. The official Petra news agency reported on Sunday that Adnan Abu-Odeh "will not be tried and […]

My musician sister, who recently joined the wonderful blogosphere, is highlighting a concert that will be held in memory of the victims killed in the terrorist attacks that rocked Jordan on 9 November 2005. Performed by the Orchestra of the National Music Conservatory on November 10 and 11, the concert will feature Mozart’s Requiem. Part […]

My previous post about Muna Njiem’s bid for ITU Secretary General has generated a little bit of a debate about her role in the sale of Jordanian mobile operator Umniah. As a result of some of that discussion, her election team left a comment on this blog today linking to an official response from her […]

Jordanian IT expert Muna Nijem is currently in the running for the position of Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Unit (ITU). According to ITU’s official website, the unit is an international organization headquartered in Geneva that operates within the United Nations System, where governments and the private sector coordinate global telecom networks and services. Muna […]

The Nabataean city of Petra in Jordan has been short-listed for the new seven wonders of the world. The original list included 200 sites; the short-list now stands at 21. The vote is being organized by a non-profit Swiss foundation called New7Wonders, which specializes in the preservation, restoration and promotion of monuments. The results of […]

Yet another woman has been murdered in cold blood in the name of honor. According to The Jordan Times, the deceased became the thirteenth woman killed this year in Jordan in what is termed an "honor crime." Authorities on Thursday said two brothers confessed to murdering their sister for reasons related to family honor two […]

So after issuing a report slamming the rights extended to workers in Jordan’s Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZ), the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, or AFL-CIO, and the US National Textile Association (NTA), are filing a lawsuit against Jordan. The AFL-CIO, the largest labor federation in the US, representing more than 10 […]

Thanks to the blogosphere, I’ve found out about an amazing cinematic project that will be established in Jordan. It is the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts (RSICA) based in Jordan’s Red Sea resort town of Aqaba. I first heard about this great project on Laith’s blog and it really made my day knowing that […]

I just came across a new blog by Jordanian journalist Oula Farawati. I enjoyed reading most all of it. One post that grabbed me was an article she wrote about sexless marriages in Jordan. I thought the article was well researched and extremely engaging. I also thought it was very brave of her to tackle […]

I read two news items related to Jordan today. Both have negative vibes — one particularly so– making me still more skeptical of any reform prospects in my native land. The first thing that caught my eye was this: Syrian film director banned from visiting JordanFilm director Omar Amiralay, whose trenchant documentaries on life and […]

Jordan’s ambassador to the United Nations, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein, has entered the race to become the next U.N. secretary-general, he said on Tuesday. Zeid becomes the fifth declared candidate to succeed Ghanaian Kofi Annan, who completes his second five-year term at the end of the year. Zeid’s nomination was submitted by Jordan’s government. […]

A Jordanian gunman on Monday shot at a group of foreign tourists visiting the Roman Amphitheater in Jordan’s capital, killing a British man and wounding six other people including a Jordanian police officer, Interior Minister Eid al-Fayez said. Police overtook the gunman at the scene and arrested him, said government spokesman Nasser Judeh. Al-Fayez said […]

Thanks to blogger Salam, I got to know Sugar in Amman, a short-story by Jordanian Amal el Masri. The story, which I thought was very enjoyable and extremely well-written, won first prize at the Toronto Star’s 29th Annual short-story contest. In addition to the crafty details, I greatly enjoyed the ‘womanly’ observations, which other female […]