Jordan’s King In Historic Step

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah 

In his recent speech, King Abdallah II of Jordan focused on the path towards construction, modernity and complete reform, in line with the yearnings of the citizens. This is an indication that the country is now taking development steps in spite of the current economic and political situation in the region. Everybody knows the situation requires the leadership skills of someone like King Abdallah II whose latest speech matched the royal standards.

King Abdallah bin Al-Hussein depends on the deep culture and knowledge of several societies across the globe, learning from their experiences to efficiently manage the affairs of his country because he knows what his people want. He raised the slogan, ‘Jordan First’, when crises swept the neighboring states. He rescued his country and prevented it from becoming part of the problem through his early recognition of the significance of major reforms, which assisted him in using national resources in the interest of Jordan.

The points he raised in his speech on the occasion of the great Arab Revolution and ascendancy to the throne are regarded as his major achievements, particularly the quick reform actions. This consolidates democratic practice among the citizens; thereby, improving the decision-making process and anti-graft crusade in line with constitutional provisions, far from rumor mongering.

King Abdallah II is known for his visionary initiatives. For him, what some people perceive as losses are actually future gains. Most of the time, he realizes his vision; even the international pacts he signs or implements along with other countries around the world. He addressed perennial problems, including those that had no solutions in the past, through proper implementation and experimentation. He succeeded in this aspect despite the humble resources of Jordan.

The Arab nations will definitely benefit from the promises made by King Abdallah II in his speech, provided they act in accordance with his proposition. These countries want to improve relations between the rulers and the ruled to stabilize the region. The powerful nations in other parts of the world will also appreciate this gesture due to their commitment to strengthen ties between the governments and the people, as well as to protect their dignity and realize their objectives. This will ease the burden of the international community, especially after the wave of internal crises in countries where leaders have isolated citizens through bloody clashes, which quickly led to unreasonable civil wars. The powerful nations are keen on preventing such incidents, although many leaders do not respect the will of citizens and they have refused to implement genuine reforms.

King Abdallah II warned against this phenomenon when he asked his people to differentiate between “vital democratic transformation and possibilities, as well as threats and crises”. Since the beginning of his government, he has recognized the need to lay down the right policies and respond to the demands of the people in a peaceful manner through national dialogue without spilling blood.

Stubborn governments, which do not respect the will of citizens, must learn from King Abdallah Bin Hussein’s speech. They should realize this is not the time to retrogress or ignore the reality, particularly since the youths have intensified their efforts to organize revolutions to call for change. This is not the time to hide the truth from the public.

King Abdallah II deals with citizens in a transparent manner. He decided to implement reforms to improve the image of Jordan. Consequently, the Jordanians have made it a point to pledge allegiance to the ruling family, allowing the King to realize their dreams. After hearing the recent speech of the King, no one will raise doubts on his vision or implement personal political agendas, which are totally different from the culture of citizens and their yearnings. All these would not have been possible without a king who understands global civilizations and the needs of his people, in addition to his political wisdom, patriotism, transparency and honesty.

-This commentary was published in The Arab Times on 14/06/2011
-Ahmed Al-Jarallah is the editor-in-chief of The Arab Times and the daily Kuwaiti Assyassah