UPDATES

The Arab Spring remains mild in Jordan

Jul 18, 2011 | Geoffrey Levin

The Arab Spring remains mild in Jordan

Despite mass violence in Libya, Syria, and Yemen, and leadership changes occurring in Egypt and Tunisia, Jordan has remained relatively quiet, with only limited protests and few deaths. As the Guardian points out:

Jordan has seen sporadic unrest since January but only on a small scale. Opposition demands – supported by youth groups, civil society organisations and Islamists – are for changes within the framework of the Hashemite monarchy. King Abdullah has pledged to pursue reforms that would allow the formation of future governments based on an elected parliamentary majority but gave no date.The slogan “the people want the reform of the regime” was in striking and deliberate contrast to demands elsewhere for the “overthrow” of rulers.

But does a recent act of police brutality signal a shift in Jordan?

On Friday, reports that several Jordanian policemen beat and injured 15 journalists appeared to threaten the peace in a country that has been spared the violent protest movements that have engulfed so many other Arab countries this year. In other places, Arab Spring uprisings escalated after the military or police harmed protesters, initiating the cycle of state brutality and protests against that brutality that has threatened many of the region’s regimes. But the actions of both the government and the victims contrast greatly with those in other countries, and seem to indicate that Arab Spring may continue to manifest itself in a more mild and civil fashion within the Hashemite Kingdom.  

Jordan has already embarked on a campaign of damage control in an effort to keep the attack on the journalists from becoming a rallying call for protestors. The state was wise to immediately arrest the accused policemen and form a committee of inquiry into the attacks only a day after the incident occurred. Secondly, the Jordanian parliament took a stance condemning the attacks and categorically rejecting all violence toward journalists in hopes of creating distance between the violence and the government.

Furthermore, the announcement that the Jordan Press Association plans to sue the police department over the beatings may be negative for the government as it signifies discontent, but also shows that the victims still have faith in Jordan’s public courts and institutions. Such an announcement would be unthinkable in other Arab states where protesters seek to topple the entire government.

This does not mean all is well in Jordan, or that major changes in Jordan are impossible in the future. Many remain unsatisfied with Jordan’s reaction to the attack, as shown by a demonstration that recently took place outside of Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit’s office calling for democratic reforms, an end to corruption, and his resignation. But importantly, the protest only involved around 400 Jordanians and did not criticise the country’s real leader, King Abdullah II, two key factors that highlight the difference between Jordan’s protest movement and those in neighbouring states, which were much larger and more ambitious. As long as Jordanian protests stay limited in both their size and scope, it appears likely the monarchy will remain secure.

Geoffrey Levin

 

Tags:

RELATED ARTICLES


Sderot, Israel. 7th Oct, 2023. Bodies of dead Israelis lie on the ground following the attacks of Hamas (Image: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa/Alamy Live News)

Israel’s Sept. 11, only worse

Oct 11, 2023 | Update
Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu (r) gets his long-awaited face-to-face meeting with US President Joe Biden in New York (Photo: Avi Ohayon, Israeli Government Press Office)

Netanyahu meets Biden, other world leaders, in New York

Sep 27, 2023 | Update
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who gave an address on Aug. 28 threatening the US and laying out the Iranian-led axis's new "unity of the arenas" doctrine. (Photo: Shutterstock, mohammad kassir)

US-Iran prisoner swap deal set to go through

Sep 12, 2023 | Update
A rally of Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party last year: Yet outside these faithful, Abbas is not only largely unpopular, but his rule over the PA has seen the Palestinian parliament dissolved, judiciary sidelined, and his party hollowed out (Photo: Shutterstock, Anas-Mohammed)

The Crisis in the PA

Aug 28, 2023 | Update
Reports are suggesting a US-Saudi agreement has been reached on the broad outlines of a package that would see Riyadh normalise its relations with Israel, perhaps early next year - though other reports dispute this. (Image: Shutterstock, OnePixelStudio)

Renewed focus on Saudi-Israeli normalisation

Aug 14, 2023 | Update
PM Netanyahu flanked by Justice Minister Yariv Levin (r), the main architect of the judicial reform package, and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant (l), known to favour compromise on the reforms, during the Knesset debate over passage of the "reasonableness" clause" on July 25 (Image: Screenshot, Kan TV).

The aftermath of passage of one judicial reform bill in Israel

Aug 1, 2023 | Update

SIGN UP FOR AIJAC EMAILS

RECENT POSTS

Pro-Palestinian protestors waiting in the lobby for the Israeli families of those murdered or taken hostage by Hamas

AIJAC raises questions about handling of incident involving pro-Palestinian protestors ambushing the families of Israeli murder victims and hostages

Masked members of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas (Image: Shutterstock)

A powerless Hamas is the only way this war will end

Pie Chart

News reports whitewash the crimes of Palestinian prisoners being released

(Image: Shutterstock)

The silence about Hamas’ ongoing war crimes

Hamas fighters in the southern Gaza Strip (Image: Abed Rahim Khatib/ Shutterstock)

A permanent ceasefire now would be a victory for Hamas

Pro-Palestinian protestors waiting in the lobby for the Israeli families of those murdered or taken hostage by Hamas

AIJAC raises questions about handling of incident involving pro-Palestinian protestors ambushing the families of Israeli murder victims and hostages

Masked members of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas (Image: Shutterstock)

A powerless Hamas is the only way this war will end

Pie Chart

News reports whitewash the crimes of Palestinian prisoners being released

(Image: Shutterstock)

The silence about Hamas’ ongoing war crimes

Hamas fighters in the southern Gaza Strip (Image: Abed Rahim Khatib/ Shutterstock)

A permanent ceasefire now would be a victory for Hamas

SORT BY TOPICS