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AMMAN — Jordanians on Wednesday took to Zarqa’s streets in a show of support for His Majesty King Abdullah’s stances towards Jerusalem.

Jordanians marched to Arab Army Square in Zarqa Governorate, 22km northwest of Amman, where they held a rally waving Jordanian flags, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

“Jerusalem is a Red Line,” one of the banners carried during the march read. Others read “No Alternative Homeland”, “Yes for the Hashemite Custodianship over Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian Holy Sites” and “No Settlement”, according to Petra.

Organised by the Zarqa Governorate Council, the rally was designed to show that public stances align with King Abdullah’s positions expressed at international forums, as well as to renew rejections of any solution to the Palestinian cause which comes at the expense of the Kingdom, the president of the council, Ahmad Eleimat said.

In solidarity with Jerusalem, King Abdullah previously called off a planned trip to Romania following a pledge by Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila to move her country’s embassy in Israel to occupied Jerusalem.

The Romanian prime minister recently pledged during a trip to Washington that her country would move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem, breaking with both the EU position and with her own country’s president, according to AFP.

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila made the announcement at the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an influential pro-Israel lobby.

Her stance would align Romania with the US position under President Donald Trump, and it came on a day when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was beginning a Washington visit which included an AIPAC appearance and a meeting with Trump.

AMMAN — The women’s movement on Wednesday said it has intensified its lobbying efforts ahead of an expected joint session between the Senate and the Lower House to vote on amendments to the Personal Status Law (PSL).

Mizan Law Group (MLG) drafted a letter addressed to the representatives of both Houses to vote in favour of two articles related to early marriage and the “mandated will” or “wasiya wajiba”.

“We will send the letters to each and every Parliament representative in hopes that it will convince them to vote in favour of the two articles,” MLG Executive Director Eva Abu Halaweh told The Jordan Times.

Meanwhile, the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) called for a meeting today to discuss possible messages to be sent out electronically and printed on banners.

“We called on the women’s movement and civil society to meet today to work on messages and decide on the time to stage a sit-in in front of the Parliament on the day of the voting,” JNCW Secretary General Samla Nims told The Jordan Times.

The Sisterhood is Global Institute also issued a statement on Wednesday urging MPs and senators to vote in favour of the women’s movements’ demands “in order to protect the rights of girls in proper education and their child’s rights”.

In recent weeks, the Lower House voted to maintain the legal age of marriage exceptions for boys and girls at 15 years old.

But last week, the Senate upheld its previous decision to increase the age of marriage for women in exceptional cases to 16 years old and to amend an article related to the “mandated will” or “wasiya wajiba”, by giving inheritance rights to the grandchildren of female children, as well as male children; a right previously only given to male grandchildren.

The Lower House previously voted against giving female children the same inheritance rights as male children.

The differences in opinion between the two Houses have led to a joint session expected to be held on Monday.

The legal age of marriage in Jordan is 18 for men and women, but the law allowed for several exceptions for girls aged 15 and above if a judge deemed it in their best interests.

According to the Chief Islamic Justice Department’s official statistics, there were 77,700 marriage contracts issued in 2017, of which 10,434 (around 30 a day) involved marriages in which the wife was under the age of 18.

Government statistics indicated that divorce cases among individuals under 18 amounted to 5,335 in 2017, of which, 413 cases involved wives under the age of 18.

AMMAN — Jordan, alongside other countries, on Wednesday marked the anniversary of Al Israa wal Miraj, Prophet Mohammad’s nocturnal journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to heaven according to Islamic beliefs.

His Majesty King Abdullah received cables of well wishes from several senior officials and officers on the anniversary of the occasion, according to a Royal Court statement.

HRH Crown Prince Hussein also received similar cables from senior officials and officers.

The Israa, followed by the Miraj, took place on Rajab 27, the seventh month of the Hijri lunar calendar, in the 10th year of Mohammad’s prophethood, according to Muslim beliefs.

Islamic sources say the prophet was carried from the Holy Mosque in Mecca to the Farthest Mosque (Al Aqsa Mosque) in Jerusalem on a creature called the Buraq, and in the company of the archangel Gabriel (known in Arabic as Jibril).

There Prophet Mohammad led a congregational prayer of the prophets of God.

After that, Gabriel took him to the heavens where he met prophets Adam, John, Jesus, Idris, Aaron and Moses. In the seventh heaven, he met Abraham, according to Islam Online, an authoritative Islamic web portal.

During the divine journey, Allah ordered the five daily prayers for the Muslim nation. The prophet then returned to Mecca on the same night.

Senders of the cables praised His Majesty’s efforts in defending Jerusalem and its holy sites at international events, in addition to King Abdullah’s endeavours to preserve the city’s identity and history, referring to the sacrifices of soldiers of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army in defending Jerusalem, the statement added.

AMMAN — Souq Dezain, a fashion and design exposition, opened today at the Ras El Ain Hangar in Amman featuring 40 designers, with specialties including home decor, oriental fashion, shoe wear and jewelry.

The expo will run until Saturday and was organised by Dezain Space, according to a joint statement sent to The Jordan Times, which added that with support from the EU through the “Jordanian Action for the Development of Enterprises” project and Zain, Dezain Space organised the expo as a business-to-business event for designers to showcase their 2019 collections.

The aim of doing so was to provide start-up designers with a chance to showcase their work and help establish themselves as leaders in their design field.

The expo will also provide linkages between the fashion industry in Jordan and Europe for designers to promote Jordan as a destination in fashion. Prominent designers and successful business people will also have the chance to share their experiences through panel discussions at Souq Dezain, the statement said.

Commenting on Souq Dezain, Egidijus Navikas, the EU Delegation’s chargé d’affaires, said: “The ecosystem that supports talented Jordanian youth who want to transform creative ideas into successful business models is growing and becoming more professional. The EU is delighted to support this ecosystem and to help Souq Dezain.”

Shamekh Al Bluwi, one of Dezain Space’s founders, added that “at the souq, we are focusing not only on the market place but also on exposing the designers to international expertise that we are flying [in] from around the world, who will benefit the designers to take their brands to the next level”.

Sima Najjar, another founder of Dezain Space, said they decided to establish Dezain Space after they realised the creative sector was in need of the same specialised support provided to start-ups in the ICT sector.

“I believe we have a lot of passionate talent in Jordan, but it is difficult to grow. Souq Dezain is creating an opportunity for local brands to launch their new collections and get noticed,” said Najjar.

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mary Kawar on Wednesday met with French lawmakers headed by the secretary of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces committee, Olivier Cigolotti.

During the meeting, Kawar and the senators discussed bilateral relations between Jordan and France and the means to improve them, a statement sent by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation said.

Kawar outlined the challenges of hosting Syrian refugees in Jordan and the importance of the international community’s support to help Jordan deal with the economic burdens of hosting refugees, according to the statement.

The minister also highlighted the Jordan Response Plan to the Syrian refugee crisis, which seeks to empower host communities.

The French MPs commended Jordan’s efforts to host refugees and continue providing them with services, and expressed their understanding of the challenges facing the Kingdom.

Also on Wednesday, Kawar also met with Vice President of Panama Isabel de Saint Malo.

During the meeting, Kawar briefed de Saint Malo on the economic challenges facing the Kingdom, the national reform efforts, as well as areas of joint cooperation between the two countries, the statement said.

Kawar said that despite the continuing challenges facing Jordan, the government is continuing to work on comprehensive reforms to achieve prosperity for citizens and enhancing Jordan’s resilience.

AMMAN — Jordan, on behalf of the Arab world, recently presented a report on the Regional Review of the 2013 Cairo Declaration at the 52nd session of the Commission on Population and Development at UN Headquarters in New York.

The Kingdom is being represented by the Secretary of the Higher Population Council (HPC) Abla Amawi at the conference, which ends on Friday and is focused on reviewing the “Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development’s” contribution to Sustainable Development Goals, according to a statement sent to The Jordan Times.

The Regional Review of the 2013 Cairo Declaration by the Arab world was carried out by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia in partnership with United Nations Population Fund and the Arab League in 2018, and peaked with the convening of the Arab Regional Conference on Population and Development last year in Beirut, according to the statement.

Jordan’s report on the review noted that the Regional Review revealed that progress had been insufficient, according to Amawi. Large segments of society remain exposed to poverty, poor health and isolation.

Moreover, persistent inequalities in countries, especially between rural and urban areas, threaten governments’ abilities to ensure that members of society do not fall behind and that they enjoy their rights.

Other factors that could compromise governments’ efforts include the continued marginalisation of women in relation to economic participation, gender-based discrimination, high rates of child marriages and forced marriages, high unemployment rates among Arab youth and structural and cultural impediments facing youth, the elderly, refugees and people with disabilities which limits their economic social and political integration.

Amawi said that the Regional Review served to reaffirm the commitment of Arab states in implementing the values and objectives of the 2013 Cairo Declaration and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adding that many messages emerged from the Arab Regional Conference.

One of the most important of which was that the achievement of population and development objectives depends on the existence of human rights-based approaches on population issues, integration of population priorities in national development planning, ensuring adequate budgets and designing effective follow-up mechanisms.

She also stated that the responsibility for ensuring the incorporation of all social groups and the protection of such groups through reforms of national policy frameworks, development of universal social protection schemes and the promotion of wider participation in public policy-making lies with the countries in the report.

During the session, Amawi also reaffirmed Jordan’s commitment towards international conferences concerned with population and development and the adoption of their outcomes.

She noted that Jordan took into consideration the sustainable development priorities and developed a road map for the implementation of 2030 development agenda called Jordan 2025.

However, Amawi said that despite the Kingdom’s achievements, many challenges remained including the continued negative consequences of regional crises on Jordan’s progress towards sustainable development.

The effects of these crises had resulted in high population growth rates, an increased need for the provision of basic services, a strain of budgets, high unemployment and poverty rates, slowed economic growth and increased public debt.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz on Wednesday said His Majesty King Abdullah’s Discussion Papers on Constitutional institutions, the role of society and youth and the state of law, highlight the need to have a strong country with a strong society.

Attending a two-day international conference, titled: “King Abdullah’s vision: a roadmap towards a state of citizenship and society development”, being held at the Petra University, Razzaz said that a strong country is a state that seeks to enforce law equally on all, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The prime minister added that a strong community is a community that is fully aware of its rights and duties and seeks to develop and amend laws through its legislative channels.

National unaltered standards are aspects of a national identity and form pillars used to build institutions, the premier said, adding that without an encompassing national identity, it is difficult for countries to establish public institutions which represent all segments of the society.

He also called on the young people to read King Abdullah’s Discussion Papers, which address youth and their role in helping develop the democratic process.

Petra University President Marwan Mawla said that the Discussion Papers were worth receiving the attention of political and academic elite, adding that public institutions should start implementing them on the ground.

Lower House First Deputy Speaker MP Nassar Qaisi highlighted the reform efforts and what they meant for a path towards national dialogue on the future and the next generation of reform.

AMMAN — His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein on Wednesday attended the cybersecurity Hackathon competition, held at Al Hussein Technical University (HTU) with the participation of 88 students from Jordan’s universities.

The competition, organised by HTU in partnership with the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau, aimed to promote ethics and practices in cybersecurity, while nurturing university students’ creativity and honing their coding skills, according to a Royal Court statement.

Crown Prince Hussein was briefed on the goals of the competition to harness national talent and highlight Jordan’s regional role in ICT and programming.

The Crown Prince also honoured the competition’s winners.

The Jordan University for Science and Technology’s (JUST) Sbeve team ranked first, the Princess Sumaya University for Technology’s Hyper Shell placed second and the Yarmouk University’s Null team placed third.

Ashraf Ahmad, a faculty member of HTU, highlighted the importance of organising the competition in light emerging threats online, noting that the competition was in line with national efforts enhance cybersecurity and showcase the growing role of Jordan as a pioneering country in the regional ICT and programming sectors.

In an interview with the Jordan News Agency, Petra, student Muhammad Omari of JUST and member of the university’s winning team, said that the competition enabled participants to acquire new skills and knowledge in the fields of security of information and networks, which have become a prerequisite for various businesses, especially in the ICT sector.

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Wednesday said that the progress in Jordanian-Iraqi relations has encouraged MPs to continue their efforts aimed at facilitating the implementation of signed agreements and speeding up efforts to signs others.

Attending a Jordanian-Iraqi parliamentary forum, tilted: “Towards wide horizons for economic integration”, Tarawneh said that future tasks require cooperation and unified stances, through which both countries can overcome challenges to realise envisioned economic integration, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Iraq has suffered from terrorism for a long time, yet through its unity it has managed to defeat it, the speaker added.

He noted that the success of the political process, the formation of the government and the unification of Iraqi components under one banner were the first steps towards the rebuilding process in Iraq.

Tarawneh added that the resumption of economic agreements between the two governments was clear evidence of Jordan and Iraq’s’ “deep-rooted” ties.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Tareq Hammouri stressed that Amman and Baghdad have the will to realise tangible progress in their relations in all fields.

Hammouri said that agreements between the two countries entail joint benefits which aim to positively reflect on both peoples.

Iraq’s Chargé d’Affaires in Amman Khalid Khaizaran stressed that bilateral ties have witnessed a qualitative leap at all levels thanks to visits and several meetings between both countries’ officials.

During a working session on the energy and transport sectors on the sidelines of the forum, Transport Minister Anmar Khasawneh announced that an agreement to allow either country’s empty trucks to enter the other country without a permit was now in effect.

Khasawneh added that Jordan has started issuing six-month visas, which can be used more than once, for large groups of Iraqi transporters. Jordan is also working on increasing the number of weekly flights to Iraq from 16 to 20.

AMMAN — A parliamentary delegation, headed by President of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union and Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh, is scheduled to visit Doha today to participate at the 140th meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Tarawneh said that the delegation will seek to lobby various parliaments of the world to support an emergency draft on providing international protection to the Palestinian people, which was included in the final statement of the meetings of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union recently held in Amman.

The speaker stressed that the delegates will make it clear in front of the world’s parliaments that the Kingdom will continue its historical role in defending Jerusalem, based on Hashemite Custodianship over the city’s Islamic and Christian sites, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He added that the delegation will not spare any effort to uncover unfair Israeli practices against the Palestinian people, so as the world can realise that bias to the occupation represents negligence to the principles of security and peace which international organisations have always called for.

Tarawneh said that the proposal presented by the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union seeks to condemn heinous crimes perpetrated by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, and call on the international community to face the occupation’s recurrent attacks and denounce all forms of forcible migration and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians.