today's hell on earth, Iraq, Shias, Sunnis, and Kurds are settling scores of years past. During the Saddam Hussein era, Sunnis were the "chosen ones" and everybody else had to take the back seat or worse. today in Jordan, those of Palestinian origin are facing the reality of being treated with less than equality although they represent the majority of the population by many counts.
I think we're heading in the same direction.
4 ►I charge thee, speak!:
There are tremendous differences between the Iraqi and the Jordanian situations! To start, no one was taking the back seat under Saddam's rule except for the Kurds; being non-Arabs. Tariq Aziz, vice president, was Christian, 60% of the Ba'th party members were Shiites, and only till few years before his fall, it was fair to call him apathetic towards religions. Very much unlike the case in Jordan were one section of the nation is definitely taking the back seat in many areas.
Iraq comprises of many different sects inhabiting the same place together since the start of times, while in Jordan, the wrongful common conception is that there are 'original inhabitants' and then there are 'intruders', this is a big difference.
In Iraq, most people are armed, or have easy access to weaponry, in Jordan, only east-Jordanians are armed or have access to arms, moreover, the entire security system in Jordan is comprised solely of east-Jordanians, unlike Iraq. This guarantees a land-slide advancement for east-Jordanians in any clash to take place, in other words, this will lead to no armed clash whatsoever! Unless you call Qwaismeh's events as an example of an armed clash!
But the biggest difference in my opinion is that in Iraq, the sectarian conflict is merely a conflict between outsiders playing in a divided country, Iran from one side, the US and the Gulf sheiks from the other, but in Jordan, there is no outsider interest in flaming the country (yet!) and backing any side over the other, the only one interested in fueling the tension is the royal regime itself, and so far, it's playing it safely.
Damn! I typed a lot! It seems a waste to delete it now! بدك تتحملنا خيو :)
IMO, Jordanian "origin" issues are getting really bad specially with wikileaks all over local news igniting this thing. I blame people of Palestinian origin who call themselves Palestinians! If you are Palestinian then please get rid of your Jordanian identity. I blame people who call themselves Jordanians, I blame them for calling JFPO's who have spent their lives working for the country as "Palestinians".
If you have a Jordanian identity then you are Jordanian. If you consider yourself NOT then get rid of the identity but don't complain.
It's a problem caused by both sides. A side that wants to be special and boast and find a difference and try to be superior saying he has Jordanian roots and whatever. And also some people from Palestinian roots saying they're "Palestinian"!!! I mean if you are Jordanian and speak Jordanian! ANd love Jordan, WHy on earth do you say you're Palestinian?!
As, I said both sides have misunderstandings. Sha3eb 5ara, this thing will never get solved.
btw I am a Jordanian, don't ask where I am from. Anyone who asks me, I say I am Jordanian and that's it. Let them go kill themselves...
If people wanna be stupid, I do not want. I know 1 can't solve it but at leasts, I am not making it any worse!
@Anon,
How the hell are Palestinians supposed to "get rid" of their Palestinian identity when discrimination in the state in institutionalised, and those of Palestinian origins get threatened with having their citizenship withdrawn if they don't got the West Bank and get an ID? That is not to mention certain East Jordanians who call Palestinians "balajka", and make it clear at every opportunity that they do not consider Palestinians equals within Jordan.
How about gerrymandering in elections which ensures that Palestinian MPs can never form a majority or anything resembling it despite them forming a majority of the country's population? Or disadvantages in terms of government jobs simply on the basis of origin and not actual ability? Or, more fundamentally, the fact that Jordan integrated the West Bank in 1948 and for decades claimed to be the sole representative of the Palestinian people?
Does this all get brushed aside?
That is not even beginning to mention that by dropping their Palestinian identity, Palestinians are giving Israel everything it's ever wanted.
I could go on, but you get the point. Fact is Jordan as a state, and a portion of East Jordanians have pushed Palestinians towards identifying differently by constantly making them out to be the "other" or the outsider, and Palestinian Jordanians will have no good reason to call themselves Jordanians until this gets resolved.
I personally don't see why the hell labels matter in the first place. Whether you are of Palestinian or Mongolian origins, what matters isn't how you identify yourself but how you act as a person and what you do for your country.
This ia silly, only non educated people think there are 2 sides in Jordan, the mix in Jordan is its strength, we like Jordanian mansaf and worship Nabulsi knafeh, dears no need to discuss this really, this issue is snow balling because people have nothing to do and cant find a reason why they live in high unemployment and poverty, whats next we will argue who is supporting Real Madrid and who aupports Barca. and then label them Jordanian or not, come on post something that will make us pick our brains this is boring subject now
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