The news about the shooting of musicians in downtown Amman (in Arabic) was disturbing to me on so many levels, but mostly because it hit close to home. My sister was one of the musicians who took part in the concert last night. Luckily she did not witness the carnage as she decided not to take the bus home, but instead she left the concert with her friends “to get something to eat”. Her colleagues on the other hand took the bus designated to take the musicians back home and saw an enraged man shoot four Lebanese musicians who were playing alongside the musicians of the orchestra of the National Music Conservatory (NMC).

I read about the news online while I was in my office in Washington, DC a bit after 6:00 PM. My heart sank when I read that the attack targeted the NMC musicians and I called my parents immediately. My sister picked up the phone saying “I’m okay.” She explained that not only she took part in the event but that my parents were among the audience.

What a shameful act, really. Why would anyone attack musicians of all people?

According to Reuters:

A third security source said he thought the attacker had suspected the Lebanese musicians were Israelis. Israel’s treatment of Palestinians has traditionally angered some in Jordan, where anti-Israeli feelings run high.

What a shame and how idiotic? As if killing innocent civilians can ever be justified!  Pathetic!  I’m really tired of this constant mayhem. My heart goes to those who were affected by this horrendous act and I pray for a speedy recovery for the injured. 

My friend Dan has been working to convert me into joining the Obama cult for the past month or so. Every morning he comes to the office and tells me about Obama. I keep telling Dan I’m not sure my citizenship papers will be completed in time for the elections, "so you might be preaching to the wrong crowd here." "But you can convince your husband," he tells me.

I tell him: "I like Obama, but Hillary is the one with the experience. She is the one who will be able to deal with the sharks."

He says "You are from Jordan, you like monarchies and you feel secure with having the same family in politics." "Maybe," I respond.

"But Obama strikes me as arrogant and overconfident for a junior senator,"  I say. "And Hillary is not?" he retorts.

Dan never stops. He sends me links and articles to show me how good and genuine Obama is. I have to admit, though, Obama is looking good these days. Even as a self-described Clinton supporter, the Obama charm is reaching me. I guess it is the message of hope that touches me most. We all need hope. Obama might sound naive and might be describing a fairytale political existence, but hearing him is inspiring although I do not quite buy it. I guess I’m too jaded to believe in radical changes, especially when it comes to politics.

Today is Super Tuesday and you can feel the excitement in the air, at least here in DC. I would be happy with either one of them winning, but then again my opinion doesn’t mean much. However, my husband is still undecided. Maybe Dan needs to go chat with him.

I’m fascinated by the amount of angry messages and "Wall posts" I’m getting on my Facebook page from my friends these days after I announced that I’m supporting Hillary for president (for reasons that I do not wish to delve into now). Most of the angry messages came from my Jordanian/Arab friends who made sure to tell me that they do not agree with me. Here are some examples:

Come on now, she flip flops, she is owned by the Jewish lobby and she has a one sided view of the Arab Israeli conflict. She is no Bill.

Boooo…. Obama…Obama!

Why Hillary she is a devil wearing Prada…Because she is a woman ?!!

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

I am aware that Hillary is a pretty divisive choice but I never realized how much she is hated in the Arab World until now. I guess I have been away from the Middle East for a long time and now I’m no longer connected with the "Arab street." However, I’m not backing down. I’m someone who believes in the individual’s freedom of choice. By that I mean a choice that stands on its own that is not influenced by the preference of a community or society. I’m at a stage of my life where I no longer want to chant the same song with a familiar crowd. I want to chant my own song and make individual decisions. So for that I say, go Hillary.

Jordan has been facing a great deal of criticism over its treatment of Iraqis at Jordan’s Queen Alia airport, some of it deserved, some not so much. However, I have not seen many reactions or blog postings hailing Jordan’s decision to allow the entry of Iraqi children into the public schools.

AMMAN — Public schools in the Kingdom are witnessing a heavy turnout of Iraqis residing in the country, who want to enroll their children before classes start next week. Last Monday, the Ministry of Education finalized a decision to allow Iraqi students to study in public schools as of the beginning of this scholastic year, without the prerequisite residency permit.

The decision, which was taken in response to the humanitarian situation the Iraqis are going through, is intended to ensure that Iraqi children have access to education, according to an Education Ministry official. Previously, private schools were accepting Iraqi students, and only Iraqis holding residency permits were allowed to enroll in public schools. "Large numbers of Iraqis are registering their children in schools across the country," Managing Director of General Education and Students Affairs Mohammad Okour told The Jordan Times yesterday.     Figures of how many Iraqi school age children have been registered so far are not yet available, he said. According to Okour, some 50,000 Iraqi students are expected to enter the country’s public schools, in addition to 14,000 who are already in the educational system. Source: [The Jordan Times]

In my humble opinion, I think this is a very courageous and noble step by Jordan. I wonder how the expected enrollment of 50,000 Iraqi children will change the makeup of Jordanian public education in the long-run. How will Jordanians react to this huge influx of Iraqis into their children’s schools when there is already a great deal of tension between Jordanians and Iraqis over the refugee issue and others. Only time will tell. Meanwhile, where is the applause?

Update: Here is a quick update from The Jordan Times.

HRW hails acceptance of Iraqis in schools

AMMAN — The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday welcomed Jordan’s decision to accept all Iraqi school-age children into public schools, but criticised country’s refusal to recognise Iraqis as refugees. In a press release, the group said: "For the first time, Jordan has officially pledged to allow Iraqi children to attend public schools regardless of their residency status." Responding to the statement, a senior official reiterated that Iraqis residing in Jordan do not meet the criteria of refugees as stated in the 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees. Read more.