Succession in Jordan at the time of King Hussein's Death: Why Was it Changed?

[papillon]

Originally Posted by shelley

I know for many Jordanians, their king was a larger than life hero, and rightly so for many reasons, but as I keep saying, he was man, not a plaster saint, and even the best of men have their Achilles heel.

This is the part that is difficult for me to understand, since I come from a country where the leaders are routinely ousted. Even the good ones are criticized and recognized as human and, thus, fallible. I don't know whether it's a good thing to place anyone on such a high pedestal, though I guess I can see why, if this is the only leader many people have ever known, he would seem like a god of sorts.

Maybe, with age, I have just lost my ability to find perfect heroes and heroines in our midst. Seems to me most people are both sinner and saint, though the best ones lean toward the latter.

[maryshawn]

Shelley,

Why DIDN'T Princess Muna stress the need to study/learn Arabic at an early age? Abdullah was the eldest son, clearly a possibility for the throne......I don't understand why--and this is unfair as I am saying it's Muna's responsbility--King Hussein and Princess Muna didn't realize the importance of this for the eldest son of a ruler of an Arabic country.......

Thank you,

Mary Shawn

Originally Posted by shelley

I think it was too much of a contrast to hear Hassan's voice in excellent Arabic, and sounding very much like his brother as well. The king after much hard work can now read a prepared speech in Arabic fairly competently, but cannot speak off the cuff or take question and answers in Arabic, so the diffference would de too obvious. Crown prince Hamzah, who can speak Arabic, is also not heard live. I think they had to allow press coverage, because there was much agitation amongst the public that there was nothing about Hassan's activities in local papers but there is still nothing on radio and television. Why not pictures ? It had to fit into the myth that this was a traitor whose picture should not be allowed up. In Jerash apparantly they hung a huge portait of Hassan strung up along the main road. It was taken down about ten times and ten times the people of Jerash put it up again in slightly different spot until I suppose they finally got the message !

[maryshawn]

Interesting observation by Leslie Bennetts in an article on QN and KH. Gossiping and saying bad things about the King is punishable by imprisonment or death. Thus, many criticize the King by using the Queen as the focal point.....nice role for the Queen to be in.......always the scapegoat. And, no, I'm not fond of Rania who must spend an inordinate amount of time adding to her couture wardrobe. When she first became Queen, an article observed she wore a simple outfit with just a plain gold wedding band. "She was well brought up; she is not ostentatious at all," said a family member. If Rania's not ostentatious, then what is???????

Originally Posted by papillon

Shelley's definitely an expert at this. However, I can say that I spent some time in Jordan last summer, and I did hear locals grumble a bit about QR. Since it is an imprisonable offense to criticize the JRF in Jordan, I didn't attempt to ascertain the nature of their beefs against her. Just noted them with interest.

I, too, find QR's spending habits vulgar and her dismissiveness of criticism immature, self aggrandizing, and not terribly respectful of others. I guess the latter is just her way of not having to listen seriously to anything she finds disagreeable. Maybe if she did listen and care more, she would learn something and grow and evolve as a human being.

[maryshawn]

One last word about the letter. I had to re-read it a few times. I agree with Shelley. He was sick. The cancer was consuming him, as well as the chemicals......it was rambling, unclear at times......it just always struck me as NOT the kind of letter the healthy KH would have written.

[papillon]

Originally Posted by maryshawn

Interesting observation by Leslie Bennetts in an article on QN and KH. Gossiping and saying bad things about the King is punishable by imprisonment or death. Thus, many criticize the King by using the Queen as the focal point.....nice role for the Queen to be in.......always the scapegoat.

Well, I think the same law covers all members of the JRF, not just the king, though it might be perceived as a more serious offense if the criticism involves the king.

Anyway, I heard unsolicited gripes about KA last summer, too. One young woman who worked in a retail store sidled up to me and asked what I thought of him. I was quite surprised, but said something truly benign, even though I DO have my opinions. She said she thought he was too inexperienced, wanted to give him time, but thought a mistake had been made. Shocked the heck out of me. . .would've loved to have poked and probed at that a bit, but not at the expense of my freedom or my life. But she did make me pause and wonder how prevalent her view might be and why she would risk her own freedom to cozy up to a stranger and spout off like that. She must have felt it strongly.

[shelley]

Originally Posted by maryshawn

Shelley,

Why DIDN'T Princess Muna stress the need to study/learn Arabic at an early age? Abdullah was the eldest son, clearly a possibility for the throne......I don't understand why--and this is unfair as I am saying it's Muna's responsbility--King Hussein and Princess Muna didn't realize the importance of this for the eldest son of a ruler of an Arabic country.......

Thank you,

Mary Shawn

Abdullah and his brother Feisal were only 7 and 8 when they went to boarding school, and didn't return to Jordan to live until they were grown men. I don't know why neither the king or P. Muna made much of an effort with their children, maybe because it was never an option that A. would be king !!? By contrast, P. Hassan's children , the girls and P. Rashid, were always accompanied by a tutor when they went to boarding school ( as P. Hassan himself was throughout boarding school and indeed university), even though they went at an older age. I believe that the late king then availed himself of this facility and the tutors were also asked to teach P. Haya and P. Hamzah.

[Safaa Batin]

Originally Posted by shelley

I didn't say it pure and simple jealousy. I agree that the late king led Jordan for many tricky years, and for at least two thirds of them, ably assisted and supported by his brother, who basically he loved deeply, certainly more than any son except perhaps Hamzah when he came along. Which is why for when people would bring up the succession issue he brushed them off harshly, even as late as August 1998. But he was a very ill man for the last few months of his life. And he was human. If anyone knew that occasionally there were even slightly ambvialant emotions towards his brother as he faced up to his own mortality, this was the time to exploit it, as people under the sort of treatment he was undergoing are very vulnerable, and it is known that they can end up beling hostile towards the people they love the most. This is an accepted medcial fact of chemotherapy. And the conflicting messages of that final letter bear out this ambivalance clearly, at least as far as I can see. I know for many Jordanians, their king was a larger than life hero, and rightly so for many reasons, but as I keep saying, he was man, not a plaster saint, and even the best of men have their Achilles heel.

I agree that through illness emotions have a big role, as if it was pure logical there were no choice better than prince hassan to be the new king. But i am still not convinced by the jealousy theory , may be it was emotions toward sons, he preferes to have his son as the coming king not his brother,may be queen Noor had an influence in order to give prince hamza the chance to be a king, may be other political reasons was there , but also I can't imagin that there were no Ameican hands to change prince hassan.
At the end may be many reasons both emotional and logical get together and make King Hussain take that decision. But we have to remember that this decision was unliked by most jordanians especially at the beginning, for sure K.hussain was aware of that, so if he was jealous and didnt want his brother to overshine him and want to keep his good image, he already lose credits in the people hearts and spoiled that image when he change the crown prince, so the main reason can not be how people will see him better or worse than p. hassan, i am sure there was a more serious reason.
Knowing that he was a man and not saint, and to many jordanians too he was not a life hero , and along his life he had his mistakes, but that does not change the fact that he was a very successful king wether we agreed or disagreed with him.

[shelley]

Originally Posted by Safaa Batin

so the main reason can not be how people will see him better or worse than p. hassan, i am sure there was a more serious reason.
Knowing that he was a man and not saint, and to many jordanians too he was not a life hero , and along his life he had his mistakes, but that does not change the fact that he was a very successful king wether we agreed or disagreed with him.

I agree with everything you say. And I think that the jealousy factor was only a teensy weensy bit of the whole issue - what I think is that during his last illness, people who did not want to see P. Hassan as king, different people, for different reasons, perhaps, made common cause and worked on this angle to make the lies and insinuations about P. Hassan hit home. As I say, a dying man, and now we know that despite all the reassurances that we were given, he was a dying man when he came home, is especially vulnerable, and there are ways that things can be presented and slanted by people who know which buttons to press. It has to be people who knew him very well. I am sure there were plenty who said the same sort of thing when the king was well - in fact I know for a fact that they tried - but the basic affection and trust that the two brothers shared over-rode all these attempts. But if there was this even 2% of human frailty ( which even exists between fathers and sons ) it could be blown up or damped down. And there is no doubt that people like Battikhi and Ka'abneh exploited it for all it is worth. That they had plenty to hide is now clear. And other got onto the band wagon as well. I think what was done was despicable to a dying man. P. Hassan is well and has made his life again. The late king went to his grave probably heart-broken and greatly confused by everything that he was told. Do you remember what he told the PM and parliament about P. Hassan on the 9th January ? And then he was being buried on the 9th February. I would give my eyeteeth to know what was said and done to make him write that letter - especially after he and P. Hassan had such a warm and loving reunion.....perhaps too warm and loving for some, as it meant that all the scheming and lies back and forth from Mayo hadn't really worked. :( :( And of course K. Hussein was a hugely successful king. But that doesn't mean that P. Hassan could not have been an equally good one, perhaps in another way for another time. But you are not disagreeing with me about that as such. It is all so sad, especially for Jordan who needs and still misses this man's input.

[Safaa Batin]

absolutly agree shelley.
but what was told to parliament in 9 january, do you mean that known letter or something else, i do not remember the date. But that letter did not have a lot of datails and that what made and still make people not sure of the exact reason.

[tania]

What I so admire about Prince Hassan, and I am sure so many people feel the same, is the way he behaved so honourably after what happened. He was a true prince. Not once has he come out and said anything about his late brother or the present king. I remember seeing an interview with him once and when they asked him about King Abdullah he answered a long the lines of what do you want me to tell you, he is my King and my nephew. In this day and age, I think you will seldom find people of that calibre.

[shelley]

Originally Posted by Safaa Batin

absolutly agree shelley.
but what was told to parliament in 9 january, do you mean that known letter or something else, i do not remember the date. But that letter did not have a lot of datails and that what made and still make people not sure of the exact reason.

On the 9th of January, after P. Hassan visited the late king in London, H.M. sent a message to the Prime Minister saying how proud he was of his brother, and the way in which he had shouldered his reponsibilities during the past few months etc etc and asked him to tell the people of Jordan that. I remember reading it in the papers then. Look in the archives of various Jordanian newspapers for that date. So what I mean is that when they met and talked any small differences they might have had were forgotten and they were that strong duo again that had served Jordan so long and so well. And perhaps this could not be alllowed to continue....so an ill man was put through an emotional wringer. Not nice.

[shelley]

Originally Posted by tania

What I so admire about Prince Hassan, and I am sure so many people feel the same, is the way he behaved so honourably after what happened. He was a true prince. Not once has he come out and said anything about his late brother or the present king. I remember seeing an interview with him once and when they asked him about King Abdullah he answered a long the lines of what do you want me to tell you, he is my King and my nephew. In this day and age, I think you will seldom find people of that calibre.

Which is why all the lies were so ridiculous. It would have been totally out of character for a man who was drop dead loyal and still is. The last ten or so years of his life the late king was away from Jordan for months at a time. If he had wanted to, there were ample opportunities for P. Hassan to take over the throne - look at Qatar and Oman. It has been done in recent history !

[papillon]

Originally Posted by shelley

Which is why all the lies were so ridiculous. It would have been totally out of character for a man who was drop dead loyal and still is. The last ten or so years of his life the late king was away from Jordan for months at a time. If he had wanted to, there were ample opportunities for P. Hassan to take over the throne - look at Qatar and Oman. It has been done in recent history !

Even if one believed the lies at the time, it would be difficult to believe them at this point. Time has shown the true character of P. Hassan. He probably could've undermined the shaky beginnings of KA's rule, spouted off in interviews and other public forums any number of times about the unfairness of the succession, in general been a thorn in the side of KA, but he has done none of that. To the contrary, he has supported the leadership, refused to become ensnared in leading questions by reporters, been loyal to his country and to his family. This casts great doubt, for me, on the veracity of the stories coming out of Jordan at the time of KH's death.

[shelley]

Originally Posted by papillon

Even if one believed the lies at the time, it would be difficult to believe them at this point. Time has shown the true character of P. Hassan. He probably could've undermined the shaky beginnings of KA's rule, spouted off in interviews and other public forums any number of times about the unfairness of the succession, in general been a thorn in the side of KA, but he has done none of that. To the contrary, he has supported the leadership, refused to become ensnared in leading questions by reporters, been loyal to his country and to his family. This casts great doubt, for me, on the veracity of the stories coming out of Jordan at the time of KH's death.

Thank you ! I rest my case .....

[Alexandria]

Bumping up this thread for Shelley who inquired about it.

[papillon]

Originally Posted by Alexandria

Bumping up this thread for Shelley who inquired about it.

Thanks, Shelley and Alexandria. I started this thread long ago. . .this is one of my favorite topics. :)

[papillon]

I just discovered something interesting, something that makes me want to question a whole lot of what I read, even in the mainstream press. All three of the following succession-era excerpts appeared in Newsweek articles either authored or co-authored by a writer named Joseph Contreras.

In this first article, published before the succession change, it is assumed C.P. Hassan will succeed KH. QN is depicted as unpopular within Jordan and P. Sarvath as liked by Jordanians for living modestly. In addition, the author appears to understand that, constitutionally, C.P. Hassan could name only a brother or a son his heir.

The Day After
By Joseph Contreras
August 10, 1998

Managing this difficult but critical relationship likely will fall to the king's youngest brother, Crown Prince Hassan, who has been designated heir for 33 years.

Hassan's own succession may be smooth, but dynastic intrigues already are apparent. The Constitution clearly gives Hassan's son, Rashid, 19, the inside track as crown prince to his father should Hassan take over. But King Hussein has spoken vaguely for several years about "democratizing" the succession process, and has installed a secret panel of family elders and two close confidants to study the issue. That has provoked speculation that he may want the crown eventually to revert to Hamzah, 18, his eldest son by his fourth wife, the American-born Queen Noor. Relations between Noor and Hassan's wife, Princess Sarvath, are said to be cool. "Jordan isn't big enough for two queens," says one Western diplomat.

"It's clear Hamzah is being groomed for bigger and better things," says one senior foreign diplomat in Amman. Last year Noor took Hamzah as her escort to the funeral of Princess Diana. That alone sharply raised his profile. Though never very popular in traditional Jordanian society, Noor has become a regular in the pages of Europe's royal-watching picture magazines. The former Lisa Halaby, a Princeton alumna, mingles easily with the glitterati. Guests at the
anniversary bash she and the king held outside London last June included Prince Charles and the King of Spain, Harrison Ford and Barbara Walters. Last month Noor took Diana's place as spokesperson for the Landmine Survivors Network.

Princess Sarvath is less glamorous but equally strong-minded. She has focused on improving the kingdom's education system and is the patroness of a prep school that sends graduates to British universities. The daughter of a Pakistani foreign minister, she met the crown prince at Oxford. Jordanians like her modest lifestyle.

The sons of the two women are now seen as rivals.
_________________________________________________

In this second article, written just six months later and published the day after KH's death, P. Sarvath has suddenly become unpopular and imperious.

A Lion in Winter
By Joseph Contreras and Christopher Dickey
February 8, 1999

Before he left, Hussein fired his 51-year-old brother, Hassan, who had served him as crown prince for 34 years.

What saddened many people even more was the letter to Hassan that the king made public at the same time. Handwritten, disjointed and 14 pages long, it accused Hassan of meddling with the Army and government and inspiring ``slandering and falsehoods'' about the king's fourth wife, Queen Noor, and their four children. The inner rivalries of the Hashemite dynasty had never been so glaringly exposed.

Under the Constitution, if Hassan became king, the crown would pass to his own son, Prince Rashid, now 19. Hassan would not agree to a change. Sources say his wife, Princess Sarvath, helped persuade him not to give in.

Hassan was undercut, unintentionally, by his unpopular wife, the Pakistani-born Sarvath, who made no secret of her intention to redecorate the palace when her husband became king. "The king thought Sarvath was acting like a queen," says a former prime minister who supported Hassan.
_________________________________________________

And, then, just four or five months after the second article, QN seems to have lost all her popularity.

Crowning Indignities
By Joseph Contreras
June 28, 1999

King Hussein never persuaded most of his subjects that Queen Noor, 47, his American-born wife of 21 years, was much better than a privileged guest. In the four months since the king's death from lymphoma, the widow's influence has shriveled away.

But Noor was conspicuously absent at Abdullah's formal coronation two weeks ago. The speed of her eclipse caught many Jordanians by surprise. "It's something we expected, but maybe we didn't expect it so soon and so publicly," says one prominent political scientist. "People are longing to bury the past. And Noor, it seems, is part of the past."

Noor could only dream of such a break. No matter how hard she tried, she never won more than grudging acceptance from her subjects. Most ordinary Jordanians regarded her as "the king's wife--not their queen," in the words of a family friend. Noor appeared to be gaining some genuine popularity at last as Hussein fought his losing battle against cancer. Jordanians respected the devotion she showed to their beloved king throughout his five-month hospitalization in America. As soon as the king was dead, however, the public shifted its loyalty to his designated heir, Abdullah. Noor was effectively forgotten. "The struggle between them has been going on for a long time," says a political scientist. "Conditions are almost totally against her." All four of Noor's children skipped the coronation. Hamzah was said to be preparing for exams at Sandhurst, the British military academy. The other three were with their mother in the United States while she made a series of public appearances. Her spokeswoman says the royal travel schedule was finalized last month after Abdullah told Noor his coronation would be private and low-key; by the time the queen learned otherwise, it was too late to revise her plans.

Rumors ran wild in Amman. People asked why Hamzah couldn't have done his studying on the five-hour flight home from England. Abdullah has named Hamzah as his crown prince, in obedience to their father's dying wish. Nevertheless, the new king has a son of his own, 4-year-old Prince Hussein. There's nothing to keep the monarch from rescinding his half-brother's right of succession--just as there was nothing to keep King Hussein from doing the same to Hassan.

[Cassy]

Originally Posted by papillon

I just discovered something interesting, something that makes me want to question a whole lot of what I read, even in the mainstream press. All three of the following succession-era excerpts appeared in Newsweek articles either authored or co-authored by a writer named Joseph Contreras.

according to this book by jordanian diplomat marwan muasher, it's because the first article was planted by the hassan camp:

Amazon.com: The Arab Center: The Promise of Moderation: Marwan Muasher: Books

hte book dedicates an entire chapter to the king's final months and the sacking of hassan. muasher doesn't have much good to say about the hassans. he claims king hussein telegraphed in private statements and to the jordanian media, cnn, and in his wye summit statement that he would be changing the succession, so that lays waste to the theories that the sacking was due to an altered mental state on his death bed or that it was a total surprise to anyone when it happened. muasher cites sarvath-related intrigues and goings on, hassan-related egotism and overstepping, and king hussein's distress about what was happening in jordan under his brother's regency during his absence, especially with the military, as causes.

[Little_star]

Thanks for the link, Cassy.

Funnily enough I've heard similar stories about Sarvath and Hassan, not from Jordanian sources, but from Pakistani individuals.

[Nourah]

Prince Hamza is like totally into his career, he loves the Army, and I am sure he enjoys the freedom he has now. Where as if he were still a crown Prince, his mobility would be very limited. May Allah protect His Majesty Abu Hussein , HRHPrince Hassan, and HRH Prince Hamza, Ameen. King Abdullah and Prince Hamza has never cut short in there generosity, and I hope that Allah blesses them there family, Ameen.