Jordan: Crossroads of Middle Eastern Events

By Peter Gubser. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1983. 139 pp. $16.50

Reviewed by Jack G. Shaheen

Dr. Gubser is eminently qualified to write this informative book on Jordan. Before becoming president of the American Near East Refugee Aid in Washington, D.C., he spent several years as a researcher in the Middle East. His knowledge of the area is readily apparent in the book's five chapters: Environment, People, Economy, History, and Contemporary Politics and Public Affairs.

In the introduction, Dr. Gubser points out that Jordan's King Hussein is currently the "world's longest-ruling head of state at the young age of forty-six," and notes that Jordan is virtually a landlocked country—with the unoccupied part bordered on the west by the West Bank and Israel, the north by Syria, the east by Iraq, and the southeast by Saudi Arabia. Thus, the countries surrounding Jordan play a role in determining its stability.

In the People chapter Gubser writes of Jordanians caught between the evolving mixture of the old and new—the conflict of Western technology and the traditions of the East. We learn that nearly one-third of Jordan's population is concentrated in the country's five largest cities.

Dr. Gubser notes that Jordan is "overwhelmingly a Muslim nation. More than 90 percent of the population adhere to that faith." He points out that Jordan's Christians, which number about 125,000, are treated, for the most part, equally. This confirms my own observations. For example, during my sabbatical in Jordan, 1981-82, I celebrated Muslim and Christian holidays. Christian religious services are telecast on Jordan television.

Plight of Palestinians

Palestinian refugee camps are thoroughly discussed. Approximately 10 percent of Jordan's population live in UNRWA-supervised camps. However, I wish the author had included even more information on the plight of the Palestinians in these camps. He knows the situation and a personal page or two on camp residents—their hopes and aspirations—would have been helpful.

The author excels when writing about the bedouin. Jordan is often described as a bedouin country. Yet in 1980 they comprised no more than 7 percent of the population. The author explains that the bedouin have made significant contributions to Jordanian society. Traditionally, bedouin society is strongly characterized by equality.

Contrary to their portrayal in most Hollywood films, the bedouin "take the concept of individual, family, and tribal honor and defense of this honor to greater lengths than do settled people."

Dr. Gubser offers an accurate view of Amman, a city without the rich traditions of other capital cities such as Baghdad, Cairo, Damascus, or Rabat. Amman has no suq (market-place), few artisans, and few historical structures. Instead, the city exudes newness—white contemporary buildings dot the city's landscapes. Tourists and residents find Amman a comfortable place to live. Health services, restaurants, the coverage of national and international events, and modern transportation systems reflect the city's modern appearance.

The past merges with the present in Jordan: a visitor can experience a traditional wedding, dance the debke (folk dance), hear a bedouin sing, disco at the home of a friend, and have a seven-course European meal atop the International Hotel—all in the same day.

Jordan possesses an outstanding Tourism Department, complete with trained, cordial guides who offer guests loving care. The marvels of Jerash, a Roman town of beauty, or Petra, the Nabatean capital carved out of the sides of pink sandstone mountains, are breathtaking experiences.

More Women on Campuses

Amman's schools are some of the best in the Middle East. More women are attending college than ever before. At the University of Jordan, women outnumber men in several disciplines. During the 1981-82 academic year, over 17,000 students were enrolled in Jordan's universities. Interestingly, over 45,000 Jordanian young people are studying outside Jordan—mostly in the Arab world. Several thousand students attend colleges in Western and Eastern countries.

When discussing the economy, Gubser rightly contends that the problem of sufficient water is the key to Jordanian agriculture. The author traces the development of the East Bank and the pros and cons of using modern methods of irrigation in the Jordan Valley. The fresh fruits and vegetables coming from the West Bank are also an integral part of Jordan's agricultural scene. At times hundreds of trucks, filled with ready-to-eat produce, are stacked up at the border. Here, drivers await Israeli approval before transporting their goods to Jordan.

I highly recommend Dr. Gubser's book. It reminds me that the people of Jordan matter most. What makes Jordan a special place are those men and women who continually reach out to others—expressing the rich hospitality of the past with an improved understanding of the present.

Jack G. Shaheen is Professor of Mass Communications at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois.