Prince Charles' visit to Jordan - October 2004

[Safaa Batin]

Prince Charles arrives in Amman
Amman/ Oct. 26/ (Petra)-- Upon an invitation by Their
Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Emir of
Wales Prince Charles on Tuesday started a several-day working
visit to Jordan.
During the visit, Prince Charles will meet Their Majesties
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania and will visit a number of
development projects including educational and cultural programs
funded by British organizations.
Prince Charles will also tour a number of historical
and cultural landmarks in the Kingdom.
Injadat/ Petra

[Safaa Batin]

charles in amman

[Safaa Batin]

P charles meets youth activities

[AaliyahFan2003]

It's funny that they call him the "Emir" of Wales.

[Lyonnaise]

AMMAN, JORDAN: Britain's Prince Charles meets with Prince Ghazi, cousin of Jordan's King Abdullah II, upon arriving at Amman's Queen Alia Airport 26 October 2004. The Prince of Wales began a four-day official visit to the kingdom on the last leg of a foreign tour that has already taken him to Turkey and Italy

[shelley]

Knowing of his interest in such matters, I wonder if Prince Charles' programme will include a visit to the Royal Institute of Interfaith Studies and the Ba'adia Progamme. Sadly, I somehow doubt it, as these are both pet projects of Prince Hassan's, and so he ( a former colleague and maybe also friend to Prince Charles for over three decades) would have to be part of the official programme, which might not be the sort of thing that the present people in charge want to remind the Jordanian public about.

[pdas1201]

SALT, JORDAN - OCTOBER 27: The Prince of Wales (C) watches students at work with university officials during his visit to workshop of Islamic Arts at Al-Balqa University during his official four day tour that has already taken him to Turkey and Italy.

The Prince also visited the to the Salt Training and Resource Institute for Disability--in Salt's Old Hospital.

[Safaa Batin]

Salt, Oct. 27 (Petra)--His Royal Highness Prince Charles of
Wales, who started an official visit to the Kingdom at the
invitation of Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al
Abdullah, visited on Wednesday the city of Salt accompanied by His
Majesty's Personal Representative and Special Advisor His Royal
Highness Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad.
Prince Charles began his tour by visiting the Resources and
Training Center for the Handicapped that aims at training
and habilitating teachers of handicapped children and those who work
with them in the Middle East.
About 2000 trainees have benefited from the center's programs
since 1995.
The Prince of Wales met a number of officials and employees at
the center and looked into the renovation works at the old Anglican
Hospital which was built at the end of the 19th century.
Upon arrival he was received by Governor of Balqa and other
officials from the Balqa governorate.
The Prince of Wales accompanied by Prince Ghazi, also visited
the Traditional Islamic Arts College at the Balqa Applied
University where they toured the various sections and looked into
projects being implemented by the college.

[Safaa Batin]

Amman/ Oct. 27/(Petra)-- His Majesty King Abdullah II
Wednesday met at the Royal Court Prince Charles of Wales, who is
currently on a four-day visit to Jordan.
Talks during the meeting focused on ways to further cement
ties of friendship and cooperation between Jordan and the United
Kingdom in addition to other issues of common interest.
King Abdullah highly appreciated the significant role
undertaken by Prince Charles to strengthen bridges of cooperation
and understanding amongst world nations cultures.
For his part, Prince Charles commended Jordan's efforts
under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah to promote peace
and stability in the region and paid tribute to Jordan's development
projects and programs designed to realize sustainable economic and
social development.

[Dennism]

Originally Posted by shelley

Knowing of his interest in such matters, I wonder if Prince Charles' programme will include a visit to the Royal Institute of Interfaith Studies and the Ba'adia Progamme. Sadly, I somehow doubt it, as these are both pet projects of Prince Hassan's, and so he ( a former colleague and maybe also friend to Prince Charles for over three decades) would have to be part of the official programme, which might not be the sort of thing that the present people in charge want to remind the Jordanian public about.

What do you mean? They sound like good things and I thought Abdullah had an interest in interfaith activities.

[shelley]

Originally Posted by Dennism

What do you mean? They sound like good things and I thought Abdullah had an interest in interfaith activities.

King Abdullah's interest in interfaith matters, like so many other of his concerns, are fairly newly found, mainly since he took over as king. Prince Hassan always had an interest in interfaith and intercultural matters, even before he became crown prince, as the attached photograph from his website shows.

As crown prince, Prince Hassan founded the Royal Institute for Interfaith Studies, and the Al Al Bait Foundation and University, The Islamic Academy for Scientific Research, and wrote several books on religion, including "Christianity in the Arab World" . His most recent publication is " To Be A Muslim" which is available throughout the world in many languages. Long before 9/11, Prince Hassan was concerned at the breakdown of relations between the different faiths and cultures of the world , and the possible disaster this would be for the world at large. It seems sad that a public meeting with Prince Charles could not be part of the Prince of Wales' programme in Jordan.

From Prince Hassan's website:

"In the field of religion, His Royal Highness' contacts and meetings have evolved into a systematic interfaith dialogue, primarily consisting of three ongoing consultations with the Orthodox Centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate at Chambesy, Switzerland; the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious dialogue at the Vatican; and the Independent Commission on Christian-Muslim-Jewish Relations through the aegis of the Deanery of Windsor. In Jordan, His Royal Highness established the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies in 1994 to complement these activities. In November, 1999 at the 7th World Assembly of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP), held in Amman, Prince El Hassan accepted the position of Moderator of the WCRP."

The italics and blocks are mine !

[Dennism]

Cool. Thanks for the information.

[Lyonnaise]

Charles Lands In Jordan For Four Day Visit
HelloMagazine.com

27 OCTOBER 2004

Prince Charles has arrived in Jordan for his first trip to the Middle Eastern country since 1999.

Upon arriving the 55-year-old was received at the British ambassador's residence in Amman, where a group of young Jordanians presented him with a commemorative shield to mark the occasion.

The Prince of Wales' trip comes during the holy month of Ramadan, and he is expected to join King Abdullah and Queen Rania for Iftar, the meal that comes at the end of each day of fasting. His four-day visit will also see him inspecting a number of development projects and indulging his interest in Islamic art.

The last time Charles travelled to the country was for the funeral of King Hussein five years ago. Relations between Jordan and the UK are strong, though, and Queen Rania, who is currently expecting her fourth child, has made several visits to Britain in the last year.

Charles jetted into the capital from Turkey, where he reopened the British consulate on Monday. The facility was devastated in a bombing last year, but the future king was insistent the terrorists would not succeed. "Far from sowing division between us, those who planned these attacks simply brought us together - Briton and Turk, Muslim, Jew and Christian," he said.

1.The Prince of Wales shakes hands with a young student at a local institute for the disabled

2.Charles was also taken on a tour of a town called Salt

3.Young Jordanians welcome the royal visitor at the ambassador's residence

4.The prince was also greeted by King Abdullah's cousing Prince Ghazi

[Safaa Batin]

Amman, Oct. 28 (Petra)-- Prince of Wales, Prince Charles
visited on Thursday Al Karma Center of the Jordan River Foundation.

The four-year-old center, providing job vacancies and training
opportunities especially for women.

[Safaa Batin]

Ajloun, Oct. 28 (Petra) -- Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah
and HRH Prince Charles of Wales on Thursday visited the Ajloun
Nature Reserve, which is a pioneer eco-tourism project launched by
the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) in cooperation with the Royal
Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN).

Queen Rania and Prince Charles were briefed by RSCN President
Senator Layla Sharaf about the nature reserve project which started
18 months ago, following which RSCN Projects Director Chris Johnson
gave a brief overview of the society's work and future plans in the
area.

Touring the reserve's campsite enabled Queen Rania and Prince
Charles to take a first hand look at products and facilities
provided at all of Jordan's nature reserves through samples
showcased in the reserve's different cabins. Those include Dana,
Moujeb, Azraq, and Shomari reserves.

[Dennism]

BBC
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...tal_pa_203.jpg


Nine Britons on a pilgrimage tour have died in a bus crash near the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. The British tourists were travelling on a coach from the top tourist attraction when one of its front tyres burst and it collided with a small pick-up truck. Three more people, two Jordanians and one Egyptian, died in the crash. Prince Charles, who is touring Jordan, visited survivors of the accident who were being treated at the King Hussein Medical Centre in Amman. He described the crash as a "ghastly accident", and said his heart went out to those who had lost their relatives.

My thoughts and prayers are with their families and those who are being treated by the excellent staff," the Prince of Wales, who arrived at the hospital accompanied by the Jordanian King Abdullah, said in a statement.

Clarence House later confirmed that Prince Charles would follow the official programme by visiting Petra's so-called "Treasury" building on Friday, as scheduled.

Samir Samawi, the 36-year-old tour guide who was travelling on the coach, told relatives a front tyre blew out just before the collision with the small truck. After that, the coach somersaulted, Mr Samawi reportedly said. After the crash, survivors were airlifted to Amman. British ambassador Chris Prentice said it was "sad news" and that his prayers were with the families and injured.The accident happened 155 miles (250km) south of Amman, on the Desert Highway between Wadi Rum and Madaba.

Prince Charles, due to visit Petra on Friday while on a tour of the country, was in north west Jordan visiting a nature reserve with Queen Rania when the accident occurred.
A Jordan Tourism Board spokeswoman earlier on Thursday said the driver and guide were Jordanian. "It's not yet clear just how many people were on board or if there were any other nationals among the passengers." The board confirmed that Pilgrim Travel, in Deal, Kent, had organised the tour.
The eight-day tour of Jordan began on 23 October, the company's web site said. It included a flight from Heathrow to Amman, with the visit of Petra described as the "highlight" of the trip. The tourists were to stay at Petra Palace Hotel Petra, before seeing Bedouin camps in the desert and sites of religious significance. Their final night was to be at the Dead Sea Spa Hotel, before flying out to Heathrow from Amman.

[Safaa Batin]

that is sad .