Feb
24
2011
By Daoud Kuttab
Freedom of expression and the right to assemble are two basic human rights guaranteed in the Jordanian Constitution and in international treaties signed by Jordan. Naturally the right of expression should be defended irrespective of the content.
The executive branch, namely the police, is entrusted with defending the citizen, whether he is supporting or opposing the government’s point of view. At times, and with all the good intentions, the police are unable to carry out this duty for legitimate reasons. They might be understaffed, under-equipped or lack information. They might simply be caught off guard, just like anybody else.
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Feb
20
2011
By Daoud Kuttab
US President Barack Obama was on the right side of history when he supported the young, nonviolent protesters in Egypt, but his administration will go down in history as unjust after Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, vetoed, on Friday, a UN Security Council resolution condemning Jewish settlements illegally build on Palestinians’ lands.
The resolution, supported by 14 countries, including US allies, repeated the exact same language that the Obama administration had used with the Israelis and the Palestinians. Calling Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal merely reflects reality according to international law. The World Court at the Hague has said that Israel’s activities in the occupied territories are illegal. Continue Reading »
Feb
20
2011
(This was published in June 29th, 2010)
By Daoud Kuttab
Ingenuity and media entrepreneurship, helped out by technological changes, provided a rare opportunity for many Jordanians to follow their favorite teams vying for the World Cup.
For the second time in eight years, football fans in Jordan were denied the pleasure of watching the World Cup this year. For sure the games were available to Jordanians, but with a fee. In order to watch the games, you needed to have a satellite dish as well as a special card to be purchased from Al Jazeera Sports Channel, which had bought the exclusive rights for the games to the Arab world. Some relief was provided by Jordan’s crown prince in the form of huge screens that were erected in major locations throughout the country. Anyone who was willing to go to a restaurant or other public locations that served drinks, food and water pipes were also able to watch the games. Continue Reading »
Feb
19
2011
By Daoud Kuttab
President Obama was on the right side of history when he supported the young nonviolent protestors in Egypt. The Obama administration was on the wrong side of history when Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN raised her hand vetoing a UN Security Council resolution condemning Jewish settlements. The resolution supported by 14 countries including US allies repeated the exact same language that the Obama administration has said to the Israelis, to the Palestinians and to the public. Calling Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal is reflecting the reality of international law. The World Court at the Haguehas said that Israel’s activities in the occupied territories are illegal. Continue Reading »
Feb
18
2011
DAOUD KUTTAB
From Thursday’s Globe and Mail
Ten years ago, I established AmmanNet, the Arab world’s first Internet radio that used technology to create audio and text content freely. Independent radio didn’t exist in Jordan at the time, and it still doesn’t in most Arab countries. The only stations allowed then were governmental. Terrestrial radio and TV broadcasts in most Arab countries is still a government monopoly spewing cheap government propaganda.
With the help of Palestinian FM radio stations, we were able to circumvent restrictions by having Jordanians listen to independently produced broadcasts created in Jordan – we were thus able to do something illegal, but in a totally legal way. Since then, Jordan has allowed us and others to broadcast on FM while our website and tens of new websites continue to challenge traditional media.
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Feb
17
2011
Following appeared in today’s Jordan Times
Real Freedom of Expression still missing
By Daoud Kuttab
Change to democracy in many Arab countries hinges on their people being able to enjoy two basic rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the right to assembly and freedom of expression.
For decades, most Arab rulers have denied their people these rights, using a multiplicity of laws and regulations. Emergency laws allowed for decades detention without trial and denied citizens the basic right to demonstrate. Freedom of expression has been gagged by repressive laws as well as by government monopolies over mass media. Terrestrial radio and TV broadcasts in most Arab countries are still government monopoly full of cheap government propaganda. Newspapers are either totally or partially owned by governments or in the hands of businessmen in bed with ruling parties.
In addition to this direct control, governments use censorship or soft sponsorship to control local media content. Draconian laws prevent criticism of local institutions.
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Feb
13
2011
This article appeared in Jo magazine (Â http://bit.ly/hmpZGx )
FEBRUARY 06, 2011
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG for the new administration to get riled up about the media. Just before the turn of the new year, two deputies got into a verbal exchange of insults over backdoor deals for committee membership and when the media exposed the altercation, the speaker of the Lower House promised angry deputies that the new assembly would find ways to curb the press.
It’s a place we’ve been before.
For a short while after the appointment of HE Prime Minister Samir Rifai’s first administration, it looked like Jordan’s traditionally restrictive attitude toward the local media was about to change. The cabinet issued new guidelines for the government back in January 2010, detailing how it planned to divorce itself from all appearances of soft sponsorship that influence journalist neutrality, public employees who also worked in the media were asked to choose one or the other, and all sorts of rewards given to journalists were to be stopped. And although the Amman-based Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists said in its 2009 annual report that media freedom had regressed, its director was on record saying that the NGO welcomed the new guidelines and was taking a wait-and-see attitude.
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Feb
11
2011
Published in the Jerusalem Post February 11, 2011
By DAOUD KUTTAB
Several days before Tuesday January 18, someone in the IDF made a decision that affected thousands of people, Israelis, Palestinians and others. Hundreds of decisions like this are made on a daily basis in the IDF’s Tel Aviv headquarters. That day, Russian President Dimitry Medvedev was visiting Jericho, and so the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge was to close from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Palestinian Authority and the Jordanian government were not consulted and were apparently in the dark about it until the last minute. Many Palestinians in the West Bank and those outside wishing to travel, as well as foreigners planning to cross in either direction, found out only when attempting to access the bridge.
Feb
10
2011
By Daoud Kuttab
While it is not clear when and how the popular revolt in Egypt will end, it is clear that the winners and losers, following the present uprising, throughout the Arab world can be identified.
It might be a cliché to state that tyrants are the biggest losers and peoples are the winners, but it does reflect what is the case in much of the Arab world.
Rulers who were able to govern with little resistance for years are suddenly discovering that the seats they have been clinging to are becoming unbearably hot.
Even without being provoked by their own people, some Arab rulers are already announcing that they don’t intend to run for office again. Heads of state who have been harbouring ideas of bequeathing their power to their children are declaring such ideas void even though their children are still running the army or such important senior posts. Continue Reading »
Feb
10
2011
Why does the US boycott one of its own citizens who happens to be the Christian mayor of Bethlehem? This has been the case regarding Victor Batarseh, the elected mayor of the Palestinian town of Bethlehem.<img alt=”2011-02-08-kuttab.jpg” src=”http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2011-02-08-kuttab.jpg” width=”450″ height=”605″ />
Batarseh, a Roman Catholic physician and a U.S. citizen, ran in the municipal elections in 2005 on an independent list of three Christians and seven Muslims. While the seven Muslims on his list lost, he and two other candidates won membership in the council. Later he was chosen by the elected city counselors to be the mayor of the city, Batarseh won the mayorship in part by pro-Hamas candidates. The city’s tradition has always been that the mayor of the birthplace of Christ should be a local Christian. Continue Reading »