Yazanian Adventures in Rum

The Malnayaba tribe's fortress in the middle of the Wadi Rum desert, Jordan.

They were perilous times; wars, revolutions and uprisings invading the lands, with a heightened sense of alarm spreading among mankind near and far. Saturday evening, a tribe of four youthful fellows: Blondie, Willa, Asia and Moi, decided they would rather be spending their Adha hours on the magical sands of distant Wadi Rum, far far from havoc and troubled minds.

The decision was made; Sunday evening, after Sir Willa had a rather heated quarrel with Jett Horses, the folks found themselves on a one way trip to Aqaba in the south of the Kingdom named Jordan. Six hours, two feasts, and a stroll on the windy beach later, the tribe was headed towards Madame Blondie's castle, which she had kindly allowed them to stay at for a few nights under her generous hospitality.

Understandably, Asia found itself in a different time zone, and come sleep time, it decided to entertain itself until drowsiness claimed its consciousness. Drowsiness never came, and Asia found itself pacing the grounds of Blondie's residence until the early hours of the following morning.

After the tribe's fortress was erected on a rocky peak in the vastness of the deserty Rum setting, a lengthy bathe in the rejuvenative dunes of pure red sand, and a curious observation of smily camels in the hour-long act of micturition, the star they call the Sun fell out of the sky, taking with it all its shining glory. An icy wind forced itself upon the tribe, and soon the tribe were in a shivery struggle to maintain whatever heat they had left in their smelly bodies.

A giant ant invasion was thwarted, and the tribe started a magnificent fire as a show of their glorious victory, but it was not to be, and an incoming attack of rabid dogs found Moi being injected with salivary canines into his arse. Moi never made it to see what happened next, but legend has it that the tribe of Malnayaba never survived the incident either. A creepy onlooker lived to tell the tale.

Rum, rum, rum your goat,

Gently down the dune.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

Oh, just look at that moon.

P.S. Yes, it's a silly post. I thank you, mortal being.

Pursuing Medicine: Social Influence and Implications

Disclaimer: This post has been re-blogged from the IFMSA-JO JUST LC blog where it was first published on July 15th, 2012.

International Federation of Medical Students' Associations, Jordan - Jordan University of Science and Technology Local Committee.

As a start to this post, I would like to give you, my dear readers and fellow IFMSAns, a very brief insight into my academic history.

I was never the brightest of students, nor was I ever that perfectly disciplined pupil or straight A student, except for a few primary years some might say. It so happened, that through tenth grade, something in me decided it would be worth making that leap of faith. Then and there, in hopes of raising my prospects for university admission, the decision was made; and I made it my intention to exert a greater effort into academics. I did well, unexpectedly well actually, and here I am - five years later - your average medical student about to begin his fourth year of study in the clinics.

Mind you oh wise readers, do not be fooled. Time - the unalterable, unfaltering nuisance that it is - changes but the tiniest fragments of this vast universe we call home. Through childhood, not once had I contemplated the thought of becoming a doctor. I was convinced wholeheartedly, that the future would have me become a world renowned architect, designing modern skyscrapers for the most magnificent cities around the globe. Childhood dreams a few might call it, eh?

Some of you, my good fellows, have had the medical dream for as far back as they can remember. I find that respectably fascinating. However, I fool you not my friends; not even upon graduation from school did the thought of a medical career sound intriguing. After registering myself into a Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of Jordan, and convincing my inner being that I was to become the innovative mechanic of the future, fate has it that a twisted change of events occurred.

None other than our Jordan University of Science and Technology called home, offering me a spot as a medical student. There I was, seated under grandmother's lemon tree, with mom yelling from our apartment downstairs that I had been accepted into medicine.

Unbelievable as this may sound to an audience of medical students, the decision was never an easy one. There are the days where I tell myself that the decision was as haphazard as flipping a coin; some might call it luck or faith, and still some might attribute the happenings to a higher being. But even with that said, I am well assured, that had it not been for the cultural and societal outlooks on medical education and physicians, I would have not end up where I am today.

Life so has it that people around this world are segregated from one another by numerous cultures, multiple societal values, and those plenty customs and habits; be they good or bad. Our Middle Eastern values today, have almost nothing in common with those of their Western or Eastern counterparts, albeit globalization is playing its large part in bringing about a universal culture worldwide.

Do excuse me, good people, for there are times when my head finds itself running about in circles, subjects are so thoroughly intertwined with one another it becomes quite the deed focusing on a particular topic. My current days studying psychiatry have seen me diagnose myself with a rather large portion of mental illnesses. A few will be tempted to call it 'medical student syndrome' and others may refuse to do so. But that is another subject to be discussed on its own.

Subject at hand, my dears. Society does have its ultimate role in every decision that flows through your head, be it rational or not. It is widely believed, in our beloved Jordan and Middle East at large, that those students who are high achievers at school deserve to enter nothing but medicine or engineering. Prestige, social class, financial income, job availability, and societal approval are words and concepts that come to mind when dealing with such a matter.

Kind readers, I believe that there are quite the share of questions that must be posed on the topic of admission into medical school. I have no doubt that you are aware of the four year premed system that is valid in the United States, or the fact that the majority of renowned institutions of higher education across the globe require their applicants to interview for medical spots. I will refrain myself from pointing out the other rigorous requirements medical school applicants undergo abroad.

I think I am safe to say that the admissions system does need a significant overhaul, albeit some would philosophize that they are against the notion. How many of us would have passed through an interview, a psychometric or a medical-knowledge evaluation exam? The thought is indeed quite the fright. And yet people are adamant in convincing you that quality still prevails over quantity, that the country still respects the rule of law and fair criterion selection - my sincere boo to that.

Fellow IFMSAns, I must thoroughly thank you for taking the time to read this blabber of thought. It isn't too objective but I suppose it'll do for a first timer on our new blog. No?

Kindle 4 Non-Touch Review

As you might have heard (or not), I recently purchased a Kindle 4 Non-Touch (NT) ebook reader from Amazon. And having finally finished my exams, I would like to take the time to point out the goods and the bads of this model in contrast to the Kindle Touch and Kindle DX for you prospective buyers.

Thus far I have only read two books on the device, being "Another Day in the Frontal Lobe" by Katrina Firlik and "Our Last Best Chance" by King Abdullah. I am currently reading "Physics of the Future" by Michio Kaku and will be starting the long awaited "Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown. Suffice it to say, the Kindle reading experience is quite amazing.

Amazon regrettably does not ship its Kindles internationally, so a cousin in the States agreed to have it ordered to him first and then brought it along to Amman. They arrived safe and sound a few days after Christmas - the perfect timing. A friend I know had not such a comfortable experience ordering to the country. Although Aramex played its part well, the Jordanian customs services did not- they charged him an extra 30JDs.

I'll start with the price. At $79, the Kindle NT is the only basic, full-fledged ebook reader currently available at such a cost. Kindle Touch and DX cost $99 and $379 respectively - quite a jump for the DX that is. If what you're looking for is a basic ebook reading gadget for novels, literature and solely text-based books, I would totally recommend the Kindle NT.

PDF reading however, isn't much of a joy on either the NT or the Touch. The zoom in option is a pain to work with, and white margins take a good amount of space leaving the text too small for an enjoyable read. An option for increasing font size with PDF books is unavailable. Technical or medical PDF books would be better read on a Kindle DX owing to its larger screen, which better accommodates graphics and multiple columns.

There are two pluses I would like to mention though. I have found great success in converting powerpoint presentations into PDF and then viewing them on the Kindle in landscape mode. External software can be used to convert PDF into Kindle-friendly formats, such as .azw or .mobi. Or they can be used to modify the PDF files themselves by cropping the unnecessarily white margins occupying the screen. I would totally recommend Calibre for your ebook managing and editing needs.

The Touch is slightly wider, thicker and taller than its NT counterpart, and its weight exceeds the NT by 43 grams. It also features a headphone jack (mp3 compatibility), and 4GB (3000 books) of storage as opposed to 2GB (1400 books) in the Kindle NT. The touch technology can be a nuisance if you prefer using a utensil or finger to track your reading, as it will inadvertently lead to a change of page or screen. Also worth the mention is that the refresh rate is quite a bit faster with the Non-Touch.

To put it in short, if you're an avid touch technology fan who will be reading more than 1000 books simultaneously (chapeau!), with a preference of listening to mp3s or robotically read text, then the Kindle Touch is the gadget for you.

As a final note, I recently stumbled upon Duokan, an alternative Kindle operating system (OS) which offers increased PDF compatibility, epub, jpg support, as well as others. There may be a risk of losing your warranty though, and the OS is still in its developing stages for the Kindle 4, but is working perfectly for Kindle 3 models. It may be worth looking into.

Guantanamera

Street art by David Walker. Check out Street Art Utopia for more awesome photos of street art, graffiti and urban art.

Looking back at my previous posts, a whole lot of them begin with my expression of regret over not updating this blog so often. Five posts were written since January last year, shame shame.

New Year's eve was spent in Irbid studying for my Endocrine exam, so was most of the past year really. I've grown rather accustomed to this lifestyle, to the degree that going back to Amman on weekends has become something of a burden for me, as well as spending excess time with the family. It isn't that I'm holding anything against them, it's just that I've become quite fond of the space and peace of mind that come with living alone.

Medical school has been as demanding as ever, and I can hardly say that I'm spending all of my time studying. Grades are barely mediocre in comparison to the rest of the class, and if trends don't change soon, I can't see myself being accepted into any noteworthy let alone competitive residency program. Word on the street is that fourth year may turn out to be somewhat of a better experience being clinically based and all - haven't lost hope yet.

The idea of residency has honestly got me in a state of panic and anxiety, and a quick look at the few medical relatives I have only furthers the troubled thoughts. Two are interviewing for slots in the US, one aiming for general surgery and the other for internal medicine. Both have top notch USMLE scores. The third is currently doing his final year of ophthalmology residency with the Royal Jordanian medical services. All three barely see the light of day. The exponential incline in competitiveness of American programs is also a thought that has me worried. More and more graduates have been considering Germany for specialty programs after their internships in Jordan. Who knows, maybe I'll go for that when my time comes.

The year 2011 was pretty successful - in terms of Arab revolutions that is. Myself, I would say that this year was nothing but a complete failure, achievements were close to nil on all levels. Neither did I live up to last year's resolutions nor did I do anything else worth the mention. What has been happening is quite the contrary; social life and events are getting ever so dull, volunteer work is negligible and I'm barely doing any proper exercise besides walking nowadays. My plans to get back to violin last year have only been postponed over and over again.

On the not-so-negative side of things, I recently ordered myself a Kindle 4 e-book reader from Amazon. It arrived with a cousin on Christmas day, so I can't really complain about the timing. I was pretty lucky, Amazon regrettably does not ship it's Kindles internationally - very grateful things worked out as well as they did. I'll be writing a review once I'm done with exams on Thursday, but all in all it's a pretty awesome gadget. Supposedly it'll be snowing in Amman then, arriving from Irbid to the white capital is something I'll definitely be looking forward to.

Anyhow, avoiding the negativity and self-destrucive bouts of depression is a must for me. Perhaps I should make use of and take pride in the compliments I'm getting - about how spotlessly clean my bathroom and toilet are - to lift up my sense of self worth. Yes, fantastic.

The Jordanian Harassment Problem

How much of a bad boy blogger have I been? If it wasn't for a dear cousin of mine who took the time to complement this blog, it would have been totally out of mind. Put aside the fact that I'm on vacation, studies are minimal, and so on - I am just treating you unfairly oh blog, I beg your forgiveness. So many events have gone by without my blogging participation, I feel ashamed of myself - B4JO, or Blog for Jordan day, TEDxDeadSea, and  all the memorable and not-so memorable experiences that I went through, all down the drain. Yalla anyhow, subject at hand - the Jordanian harassment problem.

While riding a cab on my way back home last week from the ophthalmologist, we came to an abrupt stop as several women crossed the road. It seemed the driver was in a state of rage buildup - or something of that sort, when he suddenly turned his head to the right, looked me straight in the eyes, his cigarette now flaking all over the interior, and muttered: "Wallahi saro zlam".

The phrase referred to the women crossing, and literally translates to "by God's name they have become men". He further went on to emphasize his point, informing me most intelligently how women have brought themselves to have jobs, work in governmental positions, and even drive cabs. Now I would've been totally satisfied with his words had it not been for his pissed off, sarcastic tone of voice - and how he went on to comment about them not wearing hijab, their high heals, tight clothes, and so on.

Why is it, that female harassment has become the norm throughout Jordan? That everywhere I manage to be, I happen to see this phenomenon regardless of what the female is wearing? Hissing sounds, car stalking, Pepsi can throwing, and you can be creative with the rest. Is it sexual oppression? Lack of governmental / societal intervention? What is wrong with you people, what is wrong with us?

Like a friend recently told me how she was stalked by some fellows most vulgarishly, so she decided to inform the policeman in the nearby kiosk of their car number. The vehicle was found, the boys were stopped, but were released a few minutes later with no punishment whatsoever. Or like the story where a female working at a telephone company went complaining to her boss about her ever-so-rude and annoying coworker - later to find a nice note on her desk stating bluntly that she was fired for misbehaving.



Also worth mentioning is the deeply saddening issue of orphan harassment. I would like to thank Lara Hadi for her post ID000: Labeling Orphans when it's not their fault, which made me aware of this dire subject. Definitely worth a read, so please pay Sleepless in Amman a visit.

Why have we come to this I ask?

A Solar-Powered Jordan: Economic Independence a Heartbeat Away?

Check out my first blog post on TEDxDeadSea, a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience:

"As most of you know, Jordan today is edging and hoping for major reform; a whole makeover in terms of government, economy, and citizen lifestyle. But the fact still remains that our most obvious resources are not exploited in the least significant manner, and an estimated 96% of our energy needs are imported from abroad which accounts for more than 7.5% of our national income. The levels of energy and electricity consumption are expected to double in 15 years. Why should we bear this? And why are we not pushing harder for alternative energy solutions? This must change now.

Our beloved Jordan is considered to be one of the sun-belt countries, or a country which possesses high solar radiation on its horizontal surface. Each day, we wake up to a bright and shiny morning to get on with our lives, but why do we fail to notice the gleaming glory of the sun, a factor which we, as Jordanians, can make use off to lift our economic standing and pave the way for a new, energy independent Jordan? An answer which honestly beats me.

According to the Department of Statistics (DoS), domestic solar water heaters were used by 12 per cent of Jordanian families as of September 2010. What makes me lift my brow so surprisedly is the dodgy statistic that 26 per cent of Jordanians used to rely on solar systems in the 1990s. A 14% decrease, how can this be plausible? Are we a country that is moving forward in time and development or are we shrinking into corruption and black holes? I need to be assured as doubt has begun overcoming me.
Each solar water heater has the capacity to heat up to 150 liters of water, per day. According to the United Nations Development Programme, installing solar water heaters can significantly reduce agricultural waste since smoke produced through heating the water be decreased significantly. Household appliances used for heating water are also notorious for their green house gas emissions as they typically use oil or gas, and like hell we are in desperate need to cut our oil and gas consumption.

What is it exactly that I want you might be asking? What I need is an absolute reliance on domestic solar water heating systems in Jordan, an over 90% of houses with solar panels on their roof tops, a law insisting on the necessity of solar panels and provides loans for low-income familes to install them. That is what I want. Why should Spain, Israel, and Turkey be better than us in these regards, where solar water heating is standard practice in all homes? Why is our solar industry diminishing instead of expanding?

Now you are probably bobbing your head and ridiculing the idea as too expensive, that we don’t have the financial capabilities to do such a move. But the facts state otherwise. The cost of installing solar panels for domestic use ranges between JD450 and JD500, and the Kingdom’s annual expenditure on solar panels stands at around JD4.113 million. Let us put that into perspective, guess how much the country spends on tobacco producs each year? JD360 million, and ironically smoking-related diseases cost the country almost the same amount as stated by the Ministry of Health. Still, the news gets better. Solar experts in Jordan highlight that it takes less than three years to recover the cost of a domestic solar water heater. In other words, if you hopefully don’t die in the next three years, you would have purchased a solar water heating system and used it all free of charge for 1095 days, does it get any sweeter?

Today, Israel has the highest number of solar-power water heaters per capita in the world. By 1967 around one in twenty households heated its water with the sun and 50,000 solar heaters had been sold, I’m curious as to how many were sold in Jordan. With the 1970s oil crisis, Harry Zvi Tabor, the father of Israel’s solar industry, developed the prototype of the solar water heater now used in over 90% of Israeli homes. 4% of the country’s total energy demand is satisfied by solar panels for water-heating as estimated by the Israeli National Infrastructure Ministry, and solar water heating saves Israel two million barrels of oil a year. Need I say any more?

To sum it all up, I think Jordan has made a good effort to promote the solar industry by exempting energy-saving devices from sales tax and customs duties, and solar power is expected to account for 10 per cent of the country’s energy mix by 2020, not to mention the Shams Ma’an Solar Plant project which is said to become the largest solar power plant in the world upon completion. But even with that said, satisfaction is not in me, and I can hardly say my country has exerted enough to embrace solar energy and promote its technology and industry. What I want is to see this magnificent resource being abused.

To continue reading, please follow this link.

Disclaimer: This post has been partially re-blogged from the TEDxDeadSea blog where it was first published.

First Blog Anniversary and a Road Trip to Irbid

Who would have known time could run so fast! Browsing through the archive it just struck me that I missed Qahwa Saada's first year anniversary, which was supposedly on the 17th of January, boo. Accordingly, I'm actually six days late, but come to think about it, I guess I had an exam then, can't be too harsh on myself now, can I?

If you're worrying how yesterday went with all the packing, the road trip to Irbid one-on-one with a Jordanian gendermerie personnel, the unpacking, and the cleaning, I would like to comfort you and tell you that I made it back to Amman in one piece, I think.

First of, the guy came about three hours late, which prevented me from enjoying my falafel sandwich the way I was supposed to. Bought it from the Abu Jbara Medina St restaurant, and I payed a good deal more than I usually do for falafel sandwiches. So it turned out breakfast was rushed through for no reason. After I loaded everything into the KIA truck with his kind supervision, we set of on our journey.

Can't say I enjoyed the ride, it took about 45 minutes longer than it usually does, probably because I was in a truck full of furniture rather than a speeding 2011 Ferrari GTO rusty old Daio bus. To add to that, the trip was spent listening to overly loud Qur'an cassettes, traffic horns, and a load of interesting swear words. Plus, the driver had no idea where he was going. Irony. Things progressed pretty smoothly from there, I found out my key to the apartment neither opened nor closed the front door, and all I got was an order to get new keys from the shop around the corner.

As much as I love the city of Irbid, the second largest in Jordan after Amman, and the hometown of my ancestors, one can't help but note how dirty the city is, and by dirty I mean plastic bags and tin cans blanketing the lands all around. This brings me to how clean I found my kitchen and bathroom to be; my stove was drenched in greasy remains, with a lot of grease stains infiltrating the counter top. Stepping into a puddle I also found a leaking pipe in the bathroom, and the best thing of it all was the toilet. No other words would describe it than utterly befouled. Now luckily the water bill isn't on me, and I wouldn't consider myself a person who gets disgusted easily, so I took the situation lightheartedly and started with the cleanups and repairs.

Then it came to me that I should hurry if I was to make it back to Amman, and to add to my luck I was greeted by a lovely young taxi driver who offered to drive me there for 4 JDs, a total rip off. Some stubborn travelers stood by my choice in not taking the taxi, and we found a lad who agreed to drive us to Amman for 2JDs and a half; not too good a price, but it was the best offer I was getting for the night. So we got to Amman, and after walking a bit, I finally made it home at 10pm - stinky and soggy with a broken back and a dead phone that is.

It's My Life

More than a year has swept by since I last dusted the soles of my shoes at the towering gates of school, since I took those wary first steps into the unknown world of higher education, making the daring decision of choosing to pursue the degree of Medicine over that of Mechanical Engineering, struggling to find a solution to the various challenges that came my way, with success being my foe at times and my accomplice at others. An annum of contrast and experience I must say, packed with emotions and thoughts that I would have found hardly possible at an earlier while. This, my dear readers, is a recollection of notable memories that I underwent, ranging from those first tastes of university life, to the mingling and integration into the Jordanian public, to learning how to drive in the bustling streets of Amman. As simply as the kind Jon Bon Jovi puts it, "It's my life".

I shall start this series of recollections by introducing a friend of mine who, I'm saddened to say, I no longer have contact with. It was a bright day, the sun was shining so boastfully on a blazing hot summers morning, I was approaching the old ticket booth at the Northern Bus Complex, more commonly known as "Mojamma3 Al Shamal", where I was to begin my journey for the first time to Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST); little did I know that this would become my second home for the next six years to come. Ascending the squeaky steps of the 42-seat Hyundai bus and looking around, I found a seat next to a drowsy young lad who went by the name 'Omais'. It was honestly hard getting his name at first; interpreting his name as 'Anis' and 'Omar' didn't do me very well, so I ended up calling him 'M3allem' or 'Seedi' most of the the time. Omais came from a rough background, he was from one of the less well-off towns of Jordan called 'Mahis', and a second year Chemistry student at JUST. What made him stick out so vividly in my memory is the fact that he was so willing to help me on my first visit under no circumstances whatsoever; the determination in him was something I very much admired, and nothing I said would stop him from touring me around the university, let alone insist on buying me a Coke and Shawarma on his budget.

I admit the tour wasn't at all very fascinating, but it was more than I deserved. After permitting me to sit-in a refreshing air-conditioned lecture with him, I discovered Omais wasn't the brightest of students; on the contrary, he was rather the opposite, and was barely coping with his studies. To my utter shock, he had already received an ultimatum from the university, threatening to disqualify him from the upcoming academic year had he not passed in his subjects. Sitting at the cafeteria next to the university pond, the scenery was amazing; a cool breeze made it's way across the landscape through the withering leaves above us, ducks were quacking merrily unaware of their surroundings, and it seemed the weather had changed for the better. We were talking about each others' history and getting acquainted; he had an upcoming exam in an hour and was facing difficulties with problem solving so I decided to give my assistance where possible. 'Integration and differentiation', I thought. Had it not been for my ingenious A-level school teacher I would have been utterly lost in the subject. The last I heard of Omais he was planning on re-starting his studies at the Hashemite University in Zarqa, his attempts on convincing me that JUST was the most strict and difficult college in the country left me rather confused. At the end of the day, we bid each other farewell, and each of us went our own way; that was the last I heard of him. Omais was my first acquaintance at JUST, I honestly hope he is doing well.

From that I take you to the end of the first university semester. It was a fluid one overall, the subjects were ones I had covered previously in my A-levels, with the exception of Arabic, thus I didn't face much difficulty and spent most of the time messing around in Irbid, '3aroos Al Shamal'. I also chose to accommodate myself with a close and sincere friend I had made, named Ehab from the city of Nablus; we had met on the bi-articulated bus, popularly called 'Al Doodeh' translated 'The Worm', that leads from the Engineering Faculties Complex to the Medical Faculties Complex; I had unwaveringly sided myself against a group of elder students attempting to criticize the first-years, how exactly I honestly don't recall.

It was my pleasure one evening that I got invited over to a couple of friends' house in Irbid whom I had met from my Arabic class; arriving late on a daily manner and issuing my apologies so bluntly interrupting the lecture must have had something to do with it. We were coming close to the final exams, and these international students from Kuwait and Yemen approached me for some assistance with biology, as studying in English was somewhat of an obstacle for them. So I agreed to help-out and tutor them as much as possible. Escorting them through the suburbs of Irbid, we went through the city where students form a majority, the city which has gained global reputation for having the largest number of internet cafes per capita in the world as accredited by Guinness. The sun was gradually setting behind the oblique skyline of weathered stone houses, draped with dull laundry, with the scenting rich Arabian coffee emulsifying around us from the nearing coffee house.

Climbing the uneven concrete steps lined with crack-swarmed walls, a gentle wind made its way through the open window. The door opened with an enchanting creak and I was ushered with warm smiles into the house. The strongly fragranced incense had me coughing almost immediately, the smoky environment inside the house was one that had me with surprise, but I got accustomed, and soon I curiously began contemplating the Arabian floor-based furniture where the table was merely several inches above ground, something I found interesting. I was kindly gestured for, yes, Arabian coffee the Yemeni way, and although I claimed I didn't want to cause any trouble, my hosts insisted. The shining silver Dallah sparkled with life as it was placed on an extravagant fire upon the aluminum-covered oven. We comfortably sat down on a soft array of reddish-black Arabian-designed pillows on the floor, around a unique date-filled pot, a small plate of water used for washing 'daty' fingers, and the freshly-brewed coffee was poured by the hosts filling us with an enthralling aroma. At the creeping sound of silence, I remembered why I was there, and beckoning them to open their books, I attempted to begin tutoring.

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Jordanian Nuclear Bomb

Over the past few weeks, a topic that has been progressively drawing my attention is that of the United States demanding that Jordan relinquish its rights to produce its own nuclear fuel and sign an agreement similar to that of the United Arab Emirates, which will commit Amman to purchasing its reactor fuel from the international market to guard against its potential internal diversion for military purposes.

What is more is that King Abdullah has accused Israel of interfering with Jordan's nuclear plans, as well as instructing his foreign minister to formally reprimand Israel's ambassador to Jordan over the charges that Israel has been seeking to block the sale of the South Korean or French reactors to Jordan.  As stated by The Wall Street Journal:

"There are countries, Israel in particular, that are more worried about us being economically independent than the issue of nuclear energy, and have been voicing their concerns," King Abdullah said. "There are many such reactors in the world and a lot more coming, so [the Israelis must] go mind their own business."

What is ironic is that Jordan has the right to produce it’s own fuel under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, neither the US nor Israel can deny those rights, with specific emphasis on Israel who refuses to sign the treaty and expose it’s nuclear capabilities. I honestly believe there should be a note in global treaties stating that: "These guidelines are applicable EXCEPT in Middle Eastern nations where the circumstances may differ accordingly", considering that each Arab/Middle Eastern country get’s their own permissions regarding what they can do/can’t do with nuclear power.

Jordan has all the means to go ahead with the nuclear program regardless of what the US and Israel think. South Korea and France will be more than willing to consent to Jordan’s needs without the US, though with the green light from the US everything will become much simpler, as some technology in French and South Korean reactors is American and requires US consent for export. As a matter of fact, the first 5MW reactor has already been agreed on and inked with South Korea, and is set to be complete in 2015 in Jordan University of Science and Technology, the college which I attend.

Furthermore, it is well known that Jordan is desperate for energy independence, 95% if not more of power produced in the Kingdom is imported. A nuclear Jordan will very much increase economic stability and will pave the path for achieving it’s water needs too, as the power is planned to be used for water desalination in Aqaba.

That is not all however, I was glad to see former Israeli Justice Minister, Yossi Beilin, write an article for the New York Times in which he defended the Jordanian nuclear project and criticized the Israeli government's objection to this, as well as reproaching the US government for indulging Israel's request to put pressure on Jordan's nuclear project. He is quoted saying:

In the situation that we justifiably or unjustifiably find ourselves now — boycotted and isolated — we do not need to lose the only Arab state with which we have peace-like relations.

Why should his [King Abdullah] country be denied the right to use its own uranium to produce energy? Why suspect his country of doing exactly what it has said it won’t do? Why deny Jordan nuclear technology out of fear of some “worst-case scenario” whereby his regime collapses and is replaced by one that attempts to develop a bomb? This could occur in many other places.

There is a certain risk in allowing Jordan to enrich uranium so close to Israel’s border, but the risk in denying the king’s request is far greater.

Finally, I am displeased to say that the coverage of this subject in Jordanian media has been minimal and largely neglected; I would have hoped for better reportage considering it's importance.

UPDATE July 3rd '10: 
Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications and Government Spokesperson Nabil Sharif told The Jordan Times that “talks are ongoing to sign a nuclear cooperation agreement between the two countries and reports of problems hindering this endeavour are baseless”.

UPDATE July 5th '10:
"There are details that are being discussed but I don't know why, when discussions take a bit longer, people always conclude that there is a problem. There isn't a problem," Jordan's foreign minister Nasser Judeh said at London's International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.

"We are friends of the United States, ... the United States recognises Jordan's pressing need for a peaceful nuclear programme for our energy purposes. We are a country that imports all of its energy resources. I think the United States is very supportive of that," he said.

UPDATE July 12th '10:
The United States is threatening to stop providing financial assistance to Jordan if the country continues developing its nuclear program without coordination with Israel.**

**It turns out the claims, which appeared on the Israeli news site Ynet, are false.  Quoted from Palestine Note:

Washington - Senior Jordanian and US officials have denied an Israeli news report that the US threatened to cut financial aid if it refuses to coordinate with Israel in developing its nuclear program. The officials told Palestine Note that the report, which appeared on the Israeli news site Ynet, was not true.

UPDATE July 14th '10:
France supports Jordan’s right to enrich uranium as outlined in the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the top French diplomat in Amman, ambassador Corinne Breuz said during a press meeting to mark Bastille Day.

"There is no reason for Jordan not to build its own nuclear reactor," she said in response to a question, adding that Paris respects Jordan’s commitment to various international conventions and International Atomic Energy Agency regulations.

Random Thoughts

So here I am, after a rather delicious meal of home made mansaf, staring at my online Organic Chemistry slides, and waiting for the information to be fed into my brain. I've got my final exams now, and I finish in a few days on the 17th. Honestly I can't wait one bit, though the hard truth is that once I'm on holiday I'll be back to that awkward feeling being useless and bored, even though I know I'll be spending my time eating shawarma and swimming at Al Hussein Youth City. Just the thought of that makes me drool, yeehaa.

It is weird how the only time I have that will to educate myself about worldly matters, politics and read the news is when I'm in study stress. It's like I'll be sitting on the sofa, sipping on a cup of mint tea, watching the news with great fascination, with a truck load of books waiting to be read in the next room. What's worse is that I'll usually have an exam right the next day, as is the current case with Organic Chem. Now it'll be alright if that wasted time was about an hour or so, but once I've begun messing around, the realization that it is ENOUGH does not hit me hard until 3 or 4 hours have swept by.

What I don't get at all is the method of teaching at our Jordanian universities, or I would rather not generalize, so I'll limit it to Jordan University of Science and Technology. I mean the syllabus is awesome, you would say "hey, this stuff is really advanced, I'm going to just love these topics!", and in the end the semester turns out to be messed up and on a totally different part of the spectrum than you would expect.

Why, you might ask? Well I would like to put the blame primarily on our beloved professors, (excuse the thought that I might not be paying attention during class). What happens is that some professors, take it that their students are nothing but absolute geniuses, so any question a student might ask will be shameful and offensive in their eyes. What is more is that their standards of communication in English language aren't that brilliant either, but they consider themselves to be more or less native speakers of the language - ambassadors of Shakespeare himself to the Middle East. Well I admit I was picturing none other than my Organic Chemistry professor, so again, I must emphasize that generalization is wrong, and you've got others who are just lovable, and yes, I am being serious now.

The bigger problem is that at times, even the syllabus turns out to be wrong, as I reluctantly learned during my Physiology exam a few weeks back, for which I spent a day or so studying for things that weren't included in our exam, ironic eh? I would also like to blame the Ministry of Higher Education for the inconsistency of dates between Jordanian institutes of higher learning. As an example of this, the University of Jordan, where many of my friends study, has been on midterm vacation for more than a week. On the other hand, we are still entrenched in exams and finish only a few days before our fellow UJ students begin their summer semesters! The least the kind ministry could do is uniform the dates.

Anyhow, there's another half hour gone for practically nothing. I'm off to continue staring at those beautiful chemistry slides - wish me luck.

The Wikipedia Revolution: How a Bunch of Nobodies Created The World's Greatest Encyclopedia

I must admit it has been quite a while since my last blog post, can't say there's a specific reason, but laziness and medical studies come as the main factors, my apologies.

So the focus of this post will be about how I've recently been into editing Wikipedia, or The Free Encyclopedia; I'm sure you've used it at some point, it is, after all, usually one of the primary results in a Google Search. Ever imagined where these articles came from, who wrote them, who contributed, and who edited? Well I doubt you have, it honestly isn't something I would do, but being a recent editor has got me thinking, how much credit do these contributors really get for their work, is there anyone who says well done, good job, or even thank you?

The surprising thing is that the majority of people in our society don't know editing is actually possible, which makes it quite obvious why Middle Eastern articles are somewhat low-grade compared to those of the Western world, and by low-grade I really mean that there is much room for improvement. Gratitude? Can't say they get any, that is unless it is from their fellow Wikipedians, usually represented as a barn star posted on the user's talk page; a page on which discussions about user edits are made.
My contributions until now have mainly targeted articles about the Middle East, two articles I am especially interested in are "Jordan University of Science and Technology", the college which I currently attend, and "Suleiman Mousa", my late grandfather, who was the first and only Arab author to write about T.E. Lawrence, or "Lawrence of Arabia", and show the Arab perspective.

What do you need to become an editor? Nothing much really; an e-mail account, a sufficient command in the English Language, good grammar skills, and suitable references for any ad
ditional information you might want to add to an article, or else it will be deleted by an administrator.

I would definitely recommend  becoming a contributor to Wikipedia, with no doubt there will be articles of interest to everyone, and increasing one's spectrum of knowledge is also a pleasant side factor. Beware though, it is a very time-consuming business, so choose your time carefully.

Stand-Up Comedy in Jordan

Had I been asked about stand-up comedy a few years ago, I would have replied that I knew nothing about it. Today, however, my answer is a whole lot different - surprisingly enough, this wild act has miraculously been taken to a new level of popularity amongst the people of Jordan and the Middle East.

After receiving a message last night informing me that a two hour stand-up comedy show was to be held at university the next day, performed by students and with free admittance, I was delighted. It was shear bad luck that I was persuaded by some friends to hang out for a while, and then continue to the show. Assuming that our fellow Arabs were most probably bad performers and you would be quite lucky if you even smiled, we headed to the show after half an hour from it's starting, what awaited us left us in complete shock; not only were all the seats taken and the sounds of laughter earsplitting, but students were crammed all over, the doors were jammed and what's more, many of them had cameras! It honestly was a memorable experience...


Not a while back some global comedians were in town too... Russel Peters, the Canadian stand up comic and actor, as well as the Axis of Evil comedy tour including Aron Kader, Maz Jobrani, Ahmad Ahmad and Dean Obeidallah, all witnessed massive success amongst the Jordanian people. As a matter of fact Russel Peters even got punk'd by King Abdullah II of Jordan! Not to mention the hilarious Lebanese comedian Nemr Abu Nassar or.. "the Tiger", who performed in the Cultural Palace in Amman a couple of weeks ago to about 1,800 people, more or less the largest stand-up comedy event to take place in the Middle East yet!

You've all heard of the common stereotype that Jordanians always have that disturbing frown drawn on their faces. To some extent, that stereotype may ring true, but my fingers are crossed - the young generation of stand up comedy Jordanians is up for the challenge to change that soon. As a side note, I've always heard laughter is good for the soul, and I can't but agree all the way; how bad is it really to laugh at one another? I sure do hope these events keep coming!

Book Review: Uneasy Lies The Head - King Hussein of Jordan

A few weeks ago I came upon a dusty, time-worn book buried in the stacks my grandfather used to read. At first, I neglected it as I did with most before, but then the title sparked my attention and I was drawn by the fact that the author was no less than the previous ruler of our country, the founder of modern Jordan, King Hussein.

"Uneasy Lies The Head", an autobiography written by HM King Hussein, tells the story of a young boy of 17, forced to endure the threats and perils of life around him, but predominantly, single-handedly  given the abrupt responsibility of ruling a nation swarmed with disaster, shortly after the assassination of his grandfather the first ruler of Trans-Jordan, King Abdullah I, and merely escaping death himself.

This book recollects the enthralling activities of our beloved King and shows the times of happiness and joy in contrast to those of betrayal, various attempts to overthrow the monarchy, and bitter hate. An adventure beginning  from the few months of Harrow and Sandhurst as an Arab in a foreign territory, continue to the memories of racing a Rover, learning to fly a plane, being crowned as King, disguising himself as a taxi driver, being deceived by close comrades, attempts on his life, and ending with his marriage to Muna Al Hussein. Not to mention the numerous other incidents that took my breath away..

The experience of this autobiography took me on a journey that was far more than fascinating, it made it clear how personal strength and perseverance have a vital role in life, how a collection of events may be so magically assembled as a result of timeless efforts, hard work and wisdom to present a masterpiece.

I honestly found this book, this eye-opening recollection of memories and experiences, a thoroughly entertaining one, rich in value and moral, and would definitely recommend it to each and every individual, regardless of their background and culture. Pleasant reading everyone.

Blog About Jordan Day: Why I Love Being an Ammani

"Blog About Jordan Day" is finally here, and I can't but admit that I was almost planning on "forgetting it", but after all, it is an event that occurs once yearly, and being a new blogger, I thought I'd give it a shot. It then hit me, what better could I write about than the rather exquisite lifestyle of an Ammani - the lifestyle that most locals take for granted.

So WHY exactly do I love being part of Amman? What makes my lifestyle so fascinating that I decided to blog about it? Well like most people, my lifestyle does have it's ups and downs, but I can't help but realize that people around me tend to overlook the good happening around them and focus on the bad, which is why I took the time to point out the factors in our lives that we fail to notice.

I love the SMELL of Amman. Yes, that scent of Jordanian air upon waking up each morning does play a role in my life, a significant one too! I vividly remember arriving at Queen Alia International Airport a few years ago, that feeling I got when I stepped out of the plane and took my first whiff of fresh Jordanian breeze was really exhilarating, to the extent that I remember asking if anyone could smell that..

..which brings me to the Ammani WEATHER. Oh how I love the weather here; how often do you find a country that gets all four seasons so properly felt and enjoyed; spending time at the pool in summer, watching those leaves turn that beautiful reddish brown in autumn, a winter under the rain and snow (although we didn't get much this year), and a spring BBQ'ing in the lovely outdoors.

Another thing about being an Ammani is that you always seem to find MUTUAL FRIENDS with whoever you meet, as if we were just one small happy family. Honestly, it does seem kind of ironic; but it's true, it's like everyone knows everyone else!

I love how TAXI DRIVERS in Amman always have a subject to talk about when you hop in; they always seem to be blabbering don't they? Whether it's about how they can't cope with the expenses of sending their kids to school or if they just find your shirt too colorful, they must have something to say!

I am also quite fond of the BACKGROUND SOUNDS you usually hear in an Ammani neighborhood. Birds tweeting, gas trucks with their Beethoven music (doubt you'll find that anywhere but here), the cotton candy man going around the streets playing his harmonica, the corn man shouting "doraay" for all those kids waiting for him, the sounds are rather unique really!

Lastly, I completely admire the fact that wherever you are in Amman, you always have that SAFE feeling; you never feel intimidated! It is in all honesty something we regularly overlook and take for granted, security in Amman and Jordan is another subject on it's own.

Well enjoy your Friday everyone. I wish you a lovely "Blog About Jorday Day" and "World Day Against Cyber Censorship", make it meaningful!

Friday 12th of March; World Day Against Cyber Censorship

I would like to admit, that a couple of months ago, I would have not imagined Friday the 12th of March to be a significant day at all. Today, however, the tables have turned and this Friday will be of major importance for bloggers all over Jordan and even the world. This Friday will mark both "Blog for Jordan Day" and "World Day Against Cyber Censorship". My main focus in this post will be about the latter.

The idea of discussing "World Day Against Cyber Censorship" would not have occurred to me had it not been for Naseem Tarawnah, author of "The Black Iris of Jordan", who posted about the subject and made it clear what the day meant in his post "Dear Jordanian Bloggers & Tweeps: Let’s Mobilize For March 12th".

I can't say I am an expert on the subject, but the moment I decided to look into it I found the shocking statistics that there are actually countries that are totally against Internet  and the web, nicknamed "Internet Enemies". I was honestly relieved to find out that Jordan was not in the list and was highly ranked in the regions Internet Freedom Index. The bigger shock was to find the majority of our neighboring Arab countries listed as "Internet Enemies", with the Index describing their Internet connections as being more or less of an Intranet, in other words a local network of sites with some exceptions. Of these countries were neighboring Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

Arab countries that were listed to be "Under Surveillance" by the government included Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It was also a surprise to find Australia listed to be under surveillance; being one of the largest and most influential countries in the world, I would have thought it hardly plausible.

Now you might be asking, "So what if these countries are "Internet Enemies", or "Under Surveillance"?". Well if you wouldn't prefer to be jailed for speaking your mind on the web, as was the case with an Egyptian blogger not a while back, you would rather not be under those lists. In my opinion, I really think these "Internet Freedom" indexes should be linked with a country's "Freedom of Speech" index; that is if they haven't been linked already.

Jordan, nonetheless, wasn't a perfect country in the Index. For example newspaper columnist Mwaffaq Mahadin and Sufian Tell, a specialist in environmental issues, were held for 15 days for criticizing the assistance which the Jordanian intelligence services provide the United States in its fight against Al-Qaeda.

"Reporters Without Borders" is concerned about a ruling by Jordan’s highest appeal court, published on 13 January, that news websites and electronic media are subject to the country’s press and publications law. Media and communications minister Nabil Al-Sharif told the Jordan Times that the court’s decision was reached independently and should therefore be applied.

All in all, I urge all Jordanian bloggers to make this a subject of one of their posts. If not, a logo and slogan can be obtained and placed on your web space to show your support for the campaign.

Men-Sushi

"Men-Sushi, what's that?" At first thoughts, you'll probably be saying its just an extra large sushi plate specifically made for men with their "special hunger needs", but NO, on the contrary it has NOTHING to do with sizes whatsoever!

Well it seems you've been missing out on the latest food trends in town! Surprisingly, this new "professionally designed" meal hasn't the slightest taste of Sushi, but resembles it in many ways. In fact, it may come as great news for those Mensaf-loving locals that a 3rd eating method for Mensaf has now been introduced.

We all know the traditional method, that involves the strategic 45 degree hand-angle dipping, squishing and artistically forming that juicy Mensaf-ball, and the neat spoon method for those who prefer a little less messiness. I am glad to present to you the new method that ingeniously combines the two stated above to give you "Men-Sushi", the Mensaf-lovers' ideal way for "Mensaf-on-the-run".

Imagine Mensaf-balls readily shaped to perfection in a Sushi-like structure, with a luscious, tender piece of meat on top, wrapped with a meek layer of bread, and a dip specially ordered from Karak, for those who crave an excess of Jameed on their Mensaf ball, to give that final, mouth-watering magical touch! Aren't we in heaven?

Water Scarcity in Jordan

Warmly seated at home, here I am, enjoying the splitter and splatter of raindrops at my window, thankful for the generous quantities of rainwater Jordan has received this season, and hoping for a green spring and summer to come.

Today, Jordan ranks as one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, facing the major issue of being able to supply it's rising population with it's water needs.
Driving around in Amman on a rainy day, it comes as quite a surprise to me that a large number of streets are completely submerged in water, that drainage and sewage systems always seem to be blocked up on a rainy day, and that all that flood water is not benefited of. To add to the sarcasm, a significant amount of the kingdom's water is imported from neighboring countries!

Ever since I moved to Amman, a noticeable feature in our residence has been the integrated rainwater well we have underground. This 3m3 (three meters cubed) well plays a vital role in our summer lives. The amount of water it is able to hold is something I honestly find fascinating, such that is provides an immediate alternate to government water and can be used for various purposes including gardening and everything but potable water; that is unless an adequate filter is implemented.

Now hypothetically, what if, to some extent, the government would put into action a program that would make it compulsory for each new building to have a built-in rainwater well underground? Just imagine the tremendous amounts of water that could be stored from this straightforward plan, not to mention the ridiculously large sums of government money that could be saved and made use of elsewhere.

Well I hope water plans for the Kingdom work out well, and wish you all a happy rainy day.

Texting & The Distractions of Driving

Commuting has by no doubt become a part of our daily lives. According to US government statistics, Americans now spend over 100 hours a year commuting. Although one may say driving is a necessity, the rules that allow it to be safe must be strictly laid down. This brings me to our main topic, the distractions of driving and how they may affect the performance of the driver.

According to Jordanian Public Safety, officials state that on average 2 people are killed and 50 more are injured in 145 road accidents each day. These statistics are quite vast if you ask me, but what exactly are the causes of these accidents? It may be surprising to find out that they are merely due to lack of concentration caused by various distractions affecting the driver. Text messaging and cell phone use, munching on a snack, listening to excessively loud music, or perhaps smoking a cigarette, not to mention the harmful effects that has, are only a few examples of these distractions.

A survey released by mobile application vendor Vlingo says 26 percent of mobile phone users questioned admit to DWT, or driving while texting. Driving while texting is now fully banned in seven states in the US as well as Washington, D.C., and partially banned in a select few other states. Eighty-three percent of the people surveyed said they feel texting while driving should be illegal. But 40 percent of those questioned would OK DWT with the proper safety precautions, such as voice-activated commands. Further, 70 percent would use voice technology to speak and listen to incoming messages as opposed to typing and reading.

"In just one year, the public conversation about the issue of DWT has escalated, particularly in the wake of some high-profile accidents," said Dave Grannan, CEO of Vlingo. "Texting is such an integral component of our daily lives, and the cautionary tales about DWT danger have not stemmed the tide. We predicted last year that this problem would get worse, and it has since more people are texting."

However, a study conducted from Carnegie Mellon University found that just listening to cell phone messages can impair a driver's ability to concentrate on the road. The Oprah Winfrey show also hosted a program that validated this assumption under the title "The Risks of Texting While Driving - Multitaskers Beware!".

 "The human brain isn't equipped to concentrate on two things simultaneously," says neuroscientist René Marois, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

To add to that Alghad News published an article today which stated that the average usage of a cell phone while driving is equivalent to a certain dosage of alcohol thus significantly lowering reaction time of the driver. Alghad also noted that the number of fines given for phone usage while driving in Jordan in 2009 exceeded 138350.

Volunteer Work with KHCC & KHCF

A little while back I applied as a volunteer with King Hussein Cancer Center & Foundation (hereafter KHCC & KHCF). The King Hussein Cancer Center is the only specialized cancer center in the Middle East that treats both adult and pediatric patients. I thought it would be a great way to spend my spare time instead of lazing around at home… and it turns out I wasn’t the least bit mistaken.

After receiving a phone call a few days ago requesting me to be part of an awareness campaign about cancer, I gladly headed to City Mall to find out what exactly I had to do. Upon reaching the booth where my 4 hour shift was to begin, I was greeted with warm arms and my fellow volunteers explained it all. It was quite a surprise to find that the 11^th of February was the worlds cancer day; which I had no idea existed. We were to distribute brochures and leaflets among the people which were about the various types of cancers, how they could be prevented and methods of treatment, with specific emphasis on smoking and its harmful effects. As well as that we were also holding booths for donations to KHCC & KHCF, and for a health insurance program against cancer.


The experience was refreshing; getting to know my fellows in the booth and mingling with the Jordanian society. With no doubt there were some people who did not give us their attention, but on the other hand there were many who did, who shared their opinion about the matter and told us about their own experiences with cancer. It was very interesting to learn so much and at the same time contribute to the people’s knowledge.

To add to that, we even had our own benefits, which included a free meal complement of the center; which was of course “healthy” in their opinion, unlike the junk food we would normally get.

Those 4 hours could have honestly been just 30 minutes with the fascinating time I had - getting to know those wonderful people, learning plenty of new info, and with no doubt contributing to the awareness of society.

King Hussein - The Jordanian Icon

How often do we stop to say, to actually think, what this day actually means in history? How often are we thankful for the community, for the country in which we are embraced? Jordan, as we now know it, has evolved through history, under the few Hashemites who sacrificed their all, to build and maintain a country which prospers in life. We owe it all to our Hussein of Jordan, who was the longest reigning ruler in the world; 5 decades as a matter of fact, to ensure that Jordan became what it has turned out to be on this day.

Today marks the 11th anniversary of the passing of His Majesty King Hussein of Jordan. One might be fascinated by the amount of stress and pressure a person might handle, but at the same time astonished at the kind, warm, welcoming smile that person has drawn upon his bright face. King Hussein was that loving, kindhearted person who underwent those many times of war, revolution, crime and distress. It was this same person, who became an icon for peace in the world and a model for many countries in the Middle East and worldwide.

I can vividly recall the words written in his autobiography, about how his life all began by the disgraceful assassination of his grandfather the founder of Jordan, King Abdullah I, at the doors of Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. How Hussein also merely escaped death himself, by a medal he had worn on his uniform across his chest, as requested by his grandfather, which had miraculously blocked the bullet from piercing the very walls of his own heart.

The story of Hussein's life is one which must not be forgotten and bears a huge legacy to every citizen of this country. It shows us how a mere boy of 16 was given the responsibility of ruling a nation and commanding an army. How this boy grew up to become a noble king of great reputation among his people.

As Wikipedia states: "Hussein guided his country in the context of the Cold War, and through four decades of Arab-Israeli conflict, balancing the pressures of Arab nationalism and the allure of Western-style development against the stark reality of Jordan's geographic location. His commitment to democracy, civil liberties and human rights helped to make Jordan a model state for the Middle East, and the kingdom is internationally recognized for having the most exemplary human rights record in that region. He worked tirelessly and continuously throughout his life to advance the cause of peace between Jordan and Israel (which he successfully achieved in 1994), as well as between Palestinians and Israelis."

To this day, a Jordanian still remembers the incident of Hussein's sickness while he was in Britain, where upon being requested to remain a while until the symptoms had declined, he insisted that he wanted to be with his people and "to feel their warmth surrounding him". He then flew his own plane to the grounds of the Kingdom, where he was greeted with the loving smiles and waving arms of the Jordanian people.

With no doubt, I must also praise our King Abdullah II, who has continued the work of his beloved father to ensure the prosperity and development of the Jordanian society. Who has maintained the stability of a Kingdom in the midst of a region swarmed with war and disastrous events, and prevented any harm from touching this nation.

I sincerely hope time will not forget the great achievements King Hussein has achieved and all the effort he has put in making Jordan the wonderful nation it is today.