Proposition for Jabal al Qala'a intervention.

After returning from a very emotive visit to Jabal al Qala'a with Rola and Mais last Wednesday, I started to write down a long commentary regarding this most interesting of neighbourhoods in this city. After re-reading the reflections, I decided not to post them on Interruptions blog, knowing fully that the content and tone of what I wrote, could ruffle the feathers of some of the magazine's primary sponsors (stumbled upon accidentally). Being a guest contributor, I thought it is more appropriate to keep my observations private at this point, until I further notice.

On the other hand, I think we can still dedicate a significant part the upcoming Interruption issue to Jabal al Qala'a. The neighbourhood is being fast tracked toward expropriation, without giving the residents adequate time to organize and mount an effective contestation campaign against the municipality's plans, or at least meaningfully participate in shaping the future of their neighbourhood and therefore their own. Interruption could intervene to provide this community with an urgent platform for making their case against these impending collective displacement plans.

Some suggestions on how we can approach this story:
We could spend at least half a day sometime next week in Salama Bin Alakwa3 street. Identify and meet with several key characters or families who have been in the neighbourhood for more than half a century, or for several generations ( Mais's grandmother would be one of them), and split the task of interviewing them amongst those of us interested to contribute to this feature. We meet with them , hear out their stories and try to re-tell it in relation to the place they live in. The idea is to expose how intertwined is the memory of the inhabitants with the urban fabric. The hakayas of the community that shaped the mountain over generations, could raise the readers awareness about the cultural and historic meaning of this neighbourhood, and hopefully raise questions about the merits and implcations of such re-development approach on the lives of many whose stories are literally woven in the landscape of the place.

Munir, you must join us when we plan our next visit to this neigbourhood, the community is really worth making a trip for. So when are you coming to Amman next!!

*One of the most hypnotic books about cities and memory is "Invisible cities" by Italo Calvino.

I encourage you to post your feedback, even if not in favour of this proposition!
Eman 05. 08.2009