Published 2 May 2014Jordan,Maanunrest,
Security deteriorates in south Jordan city
The Jordanian political sphere is wrong to think what is happening in the southern city of Maan is normal. It is even more wrong to believe that the old methods used to address the crises of this marginalized and poor province have yielded results and strategic solutions. Had these solutions proven effective, the city would not have become in the past few days a ghost city filled with military vehicles, fear and anticipation.
If the official neglect of this crisis continues, Maan could become the spark that ignites the explosive barrels found in many cities and provinces in Jordan. For a while, this country has been living according to the belief that the unrest and daily killing in neighboring countries renders the sacrifice of reform an acceptable, tolerable and agreed upon issue by different political parties.
This belief can benefit from the state of fear spreading among Jordanians, and can feed on the country's stability (relative to its neighbors). Despite its relevance, this does not mean that disturbing security issues related to reform packages, the openness toward various movements, the drifting away from the mindset of the exclusion of the other and the implementation of a genuine plan that does not aim at creating media buzz should be disregarded. This plan should tackle the issue of development in the less fortunate provinces, mainly Maan.
Financial and administrative corruption is compromising not only the credibility of the government but also that of the rule itself. This issue should be tackled by the means of innovative, transparent and convincing tools. Walid al-Kurdi, the husband of the king’s aunt, for example, was involved in corruption cases without being subject to prosecution that proves satisfactory to the public opinion. The latter has doubts that the regime is trying to sweep the embarrassing issue under the rug.
As a result of these complicated problems, the old-new disobedience in Maan, which is located on the border with Saudi Arabia, was born. Every house contains arms, and sometimes, groups adopting jihadist rhetoric own relatively heavy arms. This is the case with Mohammad al-Shalabi al-Makna, dubbed Abu Sayyaf, who is one of this group’s influential figures in Jordan.
Maan has not been able to integrate itself into the state. Impressions are piling up that this province is above the law, something proven by the latest developments, wherein the headquarters of intelligence and military intelligence were set ablaze. Meanwhile, a strike convened by activists and adopted by society’s institutions has had deep significance. Obviously, the state does not consider the latter issue and instead employs useless, absurd and short-sighted measures, considering Maan a mere security issue and failing to think outside the box to find solutions that are influential on the ground.
Such solutions should bridge the gap between state and society and dispel concerns among people who are fed up with the government's promises to develop this distressed city. The inhabitants struggle with the highest levels of unemployment and poverty among all 12 provinces, even though the government announced it allocated $100 million of its last budget to implement development projects this year in the city.
During the protests in Maan, angry slogans were chanted, such as “down with the regime.” However, this does not mean that these slogans express an urgent social and political desire among people. Yet, the use of this slogan expresses the feeling that the father, in the psychological sense of the word, is competing with his son and is not showing enough care.
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2014/05/jordan-situation-maan-ignoring.html?utm_source=Al-Monitor+Newsletter+%5BEnglish%5D&utm_campaign=80aebe7f5f-January_9_20141_8_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_28264b27a0-80aebe7f5f-100366937#ixzz30qxy728Q
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