One of my favorite classical books has always been Alice in Wonderland - a story with enough allusions and alogeries to keep you thinking for years. Today, I am reminded of an interesting quote from the tale where Alice meets Cheshire.
`Cheshire Puss,’ she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it […]

An interesting editorial in today’s Al Rai highlighted the story of government employee, Mohammad Nsour, who turned down a JD50,000 bribe delivered to him in a suitcase - mafia style. The employee helped authorities in capturing the bribers in the end. But weeks passed after the incident and not a single official called the employee […]

Merry Christmas to all the readers of The Black Iris in Jordan and elsewhere! Here’s a little something that’s sure to put a smile on your face:

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Melody TV has been producing, what are probably some of the funniest and most creative commercials I’ve ever seen aired in the Arab world. The irony here perhaps, is that these creative commercials are about creativity in the Arab world, or the lack there of. They depict an Egyptian film studio that is home to […]

Al Jazeera English recently aired its Arab Street program on Amman. It’s interesting to watch and listen to the views of average Jordanians as Al Jazeera poses various questions to them. The questions are, naturally, the usual suspects. Israel. Palestine. Israel. Palestine. Israel. Israel. Israel. Iraq. Iraq. Iraq. Oil. Water. Nuclear technology. Tourism. Honor crimes. […]

AP Photo - Jordanian children wait for their turn to have a ride on a wood traditional swing during the second day of Muslim’s Eid al-Adha, in Amman, Jordan, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009.
The thing about Eid is that it’s a time when people typically spend two full days visiting each other. In Amman, they go […]

A few months back I wrote a post about Royal and Official motorcades in Jordan, which I felt put the average Jordanian driver at risk. I have to admit that since writing the post, these motorcades have toned down their approach. About a month back, a motorcade swerved in sharply from a side street and […]

Reading an interesting article in TIME today, I found myself thinking in broader terms when I came upon this excerpt:
In his 2008 book, Inside Egypt, John R. Bradley observes, “Egyptians are the most patriotic people in the Arab world.” But, he adds, “I have never come across a local who does not despise his president […]