Iran is not popular in Jordan, not even
slightly. A look at social media and op-eds in the past two days speaks volumes
about how and why Jordanians see Iran in such a bad light.
اضافة اعلان
Most recently, the story began with a visit
by His Majesty King Abdullah visiting the
Sahaba Shrines in Karak earlier this
week, on the eve of a visit to
Baghdad where he took part in a tripartite
summit, along with Egypt and Iraq leaders. A particular picture at the tomb of
Jaafar ibn Abi-Taleb drew much speculation. Jaafar led the Muslim army in an
unequal encounter with the Byzantines in 629AD and was killed in the battle.
Being the direct cousin of Prophet Mohammad and brother of Imam Ali, he is
highly revered by
Shiites.
A politician, known for his pro-Syrian
regime stance, picked up on that and wrote somewhere in favor of lifting a ban
on Iranian religious tourism, arguing that Jordan would make a fortune —the equivalent
to oil revenues in other countries — by doing so.
The man, who happens to be a member of the
Royal reform panel, apparently spoke when he was supposed to remain silent. His
remarks resurrected a decades-old debate on the issue, which has seen security
apparatus, politicians and the local community in Karak in total rejection of the
idea, and to hell with money. Each has their understandable motives behind the
hardline stand.
For the security decision-makers, Iran's intentions
are obvious: Tehran wants, by hook or by crook, a foothold in Jordan and
sending hundreds of tourists to Jordan on a daily basis is too risky for Jordan
security-wise, regardless of any restrictions that might be imposed on their
itinerary and movement.
For politicians, they do not want the
nightmare Jordan might face by opening its arms to Iranians, a move that would
anger regional powers at loggerheads with Tehran, and their international
supporters. For Jordanians in general, and the local community in the south in
particular, Iran's image is associated with hateful sectarianism and
expansionism, fueled by the way the theocratic regime is behaving in Iraq,
Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.
Comments posted on social media platforms
by members of the general public unveil very aggressive anti-Iran sentiments. Social
media users circulated a post by former minister and ambassador to Iran, Bassam
Al-Omoush, which was republished by popular news websites accusing Tehran of
plotting to tamper with the Kingdom's national security through the carrot of
tourism.
He revealed that the Iranians proposed,
when he was in Tehran, to build an airport in Karak and send 1,000 tourists a
day. The answer was a big "no," he wrote, and the same
reply was given when Iran offered to build a pipeline to convey water from the
Disi Aquifer in the southern desert to Amman, at a time when Jordan was in a
dire need for a helping hand due to challenges that delayed the execution of
the vital project.
Iran's behavior has not changed. In fact,
it has, to the worst, with its bloody interference in Syria and the other parts
of the "Shiite Crescent". Consequently, it has earned itself a bad reputation
in the region. So much so, that 89 percent of Jordanians viewed the Islamic
Republic negatively in 2015, according to a Pew survey.
The ball is in Iran's court, and a positive
shift in the public opinion in Jordan, if it cares at all, hinges on a sincere
will to change and end its loathsome policies.
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Opinion & Analysis
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