Queen Rania: Let’s Drop The First ‘I’ In ISIS

In conversation with Arianna Huffington, Queen Rania of Jordan says there is nothing Islamic about the self-proclaimed “Islamic State,” or ISIS.

My comment:

With all due respect to Queen Rania, the following has to be said: ISIS beheads those who go against Islam: They kill apostates, they stone people to death, they crucify people too. Further, they amputate limbs for theft. But aren't these practices also carried out in Saudi Arabia, in the home of Islam? Please correct me if I am wrong, but if I understand you correctly, if these barbarous acts are carried out officially in Wahhabi Saudi Arabia, they are Islamic; however, if they are carried out in the name of ISIS, they are unIslamic. I don't get it. Could someone please explain? – © Mark

Queen Rania: Extremism Is Everyone’s Battle

Read the Telegraph article here | Thursday, October 16, 2014

Jordan: King Abdullah II Cancels UK Trip After Protests
THE INDEPENDENT: King Abdullah II has cancelled his trip to London scheduled for next week, after thousands of Jordanians took to the streets of Amman yesterday calling for his fall on the fourth day of unrest sparked by rising fuel prices.

There had been anxiety over the visit due to the violence in Gaza, as his wife, Queen Rania, is Palestinian. Smaller groups of protesters have made rare calls against the monarch before. But the crowd in the capital of about 2,500, chanting slogans reminiscent of last year's Arab Spring uprisings, was the largest yet to seek the overthrow of the regime. » | Jalal Halaby, AMMAN | AP | Friday, November 16, 2012

Pope Visits Christ 'Baptism Site'
BBC: Pope Benedict XVI has visited the reputed site of the baptism of Jesus Christ in Jordan, on the third day of his Middle East tour.

The Pope arrived in a motorcade of electric vehicles to the site at Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan.

Earlier, the Pope held Mass for thousands of people at a football stadium in the Jordanian capital Amman.

Jordan's 200,000 Roman Catholics, and other Christians, were given a special holiday to enable them to attend.

The Pope was accompanied to the alleged baptismal site by King Abdullah of Jordan and his wife Queen Rania. He blessed the cornerstones of two churches on the site.

'Courage of conviction'

But the BBC's David Willey, travelling with the Pope, said the 20,000-seat stadium was not completely full.

Our correspondent says the situation for the dwindling Catholic minority in the Middle East has worsened considerably since the last Papal visit to Jordan nine years ago.

He says many Catholic families have emigrated. >>> David Willey | Sunday, May 10, 2009

Watch BBC video: The Pope addressed the issue of a region divided by conflict >>>

Pope Praises Islam but Skirts Politics
Jordan's King Abdullah (R) and his wife Queen Rania welcome Pope Benedict XVI (L) upon his arrival at Queen Alia International airport in Amman May 8, 2009. Photo courtesy of Reuters
REUTERS: AMMAN - Pope Benedict began a delicate trip to the Middle East on Friday by expressing "deep respect" for Islam and calling for a three-way dialogue of Christians, Muslims and Jews to help peace.

The 82-year-old pope appeared careful to avoid politically tinged statements at the start of his first visit to the region, which will also take him to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

"My visit to Jordan gives me a welcome opportunity to speak of my deep respect for the Muslim community," Benedict said in his arrival address, praising King Abdullah for his work in "promoting a better understanding of the virtues proclaimed by Islam."

Benedict's Regensburg speech in 2006, in which he implied Islam was violent and irrational, still rankles in the Islamic world. Jordanian Islamist leaders have denounced the visit, saying he should apologise for the Regensburg speech first.

The pope tactfully avoided politics in responding to reporters' questions on the plane taking him to Jordan, stressing the potential of religion to help resolve conflicts.

"We are not a political power but a spiritual force and this spiritual force is a reality that can contribute to progress in the peace process," he told journalists aboard his airplane.

"As believers we are convinced that prayer is a real force, it opens the world to God. We are convinced that God listens and can affect history and I think that if millions of believers pray it really is a force that has influence and can make a contribution to moving ahead with peace," he said. >>> By Philip Pullella and Tom Heneghan. Additional reporting by Suleiman al-Khalidi, editing by Mark Trevelyan | Friday, May 8, 2009

Watch BBC video: Pope Benedict XVI says he has 'deep respect' for the Muslim community >>>

BBC:
Pope Begins Mid-East Pilgrimage >>> | Friday, May 8, 2009