"Mashrou' Leila are one of the most notable indie pop bands in the Middle East – and one of the most controversial. With a lead singer who is openly gay and lyrics sung in Arabic that satirise Lebanese society and politics, the band are overturning the status quo in Arab pop." – … Read more
Archive: jordan
13th August 2015
Entrance to the University of Jordan in Amman
A session of Jordan's parliament was suspended amid uproar on Tuesday as dozens of MPs demanded the sacking of Labib Khadra, the higher education minister. The MPs were accusing the government of trying to abolish an "exception" system which allows… Read more
17th July 2015
GNRD founder Loai Deeb: property purchases raise new questions
Loai Deeb, founder-president of the Global Network for Rights and Development (GNRD), asked the deputy head of his Jordan office to find out about Jordanian money-laundering laws and whether they are enforced or not, the Norwegian… Read more
19th November 2014
Yesterday Queen Rania of Jordan spoke about "reclaiming the narrative" from religious militants.
"It’s a fight for the future of Islam and the future of the Arab world," she said. Winning it, she added, "depends on our ability to conquer the philosophical battleground ... because at the heart of… Read more
24th October 2013
Jordan is facing scrutiny at the UN Human Rights Council this morning under the periodic review system. Today's review is more important than usual because Jordan (like Saudi Arabia) is also seeking election next month as a member of the council.
Ahead of the review session, Jordan has submitted a … Read more
2nd October 2013
There's yet another twist in the story of Yahya Ababneh, the mystery journalist who reported claims that Saudi Arabia supplied chemical weapons to Syrian rebels. After more than a month's silence since the claims were published on an American "advocacy journalism" website, Ababneh has now surfaced… Read more
26th June 2013
Research by the Institute of Criminology at Cambridge University has discovered alarmingly high levels of support for 'honour' killings among Jordanian teenagers.
Such crimes are a particular problem in Jordan, where government efforts to discourage them have met stiff… Read more
8th June 2013
In the early 19th century the British government was anxious to keep newspapers out of the hands of the masses – and had a not-so-bright idea about how to do it.
In 1815 it imposed a tax of four pence on every copy – a sum which in those days made newspapers unaffordable to all but the "responsible… Read more
3rd June 2013
Yesterday marked the official launch in Jordan of Demoqrati – King Abdullah's latest initiative to promote "democratic empowerment and active citizenship". Describing the initiative in one of his periodic discussion papers as an effort to build "political engagement across society", the king said… Read more
22nd March 2013
As the White House caravan moves on from Israel and Palestine to Jordan, President Obama may feel he has reached more comfortable ground. King Abdullah II – as Jeffrey Goldberg pointed out this week in his fascinating profile of the Jordanian ruler – is "emotionally and dispositionally, the most… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
