Queen Rania & King Abdullah: Interviews, Speeches

[Balqis]

Continued...

BORGER: Do you think it would be important or helpful for the United States to say, 'This is the date when we will leave?'

QUEEN RANIA: It's, I think, unrealistic, but obviously it would be a very positive thing, because, as I said, people like to know what the end game is. In other words, if I knew that I am having to endure something and then this is when it's going to end, then it makes it easier for me to handle it. So, you know, having a road map, you know, with goal posts and signs always is very comforting for people.

MURRAY: But there's a conflict there as well, isn't there? I mean, on the one hand, everyone says, 'End the occupation as soon as possible.' On the other hand, they say, as you did, 'Finish the job, you know. Make sure that you leave a stable Iraq with systems up and running.' That may take time.

QUEEN RANIA: Right. And I think managing expectations is the most important thing, and that happens by having clear vision and communicating that vision in a very clear way to the people. I think this is the best way to handle that situation.

BORGER: Well, Ambassador Bremer is obviously over there. He has a very difficult job, as everybody knows. There is now a cabinet over there in place. You talk about leadership. Where will the leadership come from?

QUEEN RANIA: It has to come from the people themselves, and it has to have--I know that the Iraqi people are divide along ethnic and political and cultural divides. But I think at the end of the day, the people--the leaders who are going to be selected have to have approval from the majority of the Iraqi people. They have to have credibility, and they have to have the popularity from the people.

MURRAY: I want to go back to this anti-American and even anti-Western sentiment in the region that you were talking about earlier, because you're obviously somebody who is trying to bridge that gap. You're here encouraging investment in your region. You were in New York opening an exhibit that's designed to encourage cultural interaction. Does that put you in a difficult position, you and your husband in a difficult position in the region, that you're seen as being too close to the United States perhaps?

QUEEN RANIA: Well, some people might view it that way, but the way we see it is that, you know, we've had very strong ties with the United States for a very long time. These are historic ties. And we believe in this relationship, and we value it very much, and we believe that it's very important for us to bridge these divides, because it's not safe for our world if we keep having these differences. As you saw, you know, people tend to use these kinds of sentiments to bring about extremism which can then translate into terrorism, and this represents a danger to all our world. So I think as much dialogue as we can have, as much as we can bridge these gaps, the better it will be for everyone.

BORGER: But there is some cost to the king's popularity, for example, and perhaps even to your own for being pro-Western, I would presume, right?

QUEEN RANIA: Well, I don't see us as being pro-Western. I think we are, you know, following the policy that we believe in. And, you know, it's always normal that you might have people who disagree with you, but I don't think it's a pro-Western policy. I think it's what is in the best interests of both our countries.

MURRAY: One of the causes you've taken up at home is combating these honor killing which, as I understand it, are situations where men kill women, maybe their relatives, their spouses for immoral behavior. Are you making progress on that?

QUEEN RANIA: Slowly, but surely. I think, you know, when it comes to changing these kinds of things, on the one hand you want to change some of the laws. On the other hand, it's even more important to change some of the perceptions and social attitudes, and those take a long time to happen. You need to start from the bottom up. You need to have educational awareness campaigns. You need to enlist leaders in society to talk to people about this issue. But we are very committed to eradicating this practice. Let me say that as much as something that happens in Jordan, it happens in many countries of the world, sometimes under a different label like crimes of passion, but I believe that the world has a long way to go for combating this issue of violence against women.

BORGER: Well, there is a story recently of an Iraqi exile, for example, who slit his own 16-year-old daughter's throat because he thought she had behaved in some kind of immoral way. You have tried to go to your legislature to get the "light" sentences for these kinds of crimes reduced, and you lost.

QUEEN RANIA: This is part of the process, you know. This is when you have a democracy and an elected parliament, sometimes, you know, they disagree on these kinds of issues. And I think the result--this disagreement comes as a result of ignorance of the issue. People don't necessarily understand what crimes of honor actually mean. And they don't understand that it's against our religion, that there is no honor in taking the law in your own hands, and that's something we have to communicate to the people.

MURRAY: And do you feel like you're making progress on that?

QUEEN RANIA: Slowly, but, you know, as long as we're committed, I think in the end, we will take care of this issue. We're very committed to that.

BORGER: Well, your majesty, thanks so much for being with us.

QUEEN RANIA: It was a pleasure.

MURRAY: Thank you.

QUEEN RANIA: Thank you very much. Thank you.

[Balqis]

January 27, 2003, Davos, Switzerland


Thank you, Professor Schwab [Klaus Schwab, president of the World Economic Forum]. And thank you all for your warm welcome. It is an honour to be here.
This session is called a dialogue, and I hope and believe it will be a dialogue — a chance to begin a real conversation.

You know, when I open my e-mail, sometimes I'll get an alert window that says, “the message sender has requested a response.” Well, to the extent that I have a message today, this message sender hopes that all of you will respond. And not only here and now, with me. But in the days and months ahead, with the people of my region — Jordanians and Arabs, many of them young and optimistic. They are looking for a new, two-way dialogue with the people of the world.

It goes without saying that ours is a critical time. Not simply in terms of global security, or politics, or economics. It is a critical time in terms of ideas; the basic ideas on which this century builds its promise — ideas like: Peace with justice; equal opportunity; and tolerance for others.

These values are goals, certainly — ideals to aim for, in the best of worlds. But let me suggest that today, peace, opportunity, and tolerance are more than goals. They are also resources — essential elements of our increasingly global system. They drive 21st century success no less than energy or technology. In that sense, peace and opportunity and tolerance are not a luxury, not the final icing on the cake — they are the very bread of life, the fuel that is needed, right now, for a safe, free, and prosperous world.

So, we need to ask ourselves — as a global community, have we invested sufficiently in these resources? And most of all, what are we doing to build trust in our values, to make them something on which all people can rely?

To me, these questions are made very urgent by the “hope gap” that I have seen around the globe — the dangerous gulf, between those people who really feel part of this new century, and the many, far too many, who feel left behind.

I have also been struck by the Forum's interesting new survey on global trust. As we've learned, the survey finds that trust in key institutions has fallen to critical levels all over the world.

The survey speaks of trust in institutions. Yet what may be most at risk is trust in the values those organisations are supposed to represent.

Think about a boy in the West Bank who powers on a computer and looks through a virtual window onto a world of peace and prosperity. Then he looks out his own window at barricades and violence and closed streets. And this goes on year after year. What's at risk for that child and other children, on both sides of this conflict, is trust that peace can ever be real. That is an attitude they will carry into adult life, if we don't make a difference now.

Or think about a young girl in Afghanistan who can finally go to school after years of exclusion. Then the school door slams shut — because there are no funds for books or teachers or technology. What's at risk for this child, and many others, is real hope in the opportunity to share in this century. Again, that's an outlook that can shape their lives for years to come.

“Hope gaps” like these are found in various ways, in too many places around the world. Is there any doubt that these are the populations most vulnerable to those who teach despair, hatred and violence?

People who are trapped by failed hopes can easily become disillusioned and cynical about values like peace and tolerance. And cynicism is contagious; it can also affect those looking from the outside in and diminish their will to make ours a better world. Yet humanity's greatest message may be that contrary to the cynics, trust in core values does pay off.

This is something that we in Jordan really understand. We are a small country — resource-poor — hemmed in by some of the world's most bitter conflicts. Development, education, health, economic growth — all these are huge challenges. In today's climate, with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict raging to our west, and a potential war looming to our east, it might seem easy to write us off. Indeed, it might seem easy for Jordanians to be cynical about their prospects, to shift to low gear, to lay low, to put off our crucial reform plans until the political storms around us subside.

Instead, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, we have pushed forward an accelerated model of achievement and excellence. We have decided to strengthen our trust in age-old values of hard work, peace, and equal opportunity. More importantly, we have decided not to throw in the towel come what may.

This is the genius of Jordan, and it is beginning to pay off. We see that in economic growth — over 5 per cent in 2002; we see that in all our leading indicators such as productivity, cash reserves, and exports. But we also see it in terms of attitude and confidence. Allow me to quote a recent newsletter published by a leading investment bank in Jordan — “investors at the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) still seem unfazed by political news, which hampered their activity in 2002, and are now trading quite enthusiastically.”

Ours is a leadership that devotes all its energy to make hope real, and in my journeys around the world, I have seen that same spirit in many places. Especially here at Davos, I meet winners in every sphere, who have the gift of making their ideas and values come to life. I believe that we now have a challenge, and an opportunity, to help millions around the world make their hopes real.

One important challenge is to bring our values to bear on one of the worst “hope gaps” in the world: The gap between regions that have enjoyed the benefits of peace, and those that are paying the terrible price of ongoing violence and conflict. If we are going to fuel new realities, we need to find a way to flow hope across this divide.

Today, just as a pipeline connects areas rich in resources like oil or water, with areas that lack these essential resources, a “peaceline” is needed to bring the benefits of peace to regions in conflict. That means, for example, flowing more investment — or perhaps I should say, more creative investment — into war-tired communities. New, public-private partnerships can be a seedbed to grow civil society. A global commitment to opening the school doors can open minds as well. And innovative outreach, like microfinance, can bring solutions to the street. In Kosovo, I visited communities being rebuilt by war survivors, many of them women, using loans as small as $100. This work has the power to transform lives.

Perhaps most of all, a “peaceline” means streaming a new dialogue of tolerance and mutual respect, one that understands we all have a stake in the global system. The West-Islamic World Dialogue that has begun at this Forum is a major contribution. I thank Professor Schwab for his sincere efforts in making this important dialogue a reality.

The idea of a “peaceline” is just one way to think about the deep connections among us. Truly, global peace isn't something that we will get by turning on a tap. We will have to work for it, drill deep, and keep the ideas and hope flowing. The well of human creativity and capability is never empty. The resources of peace, of opportunity, of tolerance, are there.

I learned that best from the life of my father-in-law, His Late Majesty, King Hussein. He reigned for 47 years and had basically seen it all — the rise and fall of nations, the dramatic shift in alliances, the demise of great leaders. He worked for peace for several decades. Every ounce of success was weighed down by tonnes of disappointments. He had every right to be cynical about the prospects of peace. Indeed, he would have been forgiven if he had relabelled cynicism and called it realism. But he chose not to.

In the last months of his life, the Arab-Israeli peace process had again stalled in violence. At that time, King Hussein was being treated for advanced cancer. Instinctively, he left the cancer unit, and went back to work for peace at the Wye River Conference. He attended, if you recall, the White House ceremony announcing an agreement. He looked frail from his battle with cancer, but his eyes foretold a story of a moral passion that will live on long after his death.

And, indeed, ours is a better world because people can still trust his values. King Hussein taught me, and millions of others, that in the pursuit of basic values, such as peace and freedom, we can never fail. We just have to keep the hope alive, continue the dialogue, and top it all up with plenty of hard work.

Thank you very much.

[Monalisa]

Hi balqis,it seems that you have all interviews and speechs gaven by Q.Rania, i'm interested in the interview gaven to Catherine Ceylac:"Thé ou café" for the french TV "France2" in November 2002,can you post it,i have some questions about!

[Balqis]

Originally Posted by Monalisa

Hi balqis,it seems that you have all interviews and speechs gaven by Q.Rania, i'm interested in the interview gaven to Catherine Ceylac:"Thé ou café" for the french TV "France2" in November 2002,can you post it,i have some questions about!

Sorry, Monalisa :(

I don't have anything from French TV. The only French interview with Queen Rania I have is the one that appeared in Paris Match in November 2001.

I hope you find it. I'd be interested to see it too :)

[Lillia]

QR is a great speaker!

[polop]

No, she has great advisors.

[houri]

Originally Posted by polop

No, she has great advisors.

well she is smart to chose those advisers

[Lillia]

Originally Posted by houri

well she is smart to chose those advisers

I agree -- and when she speaks, her advisors should be the ones keeping her up to date on certain important details -- like any good advisor is supposed to!

But I think it goes without saying that QR has enough experience by now to know how to speak in an interview or at a meeting/forum and make a good presentation on the topic at hand!

[Little_star]

Anyone can write a good speech, the key is in the delivery of it. All or most Presidents, politicians, Royalty etc will have speech writers to help them with what to say. Trying to put Rania down for having advisers is ridiculous and petty, you might as well do the same with EVERY ther person in the spotlight.

The real test comes from how a person delivers their statements. There are some who will be great, ok or terrible and having seen Rania she's is incredibly pasionate when giving a speech.

[maryshawn]

I've heard she does an excellent job but have never heard her give a speech. I don't know if speaking comes naturally to her or if she used coaches but I think it's a strength. Having good writers or advisors helps, definitely, but it is a matter of presentation and any good coach will say "delivery is everything." So to be a good speaker, most people have to know their message, practice and "feel" what they're saying in order to be truly effective. It's a mix of things. I do think it comes easier to QR than most.

[reeda2000]

This thread is about Queen Ranias last interviews.

[reeda2000]

Thursday, June 1, 2006
With Kathleen Matthews
Washnigton Life


All hail the Queen

Queen Rania of Jordan was the guest of honor at the Mosaic Foundation Gala. In an exclusive interview for WL, ABC-7 News Anchor Kathleen Matthews captures the young Queen candidly discussing the push and pull of modernity and tradition in the Arab world, the evolving role of women in the region, and her love of films and vegging out at home watching 24 and Desperate Housewives.

QUEEN RANIA: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
At 35, Her Majesty has a world of experience behind her ... and a world of expectations ahead

[reeda2000]

A CULTURAL MOSAIC

Star-studded gala heralds the arrival of Sesame Mosaic across the Arab world

First Lady Laura Bush was there, so was Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan and all the Arab Ambassadors and their spouses. But with all the diplomatic and political notables inside the National Building Museum, it was a pair of Muppets who stole the show - beloved Elmo and Khokha from the Egyptian Sesame Street co-production, Alam Simsim. The major benefi ciary of Mosaic Foundation's Ninth Annual Benefi t Gala “Education: A Two Way Street” was Sesame Mosaic, a project designed to educate preschool children in the Arab world and the U.S. about mutual respect, and basic literacy and math.

[reeda2000]

More interviews in QRs website the press room_interviews
http://www.queenrania.jo

[reeda2000]

Barely two-and-a-half months since she gave birth to her fourth child, Queen Rania is back at work. She is all smiles and graciousness as she strides purposefully across the cool marble floor of her seaside villa in Aqaba, hand outstretched, in a pair of skinny jeans and a fashionable loose shirt.

She has recently returned from the historic funeral of Pope John Paul 11 and had hoped to attend the marriage of close friend Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles. "It was impossible to go because I am still breastfeeding and couldn't be away from my baby another night" she confides with surprising candour. "I am so happy for them. Together they will be a great team - but your press has been very cruel to her."

[Alexandria]

Please note that alll of the above posts have been edited as they did not comply with our Copyright Policy which clearly states that only 20% of articles can be posted followed by a link to the rest of the article.

Sources also need to be cited for all of the articles.

If this thread is going to continue, the Copyright Policy must be strictly adhered to.

Alexandria
Jordanian Forum Moderator

[Solange]

I was just wondering if anyone had seen Queen Rania on Oprah?

[Pink Tulip]

I didnt know about it! Does anyone have a video of it?

[Toledo]

Here is a link on the televised interview accompained by several photos of the series dedicated to women changing the world. Below the two or three paragraphs there are other links that continue the converstation, I assume the transcript of this interview was divided into topics but not placed as a continuous single page transcript: Women Changing the World

Her interview with Oprah Winfrey also appears in Queen Rania's official website:
Wednesday, May 17, 2006 With Oprah Winfrey, Oprah Winfrey Show

Bonus link: this other one is the full transcript when she was a guest in October 5th, 2001: Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah

[Avalon]

Queen Rania on Oprah thread has been merged with this thread, since this is the right place to post interviews and speeches of Their Majesties.

Enjoy posting!