Anyone who knows very little about Jordanian politics can tell that Jordanians are obsessed with “foreign agendas” and tend to believe that they are targeted by conspiracies from every state of the world.

They can praise your patriotism if you implement the policies that preserve their short-term interests, but if you take a second look and start having second thoughts questioning the legitimacy of these policies, you’re immediately accused of masterminding a plot that seeks to eradicate the “national identity”, you become an ally of the United States and Israel and it becomes obvious that you are cooperating with Israeli politicians to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict “at the expense of Jordan”.

Well, it’s true that Jordan is in the midst of a volatile region, we are being reminded every day by our local press and news websites that some Israeli politicians have a vision for “an alternative homeland” for Palestinians on the Jordanian soil, but that doesn’t mean the rise of car accidents on our roads can be directly attributed to this conspiracy.

The recent outbreaks of violence in Al-salt and other incidents have shed the light on horrible facts and there was some sort of a consensus that those incidents were a result of political marginalization, repression, poverty and other social ills that eventually undermine the rule of law.

One prominent Jordanian politician claims that it is obvious that these attacks are part of a conspiracy against Jordanian tribes to deter the unity among their members and eventually implement the “alternative homeland” scenario.

That very same politician wrote an article a few months ago and he tried to differentiate between the acceptable allegiance for a tribe and the unacceptable chauvinism, when I discussed his article with one of my colleagues, he laughed and wondered if it was the right time to satisfy his constituencies as the country embarks upon a new season of elections.

I have some questions for this Jordanian politician and all the likeminded people.

When those fights you talk about took place, my colleagues who originally hail from al Salt couldn’t attend their classes at university because of their last names and had to stay out of sight. Those students, whom I suppose are patriotic judging based on the predominant criterion, criticized the government and expressed resentment because “the state is incapable of imposing the rule of law”, those people seemed to be self-critical and they were aware of the fact that the problem is ours, the shortcomings are our responsibility and they could easily conclude that we are not a society that abides by laws. Are they unpatriotic because they excluded “foreign agendas” from the list? Or are they part of the conspiracy?

Other questions keep me busy digging for logical answers. When Eva Abu Halaweh, a prominent local activist, was allegedly discussing granting Jordanians of Palestinian origins political rights , a lawsuit was filed by some “patriotic” citizen and she was accused of discording the national unity, why is Eva Abu Halaweh taken to court, while hundreds of columnists discord this unity on a daily basis in the guise of “preserving the trans Jordanian identity”?

Why is it acceptable for people to marginalize me because of my origins, exclude me from certain posts, write on a daily basis that I am not part of this country because of some ambigiuous explanations and when I try to protest against what I perceive as injustice, I become a Zionist who seeks to tear this nation apart to facilitate the Israeli plot?

Who is tearing this nation apart anyway? Is it people who introduce themselves as Jordanians and fight against chauvinism of any sort? Or is it a policy that survives on last names?

I completely understand that Jordan can be threatened by conspiracies, but that doesn’t mean I have to stay on the sidelines for good. I know that Jordan’s resources are scarce and they don’t cover its needs, but I have been living in Jordan for 22 years, I am Jordanian by the definition of the law, I feel pure allegiance to Jordan, I consume its resources when I am sitting at home and I don’t think my consumption will change if I am sitting under the dome to have a say in my country’s future.

To every Jordanian politician, columnist or even an ordinary citizen who thinks that marginalizing “full” citizens can protect Jordan, please allow me to explain a different opinion, you may not be protecting Jordan as much as you can be harming it, for a citizen who is alienated on a daily basis may not remain loyal forever and his/her allegiance can eventually turn into grudge.

And please, if it ever happens, don’t call those people “traitors” who have forgotten Jordan’s “favors” and “generosity”, try to understand that they may have tried so hard and you have deterred them in every possible way.