Dear Mr. President,

This is your moment.

That was your moment. You blinked.

As the whole world is witnessing the tragic and disheartening events in Egypt unfold, the conscience of the world is still looking up to your leadership to take a solid stance to quill the massacre the peaceful protesters are subjected to in front of our eyes.

The protesters in Egypt have very concise and clear demands: For Mubarak and his regime to be decimated now, not in nine months; for the constitution to be changed to allow for legitimate and transparent presidential and parliamentary elections; to protect the basic rights of freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly. The Brave People of Egypt deserve the liberty, dignity and equal human rights their fellow human beings enjoy all around the world.

Mr. President,

We are clinging to the last strings of faith in your leadership. We have seen the wrath of what heavy handed policies did to this troubled region. We realize that there are enough good and level-headed people in America and all over the world that are looking for peaceful and immediate conclusion to the tragedy in Egypt. We have looked up to the moment you became the President and shed tears of joy and relief when you took the reins of reversing the unbalanced tone and policies of your predecessor. We believed and bought into your calls for that all people can stand up for their rights of freedom and to achieve their aspirations.

Mr. President, the belief in your message is now crumbling and wavering. It is being held hostage in the name of a balance of interest that sounds a déjà vu to this troubled region. We are afraid our understanding of your message was wrong and afraid that the people you have addressed before have been abandoned. We are afraid for another generation of young people to be wasted and consumed by the tyrant few, in the name of strategic interest.

Mr President, do not throw a lifeline for an autocratic totalitarianism that will cease no chance but to take revenge against the free will of the people, and to grow even deeper roots in an angry soil that has said enough already.

Mr President, this is the moment of truth. This is the moment of test. What are words if they translate to nothing. In tough times like these, actions speak louder than words.We call on you to call for Mr. Mubarak to step down now and immediately, and to return power back to the people who have long looked for it.

Dear Mr. President, the eyes in Egypt and the whole world are looking towards you, and want a moment of truth. Do not let them turn down, then turn away.

Signed.

Youth of the World

This is the Arabic translation to my previous post “To Know Reema”. I’d like to thank Maisa for volunteering to translate the post. I’d like to also thank everyone who helped spreading the word and keeping her memory alive. Please keep my aunt in your prayers. It has been a rough patch of road for my family and myself since her passing, and I have been trying to keep myself sane by diving in my research work. That being said, we will all continue to keep walking in her shoes. There is more work to come, including collaborative effort to visualize and materialize a social plan that will prevent such tragedies from happening again. As for the killer,  as of today, he is in jail still awaiting his fair trial. Her 3 orphaned children are in the care of my aunts, and will be needing all the support to cope with this tragedy that scared the whole family for life.

.كانت فتية جدا لتستحق ما حدث لها

.كانت أكثر جمالا في داخلها ومن خارجها لتتحمل كل هذا العذاب والتعاسة

.لكي تعرف ريما أكثر، يجب أن تعرف أنها كانت الشقيقة الصغرى في عائلة مؤلفة من 4 أشقاء و6 شقيقات حيث والدتي هي الشقيقة الكبرى. لم يكن من المفترض أن يواري جدي الذي يبلغ من العمر 86 عاما أحد أبنائه الثرى خصوصا الصغرى و لا اعتراض على حكم الله

.لكي تتعرف على ريما أكثر، يجب أن تعرف أنها كانت فتاة من قرية صغيرة ولكن أحلامها كانت أحلام فتاة ناضجة. كانت ذكية تمتلئ طاقة وحيوية، لا تفارق البسمة وجهها ولا وجه المحيطين بها

لكي تتعرف على ريما أكثر، يلزمك أن تعرف أنها كانت فنانة بطبعها،  ولكنها لم تستطع أن تلتحق بكلية الفنون الجميلة في جامعة اليرموك وبدلا من ذلك حصلت على شهادة في الأدب الإنجليزي من جامعة فيلادلفيا وعملت كمدرسة للغة الإنجليزية. سرعان ما أثبتت ريما فاعليتها في مجتمعها المحلي، وارتفع ترتيبها بين زميلاتها لتترقى فتصبح مشرفة على مدرسي اللغة الإنجليزية في المنطقة.  كما أنها كانت رئيسة مجموعة الكشافة المحلية التي كانت تتولى تحية العلم الأردني كل صباح في مدرسة المصطبة الثانوية للبنات

معرفتك بريما تتضمن معرفتك بأنها أرديت قتيلة في غضون أربعة أيام من إنهائها الامتحانات الخاصة بالحصول على الدبلوم العالي في تخصص تكنولوجيا المعلومات، كما تتضمن أن مشروع التخرج الذي قدمته ريما  كان بعنوان: “التغيير للمستقبل الواعد”  وكان يركز على تطوير الأدوات التي يمتلكها المعلمون  وكيفية جعل الطلاب  نقطة محورية في عملية التكامل بين التكنولوجيا والتعليم والتي تتطور بسرعة

معرفتك بريما تعني أن تعرف  أنها كانت مدرسة من العيار الثقيل شاركت في مبادرة التعليم الأردنية التي أطلقتها الملكة رانيا حيث حصلت على رسالة شكر من مكتب الملكة.  تحدت ريما جميع العوائق المجتمعية وبادرت بتأسيس فرع يخص جامعة اليرموك في بلدة المصطبة حتى تتوقف معاناة زميلاتها اليومية  على الطريق فلا يضطررن للذهاب إلى مدينة إربد خلال الأسبوع  وذلك عن طريق استقدام الأستاذ الجامعي  للتدريس في فرع الجامعة!

.لكي تعرف ريما عليك أن تؤمن بأنها كانت الأبرع فيما كانت تقوم برغم معاناتها من الإساءة الزوجية المتكررة يوميا والتي كلفتها حياتها في النهاية

.لكي تعرف ريما فقد كانت واحدة من نساء كثر يتحملن الإساءة الجسدية والعقلية يوميا بأيدي عائلاتهن وأزواجهن ولكن حياتها انتهت باكرا. أجل فالعنف ضد المرأة هو مرض عالمي، ولكن هذه القضية ضربت في مقتل ويرفض القلب أن يذهب موتها عبثا

.أن تعرف ريما يعني أن تحبها وتقطع لها وعدا بأن رسالتها ستسمع عبر أرجاء المعمورة الأربع

.وعلى أية حال فنحن بانتظار كلمة واحدة من القيادة الأردنية التي تملك في يدها الإرادة السياسية والالتزام الأخلاقي لإحداث التغيير الذي استلزمته أحداث صباح يوم الجمعة الماضي! لا مبالاتها وعدم الاكتراث الذي تبديه وصمتها هو الصمم بعينه!

.أتحداك أن تتحمل المسؤولية التي أولاها لك الناس، وأتحداك أن تقوم بواجبات الولاية التي تتولى تعريف دورك في المجتمع.  أتحداك أن تحمي الحقوق الدستورية لكل امرأة وطفل في الأردن وتضمن لهم السلامة التي يستحقونها

لدينا مشكلة تتطلب منا جميعا أن نواجهها بشجاعة وتواضع. كانت ريما ضحية للإساءة،  وقضت كشهيدة.  إلى متى سنستمر بمسامحة المسيئين في مجتمعنا؟

إلى متى سنستمر في أن نقبل بأن تسير بيننا امرأة بأسنان مكسورة وجسم متورم وكأنه هذا هو العادي؟ حتى متى سيظل الواقع المنفصم لهذا المجتمع حرا قبل أن نتدخل ونعالج الوضع؟ وإلى متى سنسمح لدجال آخر أن يخرب بيوتا أخرى في هذا البلد  الذي نحبه وننتمي إليه؟ هل يجب علينا فعلا أن نشهد التضحية بكل امرأة تساء معاملتها قبل أن نضع حدا لهذا الجنون؟ أم هل تظنون أن كون ريما إمرأة عادية من عائلة غير معروفة هو سبب كاف ليطويها النسيان مع مرور الأيام؟

.لكي تعرف ريما فهي لم تكن إلا شخصا عاديا

.أطالب بتأسيس منظمة تحمل اسمها وتهتم بتعليم وتطوير وتمكين النساء المحليات في جميع محافظات الأردن، وتحرص على إعطائهن التدريب المناسب اجتماعيا ونفسيا للتعامل بسرعة حين الرد على العنف والإساءة المحليين

.أعلم بوجود برامج كهذه في الأردن، ولكننا بحاجة إلى فرض مثل هذه البرامج والقوانين وإلى أن يكون العقاب صارما (كما هي الحال في الدول المتقدمة).  هكذا فقط يمكننا ردع أي رجل يفكر في الإساءة إلى امرأة معتقدا بأن هذا الحق الإلهي الممنوح له فقط كونه رجلا

.بالنيابة عن نفسي وعن عائلتي، أود أن أشكر كل أولئك الذين قدموا تعازيهم ودعائهم من أجل عمتي رحمها الله.  أحرجتنا مشاعر الدعم والتعاطف والغضب تجاه كونها ضحية

كان  الغضب الشعبي تجاه هذه الجريمة عارما على الصعيد المحلي والعالمي حيث تحث عريضة على موقع change.org الحكومة الأردنية والعائلة المالكة على فرض قوانين لحماية المرأة في الأردن. كما وقامت مواقع مثل أصوات عالمية وتلفزيون إليتس وموقع حبر بطرح مقالات مفصلة عن القضية إضافة إلى العديد من المدونين ومستخدمي تويتر الذين دعموا وطالبوا بصوت عال بالحاجة إلى التغيير تكريما لذكرى ريما

.أن تعرف ريما يعني بأن تكون لديك الشجاعة للسير قدما على خطاها

She was too young to deserve this.

She was too beautiful inside and out to endure this torture and misery.

To know Reema, is to know that she was the youngest sister in a family of 4 brothers and 6 sisters, my mom being the eldest. My 86 year old grandfather was never supposed to bury his childern, especially not the youngest. لا اعتراض على حكم الله.

To know Reema, is to know that she was a small village girl with big girl dreams. She was bubbly, smart, full of life and energy, a jokster, and the smile never left her face, or those who surrounded her.

To know Reema, is to know that she was an artist at heart, but was short from making it into Yarmouk Uni College of Arts. She finished her studies in English Literature at Philadelphia Uni, and became an English teacher. Soon enough, she proved herself a valuable asset to the local society. She rose within the teacher ranks to become a course coordinator for the English teachers in the region. She was the leader of the local Scout Troops chapter, saluting the Jordanian flag every morning at the Al-Mastaba Girls High School.

To know Reema, is to know that she was shot less than 4 days after she finished her Higher Diploma exams for her IT degree.

To know Reema, is to know that the title of her IT degree graduation project was “التغيير للمستقبل الواعد” which translates to “Change for a Bright Future”, focusing on improving the tools the teachers have and making the student the pivotal point in an increasingly IT-integrated education process.

To know Reema, is to know she was a high caliber teacher who participated in Queen Rania’s Jordan Education Initiative and has presented her with appreciation letters from Queen Rania’s office. She defied all the odds in the community and she had the initiative to open up a Yarmouk Uni section in Al-Mastaba, so that her other female colleagues won’t have to travel to Irbid City during the week, but rather have the professor come to teach them; All in the name of easing their daily suffering!

To know Reema, is to believe that she was the best in what she did, plowing through the daily husbandry abuse that ultimately cost her her life.

To know Reema, is to know that she is one in many. She is the one whose life was cut short, but speaking for many who continue endure daily physical and mental abuse on the hands of their families and husbands. Yes, violence against women is a global disease. But this one, oh, struck too close to home, and the heart refuses to let her go in vain.

To know Reema, is to love Reema, and to promise her that her message is heard throughout the four corners of the universe.

However, we are awaiting to hear a single word from the Jordanian leadership which does have the political well and the moral obligation to bring in the change that was due the morning of last Friday! Your apathy, your indifference and your silence is deafening!

I challenge you to take on the responsibility that the people have entrusted in you. I challenge you to uphold your mandate that defines your role in the society. I challenge you to protect the constitutional rights for every woman and child in Jordan, and assure them the safety they are entitled to.

We have a problem that we all need to face with courage and humility. Reema was a victim of abuse, and she died a martyr. For how long are we going to tolerate the abusers in our society? For how long are we going to accept bruised women with missing teeth walking amongst us as if it is the norm? For how long does the schizophrenic reality of this society going to take a free pass before we intervene and cure it? For how long are we going to allow one more frigging magician to destroy more homes of the country we love and belong to? Do we have to actually witness the sacrifice of every abused woman’s life before we put an end to this insanity? Or is it because Reema is an ordinary woman with an ordinary last name, you’d think she’ll be forgotten with the passing of days?

To know Reema, is to know she’s nothing but ordinary.

I call for the establishment of a foundation in her name, focused on the educating, protecting and empowering local women in all Jordanian govetnorates, and having the highest level of social, psychological, and psychosocial training to quickly act in response to domestic violence and abuse.

I am aware of the fact that such programs do exist in Jordan, but we need these programs and laws to be enforced, and the punishment to be stiff (as it is the case in other developed countries). This is the only way we can deter any one claiming to be a man who abuses a woman, believing it is his God-given right as a man.

Speaking for myself and for my family, I personally thank all of those who extended their condolences and prayers for my Aunt, may her soul rest in peace. The outpour of support, sympathy, and anger over her victimization is humbling.

The public outcry against this crime is overwhelming, both locally and internationally. A petition on change.org ushers the Jordan government and Royal Family to enforce the laws to protect women in Jordan. Global Voices, Elites TV and 7iber have also ran extended pieces on the story. Many follow bloggers and tweeps have been highly vocal and supportive in the need for change to honor Reema’s memory.

To know Reema, is to have the courage to walk high in her footsteps.

A tragedy has struck us.

I never thought it would come to this. That I come to write an obituary for the closest and dearest aunts of all. My aunt Reema, may Allah have peace on her soul, age 35, mother of 2 girls and 1 boy, was cowardly shot while she was asleep. The assailant is her husband.

You probably have seen the headlines in the local news outlets here[AR], here [EN] and here [AR]. My aunt is (and I refuse to say was) the definition of youth, potential and an example of local women leadership. In her life that was cut short, she gathered tremendous support and love from everyone she met or whoever crossed her path. She is an example to everyone, with her level of education, her perseverance, and her elegance.

In 21st Century Jordan, she resembles where an individual should strive for. Her work for the local universities, for the local schools and graduate studies has affected hundreds of young local females.

In 21st Century Jordan, she presents the example of local leadership that works against all odds, to reform her surroundings, to present a better future for those who follow in her shadow, and to bring the bottom-up revolution we all seek for.

In 21st Century Jordan, aunt Reema presents the model for all Muslim women around the world: a model of conservatism and modernism, that adheres to the local cultural values, yet, flourish where many have failed.

In 21st Century Jordan, my aunt Reema AbdulHafez Al-Abed, was shot dead in her sleep.

In 21st Century Jordan, my aunt Reema was a victim of the backwardness that so many still live and thrive in.

In 21st Century Jordan, aunt Reema’s educated world, clashed with the retarded, backward-thinking, ill-mannered, jealousy-filled 2nd Century world of her cousin and husband!

In 21st Century Jordan, aunt Reema’s educated nephew, needs to write a blog post talking about the idiocy of a husband who still believes in magic and voodoo, and its affect on marriage!

We REFUSE to let you die in vain. We REFUSE to let you be another sad story or another sad statistic in a sad reality that we call Jordan.

This half man will meet his Maker soon enough, and I will not rest until i see the noose slung around his neck. He killed her in cold blood; pre-meditated, and long-calculated. She was a victim of years of mental abuse and a victim of old hatred that consumed this disgrace of a man.

But we REFUSE to let you die in vain.

The justice system will take its course, and this mockery of a man will be hanged, and all those who encouraged him and supported his cowardly act will meet the heavy hand of justice.

But we REFUSE to let you die in vain.

We will have the courage to face your tragic loss with heads held high, and show the world what you have taught us and kept teaching us.

You will light the road in your death as you did when you were alive. You will light the path to all women who are among us, but dead inside; women facing daily mental and physical abuse; women in 21st Century Jordan who walk among us with teeth missing , bruised eyes, hunched backs, and carrying the weight of an unforgiving and a thankless society.

This is not the end of these tragic stories, as we have seen so many come to bitter fruition on a daily basis; but this will be the start of eliminating this retarded and cowardly act from the Jordanian society:
1. The Government must act quickly and firmly to bring protection to these families.
2. The government must become proactive in rolling out programs, with boots on the ground, that act fast to give these victimized women other options.
3. The government must focus its work on education, rooting out the clots of backwardness, and prosecuting so-called-magicians. The jails MUST be filled with their likes.

The government has a role in dealing with this problem, but the society bears the heaviest role:
1. All mosque leaders and tribe aldermen need to educate their local societies about the roles and responsibility of men towards their wives, and how to treat them with respect and dignity.
2. Local women centers need to educate women about their rights and their options to avoid physical and mental abuse.
3. Women must not be scapegoated every time in order to protect her name and her kids. We have seen the price of that!
4. Marriage between cousins or 2nd cousins must be brought to an end. The majority of marriages between relative end up carrying the strains of old blood between family members.
5. All those liars who claim to be magicians or practice voodoo must be exposed and sent to jail to rotten there, where they belong.

It is a stain on everyone of us to be talking about magicians and 7ojob and se7er and God knows what! Why do we calculate the percentage of illeteracy in Jordan or highschool graduation rates, whereas we are still consumed by these folks who walk among us? We have a million miles to walk, and aunt Reema has paid the ultimate sacrifice.

You will not die in vain, Aunt Reema.

We cried heavy tears over your tragic loss, but you are with your Maker now. May Allah rest your soul in peace. God knows how much you are and will be missed. The tears might dry up, but the heart is so heavy

I miss you.

حسبي الله و نعم الوكيل

First, we have heard of rumors of a Jordanian nuclear power plant, and talks of buying a French reactor.  I am pretty sure it is just a fantasy. I believe it was just a temporary playing card in the hand of larger powers and that is outside scope of this post.  My basic understanding of the energy dynamics in the world is as follows: Out with fossils, mediate with nuclear, and longevity is to renewable energy.

Let’s face it, at this time Jordan has no intentions of securing a nuclear power plant, we also do not have the capabilities to buy/run/maintain it. Plus, having a nuclear plant will mean we are putting Jordan’s future in the hands of the IAEA and the sorts. So, scrub that notion all together. I just had to bring it up to steer into my goal: Out with Nuclear Jordan, in with Solar Jordan.

With that kept in mind, we move to the second issue: water shortage. This is an issue that we all heard about, and my generation practically grew up with this problem. I cannot emphasize the importance of having running clean water for the health, economy, agriculture and geopolitical stability for any country. Jordan has been facing a compounding drought over the last two decades, and climate change is predicted to have a dire effect on the annual rain fall in the region.

Disi water reservoir have been finally tapped into with a $600M project to bring drinkable water to an ever-growing and ever thirsty Amman & the northern cities of Jordan. However, this project has been tainted with controversy and ill-management.  And a recent publication of a scientific paper claiming a 2000% elevation above the internationally acceptable limits of carcinogenic radiating Radium in the Disi water adds another blow to the efforts to quench the thirst of the country  (P.S. I am still trying to get a copy of the mentioned paper, not just its abstract. I will try to share an analysis of their methods at a later date based on the merits of the study, not following the crowd of conspiracy theorists who want to judge the paper based on the nationality if its authors or its publication date).

That being said, some might be lead to believe that these challenges are insurmountable or are out of our control. However, a simple, realistic, affordable, and proven design can be implemented to tackle both of these issues at once. YES, BOTH!

This proposal is simple and straight forward:

solar mirrors –> boil Aqaba sea water –> generate power using steam –> condense steam –> collect drinking water.

Yup, that is it!

Result? Cheap Electricity AND Drinkable Water.

An illustration will make it even clearer!

Schematic of a proposed solar energy harvesting & water desalination plant near Aqaba, Jordan

Parabolic solar mirrors can be used to focus the sun’s light  (thermal energy) to central pipe that holds hydraulic oil. A unidirectional hydraulic pump assures that the heated oil is transfered in one direction towards the heat exchange chambers. The heat exchange chambers are full of water that boils into steam.  The steam can be increased in pressure and speed using specific stages. This compressed steam is then used to spin power-generating turbines. Then the resulting steam can be used directly, or can be decoupled at another stage, where condensation of the steam occurs, and desalinated water is produced.

A similar solar mirror plant is present in the Mojave Desert in California, and can generate up to 30MW of electricity (the mentioned plant is for power generation, not water desalination). The total capacity of Hussain Thermal Power Plant in Zarqa is 382MW. Difference? One is burning ever-expensive fuel, the other is using free renewable source! The difference in the rating of the two plants can be overcome by building multiple solar power plants to conjugate, and ultimately replace, the existing power plants.

I do not, and cannot, claim that I came up with this design. It is a well-known set up used in many of the developed countries, and nearby in the Gulf states. However, in the Gulf, oil/gas is burned to desalinate the water. What I want is to replace the fossil fuel as an energy source with renewable abundant solar energy.

The location of this plant can ideally be in Aqaba, where sea water is easily transportable. However, solar energy plants for electricity generation only (no water desalination section) can be moved up north near Amman & Zarqa, where electricity is needed most, and where power lines are close by, easing the process of hooking up the plants to the grid.

I do not want to be that one other person who is riding the renewable energy bandwagon. As I have said earlier, this issue has been irking me for the longest time and it really amazes/shocks/confuses me that none of the successive Jordanian governments over the last 10 years have proposed or even considered this solution! I think it is about time to stop following the fads that others are running after & focus on what we need. Jordan is our land, and its survivability and prosperity should be the utmost goal of its own citizens, not wait for others to give us a hand! With giving, there is ALWAYS taking. And I do not want anyone to take what we all own.