Closing of Books@Cafe
Written By: Madian al Jazerah, co-owner of Books@Cafe
This is about where we stand in hypocrisy and bigotry…and where we will be if we remain quiet.
Books@Cafe and many other establishments have been closed this week. Here is what I witnessed and what happened to us at Books@Cafe:
The night before Ramadan, the police violently stormed into the café and asked us to close down. “This is the holy month of Ramadan!” they barked. Since we are officially licensed and they could provide no official papers, we refused to close.
This is the third year we operate, fully licensed by the Ministry of Tourism and the Hotel and Restaurant Association. This is very important, because we are categorized as 3-star tourist, with recent faxes from the Ministry endorsing the permit to operate all day with regular food and drink service, including alcohol.
Last Wednesday, we hear that a security committee (Al lajna al amnia) has been formed and comprises of 3 groups: The Hotel and Restaurant Association, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Governate. All three must be present when this committee goes out to inspect.
That Wednesday night, the new committee barged into Books@Cafe (making sure every one saw them) and bullying everyone with their looks and comments.
They then walked into the kitchen while many of us including my brother were standing and witnessing. One person proceeds to tell our chef that there are cockroaches, insects, mice in the kitchen. Every one was baffled and were telling him to show us what he was talking about! Of course there was nothing, but with every accusation, he ordered one of his committee members to write it down and then adds, “let them get what they deserve for serving alcohol in this holy month.”
Our chef kept asking the guy to show him where he saw cockroaches, mice, however the inspector was not there to listen; he was just there to write us up and penalize us.
Despite the fact that only representatives from the Ministry and the Governate were there – no one from the Hotel and Restaurant Association. The guy then tells us we should not be serving alcohol on the terrace; we immediately pulled all liquor sales indoors.
Sunday night, we get shocked with the visit from the police with an order to close. There was no reason within the order. Of course, they only come at night so that there is no one to call or anything to do. When we showed them our papers, they kept calling us a night club. We are licensed as a restaurant. To them, if alcohol is served, then it is a night club. This is the logic we encountered, regardless of the fully accredited and legal license.
To our shock, the order started with the same Ministry of Tourism representative who received us like we were dirt at the ministry. He had sent a document with 18 accusations at us including the basic cockroaches, insects etc. Including another accusation “jalsat 7ameema wa tabadol al qubal.” Roughly translated into “intimate gatherings and exchange of kissing.” He also mentions that someone told him to go and form his prayer ablutions with beer! The document stated that this was all happening on the terrace, in public and in front of us and everyone! The guy was lying through his teeth!
For now Books@Cafe is closed. We are trying to get the license to reopen and have to send a “ister7am” as in begging for mercy for something we were legally doing and licensed by our ministry to do. To date the Ministry of Tourism and the Hotel and Restaurant Association have done nothing. The star rating system they have created has no value or protection.
Any comments on our system? Do we pay a rashwa to get things done or do we fight to make Jordan and our system fully protect our rights? Or do we just close up and leave the country and lose all our love and loyalty to Jordan? I prefer to fight for a better Jordan and I think everyone should do the same. This is my country and I live in it and I will contribute to a better Jordan.
UPDATE: The ministry has a list of 60 places recently closed. Cupid Cafe, Irish Pub and others are included.
EDITORS’ NOTE: We would like to note that while 7iber encourages and welcomes all forms of debate, however sensitive the topic may be, it DOES NOT sanction any conversation that is laden with disrespectful language. Please find a way to get your point across without attacking others or their beliefs. Also, please keep it clean: profanity does not strengthen one’s argument.
Thank you.
Dear Suhad …
i lived in the state for a while (California to be specific) and you cant proclaim or match between human rights here and there … there is a big diffrence between respecting people and forcing people … i dont want to fast this is my freedom i want to grab a bear during lunch time and this a freedom 2 … people who want to fast should consider us the other irreligious people (globalists people) … freedom ha …
i cant drink water, eat or smoke in public because of ramadan were is my freedom …who ever want to be religious its his own case … i dont have to obey with peoples spiritual side … now i feel like a minority. but the funny thing is most of my colleagues friends and co-workers are facing the same issue so basically were are not a minority. but we have to live like one .
Regards .. Malik
Change should start with the people’s mentality in Jordan….and that’s one long way for Jordan….which by itself -and I am sorry to say it – is a mission impossible.
I don’t understand why don’t they just forbid alcohol drinks in Ramadan and be dealt with…tourists are actually more intellectual than we think and they understand the habits and customs of the country they are visiting….I don’t see how this can change, Ramadan will always be a spiky issue in Islamic countries, including Jordan.
Good luck on your fight, although it seems to me that Amman was much much “free-er” back in the 80′s and it’s been going downhill ever since….I hope you prive me wrong.
Hi guys,
is books@ still closed?
I have heard so many stories of lijan going around to restaurants in Ramadan closing down cafes and restaurants , one story was the minister of interior him self …that was quit surprising and too much for his position…it made me think…is it for personal reasons or just a random check hmmmmm.
By giving these places the legal document and license to open in Ramadan and resume their activities including serving alcohol for who ever would like and then shutting down their places by another authority is a bit disappointing …personally I think we have a big problem in the system….there is no co operation or planning from all these authorized ministries whether it be the interior , the tourism or even restaurant association…(one of them is trying to show muscles by showing they are putting Jordan on the right track) what track or identity are we after???????? this is the confusion……
For the sake of argument, if I am an owner of a place( we know that is not something easy or simple) and I have all legal documents where do I go after my place has been shut down …who should protect me ???? if restaurant association put their hands up and would do nothing…then why do they exist in the first place …just for prestige or what???… The ministry of tourism on the other hand laughs at the orders they get especially when the violations are exchanging kisses or indecent dress code…maybe restaurants and cafes should have signs saying NO KISSING or MIND UR DRESS CODE just being creative and sarcastic!!
I think what is happening is very alarming….what happened to promoting investments and services that news papers have been talking about on behalf of officials in Jordan??? What do we want Jordan to be??? The grave yard of ambitious talented youth Jordanians??? By doing this we are forcing these people to pack and leave..Opening businesses in other countries and employing non Jordanians …..then we will all sit back and say why do we have un employment….why there is no place to go and have a nice time meet friends…etc.. in Jordan ?
If the whole point was alcohol during Ramadan…then save these poor employees the sins of fabricating and laying in their reports ……and just announce officially that alcohol is banned during Ramadan in ALL places that are out of hotels.
There is too much corruption and problems going on I honestly think its time for higher people to pay attention..Madian you do have a case no matter how small others think it is …good luck to all .
so let me get this straight, prostitution, homos, all those video clips, bank interests, alcohol, atheists, they are all there in jordan, aren’t they? but now that this stinging country is biting u in the ass it suddenly became islamic? so now who’s the hypocrite? do u honestly believe those inspectors were after u because u sell alcohol? probably another stinging corrupt alcohol owner wants you out of business and bribed them, that makes more sense, bribe them back!
The place reopened I heard :)
mariam, bravo i think you got it right my dear , honestly i think we are people full of hate and dont like to see anyone doing well or successful especially when they are in the same profession unfortunatly….bribs , and connections serving personal interests is there for sure…and the inspectors or police are just employees taking orders from higher officials that sometimes abuse thier authorities..and a big question mark is there …WHY!! In the name of what ever they are doing it or what ever violation of law they are framing it..they are only hidding behind thier reports / order but never can hide from God and thats a fact!
Congrats on the re-opening of books@ i hope the comments helped in any way and good luck for those who are still suffering or have pending issues.
God bless.
This proofs that Jordan is full of corruption and yes you need to pay Rashwa and money to re-open your place. You have to be VIP or your parents to get away with things. That is our lovely country Jordan and this is were we are going down hill.
madian. . . stay strong my friend. . .
whatever we can do to help just tell us. . . .
jordan can be a beacon of warmth and wisdom and mutual understanding. . . but you’re right. . . we have to struggle for it. .
let’s hope those with real power see this!!! . . . and realise they need to curb the base, regressive instincts of those who seek to undermine the essence of a tolerant and understanding society here. .
warm wishes. . . tudor and brenda
[...] في المجتمع, وهؤلاء أنفسهم الذين أقامو الدنيا عندما تم إغلاق المقهى في شهر رمضان بسبب تقديمه للمشروبات الروحية خلال الشهر [...]
now we got defenders for the cause of Books@Cafe! where are you guys from other important issues in this country?! of course busy with clubs and your own affairs.. esp the drinks!
kindly refrain from attacking others.. the officrs who provoked thought that they represent the authority and authorised to insult.. individuals behaviour.. why to attack the fundamentalist and muslim brotherhood?? you guys are the reason of creating extremism in this country as you are living under the illusion that people who live in this country are only you guys.. i believe this country is well established and has its own heritage and culture.. which you dare to violate and dis-respect!
It’s very bad to see alot of defenders on such place.. the place of gays….
from my point view opening such places is wrong be Ramadan wa b3′air Ramadan … and all night clubs, alcohol shops and such cafes should be closed for ever,
and whom want to drink and make bad things (gays) to do it in his own home.
I am totally disappointed of the silliness our youth reached. Some of you were talking about how they want to stay in Jordan to participate in the progress and development of this country and at the same time all they can do is to protest on the web for closing a restaurant in the holly month of Ramadan. For those who want to leave Jordan for such incident I bigg them to leave as soon as possible, because Jordan does not need people like you, their top priority is to sleep all day in an effort to recover from a hangover, and stay all night drinking booze and get wasted. We all must respect our Values, culture, and religion, those of you who lived abroad used to brag of how the others respect their values, culture, and religion.
GROW UP learn to respect and appreciate your country and really get of your fat and lazy ass and do something to yourself and then to your country.
I think we are trying to find solutions in order to reopen that place but finding solutions which satisfy everyone. Please everyone, stop these arguments and don’t make it a relegious issue, we never had problems of religions in Jordan, we’ve always been living peacefully among eachother… But I think people want a “naksheh” in every subject just to turn it into a religious subject… Grow Up, We are all Jordanians no matter the religion.
Please,
anyone can tell me if the Books@cafe has re-opened already because I would love to come to visit this place next week while i will be in Amman, next tuesday! It seems to be a nice and cool gay friendly place in the city! Is there anyone that could give me the adress of the RGB in Amman and telle me if its open tuesday? thanks a lot ! Tom
Of course it’s open again Tom – the gov has no real case to keep it closed. They got their way during Ramadan thru shameful, bully behavior – but that had to eventually come to an end, coz it was baseless and pathetic.
Very open and fabulous!
Enjoy ur trip.
the government set some rules and they expect those rules to be obeyed. whats the fussing about? Jordan is an Islamic country as far as i concern. its not easy for any country to represent a religion basis government. as well maintaining the reputation. and the main thing about the politic is they should speak for majority. i believe that the majority is conservative minded muslims. although many might say those are just bunch of hypocrats, yet they rule. the ministry already gave some privileges to liberalism in Jordan so i guess you should keep that and take a good care of it. unless if u want to poke the bear, scream back! (incase that you are sure the bear wont have your ‘unwilling to poke’-friends as the feast on the table. so yalla!)
i feel sorry for Mr. Madian because of the recent incident.
i simply fond Books@cafe.
i read the article and what happened is so terrible. how mean people can get.
be aware that Mr. Madian is fighting over his restaurant not any sexual orientation rights or liberalization movements. so it is wrong to put such burden on him.
if u r supporting him then support him. its not fair to drag those issue tailing Books@cafe.
it may be true that those issues has affected on Books@cafe, why not make the issues an Issue and let the Books @cafe tails it.
Dear Madian,
Sorry, but why insist on selling alcohol?? Can’t we wait a month or less without ALCOHOL???
What kind of image you present about Jordanians??
Yet, I used to like the place, but hardly any tourists go there. It’s a local joint by all means.
I think you deserved it.
http://www.al-akhbar.com/ar/node/101802
I SPENT more than 1 hours reading this,
am still woundering, are u all the classy people i used to see at books cafe?
huh, now i relize there is no classy people in jordan… faked masks behind a fancy gucci sunglasses.
We have to destroy this place .. we dont want any gay place in amman
So these last comments are not against your commenting policy, 7iber? You should’nt be allowing them.
thats what i did 4 years ago for the same kind of reasoin we are talking about right here.
i still come here for visits but i mostly stay at home with my family til im back to where ever i were cause everywhere i go i run into these kinds of people.
Jordan is a beauty among arabic countries but something is just wrong with people’s noses which cant stop getting stuck into others businesess
books@cafe was my only breezer when i used to live here, but they are just killing people with their ignorance.
ddhhjhjhjhjhg
how exactly are you making jordan a better place by promoting drinking?
he deserved it big time
Shocking news, I think people are getting a bit too rowled up here about this though! Calm down, folks!
First of all, we live in a muslim country.. so at least there should be a respect for muslims around the year and especially in Ramdan the holy month.
Secondly, since when drinking is a good thing? If you drink then u r going to make things better or more classy? When you get drunk and drive back to home you can pass a red traffic and cause death to other people!!! You want to make jordan better then help people but giving them advice.
I think being Book@ a gay gathering place is the reason for the whole fuss , in short …. they fight homosexuality not alcohol drinking
For the love of Jordan and for the sake of a better Jordan i would vote and insist on closing such a cafe because its a place that encourages homosexuality which is totally unaccepted in a relegion way and in a humanity way
lol i want to hear how a cafe can encourage homosexuality sara and sultan? please enlighten me
For the love of Jordan and for the sake of a better Jordan i would vote and insist on closing such a cafe because its a place that encourages homosexuality which is totally unaccepted in a relegion way and in a humanity way
lol i want to hear how a cafe can encourage homosexuality sara and sultan? please enlighten me
Good article – stuff like this has been in the news quite a bit lately and it's interesting to see a fresh take on it. Sometimes I think the mainstream media talking heads just repeat each other. You had a fresh take on it
I wonder about the same thing brother. Enlighten me!