Intersecting Roots: Arab Diversity in Amman

From my first few days in Amman, after I was introduced to my Iraqi host mother, I began to realize the extent of Arab diversity in the city. To put things into context, my name is Amna - an Iraqi-American studying abroad in Amman, Jordan. I went on this semester abroad not only to enrich my Arabic, but also to augment my cultural and societal understanding of the Middle East. Having left the region at a young age to live in the United States, I have always been fascinated by the interconnectedness of the West and its ramifications in the Middle East. 

Exploring Amman’s Diversity

By coincidence, I was placed with an Iraqi host mother in a family of Jordanians who had immigrated abroad and came back to live and raise children in Amman. My host father has a Bedouin step-mother and a family that had not only lived and worked abroad - in Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, and France - but had diversity within their families themselves. I found the same family structure I saw in my host family in a lot of the host families of my peers. Many of them live in mixed families of Circassians, or a mix of Palestinian and Jordanian, and more. 

This emphasizes the diversity in individual families here in Amman, as Weaving the Streets contributor Cassandra Kunert described in her experience realizing Amman’s diversity: 

“A common misconception among Americans, and maybe more broadly the ‘western’ world, is that the Arab world is a homogenous region where all the people share common physical traits, the same way of life, the same societal attitudes, and so on. During my time in Jordan I have found that this idea could not be farther from the truth. It would be impossible to classify Jordanians using a single characteristic. Jordan is home to Christains, Muslims, Jews, Arabs, Ciracssians, ‘Jordanian-Jordanians’ (those born in Jordan with Jordanian ancestry), ‘Palestinian-Jordanians’ (those born in Jordan with Palestinian ancestry), devoutly religious groups, secular groups, expats, refugees, and many others.” 

Refugees in Jordan

Jordan has one of the highest refugee populations in the world, hosting many refugees of Palestinian, Syrian, Iraqi, Libyan, and Yemeni origin. This does not include the many workers of Egyptian origin who also seek employment in Amman. These waves of migrants have been called a “refugee crisis,” as economic injustices and living tensions have been exacerbated by the challenges Jordan faces in acquiring resources to house the sudden influx of refugees. The sharp population increase has affected Jordan’s political, economic, and social infrastructure.

“Amman has experienced successive waves of Palestinian, Iraq, and Syrian refugees for many decades as it is seen as the most economically, socially, and politically stable capital in the region. Therefore, many of the refugees — displaced by decades of ‘western’ (especially American) interjection into the region — tend to resettle in Amman.”

Although many refugees have acquired Jordanian citizenship and live in houses in their designated settlements on land owned by the state, a good portion of them have still not been given citizenship. It is very difficult to find work in Amman if you are not a citizen, as you need to acquire a Travel-Work Visa to hold employment in the public sector. Therefore, many refugees tend to find permanent settlements in the region, open private businesses, or work to acquire citizenship. 

Evolving Attitudes

Although there used to be animosity towards non-Jordanian migrants from Jordanians in Amman, this has changed throughout the years. As an Iraqi-American, I have been welcomed profusely by many taxi drivers and Jordanians when they find out I am Iraqi. Similarly, there are minimal differences between the “Palestinian-Jordanian” and “Jordanian-Jordanian,” as Kunert defines above. There are also many Bedouins living in Jordan, as they are one of the largest indigenous groups before the wave of Palestinian refugees that found their way into Amman after the 1948 and 1967 wars. 

Amman has experienced successive waves of Palestinian, Iraq, and Syrian refugees for many decades as it is seen as the most economically, socially, and politically stable capital in the region. Therefore, many of the refugees — displaced by decades of “western” (especially American) interjection into the region — tend to resettle in Amman. 

However, within all this diversity that I have found in this vibrant city, there seemed to be two common societal themes. First, young students are aching to leave Jordan and the other Arab states to travel, study, and live abroad. Second, the generation that is old enough to reminisce of the region’s “good-old times” measure their present status against their lives before the wars, economic sanctions, and crises - and thus, before the multiple waves of refugees. These “good-old times” remarks have become a norm during my stay in Amman amongst many Arabs I’ve met in the city. 

Darat al Funun

One of the first things you see when you walk into the Darat al Funun in Jabal Al Weibdeh, Amman. The museum’s founder, Suha Shoman, is of Palestinian origin and created the exhibit to display the interconnectedness of the Arab struggle.

Suha Shoman, the founder of Darat Al Funun, an art exhibit in Jabal al Weibdeh, articulates the persistence of the Arab struggle and the assiduity of displacement -  a story I have come to hear often while in Amman. People of various Arab regions were removed from their homes and a once familiar life, and forced to relocate and re-establish their lives and stories elsewhere so often, and yet have not forgotten the foundation of their strife. 

“I am a Palestinian born in Jerusalem before the creation of the state of Israel. I was uprooted from my homeland and had to take refuge in Egypt. The right of return being denied to us, I lived and pursued my studies in Lebanon. Now in the last 35 years, I [have] made a life in Jordan. I am deeply attached to each of these Arab countries but the grief of displacement and the longing for what was left behind, is always present, also the need to tell our story and to preserve the memory of our people. This is what I tried to express in my art and my lifetime work at Darat al Funun.” - Suha Shoman.

The photo series below, found in Darat al Funun, highlights the Palestinian condition. The museum exhibit is wholly dedicated to the interconnectedness of the Arab world, showcasing the art and struggles of several countries, including Palestine, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. And while the Arab World is largely seen as homogenous, Arab struggles can inevitably be traced back to a single source - the West. 

The photos, part of a series titled “Negative Incursion,” were taken by photojournalist Rula Halawani. This series serves to illustrate the persistent invisibility, destruction, alienation, and confinement that has been a result of the Israeli colonial occupation of Palestine. 

Rula Halawani, Untitled II (Negative Incursion series), 2002.

Rula Halawani, Untitled XX (Negative Incursion series), 2002.

Rula Halawani, Untitled XVII (Negative Incursion series), 2002.

Rula Halawani, Untitled XII (Negative Incursion series), 2002.

Rula Halawani, Untitled VI (Negative Incursion series), 2002.

As illustrated in much of the art showcased at the exhibit, and in Halawani’s negative photograph series, the direct violence and criminalization of the Palestinian identity symbolizes the larger image of the powerful states in the West who inflict this physical violence. In this series, Halawani uses photography as the medium to document and expose social and political injustices that are continuously normalized in the media and beyond. 

This museum, located in the heart of Amman, draws in the complexity of the Palestinian cause and highlights the city’s solidarity. And these themes are woven into the story of anti-Americanism, as the city as a whole, complete with its Arab diveristy, stands in solidarity deploring Israeli aggression in Gaza and all occupied Palestinian territories. 

In my next article, I will further highlight shared testaments of anti-Americanism in the region, in combination with the Arab diversity in Jordan, while expanding on the urgency of many residents in Jordan to move, study, and work abroad.