Jordan's king talks Islamic moderation

[Matt25]

catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0600664.htm

King Abdullah II of Jordan took his efforts to promote moderation in Islam to the evangelical-dominated National Prayer Breakfast in Washington Feb. 2, earning a standing ovation with a speech that quoted the Bible as much as the Quran. He called upon people of faith to witness to its positive role in public life by being an example of “the principles transgressed by those who oppose us.”

“In every generation, people of faith are tested,” King Abdullah said. "In our generation, the greatest challenge comes from violent extremists who seek to divide and conquer. Extremism is a political movement under religious cover.

“Its adherents want nothing more than to pit us against each other, denying all that we have in common,” he continued. “We must therefore heed the words of the New Testament: ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’”

 

[gilliam]

N.B.: This is the king of the same country that just arrested the editor who published the cartoons.

See: Jordan editor held in cartoon row

 

[Matt25]

gilliam:

N.B.: This is the king of the same country that just arrested the editor who published the cartoons.

See: Jordan editor held in cartoon row

And did the King personally authorise the arrest?

 

[gilliam]

Matt25:

And did the King personally authorise the arrest?

Very possibly, anyway, he is king if an itty bitty country, if he wanted him pardoned, what do you think would happen?

 

[Matt25]

gilliam:

Very possibly, anyway, he is king if an itty bitty country, if he wanted him pardoned, what do you think would happen?

I don’t know, I haven’t read the Jordanian Constitution. Where can I see it in English?

 

[gilliam]

Matt25:

I don’t know, I haven’t read the Jordanian Constitution. Where can I see it in English?

I don’t want to diss the king too much. He is in a tough situation and he is doing what he can to help Iraq right now.

But the king came down on the editor himself. On Friday, King Abdullah said Momani had abused freedom of speech and the press by running the controversial cartoons. Freedom of speech and of the press is relatively unknown in the Middle East.

More info:

Feb.4 (Petra)-- The General prosecutor has decided to arrest fired editor-in-chief of “Shihan” weekly Jihad al-Momani and editor-in-chief of the weekly “Al Mehwar” Hisham al-Khaldi for reprinting drawings deemed insulting to Prophet Mohammad (may peace and blessings be upon Him" and to Islam. Government Spokesperson Nasser Judeh said all Jordanian institutions have immediately moved to take action against papers that reprinted caricatures designed to vilify Prophet Mohammad. " First, His Majesty King Abdullah II was extremely offended by this and described these vilifications wherever they appear as a "crime that that can not be justified under freedom of expression and what has been done by these papers in particular is a heinous act that can not be accepted or justified in any way." The Jordanian government has declared that what has been published is “a great offence and a big unforgivable mistake,” Judeh said in a statement to Jordan television and Jordan News Agency. **In his speech before over 3000 of American public figures and religious scholars and politicians, His Majesty the King strongly condemned the unwarrantable desecration and offence to Muslim feelings as represented in the insulting cartoons published by some papers, Judeh said. **

petra.gov.jo/nepras/2006/Feb/04/30401000.htm

Jordan’s constitution is here. Note that Jordan is a monarchy where the king has total power and the evening news comes complete with praise-songs for him. It is an old-fashioned system…

You might want to note that all power in the country comes from or is controled by the King:

Article 25The Legislative Power shall be vested in the National Assembly and the King. The National Assembly shall consist of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies.

Article 26The Executive Power shall be vested in the King, who shall exercise his powers through his Ministers in accordance with the provisions of the present Constitution.

Article 27The Judicial Power shall be exercised by the courts of law in their varying types and degrees. All judgements shall be given in accordance with the law and pronounced in the name of the King.

Article 31The King ratifies the laws and promulgates them. He shall direct the enactment of such regulations as may be necessary for their implementation, provided that such regulations are not inconsistent with the provisions thereof.