The Middle East, and especially Jordan, holds many identities. While the majority of the Jordanian population is Muslim, there is a minority of Christians in Jordan. Another difference of identities that someone who has never visited Jordan may be surprised by is the fact that Jordan is also full of non-Jordanians. This is because Jordan, especially in recent times, has been known as a very stable country for people in other countries to go to whenever their home country begins to struggle. For example, Jordan has graciously accepted people from Syria, Iraq and Palestine, just to name a few countries. Due to its openess, Jordan is full of many different perspectives from the Middle East and the wider world.
It has been eye-opening to realize the different ways people from around the Middle East think compared to immigrants to America, where the idea of “solidarity” — equal and level support across cultures and borders — is something that is pushed among the newer generations. Jordanians and other Arabs living in Jordan, rarely feel the same way bout their culture. Rather than being standardly patriotic, many of these people still hold grudges due to the deep history conflict in the Middle East. Unlike your average American, most people in Jordan are deeply knowledgeable about their home countries, whether that be Jordan or elsewhere.
