There is some anticipation for a possibility of reinstating mandatory military service in Jordan. A recent official announcement requires renewal of service postponement, which had largely been abandoned in the past few years. Whether this is the first step in reinstating service or whether it is just a gesture is still not clear. Either a decision has not yet been made, or officials as usual like to keep people in the dark, to give themselves some false sense of importance.
How will you feel if you are required to do military service?
One could argue that the army is is the defender of the nation, and it is the duty of every good citizen to show loyalty to the nation by complying with such a mandate. This argument says to the young people who took to the streets to demand reform, show real loyalty to your country by serving in the army.
The problem with this argument is that is assumes the army in Jordan is an institution that primarily serves the nation. What that would imply is if the people were at odds with the regime, the army would take the side of the people, similar to what happened in Tunisia (and to some extent in Egypt). I do not think this is the case for the Jordanian armed forces though. In my view the army's first and foremost mission is to maintain the current power ruling the country, even when that means oppressing the people.
The regime in Jordan does not make its mission to serve its people, it actually expects the people to serve it. As long as the army is part of this reversed equation, I will do all I can to avoid the humiliation of military service.
