King Abdullah on Cartoons and Clash of Civilizations

I have always believed, in all honesty and objectivity that King Abdullah II is the best Arab Leader that can communicate with the west conveying the true image of Muslim and Arab cultures and aspirations. The King is liberal, direct in his remarks, sharp and to the point and always a firm believer in democracy, modernization and global cooperation.

I also have a firm conviction that the Jordanian Government, Parliament, Political Parties, Associations, Official Media and most of the political activists are way behind the progressive thoughts and initiatives of the King. During the last 3-4 years the King has declared many smart and visionary initiatives (Media City, Jordan First, National Agenda, Decentralization) which were all downgraded and even "degraded" by traditional politicains who took over the role of keeping the conservative identity of the Jordanian state intact.

During his last visit to Paris the King has delivered an impressive speech at the European-American Press Club in Paris in which he talked about many issues of concern. two of the most thrilling statements were related to the cartoons fiasco and the clash of civilisations concept.

on the cartoons the King stood as a proud Muslim with a message that include self-confidence in our culture and a committment to principles freedoms, he said:

" Much has been said about the cartoon crisis and how it grew. Let me simply say that Muslims around the world — and I am one of them — condemned the denigration of the prophet. The majority of Muslims also condemn the violence that ensued as alien to the principles of Islam. And I know that many in the West also spoke out, rejecting the vilification of Islam."

From that point the King picked on the issue of "clash of civilisations" with very accurate and articulate expressions:

"The cartoon controversy has exposed the fault lines in our global society. Not so long ago, we saw our world as one of dynamic interconnections and multicultural tolerance. But today — even as our cultures and economies interact more than ever before — the talk is of a clash of civilisations. Because, as the age of globalisation has grown, it has not grown in the most significant way; it has not moved beyond tolerance, to creating cultures of respect, rooted in understanding.

There is no clash of civilisations. But we have received a grave warning. And we know, too, that there are those among us who seek to deepen the fault lines. They would capitalise on our lack of understanding about each other, to set off an earthquake of anger, resentment and fear. This applies not only between East and West, but within Eastern and Western cultures.

We should not mistake what a clash of civilisations would mean in practical terms. A breakdown in the ties of trade and investment that are vital for economic growth and job opportunity. Barriers to solutions to cross-border problems — health, environment, poverty and more. The erosion of joint security cooperation, which has played such a key role in containing and ending regional conflicts. Serious obstacles in the path of international development. A halt to the cultural exchange that enriches life everywhere."

I think, with all objectivity and with no ultra-national perspectives that we are lucky in Jordan to have such an enlightened leader. I just wish that the traditional governance system will rise to this level of enlightening and lead Jordan out of the "conservative" style it has been crippling- in for many years despite continuous theories of reform.