Why Has Jordan Been Abandoned?
Dangerous To Wait For America's Position
21 November 2012
By Tariq Alhomayed
Do we realize the all-encompassing danger present in
the Kingdom of Jordan, and the size of the conspiracy
that has been hatched against it, from numerous sides,
whether by the Muslim Brotherhood, Israel, Iran or the
extremists, or even some Arab gamblers, whose stories
exceed all others?
A question has puzzled me for years, namely why has
Jordan been left to confront the wolves of the region
alone? Jordan is a country without resources; however
it has served – particularly during the era of King
Abdullah II – as an important safety valve and
stabilizing factor for the entire region, not to
mention the region's moderates. Ever since King
Abdullah took the throne, taking over his country's
affairs, he has served Arabism and openness,
safeguarding rationalism. He is an austere and
vigilant monarch, always seeking to develop and
protect his country, safeguarding the dignity of his
citizens and confront extremism. However the enemies
of this kingdom are many and they are evil to the
fullest extent of the term, whether at home or abroad.
Therefore this neglect regarding what is happening in
Jordan is extremely puzzling, for whatever the cost of
supporting Jordan, this will no doubt be less than
that of its collapse, which would mean the mother of
all regional disasters.
I asked an expert: did the King of Jordan make a
mistake when he allowed his government to lift
subsidies on some goods at this time? His answer was
that everybody, particularly the Arab Spring states,
will – sooner or later – do precisely what the
Jordanian government did in this regard. He said that
even if the opposition took power in Jordan it would
also take the same decision, as this is inevitable,
even with regards to the oil-producing states,
particularly if oil prices decrease in the future,
whilst Jordan's problem is that it has no resources or
foreign support.
Therefore, the unanswerable question is: why is Jordan
being left alone, particularly when we see Muslim
Brotherhood-ruled Egypt punishing this important
Kingdom by cutting off gas exports, at a time when the
Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood are trying to incite any
domestic crisis and have begun to publicly call for
the toppling of the regime, utilizing slogans that
make reference to the Jordanian King himself? This is
all taking place at a time when the al-Assad regime –
along with Iran and Hezbollah – is doing everything in
its power to drown Jordan in crises, not to mention
Israel that wants Jordan to serve as the alternative
homeland for the Palestinians. This is extremely
puzzling, and unanswerable, particularly as the forces
of evil in the region do not hesitate to take action –
utilizing money, material and men – to destabilize our
region, as well as compromise the security and
stability of Jordan. This, in itself, represents a
danger that is in no way less than the danger that is
on the verge of engulfing Bahrain and Kuwait,
particularly as the King of Jordan has undertaken
serious reforms; however it is clear that the forces
of evil want to topple Jordan, and in any way, shape
or form, in return for the toppling of the al-Assad
regime.
In conclusion, the security of Jordan is the security
of the Arab Gulf, and the regional as a whole,
particularly in light of this austere and vigilant
monarch. Therefore, Jordan must not remain alone in
confronting these evils. So when will the Arab Gulf
intellectuals, particularly in Saudi Arabia, the UAE
and Kuwait take action in this regard and stand with
Jordan before it is too late? This is what we hope,
because what is happening in Jordan cannot be left in
this manner, whilst it is also dangerous to wait for
America's position on this, especially following
everything that we have seen from the US
administration with regards to the Arab Spring.
Protecting Jordan is protecting rationality and
moderation, as well as the security and stability of
the region as a whole!
Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat,
the youngest person to be appointed that position. He
holds a BA degree in Media studies from King Abdul
Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also completed his
Introductory courses towards a Master's degree from
George Washington University in Washington D.C. He is
based in London.
©
EsinIslam.Com
Add Comments