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AMMAN — Women activists and representatives from the civil society on Sunday released a position paper that offers more solutions for victims of rape and other forms of violence, including allowing abortion in cases of rape and incest. 

The group, representing over 60 organisations in Jordan, also reiterated its stance regarding the abolition of Article 308, saying it is the first of many reform steps to form a comprehensive legal campaign for women in the Kingdom, according to a statement released to the press on Saturday.

Jordanian Women’s Union lawyer Hala Ahed said the position paper, which was prepared by over 60 women groups and civil society organisations, aims to tackle more “discriminatory laws that fail to offer protection for women and children in various ways”.

“I believe it is about time to address the issue of abortion in cases of rape and incest to two months into the pregnancy.  It is against humanity that a woman for example gives birth to a child who is the result of sexual assault by family members,” Ahed told The Jordan Times.

Jordan allows abortions only in cases when the pregnancy poses a danger to the life of the expecting mother.

In 2014, the Iftaa Department issued a fatwa that condemned rape and incest, which are grave violations in Islam, and said that any woman subjected to such incidents should visit the department for an examination of the case, after which a fatwa would be issued “that would be beneficial to the victim”.

The paper is a way of demonstrating that the government and relevant organisations provide “better means of protection for women from all forms of violence”, Ahed said.

“What we are doing is not new. It is a continuation of the demands of the women’s movement through the years and the idea is to advocate to all the entities that are responsible, including the government and Parliament,” Ahed added.    

Turning to Article 308, the statement said that abolishing Article 308 lifted the burden from women because “they used to be placed in a situation where they felt guilty and responsible for what happened to them”.  

Based on a recommendation by a Royal committee and the endorsement of the government, the Lower House in August voted to abolish the controversial Article 308 of the Penal Code, which became effective on November 1 after the law was published in the Official Gazette. 

Former minister Asma Khader said the position paper is “a tool to think of future plans, especially after Article 308 was cancelled”.

“We are tackling the part of protection for women and children following the amendments and abolishment of many laws pertaining to women in the Penal Code,” Khader told The Jordan Times.

The draft Penal Code in general, and Article 308 in particular, were subject to heated debate under the Dome, with civil society and among government officials, with many calling for the complete scrapping of the article from the Penal Code.

The Lower House’s Legal Committee had made three suggestions, which included exceptions in incidents of consensual sex and sexual molestation of victims aged between 15 and 18 years old.

A third exception was proposed for anyone who “seduces a virgin over 18 years of age with the promise of marriage and caused her to lose her virginity”.

Critics who opposed abolishing the law had claimed that “repealing the article altogether would cause a risk on the lives of women between the ages of 15 and 18 and would result in children being born without fathers in cases of pregnancy”. 

Other recommendations posted in the position paper included calling for the use of DNA in paternity dispute cases in order to protect the rights of children.

“The legislators depend on marriage to prove the paternity of a child.  What about cases of rape or incest?  The science should be used here to protect the rights of the victims and the child,” Khader, an activist, added.

The position paper also made recommendations that called for ending the exceptions in cases of the marriage of girls between 15 and 18 years old.

The Personal Status Law outlined exceptions to allow such marriages including provisions that allow a maximum age difference of 15-years or less between the husband and the wife, provided that the would-be husband is not married and that marriage would not prevent the girl from pursuing her education.

Under the suggested law, the judge will have the authority to decide if girls between 15 and 18 getting married would be in their best interest and permit the registration of the marriage contract.  

 Jordanian National Commission for Women Secretary General Salma Nims said that the paper is part of ongoing efforts exerted by the women’s movement over more than two decades and aims to unify these efforts to make the necessary lobbying among the decision makers”.

“I believe each organisation and entity should assume its role in working on certain matters that relate to protecting women from violence,” Nims told The Jordan Times.

“We want to send a clear and strong message that our work in protecting and advancing women’s rights in Jordan will never end.  We should take advantage of the positive changes that happened recently to continue fighting for our rights,” She concluded.

AMMAN — Jordan will start exporting flowers in the near future, an official at the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) said, announcing that a “global” tender for consulting companies has been floated to implement a feasibility study about a flower-bourse project in the Kingdom.

The announcement came after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the GAM and the Dutch embassy Netherlands embassy in March to establish a bourse on the Airport Road, Anas Mahadin, the president of the central market, told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Mahadin said that the project aims to achieve GAM’s vision in establishing a convenient environment for farmers to enhance their businesses, and to give them the best opportunity to display and sell their products.

“It also aims at supporting the agricultural sector in any possible way, and at facilitating the customers’ experience by creating a ‘suitable’ place to view the merchandise,” he said, adding “it is like the central market, but for flowers”.

Mahadin noted that the municipality “seeks to make this project work at a regional level”.

“The objective of the feasibility study is to determine whether Jordan has the potential to implement this kind of a project or not, and whether it abides by the global standards for flower bourses,” he added.

An official at the Dutch embassy said that Netherlands, the world leader in the flowers bourse, is supporting the project. 

The embassy sees the potential of Jordan in building a “successful” flower-bourse and starting a “regional auction” for the Kingdom to export flowers.

Nimer Haddadin, the Ministry of Agriculture’s spokesperson, said: “This is a positive step, and it is also the first of its kind in the Middle East.”

“The ministry will play its role in enhancing and providing support to this project in every possible way”, he added.

Haddadin said that Jordan produces about 70 million flowers per year, and counts almost 2,500 greenhouses, in addition to some 70 flower farms, adding that Baqaa and the Jordan Valley are two of the most important locations for flower cultivation.

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury on Sunday discussed the Plan to Stimulate Economic Growth 2018-2022 with senior officials, a ministry statement said.

The plan aims to maintain the momentum on the economic growth and to benefit from Jordan’s “promising” development potentials.

It includes four main pillars: economic stability through financial policies, competitiveness and investment through investment policies, ICT and public sector development, infrastructure including water, energy, and transport, and social development, which includes the education, human resources, healthcare and labour.

During a meeting with ministries’ secretary generals and relevant senior officials, Fakhoury said that the government is finalising its action plan related to all fields targeted by the programme including the financial, investment and monetary policies, the judiciary, ICT, developing the public sector, water, sewage system, energy, mineral resources, transport, external trade, macro, small and medium-sized enterprises, tourism, agriculture, education, human resources development and healthcare.

The minister said he expected the plan to be completed towards the end of this month so that it can be referred to the Council of Ministers, where the Government’s Performance Unit will issue periodical reports on work progress.

The plan includes 95 measures related to the governmental reforms and 85 government projects at a total cost of JD6.9 billion.

The programme also highlights 27 investment opportunities for the private sector at a total cost of JD9.5 billion in energy sector, water, transport, ICT, tourism and others to achieve growth of 5 per cent over the next five years.

AMMAN — A panel at the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation (AHSF) on Sunday discussed the obstacles of conducting scientific research in the Arab world and launched the Shoman Scientific Research and Innovation Community, that aims to network with awardees and judges, and to enhance cooperation between scholars, industrial sector, private sector and NGOs.  

The panel titled “Science to Innovation in the Arab world” was held on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Shoman’s scientific research award.

Former Higher Education Minister Ameen Mahmoud said that the amount of research and funding available in the Arab world is “quite little” compared to developed countries, adding “we need to admit that education and scientific research are suffering a crisis”. 

Awareness must be raised about the need for quality education and scientific research, said Mahmoud, who served as the moderator of the session.

 The former minister noted that strengthening of scientific research cannot be executed separately from inclusive development of society and economy.

Rana Dajani, an associate professor at the Hashemite University, said that in order to improve society, mentalities need to be change, which requires both time and effort.

“Strategic planning is needed to find long term solutions for our [societal] problems. We always think about the quick solutions, which do not exist,” Dajani added. 

Saeed Ismail, a scholar in genetics, said that the complicated process of research funding in Jordan is ruled by outdated laws that exhaust the applicant. “Youth need to be freed from [outdated] systems and to be released from boundaries,” Ismail added.

During his time at The University of Jordan, Ismail often criticised the lack of Arabic content on the Internet, which prompted one of his students, Laith Alawneh, to make a change. 

Alawneh created “Bel Arabi”, an Arabic-translated Wikipedia page that was put together with the assistance of 30,000 volunteers, most of whom were students. 

Dajani said: “Youth have courage and curiosity but they need a role model to learn from and we must be there for them.”

However, researchers attending the event disagreed about the availability of funding, arguing that the money is there but that students need to strengthen their proposal skills to be eligible. 

Governmental and non-governmental funding exists, but the problem currently lies within the universities’ department of research management, where unqualified employees are unable to find the investors in need of student research, Dajani said. 

Also speaking at the panel was Victor Billeh, an international expert of educational strategies and policies, who said that innovation is key to developing any national economy.

Dhiyaa Khaleel, the president of the electronic engineering department at Egypt’s Ain Shams University, said that innovation is the ability to transform ideas that tackle the market’s needs to add value for society.

Additionally, Mudhi Hmoud, president of the Arab Open University, said that there is a “real gap” between the scientific research system and the industry. 

Lobna Okasha, the programme manager at Kuwait for the Advancement of Sciences, said that her institution created a programme titled “A Professor for Each Factory” that aims to network factories suffering from technical problems with researchers who can help find innovative solutions. 

Their programme was however faced with several obstacles, including “a lack of trust” between the private sector and the Arab researchers. Okasha explained that they dealt with their respective patents possessively, refusing to share them unless “a very high price was paid for it”.

Therefore, Okasha said they had to liaise and build trust between investors and researchers by providing scholars with training programmes to help invest their innovations in business.

Innovation awards

Meanwhile, AHSF on Sunday announced the launch of Abdul Hameed Shoman Innovation Award for Social and Scientific Innovations.

According to a statement, the award aims to enable Arab innovation, and to drive economic growth by promoting the fourth industrial revolution, founded on innovation. 

The award hopes to address present-day challenges and accelerate societal gains such as job creation . It will be open in 2018 with a budget of up to JD1 million, according to the statement.

AMMAN — Interior Minister Ghaleb Zu’bi on Sunday discussed prospects for bilateral cooperation in the field of security and ways to combat terrorism and extremism with Chief of Indonesian National Counterterrorism Agency Com. Gen. Suhardi Alius and an accompanying delegation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The two sides discussed ways to deal with security challenges and difficulties as a result of regional crises, especially extremist ideologies. Zu’bi and Alius agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding between the two countries in the near future, to identify and activate mechanisms to combat extremism.

The Interior Minister highlighted Jordan’s efforts in combating extremism and terrorism, stressing that it has “surpassed” traditional frameworks by adopting a “holistic approach”.

Zu’bi pointed out that Jordan has developed a strategy to combat terrorism and extremism that is based on communication, and combating extremist organisations in innovative ways.

Com. Gen. Alius stressed the importance of a Jordanian-Indonesian partnership to tackle extremism and terrorism, especially in light of Jordan’s recent experiences and its effective ability to positively deal with the regional crises. He also expressed his country’s appreciation for Jordan’s leading role in the area, especially for hosting large numbers of refugees despite its modest resources and capabilities. 

AMMAN — King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC) on Sunday launched the 1st East Mediterranean Summit on Tobacco Dependence Treatment (TDT) in Amman.

Some 300 healthcare providers from 15 countries from across the region are taking part in the two-day event, a KHCC statement said. 

The summit will host key   regional and international speakers, who have had an influence in developing and strengthening TDT around the world, according to the statement.

The event aims to address several relevant issues including the supply and demand for TDT services, the role of TDT in non-communicable diseases, behavioural interventions and medications used in TDT, in addition to the opportunities for research in the region.

The summit came as a collaborative effort by KHCC, the World Health Organisation, Global Bridges and the Jordanian Thoracic Society. 

During the opening ceremony, HRH Princess Ghida Talal, chairperson of the KHCC and Foundation, said that “despite the painful history of smoking and its control over successive generations, I believe that the solutions exist, that our motivation is strong and that we must take the decision to eliminate the phenomenon of smoking and addiction.”

KHCC Director General Asem Mansour said that the conference, which is the “first of its kind” in the region, is an opportunity for exchanging expertise among stakeholders from various countries and local health sectors.

President of the summit and director of the Cancer Control Office at KHCC, Firas Hawari, said that the event is an outcome of the cooperation between various domestic and international bodies, noting that the event comes as one of the most important international policies of combating tobacco.

For her part, Judith Mackay, director of the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control, said that the conference is a great opportunity for Jordan and the region to exchange expertise and develop TDT.

Mackay told The Jordan Times that the conference focused on methods known for reducing the use of tobacco such as taxation and price, which protect young people aged from 11 to 22 years from smoking.

It also focused on the packaging of tobacco, which plays a great role in reducing smoking rates, including the pictorial warnings and the reduction of space to be used by the tobacco industry to advertise its products, Mackay said.

The senior advisor emphasised the importance of focusing on health education for adolescents on diseases and illnesses caused by tobacco.

She stressed the need to enforce the Public Health Law, noting that Amman will become a smoking-free city as part of an international programme, starting with the government’s departments.

Taylor Hays, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, told The Jordan Times that the policies implemented to help populations reduce their smoking are “effective” and make people more likely to want to quit, referring to the high prices and interdiction to smoke indoors as an example.

“If the government applies these policies, then we also need to provide smokers with health treatment to help them quit smoking through TDT,” Hays said. 

Jordan has a growing number of opportunities for people to be treated for tobacco dependence and the conference itself, with the number of attendants, is an example of what Jordan can do in this field, the professor added.

He commended KHCC for training more cadres on TDT, noting that physicians, hospitals and clinics should also make TDT part of their care system to provide an easier access for those seeking to quit. 

KHCC said that lung cancer, highly related to smoking practices, is among the top five cancers in the Kingdom.

According to the Department of Statistics (DoS), Jordanians spent JD602 million on tobacco products in 2013, with the average annual family expenditure standing at JD480.10.

The department noted that the larger the family is, the more it spends on smoking. Families with one to two members spent 2.8 per cent of their income on smoking, whereas the ratio reached 4.2 per cent for families of three to four. 

Additionally, according to a DoS report in 2011, 72 per cent of Jordanian families had not heard about passive smoking. 

AMMAN — “The Arab world is alive. We want people to see stories of Arab successes that are a source of pride for all of us to broadcast the message that the Arab world is a place of initiative, creativity, positive thinking, entrepreneurship, and the sanctity of youth,” said Ricardo Karam, the founder of TAKREEM, which will hold its 8th awarding ceremony on November 25.

Founded in 2009, TAKREEM aims to honour the accomplishments of Arabs in the fields of science, culture, environment, education, humanitarian aid and economy to “bring Arab achievers to the forefront of the globe stage”, Karam told The Jordan Times at a media gathering announcing the event.

“As many negative perceptions have plagued the region because of regional crises that have tarnished the image of the Arab world, we want to defy this trend by conveying a positive image of Arabs worldwide through their accomplishments and, in doing so, reveal their true identities,” Karam said.

Scheduled in Amman at the end of this month, this year’s ceremony follows the previous editions that took place in Beirut, Doha, Manama, Paris, Marrakesh, Dubai and Cairo.

“As a Jordanian, I have been pushing for Amman to host the event because it has so much to offer in terms of tourism, culture, talents,” Lana Ghawi Zananiri, a selection board member told The Jordan Times, adding “there are so many incredible success stories that we don’t know about, and the international media exposure TAKREEM helps in spreading the word to the rest of the world.”

Each year, TAKREEM awards nine Arab laureates under the categories of young entrepreneur, scientific and technological achievement, cultural excellence, environmental development and sustainability, outstanding Arab woman, excellence in education, humanitarian and civic services, corporate leadership and international contribution to Arab society. 

“The Arab world has incredible talents who display inspiring curiosity and critical thinking skills and we want to honour them so they can become a source of inspiration to the Arab youth in their search for role models,” Karam said, calling for the support of the media in exposing those “success stories”.

The award seeks to empower, motivate and push new generations to “go forward with their ideas”, he continued.

TAKREEM provides a platform for unseen Arab men and women to become visible by highlighting their endeavours across the globe, according to its website.

The laureates are chosen through a two-fold selection process involving prominent and distinguished figures from the Arab world, including Her Majesty Queen Noor. 

Last year, HRH Princess Ghida received a special distinction for her fight against cancer and her role as the chairperson of the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and Centre. 

Previous Jordanian awardees included multimedia artist Samia Taktak Zaru, Founder and Director of Legal Aid Samar Muhareb and educational expert Rawan Barakat.

 “This event reminded me and reinvigorated me of the choices I have made to remain in my home country and making social impact the focus of my professional life,” Iman, a participant in last year’s awards, was quoted in a statement.

Nazem, another participant in Cairo’s event, said: “TAKREEM leads by example, shedding light on those unknown leaders, makers, influencers and achievers, who are effectively the region’s ambassadors of change.”

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) is planning to sign an agreement next week to start executing the Solar Village Project, which aims to create a solar power plant to cover the cost of electricity for 30,000 unprivileged households in Amman. 

The project is overseen by Meqdad Rababaa, director of the Sustainability and Renewable Energies Department at the GAM. 

In a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times, Rababaa said that the new solar power plant will provide electricity to those living in “less fortunate homes whose consumption doesn’t exceed the 150KW per hour, or the rate of JD50 per month”.

The project is also aimed at cutting down the costs of the GAM, providing electricity for all of its buildings, gardens, playgrounds and street lighting, according to Rababaa. 

The project was implemented through a donation by KBW Jordan and Saudi Prince Khaled Bin Alwaleed, who signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the GAM earlier this year. 

“The agreement follows the directions of His Majesty King Abdullah, who pointed out the need to develop the area of East Amman and to relieve the citizens of the economic burdens,” said Rababaa. 

“Furthermore, the project will also eliminate the public costs of lighting and electricity for the city of Amman, which will be reflected positively on the services provided by the GAM,” he continued. 

Lastly, Rababaa pointed out that the project “demonstrates the strategic orientation of the GAM to move towards sustainable development by reducing the environmental impact of carbon emissions produced by the generation of electricity from conventional fuel sources”.

AMMAN — The University of Jordan (UJ) on Wednesday published its new methodology for scientific research in the latest issue of the Official Gazette, which will lead to the establishment of a Scientific Research Council at the university, UJ’s Dean of Academic Research Shaher Momani told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.

The new system became effective after its publication abolishing the previous system No. 9 of 1998.

 “The main objectives of the council will be to coordinate all scientific research within the university, to establish a policy on it, to promote all research activities, and to support and fund projects at the university,” Momani said. 

The council will be co-chaired by UJ’s President Ahmi Mahazfa and Momani, while seven members of the faculty staff selected by the board of deans will constitute the new organism, along with two representatives of the local community. 

“Furthermore, we are proposing a system of incentives for outstanding investigators at the university, hoping to encourage them to continue to do scientific research,” Momani added. 

A research ethics committee will be established within the new Scientific Research Council, with the aim of ensuring that all scholars adhere to the regulations in ethical matters. 

“Scientific research often includes experiments with either humans or animals, and we want to make sure that every research involved in this kind of activities is respecting the regulations and acting in an ethical manner,” Momani explained. 

AMMAN — After the issuance of the 13th report of the National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR), Prime Minister Hani Mulki issued a circular to all ministries and official departments to study the report and consider its recommendations, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Prime Minister recommended providing the Government Coordinator for Human Rights in the Cabinet with the departments’ measures and recommendations before December 15.