Jordan Times
Monday, May 3, 2004
Jordan First should not
be seen as a sign of isolationism — Abu Odeh
By Mahmoud Al Abed
AMMAN — Building individual Arab nation-states, dialogue among the ruling elite
and civil society institutions and an active public role in this process might
be the best and most feasible way to embark on restructuring the Arab system, a
leading political analyst said on Saturday.
At a seminar entitled “The Arabs at a Crossroad” organised by the Middle East
Forum for Human Security (MEFHS), political analyst and former adviser to His
Majesty the late King Hussein, Adnan Abu Odeh said the “Jordan First” motto
should not be seen as a sign of isolationism. He said such an approach, which is
also being adopted by other countries, could be ushering a stage of streamlining
the Arab system.
If individual Arab countries have a clear vision and are keen on a better future
for the Arab region, such mottoes might be essential for the evolution of a new
Arab system based on mutual trust, common interests and political, economic and
security complementation among Arab countries, he said.
Veteran politicians, diplomats and experts gathered on Saturday to analyse the
political, social, economic and educational situation of the Arab world.
“Despite all the obstacles facing the Arab world, the people of this part of the
world still have the potential to make their dreams of a better Arab future come
true,” MEFHS CEO Amjad Haddad told the audience at the opening session of the
one-day event, held at Marmara Hotel in Amman.
Ad Dustour Chief Editor Osama Sharif questioned the accuracy of the seminar's
title, which he described as “misleading.”
“Were the Arabs really at a crossroad, they would at least have clear choices,”
he said, adding that the mass communication situation in the Arab world
epitomises the “schizophrenic state” the Arab peoples are diagnosed with.
Analysing this situation, Sharif said the progress of the Arab media should not
be measured by the advancement of certain Arab satellite channels like the
Qatar-based Al Jazeera. Rather, the size of freedom of expression at the local
level and the degree of government censorship on local media outlets are factors
that should be cited when judging whether the mass communication situation is
healthy or otherwise, he said.
As far as Sharif is concerned, there is a dire need for reform in the Arab world
with the aim of building a nation-state where political pluralism and freedom of
expression prosper.
Other speakers included Marwan Kardoosh from the Higher Council for Science and
Technology (HCST), who examined the Arab economy. Majeda Assaf, a social
researcher at the HCST, gave an in-depth analysis of education policies in the
Arab countries from a social perspective, while Majdeddine Khamash, a sociology
professor at the University of Jordan, reviewed the status quo of Arab higher
education.