March 2004

    As soon as you step out of Queen Alia International airport in Amman, you sense that this Arab country is different. Jordan appears to be more prosperous and the people more disciplined. This included the small but well-trained army, who was the only force in the area able to withstand the Israeli Juggernaut in the 6-Day War. In Amman the people are well-dressed and civilized.

    Or maybe the Jordanians are just more pragmatic, considering the tenuous political situation they are in. Jordan is predominantly (95 %) Muslim, is adjacent to Palestine and Israel, but is aligned with the West. They are the most stable ally of the USA in the Middle East. The current king, Abdullah II, is a 43rd generation direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him), the founder of Islam. He seems to be quite popular in the country, but you never really know in the Arab countries. You certainly don’t want to be caught criticizing the royal family or the government if you are in Saudi Arabia, less some unpleasant things may happen to you.

    But the American-born Queen Noor, the widow of the late king Hussein, is very popular, because people know she goes all over the world to promote the cause of Jordan.  King Abdullah II is married to a very Western looking woman, but she is actually a Jordanian woman whose parents came from Palestine.

    Jordan is known officially as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The term Hashemite is derived from a Mr. Hashem, the great-grandfather of the prophet Muhammad (Praise be Unto Him), and the line goes down through many Emirs of Mecca to the current king. It is an all-male line, except that it does go through Fatima-az-Zahra (R.H.), the daughter of the Prophet. In the correct terminology, you never mention the name of the Prophet, his daughter Fatima (R.H.) and other members of the prophet without adding the words or initials I have added in parentheses behind the names. The son of Fatima (R.H.) is Al-Hassan (R.). He is the first in the long line leading to the current king. There are also a number of Al-Hassans down the line, some of them Emirs of Mecca, but there is nothing you need to add behind their names. You also never say what you plan to do in the future, be it 5 minutes or 5 years ahead, without adding the words: “God Willing”. Religion is a central theme in their way of life.

R.H. = Radiya Allah anha (God be pleased with her)

R. = Radiya Allah anhu (God be pleased with him)