Why Did Samir Al-Rifai Reopen the File of Independence Now? - Jordan News

Jordan News

21-05-2025

Revisiting the issue of independence at this depth is not about reliving the past, but rather issuing a warning about the future. It's a strategic attempt to re-engineer national discourse—one that starts from foundational principles rather than reactive impulses. A nation that forgets its origin often loses its sense of direction. اضافة اعلان When a former prime minister like Samir Al-Rifai, a central figure in Jordan's political reform scene, reopens the file of independence—not as a relic of the past but as a vision for the future—it is neither coincidental nor ceremonial. It is a calculated political act, made in a sensitive moment, aimed at reordering national consciousness amid mounting internal and external pressures. For many, the independence file was considered complete after the foundational years, a chapter we've celebrated for decades. Today, however, it returns to the forefront—not as mere history, but as a contemporary issue deeply tied to the future of the state and the meaning of sovereignty in a region gripped by instability. Al-Rifai, known for chairing the Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System, understands that reopening the independence file is not a repetition of tired rhetoric. Rather, it is a reaffirmation that political independence is inseparable from internal reform. When political performance becomes questionable, national identity is contested, and public space is saturated with contradictory narratives, there is a need to return to foundational concepts—not as preserved slogans, but as new starting points. In this context, independence is no longer just a memory—it becomes a pressing question: To what extent do Jordanians still feel like genuine partners in the independent state their forefathers built? The timing of reopening this file is also intentional. The region is in upheaval. Global powers are redrawing maps of influence. Around Jordan, state models are collapsing under internal conflicts or foreign interference. National identities are disintegrating into sectarian, ethnic, or political divisions. In such an environment, reaffirming independence becomes a defensive measure against the slow erosion of the nation-state—and an opportunity to emphasize Jordan's unity and resilience in an unrelenting regional storm. We cannot ignore today's logic of dominance. It no longer relies solely on traditional warfare but also manifests through economic pressures, conditional aid, and foreign influence on domestic policies. In such a climate, the idea of independence transcends historical celebration—it becomes a moral and political stance, one that must be defended, revived in public debate, and linked to any reform that aims to be serious, not superficial. Thus, we must resist reducing independence to an annual ritual. Instead, we should revive its true meaning, tie it directly to the country's present-day challenges, and shield it from becoming an empty protocol. Independence isn't merely a document signed long ago—it is an ongoing struggle against the erosion of national will, and a continuous evolution in the relationship between authority and society. Do not leave the story of national identity and independence to foreign narratives or to a tired popular memory. Reconstruct it in the spirit of this era. Connect it to today's challenges. Instill it in the consciousness of future generations.
Jordan, which has stood politically and securely for a century, is not immune to the dangers that toppled others—unless it invests in the awareness of its people and their commitment to their national identity.