The Asha Family home in east Amman
By Paul Tate
JABAL ZAHOUR, AMMAN - The Asha family home in the Jabal Zuhour district of east Amman is much like any other in this largely rundown working-class neighbourhood, the only distinguishing feature being a large cage to the left of the building's main entrance where the family breeds chickens.
But on Monday this two-storey house became the focus of world media attention after it emerged that a family member had been arrested in connection with the failed terror attacks in London and Glasgow.
Mohammed Jamil Abdel-Qader Asha, a 26-year-old neurologist, was detained along with his wife, Marwa Dana, 27, on the M6 motorway in England after police forced their car to pull over on the hard shoulder.
The couple have been living in the UK for the past couple of years, where Dr Asha is on a scholarship training to become a surgeon. In order to support his wife and two-year-old son, Anas, Dr Asha has also been working at a hospital near his rented property in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
His brother and neighbours in Jordan expressed shock at the news of his arrest, saying he was a hard-working and conscientious person who never exhibited any extremist views.
“Mohammad was only focused on his studies. It is not possible that he could be caught up in anything like this. He was religious but not in a fanatical way," said his 31-year-old brother Ahmad, who is also a doctor and has a Russian wife who is a practsing Christian.
Like many residents of Jabal Zahour, the Asha family is of Palestinian decent and left Hebron in the West Bank in 1948 following the creation of Israel.
The parents, both teachers, spent most of their life in Saudi Arabia, where Mohammad was born, and returned to Jordan in 1990 following the outbreak of the Gulf war when Palestinians were expelled on mass for their perceived support of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
By all accounts Dr Asha was a gifted student from an early age. He excelled in secondary school and was quickly enrolled at the prestigious Jubilee School in Amman, an independent coeducational boarding school for gifted youngsters set up by Queen Noor and the late King Hussein.
It was at this school where he met his wife, Marwa.
The two went on to higher education with Mohammad graduating top of his year with a degree in medicine from the University of Jordan and his wife receiving a degree in Laboratory Science from the Jordan University of Science and Technology.
Students who remember them described the pair as polite but slightly introverted.
"They were from one of the poorer neighbourhoods of Amman and did not mix much with other students, said one of Marwa's former classmates.
Along with his elder brother Ahmad, Dr Asha has two sisters and three brothers, one of whom is also a doctor.
Speaking at the family home, Ahmad said he was "completely shocked" by news of the arrests, as he proudly showed-off certificates of his brother's academic achievements.
"Mohammad was only interested in his studies. He has spent his whole life working to be a surgeon. It is impossible that he could be caught up in something like this," he said.
"He always brags to us about his British friends and sends us photos of himself with them …. We spoke to him three days ago and told us he will be coming on July 12 and asked us if we needed anything from there."
Across the road from the family home, the owner of the local grocery store, Abu Khalid, 62, said he had known Dr Asha for 16 years and always thought of him as polite and hardworking.
"Any father would be proud to have a son like that. I do not believe this young man who I have known all these years is involved in something like this. He was a source of pride for his family.
"He was timid boy and kept to himself. I have never seen him arguing with anyone or expressing any signs of violence."
Another neighbour, 34-year-old truck driver, Ahmad Hussein Afanah, expressed his disbelief at the news.
"It is impossible that he has done it. He was always a very shy boy and well liked by everyone."
Jordanian authorities also voiced surprise about the arrest, saying he had no intelligence record or previous criminal background.
No comments:
Post a Comment