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Transcending tribalism

Jun 24,2018 - Last updated at Jun 24,2018

For every act great or small that Jordanians may wish to do, there is inevitably a point at which they need to submit a petition, supported by a pile of bumph, to some official for permission to proceed. At best, the official would not do anything positive to assist the citizen in his undertaking, he merely would not obstruct the project by denying permission. So, depending on the importance of the project, Jordanians often seek the mediation of a person of consequence to put the official in a receptive frame of mind for their petition. 

The question then becomes, to which person of consequence the applicant should appeal. In Jordanian parlance, the question is “who is the official’s key”? In many cases, it is sufficient to know to which tribe or tribal subgroup the official belongs. From this single piece of information, it is often possible to trace the lines of patronage and allegiance that would determine the prospects of success or failure.

This practice is not unique to Jordan, of course; it is so widespread that some scholars and diplomats try to embellish it with the politically correct term: “advanced indigenous entrepreneurial skills”. In the 19th century, Nikolai Gogol described it vividly in his short novel “The Overcoat”. 

All the same, this practice is a serious handicap to any country’s progress. When people think with their epidermis, genitalia or pedigree to make professional decisions, the outcome is inevitably flawed. Anyone who doubts this needs only raise the question to see how otherwise intelligent and reasonable people start to blurt out the most alarmingly asinine arguments. 

But there are instances when Jordanians rise above tribalism. For instance, during the recent protests, when officials were criticised for alleged corrupt behaviour, whether or not the accusation was justified, it was not on the basis of their tribe or ethnicity. 

Another positive indicator, is that the selection of the new prime minister, Omar Razzaz, was welcomed not only by Jordanians of Damascene origin, but by the majority of the population. Jordanians appear to have cast aside considerations of tribe, region or confessional group, and welcomed the appointment of the prime minister because he is highly educated and has a reputation for being an effective and clean administrator. 

The behaviour of Jordanians in these instances is the opposite of traditional social behaviour because, in times of uncertainty, people tend to fall back on primitive forms of communal identity, such as the tribe or confessional group. This is normal, because one of the most primordial survival instincts is the belief that one’s tribe is inherently superior to all others, and hence it deserves better.

And yet, in this moment of extreme uncertainty, Jordanians appear to have opted for meritocracy rather than the tribe. There may be a message in this behaviour, that tribalism, along with many other institutions, has largely discredited itself. A more optimistic outlook would be that Jordanian society, or at least some sections of it, are becoming mature enough to transcend tribalism.

 

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