Jordan's Royal Intrigue

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman talks about Jordan with Dr. Bessma Momani, professor of political science at the University of Waterloo and one of Canada's leading experts on the Middle East. Dr. Momani and Jon explore the recent controversy over former Crown Prince Hamzeh and the government’s concerns over public discontent. Then, Jon, Natasha Hall, and Danny Sharp discuss Jordanians' relationship with the state. Bessma Momani, “Opinion: The authorities in Jordan sounded the alarm about a coup. Jordanians aren’t convinced,” Washington Post, April 7, 2021. Bessma Momani, “Our feminist foreign policy is not perfect, but in Jordan, it’s doing a lot of good,” The Globe and Mail, March 31, 2019. Will Todman, "The Collapse of Jordan's Social Safety Net," CSIS, December 17, 2019. Episode Transcript, "Jordan's Royal Intrigue," CSIS, April 20, 2021.