Jordanian writer Nabil Ghishan said that what has been published in the New York Times by its office director in Jerusalem is a mere mistranslation.

“I used crystal-clear phrases, via the translator, to describe the relationship that ties Jordanians with the Hashemite family. I claimed that Jordanians would stick with their ruling family, as it possesses religious and historical legitimacy as well as many past achievements for the good of Jordan,” said Ghishan.
Nabil added that no one is asking to have a new ruling family in the kingdom, as Jordanians cannot imagine their lives without it. Ghishan answered a question about the possibility of demanding a change in the ruling Hashemite family with the simple fact that such a demand could be the right formula for civil war.

A statement was later published in the New York Times: Nabil Ghishan, a writer for daily newspaper Al-Arab Al-Yawm, said that the strength of Jordanians represents a new social power. People are worried about national identity and political order, attempting to awaken this spirit in the Jordanian people. But the problem lies in the fact that the opposition is already divided and that we have no clear vision about the circumstances after the departure of the Hashemite family.

Ghishan continued: “I think that the difference is so huge and obvious between the sentences [in the original and translated versions of the article]. I wrote a clarification in my Al-Arab Al-Yawm article on Monday to explain the mistranslation of what has been published and my intention to send a letter to the New York Times Editor in Chief to clarify the confusion that took place.”