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The
media and freedom of the press in Jordan:
Prepared by Hani Hourani, George Hawatmeh and Said
Essoulami.
Sindbad Publishing Hourse, 1998. 190 pages (Arabic;
summaries in English).
The
UJRC held a seminar just before the 1997 parliamentary
elections, in collaboration with Article 19 (The International
Center Against Censorship) and the Arab and International
Center for Media Studies, in order to assess the progress
of the Jordanian media and press during the phase
of democratic transformation. The proceedings include
the views of various press and media trends, political
forces, and non-government organizations as well as
the demand to enact a modern press and publications
law. Former Information Minister Ibrahim Izzulddin
reviews the impact of press and publication laws on
the freedom of press and expression in the 1990s,
and researcher Marcel Pot reviews the conditions of
the press since the democratic process was launched.
Basim Sakijha analyses the impact of the amendment
to the Press and Publication Law of 1997 on the press
and Journalists. Toby Mendel, chief of the legal Section
at Article 19, explains the international legal framework
for freedom of the press. Attorney Asma Khader examines
the amendments and Isa Jahamani, former director of
the Press and Publications Department, gives his view
on the cabinet decision to suspend several weekly
newspapers. The third chapter sheds light on the new
realities facing the press. Taher Al-Adwan, chief
editor of Al-Arab Al-Yawm, discusses the conditions
of the daily newspapers, Nidal Mansour discusses the
weekly newspapers, nad Mahmoud Al-Rimawi reviews the
experience the party press. The fourth chapter deals
with the position of the parliament and the judiciary
towards freedom of the press, in part based on a paper
by attorney and former parliament deputy faris Al-Nabulsi.
Attorney and former Supreme Court President Fahed
Abu Al-Uthum discusses the Judiciary and freedom of
the press. Hasan Abdallah Ayed, a researcher at the
Ministry of Culture, examines parliamentary media
and the press. The fifth chapter discusses the elections
and the mass media. Saeed Essoulami, head of the Middle
East and North Africa Section in Article 19, reviews
international principles and criteria related to the
use of the media in election campaigns. Hani Hourani
discusses the position of the official media toward
the political parties and the last Jordanian elections.
Chapter six discusses the question of information
technology, the press, and the public. Rami Khouri-writer
and Journalist of the Jordan Times, discusses the
public's perception of the mass media. Usamah El Sheriff,
chief editor of The Star, discusses the impact of
the information revolution on Jordan. Finally, the
book The Media and heedom of the press in Jordan the
roundtable deliberations about the future of the press
and the media in Jordan. It also includes the text
of Supreme Court decision number 226/97 and various
cartoons and summaries of the topics in English.
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Jordanian
Political Parties:
Prepared
by a team of researchers at the UJRC, supervised by
Hani Hourani.
Sindbad Publishing House, 1998. 213 pages (Arabic).
Jordanian
Political Parties provides a comprehensive guide and
indispensable reference to the nineteen parties that
existed in 1998. it lists each party's program, organization,
parliamentary representation, leading figures, date
of establishment, number of founders, addresses and
telephone numbers. The UJRC had issued a guide to
political parties in Jordan in 1993, it which it introduced
17 seventeen parties that were registered with the
government it accordance with political parties law
number 32 of 1992, together with an appendix on four
parties that were registered later. The new guide
contains an introduction by Hani Hourani of the history
of party life from 1921 to November 1997, followed
by chapters on parties will Islamic, nationalist,
leftist and centrist trends. The guide includes an
appendix on the centers parties that merged with the
Constitutional National Party. Hourani concludes:
"Political parties in Jordan stand at a decisive
crossroads. The results they achieved in the last
election are no the only indicator of the decline
of their presence in Jordanian society and public
life. They at also retreating in parliament, and its
is an indicator that should not be overlooked or excuse
by the election boycott. Other indicators show the
retreat of the position and influence political parties
in the various aspects of public life and the organization
of civil society.
Hourani blames the political parties for lacking the
minimum conditions needed to be serious parties-insufficient
membership, lack of financial power, lack of a media
platform, lack serious representation in parliament,
and lack of enrollment of intellectuals. The lack
of the conditions All these faders weakens political
parties' ability to attract citizen and deprive then
of the chance to exert effective influence over the
policies of the state.
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The
Muslim Brotherhood Group in Jordan:
By Ibrahim Gharaybeh.
Sindbad Publishing House, 1997. 301 pages (Arabic).
Researcher Ibrahim Gharybeh, a member of the Muslim
Brotherhood (MB), analyzes it history, political experiences,
and patterns of performance in Jordanian public life.
He divide its history into four phases: the founding
phase (1946-1952), the rise of Arab nationalism an
leftist parties (1953-1967), the rise of Islamic movements
(1968-1989), and the democratic transformation since
1989. Gharatbeh then reviews the basic principles
of the MB, its political and reformist platform, its
ideological and theoretical line, is organizational
structure and activities, and the way it educates
its members. He discusses MB politicians' perceptions
of such issues as democracy, pluralism, freedoms,
public rights, minorities, women, and political participation,
as well as their general views on reform of the individual
and society. He analyzes the MB's political performance
in parliamentary and party work, national and international
issues, the Palestinian issue, and the executive branch
of government. This is followed by an analysis of
the MB's experience in the public, development, and
pastoral fields, including voluntary work and charity
societies, mosques, municipalities, trade union and
student activities, and the press, media, and publications.
The last chapter addresses issues that will face the
MB in the future, including the society and the state,
social and economic interactions, organizational interactions
and dynamism within the Islamic movement, social and
cultural transformations in the Arab World and the
world at large, future positions they may occupy,
and their perception of the Palestinian issue. The
appendices contain resumes of prominent MB figures
the 1945 Regulations governing the work of the MB,
the 1976 articles of association, the 1982 International
Organization of the MB, the Financial Regulations,
and the sources of funding.
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Islamic
Movement and Organizations in Jordan:
Edited by Hani Hourani and Hussein Abu Rumman.
Sidabad Publishing House, 1998. 294 (Arbaic and English).
This
book Islamic Movement and Organizations in Jordan
is part of the program on "Studies on Political
Islam" that UJRC initialed in 1995 to delve deeper
into the study of contemporary Islamic movements that
have a political nature and to compare these movements
with each other. Ali Abdul Kazim, a sociologist at
the University of Jordan, covers the historical and
ideological background of the Muslim Brotherhood Group
(MB) on the organizational, political, and social
levels. He also address the qualitative changes at
each levels and the development of MB's relationship
with the government and political movements since
the 1950s.
Researcher Ibrahim Gharaybeh discusses the political
and organizational performance of the MB which reflects
it stands towards domestic policies, party and parliamentary
action, and relations with the government. Taleb Awad,
political and economic researcher at UJRC, outlines
the MB's organizational structure and activities from
its establishment in 1946 to 1996.
He reviews its political achievements, based on coexistence
with the Jordanian political regime and participation
in parliamentary life. He discusses the future role
of the MB in light of the current situation and of
its ideological foundations. Ahmad Jamil Azem, researcher
in international affairs, provides a historical review
of the establishment of the Islamic Action Front party,
its official licensing, and the problems that emerged
when it was founded, particularly with non-MB members
(independents). He discusses its achievements, the
growth in its membership, the election of the Shura
Council, and its performance in various phases as
well as its handling of important issues such as "one
man, one vote," the Middle East peace process,
and its position toward the executive branch of government.
He discusses the problem of the relationship between
the party and the MB. His research paper is based
on an earlier UJRC book by Hani Hourani, Taleb Awad,
and Hamed Dabbas. Zaid Ayadat, researcher in political
science, reviews the difference views within the Islamic
movement on the issue of political participation and
assesses the participation of the Islamists' voluntary
and social work. He introduces Islamic and charitable
societies in terms of the size of their membership
and financial resources. He discusses the role of
women in these societies increasing Islamic influence
on the popular level, and the fact that Islamic organizations
are enhancing their enhancing their political influence
through these societies. Hamed Dabbas describes associations
engaged in Islamic work in Jordan. He summarizes their
political, charitable, and cultural activities in
his review of three groups, and political parties,
seventy two, charitable, societies, four Islamic centers
and institutes, and four Islamic committees and clubs.
In the final chapter, Hani Hourani considers the future
of the Islamic movement by examining the challenge
of transforming into a modern political and democratic
movement by examining the challenge of transforming
into a modern political and democratic movement and
the impact of the internal crisis on the Islamic movement.
He assesses the movement's experience after it decided
to boycott the 1997 parliamentary elections. The book
Islamic Movement and Organizations in Jordan contains
appendices, important documents, and a brief guide
to the Islamic organizations, societies, institutions,
parties, and movement.
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The
Political Awareness of the Sources of Treat to Arab
National Security: The views of Intellectuals in Jordan:
By
Basim Tubasi.
UJRC and Sindbad Publishing House, 1997. 144 pages
(Arabic)
Basim
Tubasi defines sources of threat and Arab national
security priorities in order to formulate an Arab
national security doctrine based on political participation
and democratic expression. He chooses a quantitative
approach that facilitates reaching clear, accurate
and scientific results. He first discusses the theoretical
approaches and methods and next discusses the political
environment in the 1990s. the final chapter analysis
the results of a poll of the public's awareness of
the sources of threat to Arab national security. Tubasi
argues that this threat is posed by inter-Arab conflicts,
some of which have reached the point of explosion.
Threats are also posed by domestic challenges that,
in some Arab countries, represent a bleeding wound
that undermines their potential and capability. Moreover,
threats are posed by regional conditions pertaining
to the Arab-Israeli conflict and relations with other
neighboring countries.
There is also the international dimension, which is
interlocked with the regional and local ones dimensions.
Other complications are caused by the policies of
major countries or alliances that influence international
relations. Tubasi strongly advocates that the Arab
nation should exercise its right to choose its political
and social systems and strengthen its cultural identity.
He approaches this issue from a political-cultural
standpoint rather than a purely military standpoint.
Perhaps the more important conclusion of this pioneering
study is that in the last decade, fifty nine 59 years
after the Arab-Israeli conflict, the source of threat
to Arab national security have become multi-faceted,
particularly on the regional level. Thus, the Arab
political mind must conduct a comprehensive reformulation
that takes into consideration the need for democratic
expression to "instill the Arab national convictions
into the conscience of the Arab masses, particularly
the belief in Arab nationalism and the basics of Arab
national security; this is the role which the Arab
elite and opinion leaders should play".
The study offers a profound analysis of the degree
of political awareness of the source of threat to
Arab national security. It represents a serious effort
to enhance and deepen awareness of national security
and enable decision-makers and researchers to use
accurate and objective information.
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The
Algerian Crisis: Where to?:
By Hatem Rashid.
Sindbad Publishing House, 1998, 71 pages (Arabic)
This symposium was published on the tenth anniversary
of the events that led to political and party pluralism
in Algeria, during the era of President Chadi Ben
Jadid. Discussants include Bassam Al-Umoush, Jordanian
Minister of Administrative Development and former
parliament deputy representing the Islamic Action
Front Party, Agerian journalist Baujadah Alawah, and
Al-Arabi Al-Kharyrouni, counselor at the Aglegrian
embassy in Amman.
Author Hatem Rashid provides historical background
on Algeria, covering culture, population, the colonial
period, and its impact on inherited structures of
society. He casts light on the struggle of the National
Liberation Front and the roots of the current crisis.
He discusses Pan-Arabism, Berber intellectuals, the
impact of culture and education, and language dualism
in public life. He examines the economic factor, the
characteristics of development and industrialization,
the roots of party life, party aspirations, the impact
of Islamic currents, and relationships between the
Islamic currents, on the one hand, and other political
parties and the military authorities, on the other.
Rashid also analysis the results and implications
of the parliamentary elections and the violence that
followed. He discusses the dimensions of the Algerian
crisis and ways of overcoming this crisis.
Publications can be ordered from Hani Hourani, Director
General, Al-Urdun Al-Jadid Research Center, P. O.
Box. 940 631, Amman 11194, Jordan; Fax (962 6) 5533118;
email: [email protected].
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The
Jordanian Economy in its Regional and International
Framework:
Edited by B. Kay Abbabi.
Publishing House, 1998. 545 pages. (English)
This book The Jordanian Economy consists of the working
papers and the comments which were submitted to the
conference of "The Jordanian Economy in its Regional
and International Frameworks". The conference
was organized by the Al-Urdun Al-Jadid Research Center,
the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and The University
of Pennsylvania? Philadelphia University during the
period from 26 to 29 May 1996 at the Royal Cultural
Center in Amman. The Minister of Planning, Dr. Rima
Khalaf, deputizing for the prime minister in his capacity
as sponsor of the conference, in addition to economic
experts and academics from Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine,
Syria, Iraq, and experts from the Federal Republic
of Germany and the United States of America participated
in the conference.
The book consists of 11 eleven chapters. The first
chapter deals with the Arab economies: from international
to regional transformations, regional developments
and the world economic crisis. The second chapter
deals with the Jordanian economy within the framework
of the likely scenarios of regional alliances. The
four subsequent chapters covered the following sectors
of the Jordanian economy: Water, agriculture, industry,
transportation, banking, the stock market, and foreign
trade. The seventh chapter deals with the requirements
of the structural adjustment of the Jordanian economy.
The eight chapter deals with the economic role of
the state in a liberalized Arab economy (the case
of Jordan). The ninth chapter reviews the works of
the roundtable on "The Middle East and the Future
Arab Economic Cooperation and integration. "Finally,
the eleventh and last chapter discusses the working
papers of the conference's preparatory committee.
These focuses open the door for researchers, decision
makers and persons interested in such topics to review
and examine the various dimensions of the challenges
which the Jordanian economy is facing within its regional
and international frameworks. In fact, such a through
presentation of the topics mentioned above makes this
book a modern, indispensable reference on the Jordanian
economy and the economies of the Arab region.
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