Jordan
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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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Syrian refugee children
Urgent action required
Eight years of war in Syria have meant eight years of children being permanently exposed to violence. Many of them have been forced to leave their homes and now live in southern Syria, Jordan or Lebanon – often in precarious conditions. By Dagmar Wolf
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The demise of Daraa, former rebel stronghold
At the mercy of Assadʹs troops
While Berlin was contemplating secure borders, the Syrian regime embarked on its next campaign to exacerbate the suffering of refugees. To Syriaʹs President Bashar al-Assad, they are nothing more than a weapon. By Bente Scheller
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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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The Abbas controversy
No excuse for anti-Semitism
On 30 April, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a long speech in front of the troubled Palestinian National Council. Abdalhadi Alijla explains why the ongoing caesura in negotiations with Israel can never serve to justify racist remarks
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Syrian refugees
The burden of hospitality
Under increasing financial pressure, Syriaʹs neighbours – Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey – are pressuring Syrian refugees to return to their home country, whether conditions across the border are safe or not. By Jesse Marks
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Interview with Syrian playwright Wael Kadour
A vehicle for integration
Syrian playwright and dramatist Wael Kadour came of age in Damascus a decade before the revolution. His plays speak of life in his home country and social tensions across the Middle East. Interview by Laura Cappelle
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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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Al-Salt – Jordan's religious haven
In spite of current tensions between the Christian and the Muslim world, both religions live in peace in Al-Salt, in west-central Jordan, as captured by Italy-based photographer Fatima Abbadi.
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Women′s rights in the Arab world
No house room for criminals
Many Arab countries have laws that grant offenders immunity from prosecution if they marry the woman they have raped. While Jordan has taken the first steps to change this controversial legal situation, Lebanon looks likely to follow suit. By Dunja Ramadan