From Lama J… 

If you ever visit Jordan, you will definitely notice the signs in the streets that say “Jordan First”. This was the slogan launched by King Abdullah the Second a few years back as a way to promote the idea that Jordan is important to all Jordanians, and that Jordanians should work hard to make Jordan the best it can be.

Over these years, the “Jordan First “ slogan has become to butt of jokes throughout the country. It must be said, Jordan has become First or close to it in almost everything in the Middle East. On the surface, this seems like something set to instill a sense of pride and patriotism. Dig deeper and you might change your mind.

To begin with, regionally speaking, Jordan is first or close to it in terms of the percentage of the population living in poverty.  Jordan is also first when it comes to the lowest salaries, with regards to individual income compared to what one needs to simply survive.  Additionally, Jordan is first among Middle Eastern countries in terms of high sales tax. It is also first in both airport taxes and petrol taxes.  Worse still, the government sometimes doesn’t even bother to identify the reason why some taxes are even being taken. It should come as no surprise then that Jordanians are also the biggest consumers of tobacco, and have the largest number of people suffering from high blood pressure.

Unfortunately and perhaps surprisngly to many, Jordan is also first in what some refer to as honor killings. With numbers even higher than Saudi Arabia, women are murdered in the name  of protecting family honor and age-old savage traditions. Jordan is also first in the Middle East in terms of emigration, as the young generation is leaving the country in droves in order to make a better life for themselves and in some cases, just so they can survive.  

It makes me sad to see this wonderful country with its rich history and profound link to the storied Holy Land as described in the Koran, the Bible and the Torah suffering the way it is. 

Simply put, Jordanians are hurting. People are lining up in front of embassies, trying to find an escape route to a better life. The ridiculous tax system is destroying the economy and scaring away investors. Although taxes in other countries do indeed yield benefits for citizens, in Jordan we pay taxes and get nothing in return.

There is no health care system, no pension funds, no retirement plans, no free education, no unemployment insurance - no social safety net whatsoever. A small percentage of Jordanians, who many of us call WHALES, are the only survivors.  These WHALES control the vast majoity of the wealth, but make up the tiny minority of the country.

Jordan is first in both telecommunications and technology, in the number of text mesaages sent and is first or close to it in terms of the percentage of citizens with university educations. Text messages, however, dont pay the bills and people with univeristy educations make less than $1000 a month working as dentists or teachers. 

So Viva to Jordan and Viva to all the Jordanians for taking the lead and being first – unfortunately, for many, it’s  first in misery.

Photograph taken by David Anthony Hohol

Pride can often be both seen and felt, as in the photo above. Taken in Jordan’s capital of Amman, in the Eastern side of the city, the merchant sits in one of the many outdoor fruit and vegetable markets scattered throughout the impoverished end of town. While the West End is home to Starbucks, Movie Cinemas, and Shopping Malls, the East, almost entirely made up of uprooted Palestinian refugees, represents the true soul of Amman.

His chin pointed outward and an ever so slight smile stretched across his round face, the man in the photo reveals the undying dignity and pride in the face of hardship that has come to symbolize the steadfast spirit of the Arab World.