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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Jordan's tribes criticize queen's role |
| 2011-02-10 |
| [Arab News] Jordanian tribal figures have issued a petition urging King Abdullah to end his Paleostinian wife's role in politics, in a new challenge to the monarch grappling with fallout from uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. Evoking comparisons with the wives of Tunisia's former strongman Zine al Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt's geriatric President Hosni Mubarak, the signatories attacked Queen Rania's Paleostinian origin and accused her of using state funds to promote her image abroad without concern for the hardship of ordinary Jordanians. The 36 figures are drawn from conservative East Bank tribes who form the backbone of the Hashemite monarchy's support -- as opposed to Jordanians of Paleostinian, or West Bank, origin who are the majority of the country's 7 million population. "She is building power centers for her interest that go against what Jordanians and Hashemites have agreed on in governing and is a danger to the nation and the structure of the state and the political structure and the institution of the throne," the petition said. "Disregard for the content of the statement will throw us into what happened in Tunis and Egypt and what will happen in other Arab countries," it added. The unusually blunt statement reflects the deep rift between nationalist East Bank Jordanians and the majority Paleostinian population, rather than a direct challenge to Abdullah's rule. But it keeps up pressure on the monarch who responded to anti-government protests last week by dismissing the cabinet and appointing former army officer Marouf Bakhit as prime minister. The move, which followed a $500 million package of state aid to raise civil service salaries and curb price rises, aimed to address East Bankers' alarm over economic liberalization by the previous government which threatened their state benefits. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 This Bedouin tribesmen have been mad at Raina since 2007. Raina has been active in efforts to modernize Jordan's primary and secondary eduction (especially math and science), as well as women's issues (like avoiding honor killings). This is Haram to conservative Muslims. |
| Posted by: Frozen Al 2011-02-10 11:41 |