Abdullah II of Jordan
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Amman and The Teachers' Syndicate
Free speech for everybody? Not so in Jordan, apparently
In recent weeks, Jordan's social media has been awash with photos and videos of demonstrators gathering in cities all over the country, chanting "Long live the teacher" and "we will not be silenced". Mainstream media coverage, however, has been noticeably lacking. By Marta Vidal
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Iraq's new government
Mr Kadhimi begins a clean-up operation
The new Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, has great plans. As he moves to realise those plans, he's fighting on many fronts. As the Americans pull out of Iraq, militias supported by Iran are violently consolidating their position. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad
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Trump's plan for the Middle East
Those looking to annex can expect resistance from Jordan
Jordan is not only waging a vigorous battle against coronavirus, but also against the Middle East peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. By Birgit Svensson
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The Levant
Jordan's fragile stability
Jordan is considered an anchor of stability in a region shaken by crises. Yet one year on from the protests of May 2018, the country continues to face massive economic and political challenges. With youth unemployment on the rise – feeding massive social frustration – criticism of poor governance in the kingdom is growing. By Claudia Mende
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Interview with Middle East expert Andre Bank
"Jordan consistently hedges its bets"
Many of King Abdullah II's regional policies are unpopular with Jordanians because they are perceived to be selling out Arab interests. In an interview with Diana Hodali, Middle East expert Andre Bank explains why this is so
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Cultural shift in Jordan
A slow awakening
What is causing the generational conflict in Amman? Two poles are currently in the process of emerging, pitting a new independent cultural identity against a politicised rural and Bedouin one. By Yazan Ashqar
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Protests in Jordan
"The status quo has to go"
Last week thousands of people filled the streets of Jordan to protest about the countryʹs ongoing economic woes and the governmentʹs lack of accountability. Among them was Jordanian journalist Lina Shannak, who now hopes the new administration will bring about tangible change
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Debating secularism and religion in the Islamic world
No threat to faith
Jordanian journalist Mousa Barhouma criticises the recurrent Arab tendency to equate secularism with apostasy and heresy. In his view, Islam does not prescribe any specific form of government
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Voter apathy in Jordan
An open invitation
Low voter turnout in local elections intended to de-centralise governance in Jordan disproportionately boosted Islamists′ fortunes – something which may ultimately have more impact than the intended decentralisation. Commentary by Kirk H. Sowell
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The murder of Jordanian author Nahed Hattar
The same stinking swamp
There′s not much to choose between the IS terrorist who recently gunned down the Islam-critical author Nahed Hattar in Amman and those who murdered Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi in Tunisia. These murders are the result of the Islamist mobilisation against all those who think differently or have a different political standpoint. By Khaled Hroub
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Interview with Andre Bank, political scientist
"The refugees are part of Jordanian politics"
As conflicts continue to escalate in the region, Jordan remains stable. In fact, the kingdom is actually profiting from the chaos and the refugees, says political scientist Andre Bank in conversation with Jannis Hagmann
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Sunni-Shia tension
Islam versus Islam
The religious element of the conflicts raging in the Middle East today is a major reason why they are proving so difficult to defuse. An essay by Shahid Javed Burki