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“I know how much Jordanians have endured; this is their true mettle. We are working day and night to overcome this difficult situation,” – HM King Abdullah II. I’ve been ...
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Photo By: Faridon Abida Words By: Naseem Tarawnah Whenever a tragic act of terrorism like the one that unfolded earlier this week in Karak happens, there’s usually a feeling of ...
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Contributed By: Hamzah Nassif, cialis iMena Group Probably the most misunderstood segment of workers in Jordan, order the taxi drivers went on a protest today to voice their objections to ...
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Words By: Naseem Tarawnah There’s a cyclical nature in which social protests unfold in Jordan that isn’t just vexing, it has a dizzying deja vu effect. An issue spurs public ...
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Words: Naseem Tarawnah It’s been incredibly difficult wrapping my head around the assassination of Nahed Hattar earlier today. The whole story has been baffling from start to finish, troche ailment ...
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Words: Naseem Tarawnah | Visual: Dimitri Zarzar Whenever parliamentary election season arrives, it always feels like the circus has come to town. On the ground, the big tops go up ...
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Words: Naseem Tarawnah | Visual: via Flickr It’s a 2am traffic light on a Friday night in Amman. Several cars waiting patiently for a green signal have their radio’s tuned ...
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Within hours of reports that the Governor of Amman, Khaled Abu Zaid, had, at the behest of a member of parliament – cancelled the much-anticipated concert of the Lebanese band, ...
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Words By: Naseem Tarawnah This year, the Prophet Mohammad and Jesus (PBUT) share that rare day of birthday celebration. In the past few weeks, we’ve seen a flutter of posts ...
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Words By: Samih Toukan CoFounder of Maktoob, medical rx see Souq and Jabbar Internet Group A few days ago, advice Yahoo! announced the closure of its Dubai office, its last ...
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Imagine yourself as a refugee – compelled to flee persecution, stuff forced to flee the only homeland you’ve ever known. You come from a place where stories of brutality are ...
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To say Hussein Alazaat is passionate about Arabic calligraphy would be a terrible understatement. Scroll through his Twitter feed and you’ll find an eclectic mix of photos featuring vintage Arabic ...
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Posted: December 11th, 2015, 12:13pm UTC
Tratamiento médico para la muerte fetal prematura (menos de 24 semanas) Enfermedad muy extendida en granjas rurales cuando existe la presencia de perros o gatos en ellas que son alimentados ...
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Words By: Naseem Tarawnah Between the persistent rain and grey skies, Brussels is a gloomy place to be this week. Belgian military roams the streets in pairs, their camouflaged uniforms ...
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Words By: Naseem Tarawnah Between the persistent rain and grey skies, Brussels is a gloomy place to be this week. Belgian military roams the streets in pairs, their camouflaged ...
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[aesop_character img= [black-iris.com] name=”Thameen Kheetan” align=”right” width=”30%”] It is 10:17pm Paris time when I receive a message from a friend in Brussels: “You okay? Have you heard the news?” ...
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[aesop_character img= [black-iris.com] name=”Anwar Majali” align=”right”] Over the past week, many people have speculated that the recent rain floods in Amman were the result of the unusually heavy rainfall. ...
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In the week that has followed the 45 minute rain storm that flooded Amman, check cialis buy cialis Jordanians have continued to express their frustrations with the catastrophic event ...
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Ten years ago today, I took what felt like the longest bus ride of my life. Somewhere over the Atlantic ocean, my parents were on a plane heading from ...
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We’ve grown used to injustice in this country. We’ve grown accustomed to remaining relatively silent for the sake of not rocking the boat. From bad laws, policies, scandals, whatever ...
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“Say not in grief that she is no more, but say in thankfulness that she was. A death is not the extinguishing of a light, but the putting out of the lamp because ...
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The past few days (if not weeks) have seen incredibly erratic weather hit Jordan, and much of the region. This week, Amman has been covered in dust from sandstorms, ...
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Words By: Amjad Yamin* Fareed is one of the thousands of Syrians who decided to move from one refugee camp to another across continents, plunge into the unknown and ...
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I was in my senior year at high school when the Second Intifada began in September 2000. While it wasn’t my first exposure to injustice in Palestine, it was ...
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This past October weekend saw Amman’s 7Hills Skatepark being taken over with artists, skateboarders, beatboxers, and rappers in the Jordan’s first urban festival. The Word Is Yours, produced by Malahi ...
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Words: Tamer Masri, Jobedu Co-Founder | Photos: Jobedu I was at work when Meesh called to tell me about a gem of a store he found tucked in a ...
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Over the past few months, we’ve been seeing various announcements by the government regarding electric cars in the country. This has included removing tax and customs duty on electric ...
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Late last night (or, earlier this morning) a rare global event in the sky was perfectly visible in Jordan. The moon’s orbit was at its closest to Earth, which ...
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If you’re like me, Eid is a time to disconnect from the rest of the world, unwind at home, and catch up on all those films and TV series you’ve ...
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Words By: Sandra Hiari The summer season is a perfect time for understanding how Amman functions as a city. The temporary crowds coming into town increases the population density ...
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It’s a clear-skied Friday morning in September, and the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, walks into an eco-café on the tip of Jabal Amman. Surrounded by security, ...
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Prologue. Apart from half-baked commentary that has populated this blog, it hasn’t been the most personal of spaces. This makes it’s pretty impossible to talk about what comes next ...
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Just a quick note: As I get back into blogging and getting used to this new space, there will be technical difficulties. There will be glitches. There’s a long ...
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This is the second post of a three-part series on where I’ve been, what I’ve learned, and where I’m going. To read the first part, click here. Preface. I ...
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Prologue. Let me explain something. Being a blogger is tough work, especially if you care about the craft. It’s this digital piece of real estate that requires immense upkeep ...
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Over the years, the skateboarding culture in Amman has grown bit by bit. Seeing young Jordanians careening through Thaqafa st., in Shmisani on a midday afternoon has become a common ...
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The No-Halloween-For-You conversation has been interesting to watch online in the past 24 hours. It tests a lot of assumptions, and speaks to the larger societal contradictions, ironies and ...
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Posted: July 24th, 2014, 11:02pm UTC by Naseem
With the Israeli attack on Gaza ongoing, and the death toll continuing to climb to over 700; between the headlines and the imagery, there is a fusion of emotions ...
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Posted: June 25th, 2014, 12:22am UTC by Naseem
Between our collective fish-memory and the tendency to leap-frog steadily from one issue to another, it can be fairly confusing to keep track of things. Especially when it comes ...
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Posted: June 23rd, 2014, 12:02am UTC by Naseem
“The Lower House on Sunday could not complete its agenda for the meeting amid MP’s outrage over the government’s attempts to disgrace the legislative authority by disrespecting its speaker, Atef ...
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Posted: April 17th, 2014, 9:29am UTC by Naseem
There is a question that keeps me up at night, and it’s largely to do with our national distractions – the ones that have been so fascinating to watch, ...
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Yarmouk camp, Damascus. Source: Guardian If a picture’s worth a thousand words, what story do they have to tell when they come together like this? Are they adjectives, like: ...
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I have to start by saying this video is a fantastic communication product. Aired as part of a news program, it’s designed to stubbornly drive home a single message, ...
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Who would’ve thought it, but after MP Mustafah Hamarneh gave a talk on tribes and was criticized for it by MP Adbul Kareem Dughmi in parliament, a heated debate ...
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This caught my eyes today: a video of Professor Boyer of Virginia Tech and his World Region class gleefully inviting HM King Abdullah to speak to them about the region. ...
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The Square is a beautifully crafted chronicle of Egypt’s ongoing revolution that, from beginning to end, manages to inspire, dispirit, and then fill your heart with a renewed sense ...
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“Art is not a mirror to reflect the world, but a hammer with which to shape itâ€, reads the Bertolt Brecht quote in the film’s opening sequence. A fitting ...
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I’ve been a bit confused about something I’ve observed online recently and maybe a fellow Jordanian out there can shed some light for me. So, over a year ago, ...
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While reading David Remnick’s illuminating profile of US President Obama in The New Yorker, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Jeffrey Goldberg’s profile of HM King Abdullah in ...
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“You haven’t written for months,” a friend tells you recently. And as you stare at another blank page begging to be filled with words like a canvas needs paint, ...
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“Nobody scares me” – HM King Abdullah II...
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The debate that has been raging on both here in Jordan, and what I can safely assume the rest of the Arab World, regarding western military intervention has been ...
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Posted: September 3rd, 2013, 5:41pm UTC by Nas
This piece of news caught my attention today: In 2012, around 30 ICT firms, including gaming and content development companies, closed their offices and left the Kingdom…The government’s intention ...
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Posted: August 28th, 2013, 8:02pm UTC by Nas
Looking back at yesterday’s municipal elections, there’s very little one can offer by way of analysis but these are just random snippets of my personal observations. The same electoral ...
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Posted: August 26th, 2013, 5:00pm UTC by Nas
It seems every time elections role around, the so-called public “debate” tends to center on whether to vote or not. In an Arab Spring context, Jordanian elections have faced ...
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Posted: May 19th, 2013, 6:18pm UTC by Nas
In the context of endless rounds of violence on university campuses throughout the Kingdom in recent weeks, the Minister of Higher Education has reportedly proposed a plan to “stomp ...
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Posted: March 20th, 2013, 2:57am UTC by Nas
In the past 48 hours, the lengthy article published in The Atlantic, based on various interviews conducted with HM King Abdullah, has been making the media rounds. (For those who ...
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Posted: January 3rd, 2013, 4:15pm UTC by Nas
In the past few weeks and months it has grown increasingly difficult to understand where Jordan is going. For anyone relying on western media they would be inclined to think ...
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Posted: December 18th, 2012, 8:04pm UTC by Nas
It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything on the black iris and that’s largely due to being a bit jaded with the political scene of the country. So, instead, the ...
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Posted: October 24th, 2012, 11:38am UTC by Nas
“For those who want additional reforms or want to develop the Elections Law, they can work from under the Dome of Parliament and through the ballot boxes, which are the ...
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Posted: October 23rd, 2012, 8:03pm UTC by Nas
By now, most of the world has become well aware of an alleged terror plot driven by 11 Jordanians, which sought to target key places throughout the Capital. At a ...
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I cannot say I am surprised at the news of the royal seal approving amendments to the press and publications law. There was, deep down, a part of me who ...
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Photo Courtesy of: Jordan Open Source Association Once upon a time, the Jordanian government thought that censoring the Internet was actually a bad thing. In fact, the government felt that ...
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Today, amendments to the Press and Publications law will be coming out of committee and on to the Lower House floor for a discussion and a probable vote. All signs ...
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Posted: August 27th, 2012, 7:51pm UTC by Nas
This is a subject that, I admit, I have avoided writing about like the plague, and for good reason. After months of witnessing a group absurdly demanding the government actually ...
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Posted: July 10th, 2012, 5:57pm UTC by Nas
“Indeed, brother: the law is now above everyone!!” Jordan has always had a casual relationship when it comes to the application of the law, and both the state and the ...
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Posted: July 8th, 2012, 6:28pm UTC by Nas
There are no words I can conjure to appropriately describe my lack of enthusiasm for our parliament and its members. A chamber that is filled with people who have ...
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Posted: May 1st, 2012, 3:46pm UTC by Nas
Try as I might, there are things in Jordan that I cannot fully comprehend, and will often times shock me. The state of the country’s young population is one ...
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Posted: April 29th, 2012, 8:58am UTC by Nas
Still trying to wrap my head around the Khasawneh resignation and despite all the heated rhetoric being thrown around in the press, and the attacks being launched upon ...
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Posted: April 25th, 2012, 9:09pm UTC by Nas
The state of Jordanian parliament today reminds me of the Dead Sea. It’s the lowest point on Earth, it’s a body of water where nothing can survive, and it ...
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Posted: April 2nd, 2012, 9:53pm UTC by Nas
After some limited so-called public outrage over moves by Parliament to amend the Passport law to grant themselves permanent diplomatic passports – along with royal family members, senators, royal ...
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Posted: March 25th, 2012, 12:50am UTC by Nas
Every now and then, we all need a break, and I certainly needed one. Especially from the bubble that is social media, where one day you wake up and ...
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Posted: February 21st, 2012, 12:13am UTC by Nas
“God help us from those who believe that they are the sole possessors of truth. How we manage at times to agree willingly to become prisoners within our ...
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Posted: February 6th, 2012, 9:09pm UTC by Nas
The headline came as no shock. Jordan is the fifth most militarized nation in the world according to the 2010 BICC Global Military Index. Only Israel, Singapore, Syria and Russia are ...
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Posted: January 29th, 2012, 3:50pm UTC by Nas
An 18 year old Jordanian burned a picture of the King a few weeks back during a protest, and has since been sentenced to two years by a military ...
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Posted: January 19th, 2012, 3:40pm UTC by Nas
The Centre for Strategic Studies polled 1,950 Jordanians on the state of the country, and the results were quite interesting. I won’t go in to the gritty details ...
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Posted: January 19th, 2012, 2:45pm UTC by Nas
Last Tuesday, upon flipping through a hardcopy issue of Al Ghad newspaper, I fell upon a strange article, which, loosely translated, was titled: “Kissinger: Deaf is he who ...
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Posted: January 15th, 2012, 1:49am UTC by Nas
I thought these images were quite interesting and worth posting up. While the Baptism site is considered one of Jordan’s national treasures, and rightly so, to say nothing of ...
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Posted: January 10th, 2012, 5:02pm UTC by Nas
As an adjective, “pop” is typically defined as something that is sudden in nature; a phenomenon in a sense. It is often short-lived, but its transient shelf-life can last ...
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Posted: January 4th, 2012, 10:32pm UTC by Nas
image courtesy of tareeq
I’ve always felt that the pillar that tends to hold a country together is it’s justice system. Ours, while better ...
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Posted: January 3rd, 2012, 5:39pm UTC by Nas
As the year draws to a close, I’ve been forcing myself these past few days to reflect on the events of the last 12 months. It’s ...
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Posted: December 8th, 2011, 9:33am UTC by Nas
Lands registered in the HM King Abdullah’s name. It’s been an issue that is often talked about, just not in any documented fashion. Few in media want to touch ...
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Posted: November 14th, 2011, 10:00pm UTC by Nas
September 6th, 1977: Jordan’s King Hussein holds a press conference in Paris, France.
Every year, HM King Hussein is quietly remembered on the day that ...
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Posted: October 31st, 2011, 7:42pm UTC by Nas
Q: If you look five years down the line, do you see yourself relinquishing some power to the parliament?
“Probably sooner. We haven’t ...
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Posted: October 27th, 2011, 3:30pm UTC by Nas
Since I haven’t published a Thursday Feel Good post for nearly a year now (and that should tell you something about our state of affairs) I thought this would ...
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Posted: October 24th, 2011, 4:37pm UTC by Nas
Since the advent of the Arab Awakening, and the subsequent spotlight hovering over Jordan, one of the most frequent questions I get asked by foreigners ...
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Posted: October 23rd, 2011, 4:26pm UTC by Nas
REUTERS: Manoubia Bou Azizi wipes her tears during an interview with Reuters at her home in Marsa district, north of Tunisia. The mother of Mohamed Bouazizi, the Tunisian ...
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Posted: October 18th, 2011, 7:28pm UTC by Nas
The role of the Prime Minister in Jordan is probably the toughest one in the entire political spectrum of this country. Between the role of HM King Abdullah, the ...
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Posted: October 16th, 2011, 12:31am UTC by Nas
This year’s Blog Action Day is dedicated to the issue of food. The most unsexy of issues. Seriously. War will always triumph over famine in media coverage and ...
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Posted: October 14th, 2011, 8:07am UTC by Nas
…if you’re a blogger/tweep, you can start here.
...
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Posted: October 13th, 2011, 2:01pm UTC by Nas
When it comes to reform, Jordan may fare better than some of its regional counterparts, but if you’re a Jordanian and you hold the country to a higher standard, ...
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Posted: October 10th, 2011, 4:23pm UTC by Nas
REUTERS: A Jordanian supporter of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad holds his picture as she shouts slogans against Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan during a protest against Turkish intervention in ...
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Posted: October 9th, 2011, 6:38pm UTC by Nas
Senators have been forced to quit and ministers have handed in their foreign passports to their respective embassies. This has all been part of the latest constitutional amendment taking ...
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Posted: October 8th, 2011, 11:48pm UTC by Nas
Stumbling on two articles today, I couldn’t help but note the connection.
Documents that have recently surfaced prove that Shell oil company worked ...
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Posted: October 6th, 2011, 6:23pm UTC by Nas
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs, 1955-2011
nuff said.
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Posted: October 3rd, 2011, 8:13pm UTC by Nas
I’m here in Tunisia for the next four days at the third Arab Bloggers meeting, which has brought together what I think are some of the most significant digital ...
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7iber’s Hashtag Debates are returning tomorrow at Makan House in Jabal Luwebideh and the issue of the moment will be Jordan’s constitutional reforms. This is a discussion I’ve ...
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“I think my best way to describe my view toward Israel is my increasing frustration because they’re sticking their head in the sand and pretending that there’s ...
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This is quite an interesting story that’s been developing this week. Faris Sharaf, the now former governor of the Central Bank, handed in his resignation earlier this week ...
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I cannot recall the last time I saw a protest anywhere near the US embassy in Amman. Those familiar with it know that it is essentially a fortress ...
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