AMMAN — Some pleasant memories of Essam Ali’s Iraqi homeland still seep into his mind. He remembers the summer of 1985, for instance, when, surrounded by forests and friends, he trained in mime and pantomime in Mosul, Iraq, from dusk until dawn. Throughout that summer, until September, he seldom returned to his home in Baghdad.

Now he never returns. He does not own a home. His life is defined by his status as a temporary migrant here, his days unplanned, his meals sporadic, his cellphone on standby, waiting to hear if he is eligible for resettlement.

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AMMAN — Two weeks ago, Manal, 27, dressed in a black robe, walked slowly in a crowd of several hundred demonstrators — mostly men — carrying children, waving Jordanian flags or holding up homemade protest signs near the prime minister’s office.

This was her first public protest, said Manal, who declined to give her last name for fear of angering conservative members of her family. “I’m here to demand reforms,” she said. “I’m here to say enough. Enough corruption. Enough with the high prices. Enough of being silent.”

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