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Jordan: A Protest from the Union of Professional Associations
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The following is an official statement from the president of 
the Union of Professional Association in Jordan, Dr. Hashem Gharaybeh.  
It is essentially a protest against a series of recent governmental 
measures stifling civil liberties and intellectual discourse in Jordan.  
More specifically, the statement condemns governmental sabotage of al Mou`ta 
Festival for Culture and the Arts that is currently being sponsored by the 
Union of Professional Associations at its complex in Amman:

On Saturday, August 10, 2002, Jordanian authorities banned Tunisian 
opposition figure Dr. Rashid Al Ghannoushi from entering Jordan AFTER 
the organizing committee of al Mou`ta Festival was granted official 
permission by the authorities to host Dr. Ghannoushi to speak on Saturday 
night on the question of cultural identity.  Thus went the first lecture 
of the Festival…

On Sunday, August 11, 2002, Jordanian authorities allowed the Saudi thinker 
Dr. Salaman Al Oudeh to enter Jordan to give the second lecture on the 
program.  However, one hour before the lecture was supposed to begin, 
Jordanian security troops raided his hotel room and arrested him in a 
rather disgraceful manner.  Dr. Salman Al Oudeh was supposed to speak on 
the concepts of Jihad and terrorism.  A packed hall awaiting for him was 
filled with disappointment.

Hence, Dr. Hashem Gharaybeh issued this statement (click for the text in Arabic) 
in protest.

Reporting on the behalf of the Union of Professional Association,
Ibrahim Alloush