Good Addictions

When I went to get my Jordanian military exemption more than a decade ago, I knew of the long lines and the bureaucracy that I had to battle. I was also familiar with people cutting in line, the selfishness and lack of consideration for each other, exemplified best in the way people drive, (something I became more painfully conscious of after leaving Amman and coming back to it.) But that day at the government agency marked my first encounter with a repeating pattern in Jordanian society, a pattern I would encounter in different forms.

While I was left waiting in line till what felt like eternity, I remember the conversation between the officer and the other guy ahead of me:

“What’s your name?” the officer said.

“Majed.”

“Majed what?”

“Majed Salam.”

“Salam from Jerusalem or Fheys?”

“Fheys.”

For a few moments, the officer’s eyes gazed into vacuum then he snapped back.

“How does Samir Salam relate to you?”

“My father’s uncle.”

“Oh! Great! Have a seat. Have a seat. Tea or coffee?”

“Thank you but I’m in a hurry, I have to…”

“Your uncle is a great man. Imad!” he yelled out the door. A service guy popped up.

“Coffee or tea?”

“I really must-”

“Imad, bring us Arabic coffee.”

“You ‘ll love it. You have to taste our coffee. So tell me, how is your uncle? How can we serve you?” The officer turned back to Majed.

When I finally got my turn, the officer’s eyes did gaze in wonder upon hearing my name – his brain must have been working at full capacity, searching all his mental databases – but apparently he could not form any connection, any name mapping. I was not offered tea or coffee. I also seemed to have to do many more steps before completing my transaction.

That was a long time ago and we’re supposed to have reduced the level of bureaucracy in our government departments. But this incident marks something different.

Often I would hear housewives discussing eligible or ineligible men for their daughters: His father is no good. His parents are janitors. Low class. High class, Nobility. Jordanian. Palestinian. Christian. Moslem.

We live in a culture where the foreground fades and the background is all that matters.

When I first moved to San Francisco, I thought to frequent the Arab grocery stores. At least let me benefit my own people I thought, so I went to Ghasan Mini Market. I’d heard from a friend the owner was Palestinian.

He asked about my name then about my last name when he found out I was Arab.

“Where are you from?” A golden tooth shone amidst the rest of his yellow teeth.

“Jordan, originally Palestinian. What about you?”

“Where in Palestine?” He ignored my question.

“Ramleh.”

“Oh, so you are from the forty eight.”

“Yes, but I’ve—“

“Where do you live in Amman?”

“I used to live in Abdoun,” I said.

What interrogation just for some damn cigarettes, I thought.

“Where exactly in Abdoun?”

“What you want the street name?”

Does he also want to know which side of the bed I sleep on?

“You look like you’re from Abdoun.” There was animosity in his voice. He gave me a look that made me feel that I had stolen something from him. I started frequenting the Korean grocery stores instead.

These are not isolated cases. There is a constancy to this that qualifies it to be the norm. And it even follows us to far away places.

The genius of our culture can tell from the last name and perhaps one other piece of information all that is ever needed to be known about a person. Nationality, origin, the exact town where the family comes from, maybe the street and the house, the religion and sect, clan, tribe, extended family, any millionaires in the family, any bankruptcies, any family owned assets or companies, and of course, scandals and all that goes into a reputation. Sometimes, it seems that the person does not need to do anything. The judgment is formed before and in spite of anything that he has to say or do or offer to the world. We are hence products of the past. Heredity, genealogy can get us ahead or behind in line, can land us the ideal job, get us through any governmental transaction with ease or difficulty, even get preferential treatment in the courts. From that follows promotions, marriage eligibility. The typical economic and social disparities in a society are not enough. We need to have this other layer of favoritism and classism.

It is true that if a person comes from a rich family, then he is likely to be well to do, a quality considered a virtue in our society. We also assume that if a person’s parents are good people, then he will take from them and be decent, and the man from the family of scammers will be a swindler himself. A child that grows up in an environment where his dad beats his mom, where the dad grants preferential treatment to the sons over the daughters, might end up a wife beater or a sexist. But what about the self made man, the man that comes from a poor background and makes it, shouldn’t he be admired even more for beating the odds (notwithstanding the tasteless flamboyance of some of the nouveau riche?) And how many people do we know that supposedly come from those good families, who do not live up to the expectations (and vice versa)? In a culture that does not value individualism, we are quick to infer, generalize, tag and even stigmatize, partly due, in my opinion, to intellectual laziness, for it is easier to pigeon-hole people, and partly due to our tribal, clannish mentality.

If we were to follow this mode of thinking, then the quality of a person’s character, her talents, hard work, and her values are ignored, or at best discounted.

Compare this to the US. Even though the capitalist system can be amoral and is certainly less than perfect, the President is black, Indian and Chinese people (who some in our culture consider inferior) are running some of the most prominent, and traditionally white Anglo-Saxon companies. Arabs, even Palestinians work for Jewish companies, probably advancing more than they would have had they stayed in the Middle East. The opportunity in the land of opportunity is due to the system of equality. The result is a torrent of brightest brains from the rest of the world to America.

Let’s look at our own history. While there were many factors that contributed to the Arab and Islamic Renaissance between the 9th and 13th centuries, and it might do injustice to pick on only one factor, but at least consider the Fatimid Caliphate. Unlike other governments in the area, Fatimid advancement in state offices was based more on merit than on heredity. Members of other branches of Islam, like the Sunnis, were just as likely to be appointed to government posts as Shiites. Tolerance was extended even to non-Muslims such as Christians and Jews, who occupied high levels in government based on ability.

The US example is equally applicable to at least one Arab country today. If we could ignore its racism and classism, Dubai is an example of an Arab country where commercialism has led to appointment and promotion of people based on merit.

When people are assigned posts and promoted not based on meritocracy but ancestry and contacts, the best and most qualified person will not be appointed to the job. The result is a loss of value to the company and to the country. If we hope to advance as a people and a nation, we need to break out of our bad habits, and look at the person for what he/she really is than the perception we have from a name.

Tags: culture in amman, jordan, meritocracy

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 18th, 2009 at 7:44 pm and is filed under Letters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.