Yesterday?s Jordan Times reported on Jordanian Independence Day in a remarkably restrained manner. ?Jordan marked on Saturday the 56th anniversary of its independence,? read the article?s first line. The rest of the piece is dedicated to describing a reception attended by King Abdullah II and Queen Rania at the al-Hussein Youth City, hosted by Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abul Ragheb.
The speeches at the reception, according to the Times report, had very little to do with the Kingdom of Jordan and focused instead on praising the king. ?Addressing the audience, Abul Ragheb highlighted the role of the Hashemite family in building a strong, modern Jordan and their determination to attain more progress and remain true to the Arab Muslim identity of Jordan,? the article said. Abul Ragheb praised the king?s ?confidence, ability and earnestness?? and ?highlighted His Majesty's support for the Palestinian people in their struggle against occupation,? the newspaper reported. ?In such a brief period of Your Majesty's reign, Jordan has accomplished a lot, despite the challenges and the barriers it faces. We are grateful to God for the stability and security Jordan enjoys under Your Majesty's leadership,? the Jordanian premier summed up his speech in honor of Jordanian Independence Day.
The president of the senate, Zeid Rifai, also spoke at the reception, and also seemed to ignore Jordan?s independence entirely, saying, ?Citizens are reaping the fruits of Your Majesty's continuous efforts for a strong economy, comprehensive development, better living standards and well-developed human resources,? according to the Jordanian newspaper. Also quoted in the article was Rifai?s remarks that ?such achievements have been attained ?in an atmosphere of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights.?? In addition, the senate speaker noted that ?Arab and Islamic causes have received personal attention of the King, who defends them in international political and media arenas,? according to the Jordan Times piece.
According to the Jordan Times, a brief history of Jordan goes like this: ?The late King Abdullah I established Jordan in 1921. His efforts to achieve internal security and a national unity won the newly established Transjordan recognition from Great Britain in 1923. The country won its full independence in 1946 following the end of the British mandate.? Conspicuously, and predictably, omitted from this brief sketch is the origins of the ruling family in Arabia and the fact that the state was carved out of the British Mandate for Palestine as ?Transjordan?.
The speeches at the reception, according to the Times report, had very little to do with the Kingdom of Jordan and focused instead on praising the king. ?Addressing the audience, Abul Ragheb highlighted the role of the Hashemite family in building a strong, modern Jordan and their determination to attain more progress and remain true to the Arab Muslim identity of Jordan,? the article said. Abul Ragheb praised the king?s ?confidence, ability and earnestness?? and ?highlighted His Majesty's support for the Palestinian people in their struggle against occupation,? the newspaper reported. ?In such a brief period of Your Majesty's reign, Jordan has accomplished a lot, despite the challenges and the barriers it faces. We are grateful to God for the stability and security Jordan enjoys under Your Majesty's leadership,? the Jordanian premier summed up his speech in honor of Jordanian Independence Day.
The president of the senate, Zeid Rifai, also spoke at the reception, and also seemed to ignore Jordan?s independence entirely, saying, ?Citizens are reaping the fruits of Your Majesty's continuous efforts for a strong economy, comprehensive development, better living standards and well-developed human resources,? according to the Jordanian newspaper. Also quoted in the article was Rifai?s remarks that ?such achievements have been attained ?in an atmosphere of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights.?? In addition, the senate speaker noted that ?Arab and Islamic causes have received personal attention of the King, who defends them in international political and media arenas,? according to the Jordan Times piece.
According to the Jordan Times, a brief history of Jordan goes like this: ?The late King Abdullah I established Jordan in 1921. His efforts to achieve internal security and a national unity won the newly established Transjordan recognition from Great Britain in 1923. The country won its full independence in 1946 following the end of the British mandate.? Conspicuously, and predictably, omitted from this brief sketch is the origins of the ruling family in Arabia and the fact that the state was carved out of the British Mandate for Palestine as ?Transjordan?.