Tuesday, December 09, 2014

Rana Sweis and justification of Jordanian royal repression

Look how Rana Sweis phrases her story about repression in Jordan:  First, she tells you that the victim of repression is "provocative"--I don't know what that means: "Zaki Bani Rushaid, the provocative deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood"; then she tells you that the Jordanian regime was too indulgent with this figure although he railed against lack of political reform in Jordan and its subservience to the US--the horrors: "For years, Jordan did nothing as he railed — often on nationwide television — against Jordan’s “meager” political reforms and what he sees as continued attempts to cozy up to the United States";  she then tells you that despite his "high profile"--how dare he--the regime did nothing: "Despite his high profile, the kingdom appeared not to see him, or the Brotherhood, as a threat"; she then bitterly describes his offenses: "Then, on Nov. 17, Mr. Bani Rushaid took to his Facebook page with a new complaint, inveighing against the United Arab Emirates, which had recently branded the Muslim Brotherhood movements as terrorist groups. Among his accusations: that the Emirates plays the role of the “American cop in the region,” “supports coups” and is a “cancer in the body of the Arab world.”" How dare he.  Ms. Sweis wanted him in jail at once.  But she clarifies: "The reason for the government’s sudden shift, analysts say, was that he crossed a political line by lashing out at the Emirates, an important ally of Jordan’s and one of several countries in the region".  What is hilarious about Arabs who hired to work for US media is that support for pro-US regimes is not a disqualifier. Imagine if the person is loyal to an anti-US regime in the region.