Palestinian Refugees Identity in Jordan: The Danger of Integrating Vs The Struggle to Survive

Palestinian Refugees Identity in Jordan: The Danger of Integrating Vs The Struggle to Survive


A homeland is not a result of people gathering on piece of land, steal a portion of history and a space of reality to produce a homeland. A homeland is a result of rooted identity, loyal belonging, historical everyday actions and active memory. Depending on what mentioned above, what will be the result if these roots start to get dry, if its sources become to be shallow, its actions get polluted because of useless conflicts or the memory of its sons become confused? What will be the result if the social scene controlled by vast and various sub identities which will host the individuals after they loose their identities and replace the national identity? The national identity has been victimized by sophisticated arguments, political conflicts of different parties and the time passing. Time plays a significant role in enlarging these sub identities wither they are religious, ethnic, political or party identity.
For sure, the result will be catastrophic. But what the result will be if really the identity started to vanish, getting shallow, melt and start to integrate with another identity? I think the homeland will run out himself, its people will vomit its last identity components unconsciously to discover that his national compass lost its direction to a new stranger tiptoed into his identity with out paying attention to that stranger, as a result they become – the original and the new identity – one new creature with new identity. Realizing this dangerous situation, the necessity to shed the light on people was forced to leave their homeland become important and more important to check their identity; if it preserved itself or changed and acquired new features.
Palestinian refugees in Jordan suffers of critical Structurally flawed extended to its national Fabric , their identity and causes a wide Imbalance scale And a lot of holes can not be ragged easily relating to the refugee relation with his homeland through his vibrated identity which become a heavy load the refugee tries to get rid of it the first chance he gets to immigrate looking for a new homeland hoping to find what he missed in his original homeland; secure life and basic human rights.
The problem is, the identity is not sacred, stable and final given component. But moveable, changeable and historical curve. A person exist in a society first then he acquires its identity later in particular if there were aspects weaken the original identity in the host country. Mentioning the above, the situation of Palestinian refugees in Jordan has a critical, sensitive and special case since they go under the effects of various aspects of weakening their identity and the existence of suitable environment for them to acquire and gain new identity.
The main Palestinian memory store represented by the first generation of the Palestinian Catastrophe 1948 refugees is decreasing day by day through their death, taking with them Palestine all Palestine; the memories, Olive trees, the Orange land and the childhood play yard, leaving behind them the key of their old house in Palestine, a piece of land ownership certificate in Bisan "Betshan" valley and a generation knew and experienced Palestine as a before sleeping tale, a national song and a traditional food meal. This generation produced a complete different other generation who has weak connections with his mother homeland and his original national identity. in my opinion, this generation is completely excused since he was not born in the land of his ancestors and he never experienced Palestine as a land, farm, a childhood play yard, a future dream, a girl to fall in love with her, a pullet to shoot him or a cannon missile smashes him here and there to integrate his blood with the soil then he will resurrect as flower the next day.
In addition, the largest protector for Palestinian refugees identity in Jordan – the Palestinian Camps – collapsed, its role shrunk and its symbol and meaning gone away. All what it represents to the refugees now is just a place to sleep in and dream to leave it one day. For these reasons and others will be mentioned later in this study the Palestinian refugees in Jordan suffers of weakness and dying through its detaching from its traditions, history and identity. That is why it is urgent to save what remains of it and resurrect its spirit. More over, to shell it with resistance because if we failed in preserving the identity we will fail in creating a country.










Reasons of Palestinian refugees identity weakness

Historical Background

The problem goes back long time ago before the catastrophe to the year 1920 the date of establishing East Jordan Transit and to the purposes that transit had been established for. In one hand, we notice that it was created to receive the large number of refugees who will be dismissed later and will be forced to leave their homeland. On the other hand, this transit will play the role of security fence on the longest borders for Arab countries with occupied Palestine "Israel" or what we call a " Buffer State" . what proves that is the largest number of the refugees has been oriented to move to the Jordanian kingdom at that time 1948. that due to the role which Great Britain played in the decision of dividing in which G.B split Palestine away from Jordan to prepare it as a national homeland for the Jews. As result, the Zionist Movement got upset because it was planning to build its state on land of both countries. But it seems that G.B wanted Jordan to be the buffer state between the Arab area and "Israel".
The Palestinian refugees stayed in Jordan till their identity received the first strike in 1950 – the date of the two banks union – just two years after the catastrophe. They slept as Palestinians to wake up the next day and find themselves Jordanians holding the Jordanian nationality and passport instead of giving them passing documents to facilitate their life affairs and protect their identities at the same time. As a result, Jordan contained the two banks in one country called The Hashemite Kingdome of Jordan which led to melt the Palestinian identity with the Jordanian one. Jordan kept talking on the behalf of the Palestinian cause during 1950s till founding the PLO 1964.
We conclude that H.K.J polices played a direct role in the building of the Palestinian refugees identity in Jordan. Compared to the relative small numbers of Palestinian refugees in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt we find that the largest number of the refugees has been directed to Jordan and gave them Jordanian passports and nationality in contradict to the other host countries. It was better if the Jordanian government kept herself away of taking that role which served the Zionist state. It – the Jordanian government – was supposed to facilitate the Palestinian refugees affairs with out affecting their cultural, social and political identity, depending on the rule which says: the building of the Palestinian identity comes to encounter the Zionist identity not any other Arab regional identity considering that one of the most important goals for the Zionist movement is to melt and integrate the Palestinian identity within the identities of the host countries. We sum up the topic as follows:
1- the colonial powers started targeting the Palestinian identity since 1916 ( Syx – Bicon agreement ).
2- the Dividing Decision and Bilfor Promise to the Jews in 1917.
3- the Catastrophe 1948.
4- the union of the two banks in 1950 and granting the Jordanian nationality to the Palestinian refugees.
5- PLO appearance in 1964.
6- Black September Crisis in Jordan 1970.
7- ………………. In 1967.
8- 1973, Oct. war which created a strong feeling that it is a must to find one legitimate representative for the Palestinian cause for the first time since 1950.
9- the two banks union brake in 1988.
We can notice that the Palestinian identity has countered a lot of critical events which affect its diagrammatic level " up and down" passing by all those events. Depending on what mentioned above. What causes the weakness in the Palestinian identity beside this historical background? This what this study will try to answer.


First: the absence of the Palestinian organizations and platoons from the Jordanian area, as a result the absence of all organized programs wither they are social, cultural, humanitarian or service for the Palestinian refugees who are existed inside and out side the camps in Jordan which reflected negatively on the building of the Palestinian identity for the Palestinian refugees in Jordan. This absence caused that the refugees headed to the Jordanian civilian governmental associations. This heading affected their identity since they started to depend in one of their most important life sources on the Jordanian civilian associations which made their life security basically based on these Jordanian associations and the country it belong to. Human loyalty oriented to the place that offers him shelter, bread, and future.
On the other side we find a clear absence to the Palestinian national pirogues and its role beside the Palestinian parties and its associations. This pirogues if it is existed in Jordan we will find in one of two forms; wither it gave up its role as a national pirogues toward its people or we find it in a comprador dress trade every thing- a pure capitalist – in contradict this dark image for the Palestinian refugees in Jordan is not existed for the other Palestinian refugees in the other host countries like Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. In these countries the identity for the Palestinian refugees is strongly felt and touched because of the existence of what had been absent in Jordan as well these countries helped a lot to preserve the identity of the Palestinian refugees on their lands. Besides, the activity of the Palestinian organizations and parties just opposite the real situation in Jordan which shows the importance of existing these parties in the host countries and its role to organize the life of its people and shows the danger that threats the Palestinian groupings when these parties are away.

Second: the absence of the camp as a symbol and backward of its role in preserving the identity of the refugees.
The Palestinian refugees' camps now are considered a place to sleep in no more no less – a canton – it is not existed any more as a Palestinian meaningful symbol or a revolutionary frame. It is not any more an identity producer like it was in the past. It is not any more like how it was used to be said about it " when the Palestinian camp smile, the big cities tremble" but we find that there is a leaving movement from inside the camp to its out side, as well as a negative perspective toward it. The historical role of the Palestinian camp is getting less gradually. In the resistance era the camp was the main source for revolution and the main identity protector, but when the Palestinian movements and parties left Jordan due to black September 1970 events, it was the big mistake committed by most of those movements and parties if not all of them when they left with out re-organizing the camps and its residents' affairs which means those refugees had been left to unknown and arbitrary future incidents at seventies and eighties of last century. As a result for that, fear has been instilled in their personalities. More over, what affect the Palestinian refugees' identity in Jordan at that time they were prevented from work or travel what let a negative and scared generation appear while time passing. With the absence of this camp's role an unconscious and frightened generation was created with a common even a collective feeling that this generation is not the generation of change and it is capabilities are below the need to change and its presence as Palestinians is interacting as a minority although they were and still a majority in Jordan. What is strange and gives us a clue to something critical, is that we do not notice any festival evidences for Palestinian national days in most of the Palestinian refugees' camps in Jordan, if it existed, it is not as it must be or at least at it is supposed to be. It was clearly notable those held events to celebrate the national Palestinian days were short, meaningless and lack its national spirit because they were nothing but listed agenda of who held it and a program of activities must be executed. This from my point of view is a very dangerous and critical evidence for the weakness at the Palestinian refugees in Jordan.
Third: loosing trust in going back to Palestine and peace process. Besides, the feeling those Palestinian governmental and non governmental associations are not doing their duties to force the UN to apply world legitimate decisions related to getting back the refugees to their home lands and compensate them. The Palestinian refugee also feels that the Palestinian negotiator in peace process is slouching and shows that he is ready to trade the right of return even he keeps declaring in front of mass media that the cause of the refugees is a red line and it is not negotiable, but the Palestinian refugee in Jordan as well other Palestinian refugees in other host countries knows very well that his cause and right it nothing but a pressure paper used by the Palestinian negotiator to depress the Israeli side in order to get some political benefits. This created a feeling for the new generations as well old ones that the idea of return is something legendary or mythic more than it is real. The Palestinian official side is cunning and unserious in right of return and what is more it to world conferences its main purpose is to drop the right of return and to settle the refugees in their host countries which gave a reason for the refugees to disbelieve in their political people. On the other hand, with all respect to the Palestinian NGOs efforts, they do not stop holding conferences which insist and ensure the right of return. But its role must be bigger and more active in the light of weakness of the official one that acting as what the Zionist movement and the imperialism ask them to do. Those NGOs hurried to save what remains of the Palestinian history which preserved in the minds and hearts of the first catastrophe generation. Wither to record it orally, video tape it or write it down, realize that time starts to steal a very important if it is not the most important layer of Palestinian refugees. The layer of those who experienced the catastrophe and migration. Hence, this generation leaves us taking with him a large source of Palestinian heritage. When he is gone, an important testify on a critical stage of the Palestinian history will be lost. A stage the Zionist propaganda tries hardly to deface it and disguise its mark points. When this generation gone, an other generation left that Palestine is not for him more than a story he heard it from his father or grand father about the fields of orange and olive. A generation knows Palestine as a revolutionary song for freedom on a cassette, a " kooffia" put it round his neck or a type of popular food the girl learnt it from her mother, her grandmother lost its meaning by time and its symbol. Things once upon a time formed a strong longing to the homeland.
This generation produced a complete third type of generations, Palestine to him is a luxurious thinking, cultural show and unfruitful discussion in this party and that. Which conclude Palestine all Palestine in a very narrow party, movement, group wither it is ethnic or religious. What is known as second and third Palestinian generations in the host countries suffer ethical and spiritual sharp problems, since the majority of them cultural identity crisis. They do not realize the values of their original identities and they are unable to integrate in the host societies. Curing the situation needs cultural specialized studies, a new form of education takes into its consideration the variety of social and cultural situation. Identity in its deep meaning it is not a thing related to the past only, but it is some thing to be built and established. So if it is important to preserve the elements that distinguish the identity, it will be important too making the necessary changes which endowed it with renewal thinking, analyzing and do its best. Other wise, the Palestinian human will acquire a new multiple humanitarian identity which reflected by the series of discussions in the refugees special comity and dropping the right of return and its commitment to a lot of plans and projects to settle the refugees and qualify them in the places they are living in since more than sixty years.
The new formed situation which appeared as a result to the Palestinian – Israeli peace agreements reflected the mutability in Palestinian geographical distribution wither it is inside " Israel " itself, the new born state – Palestinian authority –or the rest of world countries. Consequently, the future Palestinian self conscious will be in the form of interlinked circles its center is the Palestinian authority, its circles will be linked all over the world. Circles of pain, suffer and un adherence to those societies. These circles in its turn will lead to a new circles of new Palestinian self conscious and understanding for their existence.
This means and according to the peaceful leveling for the refugees cause with Arabic – Islamic – Israeli meetings regardless its relative achievements a new humanitarian reality will be created. From its womb there will be Jordanian – Palestinian, Syrian – Palestinian, Lebanese – Palestinian etc societies. These new born societies has to take the responsibility to build its new behavioral social feelings and other Arabic fiber avouching traditions. Instead of protecting the Palestinian one social fiber will be created because of Arabic – Israeli peaceful leveling a lot of different Palestinian societies which they are different from each other on a hand and completely different from its source – Palestine. The sure result for this will be Palestinian identity vanishing and acquiring a new strange identity mixed of a past genetic in its genes and a tangible daily reality it lives it.
In Jordan, the Palestinian society is the most among other Palestinian societies in other host countries faces the danger of melting and fading if it is not protected soon, and it will acquire all Jordanian habits and traditions by time if it is not stopped.

Symptoms of vibrating

The aspects of vibrating in the Palestinian refugees' identity have its evidences and meanings. Some of these aspects are clear the others are non notable. The spreading of Palestinian people inside Palestine; ( west bank, Gaza strip and " Israel " ) or out side Palestine in particular ( Jordan, Syria and Lebanon ) caused the appearance of a lot of distinguished Palestinian societies which they are different according to social, political, economical and cultural dimensions in its relations with each other in one hand and its relation with mother Palestine on the other hand.
In Jordan the Palestinian refugees had been granted the rights and duties of Jordanian citizens mean while in other host countries, they keep their identities and difference from the host society for them. In spite of the political and social organization for host countries' refugees, their large numbers in some areas – camps , the relative integrating in the host countries and their involvement in parties and activities related for them, they form un separated part of the societies they live in. which created a clear duality in their identities. In Jordan, large part of Palestinian refugees suffer weakness, melting, fading, vanishing and integrating in their identities with the Jordanian one.
In recorded meetings for " Palestine oral history " project we hear the answer of the last common question in the meeting which is : " if you have the chance to go back to your homeland in future, would you go back" ? part of those interviewed people answered with " No!" the interviewed people justified their answers by saying: " I was born here, made a family, established a work and built a house too" even some of them added I have nothing to do in Palestine. According to this, Palestinians in Jordan are existed in one of two zones, the first a complete proud of his nationality and identity. The second, completely proud of his belonging to Jordanian nationality and ignoring his Palestinian identity. An other strong clue was during the last Jordanian parliament elections 2007, it was notable that many of pure Palestinian origin nominees highlighted mottos declared his denial for his Palestinian identity to the Jordanian one. Like that slogan which said: " the tribes of ….. are Jordanian belongingness and Hashemite loyalists on a big lighted signboard. Other Palestinian nominees mottos said: " we will not accept any king but ….. and no homeland for us but ….." this evidence raise a big and important question, is it ANOMIA? Which means: is it a kind of amnesia " loss of memory" that leads to forget our own identity? Or circumstances do not allow those nominees to declare their original identity, so they will keep them selves away of danger like be accused of discrimination. What is known that the first case is happening rarely. In this case the second case still remains. Is it really such mottos as evidence of Palestinian identity's vibrating symptom highlighted as a way to gain as much votes as possible from eastern Jordanians? Or it is conscious detachment from Palestinian national identity? I leave the study of such symptoms for more specialized people.
An other image of this vibrating embodied painfully when a discussion opened between a group of people about compensation and right of return, then we will hear the following: " what is for me in Palestine"? " I want to have the money and live my life" forgetting that he has the right to go back to his home land and get compensated according to the UN laws and decisions.
The problem is more serious for those Palestinians who live out side the camps. Although the camp's role retreated, its existence still plays the role of protection and remembering them with their identities. For those who are living out side the camp have no guardian for their identities but their conscious to their selves, their education, their understanding for situation and cause. The reality, unfortunately that most of them are not aware and there is no one ware them so they are vulnerable to loose their identity and left to time, social and natural factors to melt them among other society.



The role of cultural symbols in preserving the identity for Palestinian refugee

Based on what mentioned above, we find that the weakness in Palestinian refugees' identity that live in Jordan is not due to one recent reason rather to historical accumulations encountered. Some of them were a result to natural historical events during the past decades. Others were programmed by colonial and imperial forces. This weakness was not because of particular reason but for many; political, social, cultural and economical. Generally speaking, the Palestinian refugees' identity is in danger but it is more for those live in Jordan because of the privacy for Jordanian field due to the civilian rights and duties they had been granted as if they were first class Jordanian citizens. What put it in the eye of the real danger, knowing that it is already in problematic situation.
What keeps and preserves the refugees' identity in Jordan till now is some of national cultural symbols which are not easily can be rooted up. These cultural symbols even if it looses its meaning in most of the time and its deep symbolism but it still play its role more or less. The Palestinian national symbols are essential in bringing out the Palestinian identity, preserving it and keep reminding Palestinians in Jordan all at once. The most famous symbol among other symbols is the Palestinian " kooffia", the traditional dress and its needle work, the accent, food and freedom revolutionary songs. All these symbols represent a large introductory signboard for the Palestinians where they went or stayed. It is a must while we are talking about the Palestinian cultural symbols to hint that we are not talking about a regional identity facing another ( Palestinian – Jordanian ) because of the sensitivity of this topic on the Jordanian field. But the speaking here is about an Arabic identity encountering a Zionist one.
The Palestinian "kooffia" with its mixed colors white and black is also known with other names as "Assilik" or "Hatta". It represents the simple life of Palestinian peasants in the Palestinian villages. Its earthy color reflects simplicity besides their sticking to their homeland away from the city's colorful life with its contrastive and contradiction. The Palestinian peasant used to dry his forehead sweating while he was plowing and cultivating his land, to protect him from the heat of summer and the cold of winter. Later, in 1936 Palestinian revolution the "kooffia" was attached to the national Palestinian struggle since then. The rebellious peasants used it to hide their faces in their struggle against the imperial England in order their personalities will not be discovered. Then, with the beginning of the Palestinian modern revolution "kooffia" was linked to the name of "the Fida'een" in the second half of sixties last century. Since that time the world knew the "kooffia" as Palestine, Palestinians and their struggle. This connection become stronger during the first "Intifada" 1987 till the second " Intifada" 2000. till today strugglers still put on the " kooffia" for the same liberty reasons and goals that was set by strugglers in 1936.
With moving a very large number Palestinians to neighboring countries as a result to the Zionist attack in 1948, a lot of traditions, customs and heritage moved with those people to the countries they forced to move to. The "kooffia" was one of those things with all its meanings. Unfortunately, even in Jordan "kooffia" represented the same meaning it used to have it in its original place during "black September" 1970 events. Now after more than sixty years of happening the catastrophe of 1948 we still see the old Palestinian refugees put on the "kooffia" for the same reason that was existed before 1936, but what related for the Palestinian youth refugees in Jordan, we see them clearly put on the "kooffia" specially during the years of their collage and university years for shallow reasons controlled and motivated by their age stage and the competitive atmosphere of the universities in order to prove Palestinian identity against the Jordanian one in a discriminative narrow frame. It is well known when you see a person with this "kooffia" in any Jordanian street that indicates he is Palestinian. The problem is that this person is not reviving the meaning of this cultural symbol. As the "kooffia" moved with Palestinian refugees to the host countries also their traditional dress moved with them. Those dresses took with them the geography of its regions, its perspectives, its sons' culture and taste in designing. Palestinian Dress disappeared quickly in Jordan. Now a days, we can not see both men and women Palestinian traditional dress but few numbers of oldies. It will be a very happy coincidence if you meet an oldie dressing the Palestinian traditional dress. The large percent of the Palestinian refugees in Jordan found for themselves modern cloths going along with mode and stylistic fashions. In spite of the clear disappearance for the Palestinian traditional dress but we can find some Palestinian families here in Jordan still keeping the traditional dress until today like those who come from Bethlehem " al ta'amra" tribe and those who come from Bi'r al saba' desert – south Palestine – it may be the life's type these two tribes depended helped them a lot to preserve their national dress contrary to those who depended the city life style. Today, if you wanted to see some Palestinian traditional dress you have to visit a specialized museum for Palestinian dress. With absence of the Palestinian traditional dress a hard and strong fort for protecting the Palestinian identity is gone. The matter makes a crack in the identity of Palestinian refugees who live in Jordan. This crack let many other identities infiltrate to the Palestinian one and its original components.
The kitchen heritage considered one of the most important components for any nation in the world and the firmest aspect of its features. The Palestinian woman is the queen of domestic kitchen, it is for her a throne that she will not give up for any reason. For Palestinian lady, cooking is an art, hobby, fondness, passionate and a mean of musing. The Palestinian house wife diversified preparing delicious meals, she would stay a complete long days with her friends making one big delicious meal. It might the Palestinian food; its occasions and its rituals is the firmest component of the Palestinian identity for the refugees in Jordan and the most ever lasting one. Its secrets and arts move genetically from the mother to her daughter and so on. This way the Palestinian food plays an essential role in preserving the identity for the Palestinian refugees in Jordan. As a result for contact between the Palestinians with the people of the host country – Jordan – they grant and gain from the Jordanian society the culture of traditional food which is natural in the light of knowing that humans are social being paring in mind each culture must keep its essential aspects of its culture so they will not mix to create a new mixed culture which means the unacceptable integrating finally.
Another important cultural aspect preserve the Palestinian identity for the refugees in Jordan is the Palestinian dialect and their accent. The Palestinian dialect considered the first introductory featured card when you meet them any where. Its sweet and special way of pronunciation plays a significant role of uniting the Palestinian refugees in Jordan. It is notable that the Palestinian accent is too much strong the more they are living near to each other in big groups like the camps or when they form the majority of the area they are living in like in Amman the capital of Jordan. As well, it tends to be weaker when Palestinian refugees live separately and in places its majority is Jordanian residences. When its so, it is normal that you find a Palestinian refugee speaks to you with pure Jordanian dialect because he was born among them so he acquired the Jordanian accent.
Depending on the short brief above I can state that the cultural factors have a very important role in keeping and preserving Palestinian refugees' identity in Jordan. This identity suffers of separation from its native country, past and its roots in a very clear way among large percent of them in particular the new generations. As it is so bad for the current generation and the clear absence for his identity in most of the times, for sure it will be more catastrophic for the coming generation and its identity will be probably easily faded and vanished in the light of what we discussed earlier. Palestinian refugees in Jordan have been exposed to many governmental tries to integrate them with the Jordanian society with doing nothing to preserve their identities at the same time. The presence of these cultural factors are verify according to its strength and weakness which raises the danger of integrating with host societies. This means keep watching and noting the development of this phenomena is necessary. This process – the change in identity – is developed slowly, active deeply with catastrophic results at the same time.


Written by: Ma'moun M. Khalaf
Assaqer101@hotmail.com