Jafr alien invasion
Encyclopedia
The Jafr alien invasion was a story published on the front page of the Jordan
ian newspaper Al-Ghad on April 1st, 2010. The article claimed that UFOs had landed in a desert
close to the town of Jafr
. The newspaper described the pilots
of the objects as "3m (10ft) creatures". They also claimed that all communications "went down" due to the effect generated by the objects. The details of the story have never been proved or disproved. The editors of Al-Ghad later maintained that the story was an April Fools' Day
joke, although they may have adopted this stance due to their fear of a potential lawsuit.
during joint military exercises with the Jordanian military
.
According to the BBC
, "Human rights groups claim the base once housed alleged al-Qaida militants, some of whom were transferred from Guantanamo Bay".
In the aftermath of the story the managing editor of Al-Ghad, Mr. Moussa Barhoumeh, was fearful of a lawsuit and replied by simply saying that, "We meant to entertain, not scare people." He added that the story had been "blown out of proportion." On the other hand Jordanian security officials, who spoke to media on condition of anonymity, also failed to clear up the fog because of security concerns.
Some commentators have suggested that Mr. Moussa Barhoumeh would have been much better off if he had chosen a town in Great Britain as the butt of the joke, because British citizens are used to April Fools' Day's jokes in newspapers. Others have suggested that a town in Egypt
should have been chosen, because Egyptians are often considered to be the "big jokers in the Arab world
."
Some writers have noted that the 2010 April Fools' Day prank by Al-Ghad "was reminiscent of the 1938 radio broadcast of War of the Worlds which provoked panic in America."
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ian newspaper Al-Ghad on April 1st, 2010. The article claimed that UFOs had landed in a desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
close to the town of Jafr
Al-Jafr, Jordan
Al-Jafr is a city in the Ma'an Governorate of Jordan. It is located near the city of Ma'an, and is roughly east of Aman.It was the site of an April Fools' Day hoax in 2010 that has drawn comparisons to the famous American The War of the Worlds broadcast. The nearby desert area has also been used...
. The newspaper described the pilots
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
of the objects as "3m (10ft) creatures". They also claimed that all communications "went down" due to the effect generated by the objects. The details of the story have never been proved or disproved. The editors of Al-Ghad later maintained that the story was an April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
joke, although they may have adopted this stance due to their fear of a potential lawsuit.
Public reaction
The story described in great detail that the town was literally lit by the aliens' flying saucers during their night landing, and that the light caused residents to run out into the streets screaming in horror. After word of the article spread throughout Jafr, many residents were terrified and kept their children home from school. Jaft Mayor Mohammed Mleihan prepared to issue an evacuation order for the entire town of 13,000 residents at one point. The order was never given, however, possibly due to concerns about the safety of fleeing residents. Mleihan noted that, "People were scared that aliens would attack them." The Mayor was able, however, to recruit some brave men to venture into the desert and to investigate the situation further. Eager to fight the aliens, the courageous men probably got disappointed when they could not find any.Analysis
Many who believed the story to be a joke wondered "why Jafr was chosen as the butt of the joke". Some have speculated that Jafr was targeted due to nearby military bases that were used by American soldiersUnited States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
during joint military exercises with the Jordanian military
Jordanian Armed Forces
The Jordanian Armed Forces , also referred to as The Arab Army , with all of it branches, is under direct control of the King of Jordan...
.
According to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, "Human rights groups claim the base once housed alleged al-Qaida militants, some of whom were transferred from Guantanamo Bay".
In the aftermath of the story the managing editor of Al-Ghad, Mr. Moussa Barhoumeh, was fearful of a lawsuit and replied by simply saying that, "We meant to entertain, not scare people." He added that the story had been "blown out of proportion." On the other hand Jordanian security officials, who spoke to media on condition of anonymity, also failed to clear up the fog because of security concerns.
Some commentators have suggested that Mr. Moussa Barhoumeh would have been much better off if he had chosen a town in Great Britain as the butt of the joke, because British citizens are used to April Fools' Day's jokes in newspapers. Others have suggested that a town in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
should have been chosen, because Egyptians are often considered to be the "big jokers in the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
."
Some writers have noted that the 2010 April Fools' Day prank by Al-Ghad "was reminiscent of the 1938 radio broadcast of War of the Worlds which provoked panic in America."