Unfortunately there’s no reason for the Famous Biting and Incisive Wit that Rantburg is so noted for (an area that I wish I had some talent at, but obviously don’t...lol) This is a positive Story
"Our vision of the Jordan that will emerge in the future is based on a solid foundation, whose substance is that Jordan is a modern, democratic country," he said, calling on leaders to move in that direction "with absolute conviction, in order to promote Jordan as a civilized model for tolerance, freedom of thought, creativity and excellence."
"In the speech, Abdullah frequently used his slogan "Jordan First" -- a term that in the past antagonized some Jordanians of Palestinian origin. Most Jordanians are Palestinian, and some felt the term was designed to pull focus away from their concerns. Abdullah said, however, that the slogan is inclusive of all sections of the population.
The lack of focus on international issues affecting Jordan, such as Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, also made his speech strikingly different from those of other Arab leaders, who normally place emphasis on these conflicts in order to improve their own popularity.
In truth I have been very harsh in my criticism of Jordan, especially with the Parliament’s refusal to to rein in or pass laws with signifigant punishment for Honor Killilngs.
This now is a heady dose of Realism for Jordanians. I am far from sure that they will be able to accept this courageous message...but this is still nice to see. Of course, with the history of enmity in the Middle East to this kind of life affirming, personal responsibility type of message, King Abdullah II will probably be assassinated before sunrise...lol |