As the Arab Spring and its driving force, The Muslim Brotherhood, has swept the Maghreb and now the Middle East, another country (one that has kept friendly relations with the U.S. and Israel) may be poised for revolution under the stewardship of the Islamist group. And if successful, outside of Egypt, this might be one of the worst setbacks for the Arab world yet.
Al-Monitor reports that the Muslim Brotherhood via the The National Front for Reform, is slated to take Aman, Jordan, by storm Friday, November 30th, to end what they call an "era of absolute monarchy."
That Hashemite monarchy, however, has been more amenable in its foreign policy toward the U.S. and Israel than any of its Arab-counterparts outside of Mubarak's Egypt. The Islamists will also call on Jordanians to “sustain and enhance popular movements to build a real Jordanian state.”
You might recall a Blaze report two weeks ago discussing the new wave of violent protests sweeping Jordan and that the U.S. State Department issued emergency warnings to American citizens in the country.
So what would happen if King Abdullah II were to be ousted by the Muslim Brotherhood in the same way as Hosni Mubarak? One shudders to think, but Al-Monitor reports that the Jordanian authorities seem prepared for what the pending demonstrations:
The National Front for Reform, led by former prime minister Ahmad Obeidat, the Muslim Brotherhood and a youth group known as the “November Uprising” called for mass demonstrations to press their demands for the abolishment of the government's decision to raise fuel prices and to enact constitutional amendments that would undermine the powers of King Abdullah II.However, Jordanian authorities quickly announced a security plan that consists of shutting down the main streets of the capital as of Thursday [Nov. 29] evening, as well as those in the country’s most sensitive areas, including the vicinity of the al-Dakhiliyah roundabout, where the demonstrations will begin.
Al-Monitor reports that the demonstration comes on the heels of a Muslim Brotherhood initiative to develop a new "Islamic current called the Jordanian Building Initiative."
Of course Islamists consider Jordanian authorities' preparations for Friday's onslaught a conspiracy to “reduce the number of participants in the demonstrations.” Security chiefs denied such allegations, however, maintaining that their objective is simply “to prevent any contact between pro-government and opposition demonstrations,” according to Al-Monitor. Meanwhile, pro-Abdullah youth groups reportedly announced a demonstration will be held in the same location as a counter to the opposition rallies.
In a press conference Wednesday, Obeidat said that "the heart of Friday’s demonstrations is the slogan of reforming the regime.” He also insisted that authorities provide safety guarantees to protesters as it “falls within the government’s ethical responsibilities and is not a favor.” According to Al-Monitor, he added that the opposition's organizers are not “a gang that provides protection against another gang.” Al-Monitor provides additional background on what Obeidat plans to do:
Obeidat revealed that during his contact with Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, he demanded that the government assume responsibility for protecting demonstrators and explained that in the past 48 hours, security leaders communicated with him and confirmed having taken all measures to protect the demonstrations and preserve freedom of expression.
Al-Monitor notes that "with a harsh tone," Obeidat said, “The Front will not gamble with the country's stability and security, and in the event that participants are prevented from accessing the demonstration’s site, we will cross that bridge when we come to it.”
