Ana Naddoush

Everything going on in Gaza these weeks is making me sick. But what is making me sicker than anything else is the media cover of it. All the talk about “Israel only responding to rockets from Gaza” is crazy.

Hold your horses for a second.

Nothing in this conflict is simple, and therefore you cannot explain anything by saying that Israel is responding to rockets being sent from Gaza.

Everything is connected, and if you want to understand anything in all of this mess, you need to know your history. The rockets and responses to rockets happening right now is connected with the history of Israel and Palestine leading all the way back to 1948 and even before.

So you can think whatever you want about the regime of Hamas – I know I do – but don’t be fooled by the superficial covering of the recent events by the international media. Israel is certainly playing it’s part.

An Australian newspaper recently brought this small cartoon. Take from it what you want. I personally think it is spot on.

He pulls out his phone while we are talking. He starts flipping through pictures on it. He stops at one. He shows it to me. It is a young man with his guitar.

“This is one of my best friends back home. He died during the revolution.”

He flips to the next picture. Also a young man.

“This is another good friend of mine. He was killed by a sniper who shot him in the head.”

And the line of photos continues.

He is calm. Obviously a marked man. But he is still here. Unlike many of his close friends and family members who lost their lives in the Libyan revolution. He has said goodbye to more than 20 relatives and friends during the past year and a half.

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Jordan reminds her of the revolution in Libya. She was in Jordan during it. Her father sent her, her mother and her sister away for their own protection. For months and months without end she was sitting in Jordan, desperate for any news about her family and friends in Libya.

One day she received a phone call from Libya. She was told her father had been killed by the regime. She was stone cold inside. She didn’t have the heart to tell her mother that her husband had died and to her sister that she no longer had a father. So she kept it to herself. For a week she carried the heavy burden. Trying to gather the courage to tell her mother and sister.

Luckily a message came shortly after. From her father. He was still alive. The rumor about his death was spread by the regime to induce terror and fear.

She still remembers the deep feeling of despair and the overwhelming joy that followed. She shivers just by thinking about it.

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Her phone rings. A Libyan number. From home. She picks it up. Half a minute passes and then she bursts out in tears. Her best friend back home was killed this morning. How can life go on? How can she still be here when he is not?

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He doesn’t know where many of his friends are. Half of his university class is no longer present in classes. They are all gone. Disappeared. No one knows where they are. Or for how long they will be gone. Many have died. For those he can mourn. But the others – they are just missing. Taken by the Syrian regime for having an opinion. For being activists. He cannot mourn them. He has no answers to all the questions in his mind.

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Her family told her not to come back. They told her to stay in Jordan. “Don’t come home”. Everyday she reads about the latest raids and attacks in Syria. Especially in Homs. That is where her family is. She lives in constant fear. Fear that the next victim will be someone she loves.

She doesn’t know what to do. She is frustrated. Almost done being strong. She considers just going home and wait to die. At least she will be with the people she loves. Because why continue the fight? Will anything ever change?

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After having spent the last month doing a training course for a group of amazing young people from all over the Middle East and North Africa (and Singapore) I have heard so many stories from the revolutions. Met so many young wonderful people marked by them.

They have lived through so much already. And it is not over. At least not for all.

My own problems and worries are put into perspective. I know our lives cannot be compared. My fears and sorrows are as real as theirs. But still. I catch myself thinking that I should never complain about anything ever again.

Would you like to join a big group of engaged, young Jordanians who are all actively working to protect the country? If yes – then look no further!

We offer you:

• The perfect student job while you are at university: the job won’t take much of your time and you can fulfill your duties while going about you normal social routines, hanging out with friends and classmates and so on.
• A competitive salary: we offer you a very attractive salary of around 180 JD per month for just a few hours of your time every week. A normal salary after graduation is around 200 JD per month for a full time position – so this is a very good offer.
• A huge network of colleagues: You will have around 3000 colleagues at your university and spread across all other Jordanian universities. Unfortunately you will not have much contact with them, but you can be sure that they are keeping an eye on you and you will be keeping an eye on them.
• A potential future career: We are a big organization and for the good employee there could be a chance to develop your career further with us after graduation. A lifelong career opportunity at one of the biggest employers in Jordan

Your qualifications:

• Good observer – the ability to observe hidden messages and contradictions
• A big network of friends, classmates and professors from different backgrounds and persuasions
• Talkative – and good at making other people talk
• Trustworthy – you are a person people will trust with their secrets
• You are good at blending in with any group of people at any type of occasion

If you are interested in the job please wait for a peer at your university to approach you with this marvelous offer (that you can’t refuse!)

Best regards

You know who

NB! This post is not meant as a mockery or a plain joke. Irony can be used to deal with topics that are hard or taboo. By using a funny form you can break into topics that are otherwise left alone! And that is the intention behind this post!

The facts in the post (numbers, recruiting methods and so on) is retrieved from a discussion with 2 Jordanian activists – who shared with me their personal knowledge and experiences. I am sure their stories do not uncover the whole truth about the Jordanian security aparatus, but they present one angle and perspective – and that is the perspective which is communicated in this post.