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AMMAN — Minister of Culture and Youth Mohammad Abu Rumman on Thursday met with British Ambassador to Jordan Edward Oakden to discuss furthering the potential of bilateral cooperation on issues pertaining to culture and youth.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Abu Rumman presented the most important projects being implemented by the Culture Ministry as part of its plan to enhance cultural development, in addition to the Youth Ministry’s projects as part of its plan to cultivate the role of youth centres.

For his part, Oakden reaffirmed the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

AMMAN — The Civil Defence Department (CDD), in cooperation with the Jordan’s Jerusalem Awqaf Department, on Thursday held a training programme for members of Al Aqsa Mosque’s firefighting departments.

The programme comes in implementation of His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives to provide the utmost level of security within the mosque.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, CDD Director Maj. Gen. Mustafa Bazayah affirmed that the training course is complementary to many others that have been held to train Al Aqsa personnel in matters of civil defence.

The theoretical and practical training provided will help in dealing with fires and other types of incidents in order to protect the lives of worshippers in the mosque, Petra reported.

 AMMAN — The Jordan Free Zones Investment Commission on Thursday elected a new board with Mohammad Bostanji as president, Sharafeddin Rifai as vice president, Amin Sharqawi as secretary, Walid Sokhni as deputy secretary, Hisham Heed as treasurer and Mansur Taymour as deputy treasurer.

The board decided to hold at least eight annual meetings, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Rajai Muasher on Thursday headed the review meeting of the recommendations put forward by the General Services and Transport Committee in the Lower House, concerning the Royal Jordanian (RJ) airline.

Muasher called for transforming the recommendations into a review and respond to them.

The committee previously had submitted a request to the government to file its recommendations on RJ in a report for the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission to review and take appropriate actions, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

AMMAN — A Royal Decree was issued on Thursday appointing ‘Mohammad Saeed’ Mohammad Shahin as a member of the Senate, effective immediately, a Royal Court statement said.

AMMAN — Head of the Lower House’s Palestine Committee MP Yahya Saud on Thursday highlighted the importance of the Turkish role towards the Palestinian cause and in supporting the Hashemite Custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

During a meeting with Turkish Ambassador to Jordan Murat Karagöz, Saud said that Jordan is facing immense pressures as a result of its unaltered stances on Palestine and the holy sites in Jerusalem, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

For his part, Karagöz stressed Turkey’s position that supports Jordan and its Hashemite Custodianship over the sacred sites in the occupied Holy City, noting that Ankara places much attention on the Jerusalem issue.

AMMAN — A man handed himself in to the Ruseifa police after he stabbed his sister to death, the Public Security Department spokesperson said on Thursday.

The spokesperson added that a team from the police station and Criminal Investigation Department headed to the suspect’s house and found the body of his sister, who had been stabbed with a knife, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The spokesperson added that the prosecutor’s office and forensic experts had been informed of the case, and that the investigation was ongoing.

AMMAN — The main mission of political parties is to cooperate in elections to reach Parliament and form parliamentary governments, Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Musa Maaytah said on Thursday.

During his fourth meeting with members of the coalition of national parties, Maaytah stressed that parliamentary governments could not be formed without having “strong” political parties, blocs and currents inside Parliament, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The minister stressed that the state wants to deliver a message to citizens that it supports developing the political system until parties can be represented in Parliament through strong partisan currents and coalitions which represent communities.

Head of the political parties’ coalition, Irhail Gharaibeh, said that no progress could be achieved towards partisan life without strong parties and their participation in elections.

Gharaibeh added that there was no experience in the world which could unite people like parties, noting that the lack of parties could lead people to search for other alternatives.

He said that financing parties during their early stages was essential to delivering a clear message to citizens that the state is serious in developing the political system.

AMMAN — Every nation in the world can lay claim to its own unique heritage, which “constitutes precious wealth that belongs not only to each individual nation and people, but also to humankind as a whole”, professor Hani Hayajneh said on Tuesday.

Hayajneh’s remarks came during a conference which ended on Thursday, titled: “Cultural Heritage: at the Intersection of Humanities and the Sciences”, launched by HRH Princess Sumaya in Amman.

The event, organised for the first time in Jordan by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, gathered around 100 scholars from Jordan and abroad, with some researchers coming from South America and Japan.

According to Hayajneh, who is the ambassador scientist at the Humboldt Foundation in Jordan, the development of cooperation and exchange in the fields of culture is beneficial to all parties involved.

“It helps to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between people of all countries, and will do good for the harmony and progress of human society,” he underlined.

The three-day meeting was held in Amman, Irbid and Madaba and aimed to connect the fields of humanities, history, anthropology, philology and social sciences.

“Alexander von Humboldt was born on 14 September 1769 in Berlin; this year we are celebrating his 250th birthday — all year long,” the German Ambassador to Jordan Birgitta Siefker-Eberle said.

Moreover, the foundation works in the spirit of Alexander von Humboldt, the ambassador continued, adding that it has a long-standing history in Jordan, with many research fellows and award winners present in the Kingdom.

Nevertheless, the world has seen first-hand how ongoing wars and hostilities can hinder the preservation efforts of monuments and archaeological sites, but also the intangible cultural heritage, Constanza Farina from Amman’s UNESCO office said, adding that the chaos of conflict disrupts efforts to safeguard the traditions or living expressions “inherited from our ancestors”.

Farina emphasised the contribution of the Arab region to civilisation, “which gave birth to science, writing, mathematics and law”.

President of Yarmouk University Zeidan Kafafi said the conference was “something of a dream come true” as Jordan played host to so many distinguished researchers hailing from different parts of the world.

“I would like to praise, in a very special manner, the fine feeling and deep insights of the Hashemite Royal Family, particularly that of HRH Highness Prince Hassan and Princess Sumaya, for stimulating and motivating the academic arena and promoting our valuable cultural heritage in Jordan,” Kafafi said.

AMMAN — Among Al al-Bayt University’s first batch of graduates was Maszlee Bin Malik, now the Malaysian minister of education. Malik recently returned to Jordan to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education on Wednesday aimed at “opening new doors of cooperation”.

He told The Jordan Times in an interview: “My experience in Jordan truly helped shape who I am today. I think students and professors in higher education should be offered the same chance at being exposed to different cultures.”

According to the embassy’s figures, there are currently 3,000 Jordanian students studying in Malaysia, most of whom are postgraduate students. In Jordan, there are about 836 Malaysian students studying at six universities.

“This memorandum came as an extension of many signed in the past. This time, however, we hope to enhance the benefit of both sides,” the minister said.

The agreement included the exchange of students, researchers and lecturers through a joint degree programme between Jordanian and Malaysian universities, as well as an emphasis on academics related to the fourth industrial revolution.

“I think both countries need to focus on research related to the new industrial revolution as to foster their growth. Students and professors from both sides need to work as one in complete harmony to produce something beneficial for both sides,” he added.

In a separate meeting on Wednesday with His Majesty King Abdullah, “mutual respect” was underlined by both sides.

Malik said: “His Majesty told me that not only is mutual respect between the Malaysian and Jordanian sides important for peace and prosperity, but for the whole Ummah. I think that was important to speak of at a time in which education has become somewhat robotic and detached from its values.”

“We support His Majesty in his preach for mutual respect, a value we ourselves hold dear in education, at this time of increased racism and fundamentalism.”

Feeling “indebted to Jordan”, the minister returned to his alma mater on Thursday to receive an honorary doctorate degree.

“Much has changed since 1994. My time was here challenging but rewarding, and what I have noticed this time during my visit is that the Jordanian people look increasingly eager to learn. This degree is honorary for me but [it’s] also for them; for their hard work and perseverance,” he said.