Bees in our bedrooms

One does not doubt the honesty of Stephen Beecroft gentleman, when he writes in today’s Jordan Times against gender based violence and that “it is time that ending violence against women becomes a priority for us all”. He is not saying anything new, we all know it’s a priority. Jordanian women and a few courageous men have been shouting about this issue for the last 60 years …. but with so many different sized fingers in the pie we have created quite a stew.

I am bothered a bit however. Isn’t it strange for our esteemed American Ambassador to Jordan to be writing this at a time when on the one hand they claim to be committed to end violence against women, and with the other rain bombs and weapons of mass destruction down on the homes and heads of thousands of innocent women and children throughout Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and Pakistan - with no end in sight – women who pay the ultimate, unwilling sacrifice with their precious lives for American foreign policy? Isn’t that also a crime? Isn't it also a crime to deny women of America the right to access to affordable health care?

Writing words that express a keenness to see an end to violence against women is not enough unless, Mr America, you can truly “work on promoting men’s engagement in ending the violence” - by ending the wars; reigning in the dogs of war from Tel Aviv to Washington via London and a few others besides, so that we can indeed laud American foreign policy, or any other foreign policy because of its new change of direction away from creative destruction and regime change. This is a priority I would have thought. Maybe then we will have the mental space to get on with our lives the way we see it and deal with our social ills the way we see them, which should ultimately lead to taking responsibility – the way we see it. Indeed the PSD’s Family Protection Unit was a home-grown initiative.

We are so tired of the politics of deception, of non-enforcement and double standard; the indifference to ‘collateral damage’ and injustice under occupation; and the mess created in our midst because politicians will not take responsibility for creating it in the first place. Vested interest is the devil within.

Mr Beecroft, with all due respect, please go sing it on your own mountain, God knows the American women of today need it more than ever, and give us some peace, please, that's all we ask for ... peace and quiet!

J

selling an apartment

I am not sure whether to moan or be happy! Have just spent five and a half hours at the Land Department and the Municipality doing the paperwork related to the sale of my apartment. I must have gone in to a million offices (only a slight exaggeration) for filling up forms, signing, countersigning, stamping and waiting. This was mostly because I did not realise my original title deeds to the apartment were now void.

All buildings had no smoking signs but, of course, these were ignored by some and especially by the employees. Most of the offices were chaotic and some were really filthy. BUT the first part of the process was done in a morning so I suppose there is some cheer in that. I am now wondering how much effort the next stage is going to take. T

Footnotes of history .. as if that will change anything ...

People don't matter in politics:

Almost everyone outside the US, including in Israel, understands that the occupation has always been about settlement, not security, since Israel could have militarily occupied the West Bank and Gaza in 1967 indefinitely without establishing a single settlement, and could withdraw from all its settlements tomorrow and maintain a military occupation until it felt secure enough to turn the territory over to Palestinians.

As famed general Moshe Dayan once put it, the settlements in the Occupied Territories are essential "not because they can ensure security better than the army, but because without them we cannot keep the army in those territories. Without them the IDF would be a foreign army ruling a foreign population".

http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/11/2009111174626931966.html

A pissed off "almost anyone"

J

The Minister and speeding

A minister and his son were recently stopped for speeding (son was driving) and as the police officer was writing out the ticket he recognised the minister and backed down but the minister did not allow this. He said he was subject to the law like everyone else. Fantastic, a minister with a moral code. T

Would you choose these colours?

 

This is a house being built near Sweileh and I just wondered who could possibly be brave enough to paint their home in red and yellow. To me it looks absolutely hideous but I suppose to the owners it looks beautiful. T

traffic tickets

I have just been down to the Traffic Department to give in another two books of traffic tickets! Yesterday and today I have written over 60 traffic violation tickets. Lots of traffic jams so can use my tape recorder to take down the numbers and details. Why people do not put on their seat belts and stop using their mobiles whilst driving is beyond me.

A close friend was recently in a bad accident that wrote off her car at just 60 kph. She did not have on a seat belt but luckily the air bag saved her life. And she was in a Mercedes which is a strong and safe car. Seat belts are so important. Also using mobiles whilst driving is a deadly habit.

The head of the department told me that an average of 7,000 tickets are written up EACH DAY in the whole country. T

The Citadel

So this is what the Citadel (Jabel Al Qala) now looks like. A rich archaeological site covered with concrete and a visitor centre.

Always the battle between those who want to save their heritage and those who want to earn money from their heritage. T