From : shoufshouf2004@yahoo.co.uk
Sent : Sunday, May 8, 2005 3:48 AM
To : arabtimesnewspaper@hotmail.com
Subject : Scholarships in Jordan


Dear Friends at Arab Times
Greetings from the UK. I have read the two participations regarding the UK chevening awards and the governmental PhD studentships as I have been through both procedures.

As for the Chevening award, the gentleman who described the case of Firas Malahmeh has been absolutely accurate and descriptive. The administration of British Council in Amman usually awards around 55 studentships per year to Jordanians, but given its corrupt nature (both Jordanian and British employees who receive generous remuneration from government offcials) almost 85% of these studentships go to siblings of government officials and the rest are passed on to the big majority of people who qualify and really deserve to get all of the scholarships. I was surprised at some names that got it like the son of a former Prime Minister who was sent to the University of Glasgow to get a Master degree in Medical Genetics and came back with a degree in drunkness and sex thus heavily destrying the image of Arab people especially Jordanians.

As for the government ones, they are simply offered on the basis of GARABA (relation) and 3ASHEERA (family and tribe) again by corrupt university deans and university presidents. When you go and discuss things with this class of people they simply start making you feel so small.

It is almost very complicated for Jordanian (and arab) students to get a bursary or studentship here in the UK because the majority of these are fairly given to UK, European Union and Commonwealth students. Students in the USA and Canada usually get help from boards in both nations (correct me if I am wrong as you guys live in the US) and Chinese and Malaysian students get very generous financial aid from their governments or private companies without even having to commit to a lifetime contract like the arab world.

I do sympathise with my colleague who is self funded by parents like me as the case is almost identical. My family had to mortgage our home in Amman to be able to help me fulfil my ambitions and additionally I have to work part time as a waiter serving food and having to clean toilet seats to earn a living while other Jordanians and Arabs (namely the sons of government officials and the so called elite society those that do not make 5% of 300,000,000 Arabs) fool around affecting us even worse by the way the British people look at us so degradeably. In front of so many people they pose as 'committed muslims' (ha ha ha ha) praying and calling English people infidels and not eating from their food because it is not 'HALAL' and at nights they are spotted in night clubs and pubs getting drunk and foolishly chasing prostitutes. This is again a price we have to pay as committed students in addition to what we've been through in our country.

I am just praying for a major change for the sake of our people's youth and hopefully this day will come. I can sense the freedom that emerged in Lebanon and hopefully from there it will spread to the entire Arab countries.
Many thanks for you guys and please pass on my biggest regards to my biggest example, Dr Osama Fawzi, a man whom I love, respect and cherish.

All the best
Mohammed Mohammed