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Arab Times
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Jordan missed key international gains due to 'Muslim Brotherhood'
JORDANIAN security authorities quietly dismantled a subversive network affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood Group, according to Interior Minister Mazen Faraya. He stated that the plot aimed to undermine the constitutional structure and the very existence of the Kingdom of Jordan. This stance by the Muslim Brotherhood is not out of context, but rather a continuation of the group's broader destabilizing agenda – one that began in 2011 and has played out across several countries, including Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Syria. This attitude by the Muslim Brotherhood is not an isolated occurrence; rather, it marks a new chapter in the group's ongoing campaign of chaos that began in 2011, starting from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and beyond. Throughout its history, the Muslim Brotherhood Group has been widely known throughout the Arab world for its attempts to undermine national security in pursuit of controlling one Arab country, using it as a springboard to influence others. The group exploited the Mohamed Bouazizi incident in Tunisia to fuel public outrage and transform it into a full-blown revolution that ultimately led to the overthrow of the regime. That single spark was enough to topple several regimes, most notably in Egypt, the cornerstone of Arab national security. The 1952 coup in Egypt is another example, as it served as a gateway for regime changes throughout the Arab world and ushered in waves of regional instability. Time and again, the same justification was used: defending the Palestinian issue and liberating Palestine. Many innocent people were misled by these lies, which allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to secure a strong foothold in political movements. They entered parliaments, joined governments, and eventually rose to power in Egypt following the January 25, 2011 uprising. However, the group began digging its own grave through acts of brutality, torture, and efforts to dominate the economy and state institutions. Their true intentions were revealed in messages exchanged between Mohamed Morsi and Tel Aviv, which revealed plans to cede certain territories as part of a scheme to relocate Gaza's population to Sinai. This betrayal prompted the Egyptian people, supported by the Army, to rise up just one year later, overthrowing the Muslim Brotherhood's rule and reclaiming Egypt's stability from the grip of chaos. In this context, it is important to emphasize the Muslim Brotherhood's relationship with the West and the various services it provided in exchange for the West's control over the resources of the Arab world. As a result, when the Gulf states began to approach the Muslim Brotherhood with caution, especially after the scandal involving the 'Kuwaiti Brotherhood' and their power grab during the Iraqi invasion, it marked the first step toward liberating the region from the grip of this evil group. Subsequently, some Gulf countries decided to ban the Muslim Brotherhood and classify it as a terrorist group. Over the past few years, Jordan has found itself at the center of the storm, particularly after the so-called 'Al-Aqsa Flood,' which brought widespread destruction to Gaza and the West Bank and resulted in the deaths of thousands. It was a clear attempt to undermine the Palestinian cause and obstruct the two-state solution, which was on the verge of being realized. The discovery of the Brotherhood's chaotic cell in Jordan is the result of relentless efforts by the government, particularly King Abdullah II, to prevent the Kingdom from becoming a battleground for regional disputes. This was notably reflected in the revelation of a direct connection between the Muslim Brotherhood, Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah, as well as Hamas's quick request for Amman to release the members of the cell. This reveals the new face of the Muslim Brotherhood's long-standing agenda. Jordan serves as a strategic link in the region, and it is widely understood that there have been ongoing attempts to destabilize the country to gain access to the Gulf states. This is especially significant since the 1994 Wadi Araba Agreement, which was primarily designed to establish an economic and industrial zone through a US-Jordanian-Israeli partnership, thus opening the door to Arab North Africa and the rest of the Middle East. Over the years, the Muslim Brotherhood has consistently attempted to disrupt any progress in this regard by using its MPs to block the ratification of laws aimed at strengthening Jordan's economy and development, or by agitating the Jordanian street.
Express Tribune
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Is judicial decay behind immolation of societal ethos and civil chaos?
Mohamed Bouazizi was, at least, lucky enough to stir a revolution as he set himself ablaze in Tunisia. It led to the Arab Spring in 2010, and the Middle East stands changed for all times to come. But Pakistan's Asif Javed was quite unfortunate as he self-immolated inside the premises of Lahore High Court. No one came to heed to the purpose of putting an end to his life, nor was the court of law bothered to dig deep into the malaise our society is infected with. Surprisingly enough, a probe was ordered to merely find out how gasoline made its way inside the premises of the court. The apathy is that Asif had been knocking at the doors of the court for years, seeking his eligible reinstatement, and his last words were: "Mujhe insaaf chahiye (I want justice)." Asif, sadly, is unlikely to be the last one to have taken this bizarre route of extinction. Pakistan's traumatised social mosaic is full of many such horrible episodes where men and women opt for self-murder in desperation, as they have lost faith in the system in vogue. Denial of justice is one of the fundamental causes behind this reprehensible route. The tendency to commit suicide has risen in Pakistan owing to declining social mobility, incapacity of the poor to get two square meals, institutional discrimination and harassment at workplaces, and last but not least a jaundiced legal system that keeps a litigant in a zigzag of uncertainty. According to WHO, there are around 10 suicides per 100,000 people in Pakistan. PIMS Islamabad claims that 40% of cases of suicide are burn victims who go over the brink in an aura of despair and disheartenment. Most of these children of a lesser god, who decide to take their lives, are sufferers of denial of justice. Even small cases pertaining to robbery, false allegations and mob arrests remain pending for months and years. The Law and Justice Commission says that more than 2.26 million cases are pending in courts to this day. This is in addition to high-profile cases involving judicial review and constitutional interpretations that are more than 57,000. Official figures reveal that 82% of pending cases (i.e. 1.86 million) are at the district judiciary level. Lack of proper staff, corruption, mismanagement, political interference and waywardness of judicial officers, including police meddling, are factors behind low dispensation of justice. There is also an emerging nexus between denial of justice and rise of parochialism, coupled with the tendency to opt for violence. From a societal perspective, it is leading to intolerance; and communities are refusing to see from the same prism of nationalism, as they have genuine grievances that are not being addressed by the state, per se. A lame duck and executive-subservient judiciary is an enigma, which has throttled public sentiments for realising an egalitarian society. Thus, lawful governance and constitutional supremacy take a backseat as justice is denied or delayed. That is what is happening in Pakistan today as the judiciary for reasons of exigency, and undue influence from the executive, is not taking a stance. This is tantamount to negation of rule of law. The impugned 26th constitutional amendment is a case in point that has literally undermined the independence of judiciary, opening floodgates of political revulsion and social chaos. With the Constitution and fundamental rights being ignored, there is hardly anything left with the common man to see a future for himself and his wards. Thus, self-immolation, civil disobedience, public dissent and law and order problems are a last resort. Perhaps that is why Winston Churchill was determined to see an independent judiciary functioning even in times of war so that public litigation is squarely taken care of. The crumbling of judicial supremacy in Pakistan is taking a toll in the form of political instability and economic meltdown. Confidence of masses and businesses, local and foreign, originate from a rules-based society where law is supreme and duly accessible. If we can erect a law-abiding order, the decay can be stemmed and many more Asifs can live a cheering life of their own.
