The process has become quite automatic; you go to a shopping mall or a hotel and open your purse or empty your pockets and allow a "security guard" to examine their content. If you are one of the unlucky visitors who sets off the metal detector (just when you thought you were finally getting in) you will have to raise your hands in the air, and allow security to manually search you. The familiar procedure rarely takes more than a minute or two, yet oddly, there is no way out of it. Oula Farawati investigates.
This was not the case only a year ago. Inspection at the doors of hotels, cinemas, and shopping malls was an unfathomable concept. The only place where Jordanians were inspected, to the best of their knowledge, was at airports.
Clearly nowadays this is no longer the case. The upsetting incidents of 9/11, when three hotels were the targets of a string of attacks, have changed Jordan forever. The untimely explosions managed to shake the people’s confidence, for at a time when Jordan seemed unsusceptible to attacks, having been the most secure country in the region for decades, an entire nation was suddenly taken aback by the killing of 60 civilians. Not strictly for Jordanians and their families, terror has become an all too familiar word for people worldwide. Since NY's 9/11 five years ago, globally, not a day goes by without the mention of the words, terror, bombings, suicide attacks, interrogations, or Moslem extremists. From London, Spain, and Germany to Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, no place remains safe.
"I never before thought I would be searched and inspected before I enter the mall in Jordan… If someone told me this last year, I would have laughed at the whole idea," Hiba, a schoolteacher said.
Immediately after the attacks, security authorities imposed heavy, not to mention rigid, measures around Jordan. Special emphasis was placed on embassies and foreign offices, non-governmental organizations, government offices, hotels, and shopping malls in addition to some cafes and restaurants.
"I did not realize what an integral part security checks now played in my life until I went away on holiday this summer. I went to malls, hotels, cinemas, and it just felt wrong that nobody checked my purse or that there were no metal detectors. Bizarrely, I actually felt it's not as safe as Jordan," Samar said. Generally, people’s senses are heightened and most find it difficult to be completely at ease in public venues. For Nada Barakat, a cooperate lawyer at a local firm, something as trivial as two people leaving the theater before a movie ended was enough to make her and her family uncomfortable and suspicious.
"We were at the theater the other day and just before the movie ended, two men left… everyone at the theater looked scared… I myself freaked out!" she shared.
Take it or leave it
Despite a general approval of the need to protect Jordan against attacks and prevent any from happening in the future, the overall consensus is far from unanimous. Many people feel annoyed and inconvenienced by the new measures. On the other hand, others feel that these measures are still not enough and that stricter practices have to be implemented in order to really feel safe.
"At the beginning, I was quite irritated by these measures… I am not used to stopping at the doors of more or less every place I want to go to be searched. However, I feel that I have gotten used to them now, sometimes, still, I wish they were not there," added Hiba, the schoolteacher. However, Kinzi Jones, a writer, said the measures were absolutely a must. "I happily plunk down my purse for a search when shopping, and I am thankful when I get pulled over for a random check," she said. "But they seem to be focusing on the wrong people. Just as police are busy giving parking tickets when people who endanger lives on our roads go free," she added. Shaden Abdul-Rahman, a realtor, said that she appreciates the security measures applied at malls. "Sometimes I do wish that they thoroughly search my purse as opposed to just quickly scanning it without checking every item. Occasionally the employee in charge lets you in even though the machine has beeped. He doesn't even bother looking at the screen in front of him. After 9/11 every Jordanian is grateful for extra security," she said.
But Ahmad Hammoudeh, a hospitality student, said he disliked the measures. "I don’t understand this… I never liked it. When I go to Mecca Mall, I never enter through the metal detector, as I believe it is cancerous…Instead I prefer to be searched manually by the guard," he said, after he was searched by security. Like so many other rules and regulations, many locals completely abide by security rules when abroad, but are less cooperative when undergoing procedures locally. Nada Barakat, on the other hand, criticizes people who complain about security measures internally, yet peacefully and quietly accept thorough searches and inspections in European and American airports, although measures taken there are far more undignified and forceful. "The sight of my husband taking off his shoes, jacket, and belt, and sometimes even being dragged into a secluded room because his name sounds dubious whenever we travel abroad, is not a pleasant feeling".
Security… a service for all?!
Kheir Salah has been working as a security guard for Mecca Mall, one of the busiest shopping malls in Amman, for three years. He said he applies strict procedures when working at one of the gates to the mall. "I get people saying they don’t want to go through the detector and I respect that… but in this case, they have to be searched manually… if they refuse, I would never allow them in [without inspection]," he said.
"Sometimes the metal detector beeps, but it could beep because of a ring, a belt, a button, anything. What many do not realize is that we have grades [of sensitivity] on the Garret machine and the machine tells us when the item in question is of any danger," Mr. Salah said.
Additionally, Mr. Salah noted that the mall has a large number of surveillance cameras installed in the many corners of the mall. These cameras, which are connected to a main control system, have proven successful in unraveling any attempts of sabotage or chaos. Special emphasis is also placed on a select few that security personnel feel are suspicious. Examples include people wearing very big (or loose) clothes. Such visitors are flagged down and are manually searched immediately.
Deputy General Manager of Mecca mall, Salameh Kurdi, recalls the few days after the attacks very well. The mall was completely deserted like so many public venues in Amman. "But gradually we started regaining the confidence of people and customers to go out and enjoy their time without fearing any sort of attacks," said Kurdi.
The mall, he added, increased the number of its security personnel to around 130, and manned every gate with a number of security agents to search people getting in. Female security personnel were employed to search women and children.
"Security for us is a service like all the other services we offer here like car parking and cleaning. We have a special department for safety and security. We need to make the mall conducive for investment and safe for people who come here with their children to shop, walk, and have an enjoyable time," said Mr. Kurdi.
According to Mr. Kurdi, whose company (Kurdi Group) also owns Abdoun Mall; security personnel have received and continue to receive, training on the optimum ways that will make security measures successful without becoming too much of a nuisance to mall visitors, which has become one of the busiest places in Amman, especially during weekends. "Our security have received training by the security authorities and continue to learn the most up to date ways that will keep the mall's environment safe and encouraging," he said.
However, Living Well was successful in entering several so-called guarded places without being inspected. Pushing a baby stroller, pretending to be pregnant, or claiming to be very late were reasons that helped our undercover agents avoid inspection. In too many of these places the search was either mediocre or not conducted at all. A sweet smile from one of our female reporters was enough to get through to a restaurant unattended. But in some hotels, notably the Grand Hyatt Amman (one of three hotels attacked last year), Intercontinental Amman, and the Four Seasons, security was strict. The machines they use are very similar to the ones used in international airports. In these hotels, both machine and manual search were obligatory.
Pseudo politically speaking…
Some have a different take on security and making Jordan ultimately safe.
These security measures may help catch criminals but nothing can stop the act of terror. “Let us face it, these security measures are meant to protect the property of the rich in Jordan, not the people of Jordan. The same applies in the U.S. and everywhere else. Who protects Jordanians in the farmers’ market, lower-end restaurants, downtown Amman, or in funerals? No one. You are on your own out there. But when you enter a hotel or a mall, the owners see you as a threat to their property. That's all. The sooner you face this simple fact the sooner you will realize the whole security thing everywhere is not meant for the average citizen," a Jordanian young man, who refused to be named, said. Indeed, security for many should transcend armored doors and armed guards. People should feel valued in order to feel secure; this helps a nation work for its country and not work against it.
"Our government would be committing a crime against Jordanians if they don't learn from the deadly mistakes committed by the U.S. There is no substitute for dialogue with everyone. A mixture of smart security measures and open channels of communication are Jordan's best security policy. At the end of the day, it's us Jordanians who don't live in forts behind technologically advanced security fences and armored vehicles, who will benefit the most from such a smart security policy," he said, preferring anonymity.
Cultural security
Political analyst and expert on Islamic movements, Mohammad Abu Rumman, noticed a transformation in the way Jordanian security handle things. According to Mr. Abu Rumman instead of waiting for extremists and fundamentalists to come and strike, the security authorities have formed a database on security threats and how to protect the country against any more attacks.
"The General Intelligence Department has realized that the database they had was not sufficient, especially after the invasion of Iraq. This entailed strengthening the database about Iraqis and other expats in Jordan and re-examining and enforcing border security," he explained.
In this regard, he believed the security authorities have made a significant success. The fact that security has foiled many terrorist attack attempts proves their success.
"But they have failed in culturally protecting the society against mental and cultural terror, and they have failed in stopping the continuous recruitment of people by Takfiri and other terror groups. They have made many attempts like the Message of Amman and restructuring the Ministry of Awqaf but these have also failed. This is due to the lack of a vision for a practical plan in this regard. All the laws that have been enacted in the security regard recently pertained to physical security and not cultural safety and security. They have failed to create a social and cultural shield against extremism," Mr. Abu Rumman noted.
"People don’t have to believe in the religious beliefs of Al Qaeda but anyone who holds up a flag against the U.S. will absolutely win support. In protests in Amman and elsewhere, protesters carried posters for Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and not AlQaeda Chief Usama Ben Laden. Which means that a political and cultural shift to an anti-U.S. sentiment was easier. This affects societies with a high percentage of youth, unemployed, and poor people," he said.
"That is why I am saying there should be a very strong societal and cultural campaign that will attract people away from violence and towards peace, tolerance, and acceptance of others," he added.
Columnist and political analyst, Batir Wardam, sees security issues from a different perspective. "I think safety has many faces and physical safety from violence is only one of them. I think Jordan is still relatively safe from terrorism and political violence now, but this may change in the future. My negative assessment against our safety is economic safety and social safety. I feel this country is run by people who do not appreciate it and we may end up with being less safe in terms of education, health, water, and other things we took for granted," he said.
"I fully support security measures in hotels and airports to the highest limits. There are some crazy people who think killing us will get them a ticket to heaven and they will not stop. So I go for security but not at the expense of people's freedoms. Again, I do not think that the Jordanian security forces target anyone who lives peacefully. If you have Takfiri ideas or plan to destabilize the country do not expect the security to shake your hand for that," Mr. Wardam added.
Naseem Tarawneh, a Jordanian living in Canada wrapped it up by saying "Are security measures necessary? With Israel to our west, Lebanon is a mess, people moving in and out of Jordan through Syria to the north, the occupation to our east, terrorists attacking Saudi targets to the south and terrorists attacking Egyptian targets to the south west. So yes...given the circumstances I think so!"
“I never before thought I would be searched and inspected before I enter the mall in Jordan”
“People don’t have to believe in the religious beliefs of Al Qaeda but anyone who holds up a flag against the U.S. will absolutely win support”
“There are some crazy people who think killing us will get them a ticket to heaven and they will not stop.”
*Previously published in Living Well Magazine
