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AMMAN — The Criminal Court’s General Attorney office on Monday issued a gag order restricting the publication of any news related to the alleged assault by a 31-year-old man against his wife last week.

The November 6 incident occurred in Jerash, some 45 kilometres north of Amman, when the husband reportedly gouged the eyes of his wife, Fatmeh Abu Akleek, a mother of three children, following a domestic dispute. The victim, Fatmeh Abu Akleek, lost her vision as a result.

“The prosecution office decided to issue a gag order to protect the investigation procedures,” a senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

The suspect was charged with attempted murder and will be tried at the Criminal Court in Amman.

The incident sent shockwaves across the Kingdom, with many describing it as a “barbaric and evil” incident.

The women’s movement organised a sit-in on Saturday under the theme “Enough” near the Prime Ministry, during which over 300 men and women called for better legal and social protection for women subjected to domestic violence.

Jerash MP Wafa Bani Mustafa also gathered the signatures of 16 deputies to call for reconsidering several clauses in the 2017 Domestic Violence Prevention Law (DVPL).

She told The Jordan Times that a number clauses in the DVPL “are not clear or do not protect victims of domestic violence as they should, and there is an urgent need for the government to make the necessary amendments to these clauses to stiffen the punishments and protect victims from the perpetrators in the right manner”.

Another important request is to cancel a clause that allows the victim’s family to drop charges against perpetrators, and this “applies in cases of domestic violence”, she said.

Also on Monday, Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI) issued a statement quoting Department of Statistics figures, which indicated that around 26 per cent of Jordanian women aged 15 to 49 are subjected to physical, emotional and sexual violence by their husbands.

The SIGI statement added that one in every 100 married men is subjected to physical violence by his wife. 

SIGI stressed that violence against women and girls in Jordan is a problem that “requires immediate action, since women and sometimes men are subjected to all forms of violence in society, but males usually have better alternatives to escape any form of violence they are subjected to”.  

The human rights organisation reiterated the urgent need to “admit that the phenomenon of domestic violence is on the rise in Jordan and that the government needs to take serious steps to address the problem and find the best means of protecting its citizens”, according to the statement.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah has sent a cable to UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, expressing condolences over the passing of Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president's representative.

In the cable, King Abdullah expressed deepest sympathies on behalf of Jordan and its people to Sheikh Khalifa and the people of the UAE, according to a Royal Court statement.

AMMAN — Oman on Monday marked its 49th National Day.

As the Omani people mark the national day, annually celebrated on November 18, "in full fanfare and jubilation, they strongly voice their love, gratitude and allegiance to Sultan Qaboos", according to a statement by the Omani embassy in Amman. 

Oman's “world-class status” has been highlighted in many events, the most recent of which is the First World Congress on Maritime Heritage held in Singapore in March, where the sultan was awarded the Excellent Leadership Award.  

The sultanate's “international prestige” has also been reaffirmed through the convening of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Arab, regional and international meetings in Oman in recognition of its “active diplomatic efforts aimed at ensuring the security, stability and prosperity of the region's countries and the word at large”, the statement added. 

"Oman advocates a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, respect for neighbours and cooperation to resolve disputes through dialogue and peaceful means," the embassy said.

The sultanate welcomes “all sincere efforts to end wars”, at the top of which is the war raging in Yemen, while Muscat also reiterates its support for the Palestinian people's national right    of establishing their own independent country, with East Jerusalem as its capital, as part of the two-state solution. 

"Locally, and as part of celebrations marking the 49th national day, Oman has fostered an immense developmental march forward to put the Omani economy on track for a new phase of growth: The Oman 2040 Vision, which begins to be implemented in 2021, following the success of the Oman 2020 Vision," the statement read.

AMMAN — A poll conducted by the Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan on Sunday showed that less than a third of the Jordanian population are aware of the National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR), and only 3 per cent knew about the most recent report the centre issued. 

The poll, which was conducted by the Department of Public Opinion Polls and Surveys from November 11 to 14 and surveyed a representative sample of Jordanian society from all governorates, was included in the “Jordanian Street Pulse” poll series, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The poll addressed urgent issues currently facing Jordan, the region and the international community. “Jordanian Street Pulse" focussed on the fourth Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on November 7, as well as the annual report issued by the NCHR.

The poll showed that half of the population were aware of the most recent Cabinet reshuffle, and that 30 per cent of those surveyed believe that the recent shakeup will enhance the performance of the government, while 27 per cent believe it will not. Of those who were aware of the reshuffle, 37 per cent believe that the reshuffle will not affect the government’s performance. 

Forty-one per cent of them indicated that a new Cabinet was warranted, while 52 per cent thought it was not necessary. 

According to the poll, 30 per cent of those surveyed indicated that they were aware of the NCHR, while 70 per cent did not know of its existence. Of those who knew of the centre, 33.4 per cent said that although they had heard of the centre, they did not know anything about it. 

While 23 per cent said that the role of the NCHR is to protect human rights, around 14 per cent said that the centre's role is to address the problems of citizens and society. Twelve per cent indicated that the purpose of the centre is to defend human rights in Jordan.

Concerning the 15th annual report issued by the NCHR in November on the status of human rights in Jordan in 2018, poll results showed that 3 per cent were aware of it, while 97 per cent were not.

Of those who know of the report, less than half noted that the government followed the report's recommendations, while 42 per cent said it did not.

Around 69 per cent of those who are aware of the report think that the government should follow its recommendations, while 16 per cent hold the view that it should not. 

Unemployment is the most pressing local issue, according to the poll. Following unemployment, poverty came in second at 18.1 per cent, and difficult economic conditions came in third among local issues. Price hikes and high living costs registered 9.5 per cent, followed by corruption and favouritism at 7.4 per cent, Petra reported.

Regionally, crises and wars are thought to be the most urgent issues at 21.1 per cent, followed by Jerusalem, the Palestinian cause and the “Deal of the Century” at 16 per cent. Difficult economic conditions in the region were third at 13.4 per cent, followed by safety, security and stability at 11.8 per cent.

Internationally, Jerusalem, the Palestinian cause and the "Deal of the Century" are considered the most pressing issues at 16.9 per cent. Wars and conflicts followed at 16.4 per cent, and difficult economic conditions at 10.6 per cent. Around 36.8 per cent said that they are unaware of the most urgent issues facing the international community. 

AMMAN — The Development and Promotion of Mediterranean Sustainable Adventure Tourism (MEDUSA) project has been launched in Jordan with an estimated total cost of 3.3 million euros, according to a Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) statement.

RSCN and Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA) on Monday announced that the three-year long project will be funded by the financing programme ENI CBC Med, with contributions estimated at 2.9 million euros, while partners have pledged to cover 400,000 euros.   

Four Mediterranean countries including  Spain, Italy, Tunisia and Lebanon will also see the launch of the project, the statement said.

JITOA President Awni Kawar said that MEDUSA aims at developing and promoting adventure tourism, which grew by 195 per cent between 2010 and 2014, adding that the project will contribute in organising the sector through addressing challenges in this arena, as well as generating improved adventure tourism products, which would result in creating new jobs.

Besides building the capacities of local communities, the project presents an opportunity to transform the region’s adventure tourism into a sustainable model, he said, noting that the project in the Kingdom will be implemented in partnership with the Tourism Ministry and the Jordan Tourism Board, among other tourism sector representatives.

The project entails conducting studies on adventure tourism in the Kingdom and providing technical and material support to services providers, along with helping them in marketing the new destinations regionally and globally to attract tourists throughout the year, he was quoted in the statement as saying.

RSCN Director General Yehya Khaled said that MEDUSA will implement a marketing strategy to promote the new destinations, adding that, among the long-term goals set to develop the adventure tourism sector, a competitive programme to offer new services and provide training to operators and tour guides will be outlined.

AMMAN — The international organisation Connecther held film screenings and audience discussions on the topic “Stories About Girls Worth Telling” on Saturday and Sunday at Ras Al Ain Art Gallery in Amman.

Two short films were showcased on Saturday. “Broken beauty” discussed the concept of beauty as an “unreachable mirage containing a great deal of symbolism”. 

“Asma” tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who desires an education, but has to work long hours.

“Fatima”, which talks about the harsh working conditions and health problems of female brickmakers in the kilns around Lahore, Pakistan, was shown on Sunday.

“We are here because we believe in women’s rights and we want to show our films about inspiring girls from around the world,” Darine Mohamad Hamdan, the ambassador of Connecther in Jordan, told The Jordan Times at the screening on Sunday.

“A lot of activists, influencers and students came and were really excited”, she noted, adding: “We also discussed the situation of women’s rights in Jordan and agreed that we need men and women to support women’s rights and human rights.”

The film screenings were part of the annual Girls Impact the World Film Festival which was launched in collaboration with Harvard College in 2012 and became an international competition for high school and undergraduate filmmakers and activists, according to the organisation.

The organisation invites students to submit their short films for next year through January 20, 2020.

The screenings took place during the Sabeen exhibition launched by GALORE for the third year in a row, which showcases the work of seven local artists, including drawings and graphic designs among other art forms. 

Connecther is a global communication and crowdfunding platform working to advance women and girls, according to its website.

AMMAN — A symposium titled “Charity and Humanitarian Action in the Middle East from Antiquities to the Present Day” was held at the French Institute of the Near East (IFPO) in Amman on Sunday and Monday.

The symposium centred on the quote by political scientist Michel Maietta: “Caring for the sick, the poor and the victims in the larger sense and easing their suffering are gestures of solidarity as old as humanity.” 

The event gathered scholars from Jordan and the world, discussing establishments such as ptôcheia (asylums for the poor), xenodocheia (asylums for strangers), imaret (soup kitchens) and jamaiyat khayriyya (charitable foundations) during the ancient and modern periods.

“Aristocratic women who supported the church in the late 4th and following centuries are well-documented in the writings of the church fathers,” said Marlena Whiting, a historian from University of Amsterdam, noting that these elite women often dispersed wealth to help the poor and turned their households (especially if they became widows) into monastic institutions.

The focus of her talk was on the period after 313 AD when Christianity became legalised in the Roman Empire and when, in the later period, it enjoyed the direct support of the imperial Roman family, Whiting said.

“Here we have private benefactors who can donate money directly to the charity or to the church,” she noted, adding that after the 4th century, there were new ways of organising public funds used for infrastructure repairs to assist cities that had undergone famine or war.

In times of the collapse of state authorities, “the church and its clergy would step up, becoming not only spiritual but state leaders”, Whiting stressed.

In the 1860s, Jerusalem was one of the first cities within the Ottoman Empire to found a municipality, said a French researcher from IFPO, Falestin Naili, noting that the municipality was consolidated in 1871 following the Vilayet Laws.

The special focuses of municipalities were public health and social welfare, Naili said, adding that the early approach tended to “confine needy to their dwelling places”, and after the Ottoman laws on municipalities in 1877, the responsibility of municipalities was to build structures for the poor.

“The Middle East profoundly changed after the first World War, and it faced massive population flows and health crises,” said Marie Levant from University of Sorbonne, adding that the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA), founded in 1920, tried to both help eastern Christian communities and counter the influence of Protestant missions in the region.

However, in the later stages, the Vatican modified the role and aims of CNEWA, she said.

One of the major problems that researchers face is the lack of non-biased sources, said Whiting, noting that many narratives about female figures who led those charities are combined with stories of miracles rather than events based on concrete evidence. 

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Monday sentenced a man, who was originally handed a verdict of 15 years in prison for stabbing a British tourist in Amman in February 2017, to spend an “indefinite” amount of time at the National Institute of Psychiatric Medicine (NIPM).

In March 2018, the SCC sentenced the defendant to life in prison after convicting him of carrying out a terrorist act by stabbing a British tourist with a kitchen knife in downtown Amman in February 2017, and handed him a life sentence. 

His sentence was reduced to 15 years because the “SCC decided to give the defendant a second chance in life”.

However, his lawyer contested the SSC verdict at the Court of Cassation, arguing that “his client suffered from mental problems and was being treated at the NIPM for schizophrenia”, a senior judicial source said.

The Court of Cassation overturned the verdict and asked the SCC to summon the three physicians at the NIPM who supervised the defendant, the senior judicial source added.

“The SSC summoned the three physicians and they all confirmed that the defendant was being treated at the centre at the time of the incident and that he suffered from schizophrenia,” the senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

The physicians also testified that the defendant “was not taking his medication properly around the time of the stabbing incident”, according to the senior judicial source.

Based on the three physicians’ testimony, the senior judicial source added, “the SSC decided to sentence him to spend the necessary time at the medical facility”.

“The SSC ruled that the suspect poses a threat to society because of his mental condition and that he should remain at the NIPM until it is proven that he is sane,” the judicial source said.

Court documents said the defendant attacked the victim with a knife while in the downtown area. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and was treated for artificial stab wounds to the shoulder.

The SSC tribunal comprised Military Judge Col. Ali Mubeidin and civil judges Nasser Salamat and Afif Khawaldeh.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah’s talks on Monday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Parliament Hill in Ottawa focused on the strategic partnership between Jordan and Canada and ways to bolster it in economy, trade,
and investment.

The bilateral talks, which were followed by expanded talks attended by senior officials from both countries, covered the economic programme implemented by the government to stimulate Jordan’s economy and promote investment, and to improve citizens’ standard of living, according to a Royal Court statement.

Speaking at the meeting, King Abdullah underscored the deep-rooted ties between Jordan and Canada, noting that ties “could not be in a better place than they are today”, emphasising Prime Minister Trudeau’s efforts in this regard.

His Majesty highlighted the outstanding cooperation between the two countries in defence, expressing his thanks to Canada for its support to Jordan in facing the challenge posed by refugees, and in coordinating on regional issues.

The King noted the fruitful discussions he had with Prime Minister Trudeau in Paris earlier this year.

For his part, Prime Minister Trudeau welcomed His Majesty, stressing that the visit is an opportunity to exchange views on various issues.

“I really have to say that His Majesty has been extraordinary in being such a strong leader at a time of so much uncertainty, whether it’s on refugees, or on human rights, or on economic growth and opportunities, you really have a tremendous, tremendous strong voice, and Canada is incredibly proud to be such a good friend to Jordan,” he added.

The expanded talks covered the importance of maintaining coordination and consultation on issues of mutual concern.

Discussions also tackled regional issues, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause, with the King stressing the need to reach just, lasting and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution, guaranteeing the establishment of the independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Discussing the Syrian crisis, His Majesty underlined the importance of reaching a political solution that safeguards Syria’s territorial integrity and the unity of its people, while guaranteeing the safe and voluntary return of refugees.

The meeting also covered efforts to reach political solutions to crises in the Middle East, as well as regional and international efforts to counter terrorism within a holistic approach.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Khasawneh, and Jordan’s Ambassador to Canada Majed Qatarneh attended the meeting.

AMMAN — HH Prince Mired, president of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, on Monday opened the Amal School for Sign Language in Zarqa, which accommodates 200 students.

During the inauguration ceremony of the USAID-funded school, Education Minister Tayseer Nuaimi said that the ministry seeks to enhance the role of partnerships and agreements with organisations that are concerned about people with disabilities.

Nuaimi noted that the ministry operates 11 schools for people who are deaf across the Kingdom, in addition to having special classrooms that are equipped with necessary tools and support for students with hearing difficulties at public schools.

Public Works and Housing Minister Falah Omoush said that the 5,700-square-metre school has 27 classrooms and five kindergarten rooms and laboratories for testing hearing and speaking, and will benefit Zarqa and Russeifa.