U.S. gives Jordan $100 million to help host Syrian refugees

A top U.S. official said on Sunday that Washington has given $100 million in aid to Jordan to help host tens of thousands of Syrians who have fled the unrest back home and taken refuge in the kingdom.

U.S. ambassador to Jordan, E. Jones, said that the U.S. aid will also help Jordan meet its growing energy needs in light of the repeated cut-offs occurring from unstable gas supplies from Egypt.

He said the aid will address “the strains on the national budget as a result of the repeated disruption of the Egyptian natural gas, and especially the added cost of providing services and basic commodities to those fleeing the appalling violence in Syria.”

“Nowhere outside of Syria are the effects of the Syrian regime’s violence felt as acutely as in Jordan,” he said at a joint news conference with Jordanian Planning Minister Jaafar Hassan.

The latest aid comes over and above the $660 million approved by Washington in December as military and economic aid to Jordan, which has received $2.4 billion from Washington in the past five years.

Debt-ridden Jordan, a major beneficiary of U.S. aid, is hosting more than 140,000 Syrians, and the kingdom is building more camps to house the refugees.

The energy-poor country has expressed concerns that cuts in gas supplies from Egypt could cost the kingdom more than $2 billion dollars in 2012.

Attackers on Sunday blew up a gas pipeline in Egypt’s Sinai used to export fuel to Israel and Jordan, the 15th such attack since 2011.

Jordan is one of the best remaining friends that America has in the Arab world.

Jordan: 94% Muslim

THE DOCTRINE OF TAQIYYA

According to the authoritative Arabic text, Al-Taqiyya fi Al-Islam, "Taqiyya [deception] is of fundamental importance in Islam. Practically every Islamic sect agrees to it and practices it. We can go so far as to say that the practice of taqiyya is mainstream in Islam, and that those few sects not practicing it diverge from the mainstream.... Taqiyya is very prevalent in Islamic politics, especially in the modern era."

The primary Koranic verse sanctioning deception vis-à-vis non-Muslims states: "Let believers not take for friends and allies infidels instead of believers. Whoever does this shall have no relationship left with Allah--unless you but guard yourselves against them, taking precautions" (3:28; other verses relied on by the ulema include 2:173; 2:185; 4:29; 16:106; 22:78; 40:28).

Al-Tabari's (d. 923) famous Tafsir (exegesis of the Koran) is essentially a standard reference work in the entire Muslim world. Regarding 3:28, he writes: "If you [Muslim] are under their [infidels'] authority, fearing for yourselves, behave loyally to them, with your tongue, while harboring inner animosity for them.... Allah has forbidden believers from being friendly or on intimate terms with the infidels in place of believers--except when infidels are above them [in authority]. In such a scenario, let them act friendly towards them."

Regarding 3:28," Ibn Kathir (d. 1373, second only to Tabari) writes, "Whoever at any time or place fears their [infidels'] evil, may protect himself through outward show." As proof of this, he quotes Muhammad's companions: Abu Darda said "Let us smile to the face of some people while our hearts curse them"; while al-Hassan said, "Doing taqiyya is acceptable till the Day of Judgment [i.e., in perpetuity]."

I see you still have a sense of humor. "Jordan’s powerful Muslim Brotherhood says it is boycotting upcoming parliamentary elections AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan’s powerful Muslim Brotherhood said Friday it will boycott upcoming parliamentary elections in protest over recent changes to the kingdom’s election laws, which it says fall short of opposition demands. A boycott would deal a blow to King Abdullah II, who has made his reform campaign the centerpiece of efforts to stave off protests similar to those that have toppled other rulers in the region’s so-called Arab Spring."

Report: Obama Is Looking to Replace Abdullah With Muslim Brotherhood – Will Wipe Out All US Allies in Mideast Reportedly a meeting was held in Turkey recently to discuss the situation in Jordan. The Muslim Brotherhood was in attendance and was asked about a possible role in a new Jordanian government. King Abdullah has been a staunch US ally for several years. Like Egypt’s Mubarak, Barack Obama is ready to throw him to the dogs. I have just received reliable information from a certain insider that a meeting was held two weeks ago in Turkey attended by the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar and CIA. Allegedly, Israel’s Mosad sat in as an observer. The attendees discussed what they want to happen in Jordan when the King falls. The MB was asked specifically whether it would uphold the peace treaty with Israel if it came to power and they said yes. Furthermore the MB offered to take in many Palestinians from Judea and Samaria. It struck me that this is exactly what Mudar Zahran is intending to do should he come to power. The MB is obviously following his playbook. From a different source I heard that Obama is putting financial pressure on Abdullah so that he will fall. Obama wants to replace him with the MB. With the exception of the Saudi King, Barack Obama has wiped out nearly all US allies in the region.

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