It started few weeks back, with all the red flyers promoting for the event covered the roads, it did get my attention, the idea of such a festival was needed for long time I thought, and I was happy it was here finally. It looked like its going to be well planned and organized, lots of singers, Jordanians, Arabs and international, some of which you can enjoy seeing at the same concert.
Parallel with that, there were rumors saying that the organizing company, a French one called “puplicis” had organized before Israel 60th anniversary celebrations of its establishment, hence; few voices were rising to boycott the festival.
Without proven or solid evidence, using nationalism as a cover-up, rumors has become facts; major local unions and communities joined in, and believed in the false cause, protests were held, the Jordanian artists association even took the initiative communicating officially with other associations in the Arab world, like in Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt, explaining to them the lie that they bought, and buying their support to boycott the festival.
The rumor that have started small, has gotten big by now, it made a base, people believed it because of all the fuss that was made over it not to mention it was supported by unions who they trusted, some Arab artists believed the lie as well, and joined the cause, Jordanian artist association even threatened to use its legal right against any artist who doesn’t boycott the festival.
Official voices started to surface, they can no longer watch the festival hit rock bottom over one big fat lie, at first no body cared what the officials say, and no one actually listened. People hate Israel, 15+ years of peace didn’t change a lot of things in this regards, they wanted to believe Israel had something to do with the festival; even in an indirect way, they wanted to believe anything that would give them a feeling of victory, heroism or nationalism supporting something that’s anti Israeli and against normalization.
Officials voices raised up, they are heard now, over the TV, radio, newspapers, and everywhere, true facts need to be cleared before rumors makes anymore damage, and the true story has gone out, it started by the higher association for tourism officials, followed by the minister for media affairs, the minister of tourism, the prime minister and finally the king himself….
“Puplicis” it self, denied it had anything to do with Jordan festival; it even denied further it had organized the event of Israel celebrations in the first place.
Why would all of these people lie, are their sense of nationalism any less than any other Jordanian?! It’s really funny and yet disturbing that our people can be easily hoaxed and manipulated even a respected institutions like the Jordanian artists association.
The important thing is the truth came out and it says the following:
- The organizing party is purely Jordanian.
- The company that helped in contracting with Arab and international artists is French as well, but not “puplicis” in any chance, its name is “Les Visiteurs du Soir” the same company that organized Fairouz concerts outside of Lebanon.
- The festival is starting officially in 2009 where in 2008 the events would be purely artistic to fill in the summer and support tourism.
In anyway the festival is still up running, officials are communicating the true picture to the Arab artists, trying to revive what rumors had almost killed.
The question that should be raised here though, did we really benefit Jordan in this?! Did such un-supported and hasty decisions reflect the picture that we love to show about the country!
another question pops in my mind now too, how would the journalist who made and supported the story would be feeling now, when the king himself said they were a bunch of incompetent and unprofessional people!
Tell you what, and its my personal opinion, and some might hate me for telling this, even if “puplicis” was the organizing company, and even if it had something to do with organizing Israel celebration of establishment, I wouldn’t even boycott the festival, business is business, if the company had the experience, the quality of delivery and the a completive price then why not!
It’s a contracted company and it gets paid for what it does! Feelings should stay out of this, however, this doesn’t mean in anyway that am supportive of Israel though, I’m not, I love my country and is jordanian to the bones, I’m just saying that the least business, emotions and politics mix the more one can just be.
