From the Jordanian Blogosphere · Global Voices
Roba Al Assi

A lot has happened in the past week or so that has gotten a lot of reactions from the Jordanian blogosphere- Al-Qaeda prisoners riot in Jordanian jails and other Al-Qaeda members attempt an attack on our soil. Khalaf thinks the jail riots were handled well, saying, “So, I would say that it is noteworthy that the prison warden risked his life to deal with the situation first hand, rather than send in the troops in with guns blazing. While I would hope that an inquiry on why this happened is conducted and published, my gut conclusion is that legendary abusive Jordanian police were no where to be found. And if the guards are so abusive, why weren't they harmed by the prisoners? Some of the prisoners clearly have nothing to lose, and are not above violence. Why is it so difficult for people to give credit where it is due? Just because the government is emphasizing it doesn't mean that it should be ignored.”
Naseem Tarawneh agrees, but he adds, “I have to say as a citizen the country’s security forces handled these situations fairly well. Terrorism in Jordan is a very real issue. I know everyone would like to remain thinking of it as a stable “peaceful kingdom” but it takes a lot to preserve whatever stability or peace we enjoy. Jordan is still the Holy Grail for terrorists, a pro-US monarchy that is surrounded geographically by many entrances and many unstable nations. These latest terrorists were from Libya, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, probably entering through Syria.”
Batir Wardam says, “To protect our freedoms, liberties, families, and everything we believe in we have to be an open eye for the help of security forces in one and only one dimension: monitoring and cracking down Islamist fundamentalists. The Jordanian public should be the first defense line against terrorism, and it is not a betrayal of free speech principles to adopt a public security strategy against fundamentalists that ordinary people will participate in without imposing any restrictions to peaceful and civil freedoms.”
Meanwhile, the Jordanian blogosphere is also very angry at the Israeli attack on the Church of Annunciation in neighboring Palestine.
All that aside, spring is here in Jordan, which gives everyone the perfect excuse to go out and enjoy the fresh spring breeze and snap some pictures of Jordan's beautiful and diverse landscapes. Ahmad Humeid takes on a trip to Salt, which he refers to as “Jordan's forgotten urban jewel”- check out the wonderful pictures. He also criticizes the direction Amman is heading, “But I do worry about the old Amman and the old Salt. Exactly because we are building all these new projects, managing our urban heritage (in a country that largely lacks such heritage) is too important to ignore.” Arabesque Rhapsody takes to Um Qais, where she enjoyed the day, “But the queen of all scenes was Lake Tabariyya, dwelling between the greens, crowned by the amazing landscape. So close it seemed, a hand away!”, Rami's Mirror takes us to the Jordan Valley where colors are stunning, and Salam of Reflections takes us to Tafeeleh, saying, “The mountains,the valleys,the villages and tiny stone houses,everything was just beautiful.
The cultural aspect of Jordanian life is also shining in the blogosphere this week. Laith Il Majali was on the set of Al-Jazeera's “Open Dialouge” Show, which for the first time was shot in Los Angeles, to discuss the Oscar Nominated Palestinan film “Paradise Now”. Director Amin Matalqa has his latest movie, “Bull's Eye”, online, and the folks at JameedKast have released a new podcast. Khalidah has a fantastic post entitled,”Memoirs of a Jordanian Spinster!“