Vanity Fair on Queen Rania (and other royals)

[cerulean]

The latest Vanity Fair issue has several articles on royalty.

I found the article on Queen Rania of Jordan quite interesting. I think it's quite plausible she has done good work for her citizens in respect to awareness of child abuse, honor killing, and family planning. But the article quoted the queen about issues relating to the US and Israel and Arab anger towards the US without any counterpoint or contradiction. The article also states that the queen is Palestinian, and that 60% of Jordanians are Palestinian. I did not see any definition of what "Palestinian" means in this particular context (although I know the Jordanian royal family consists of Hashemites). I did further research outside the article, it appears that Queen Rania's prosperous family formerly lived in Kuwait, but like many other Palestinians, they were kicked out after the 1991 Gulf War because they were suspected of being Iraqi sympathizers. They then moved to Jordan.

It's clear Queen Rania has shopping issues similar to say Imelda Marcos or Suwa Arafat, which I find hard to justify in a relatively poor country. She is also a very personable and attractive mouthpiece for a dressed-up version of justifications for Arab attacks against the US and Israel. But I have to admit she is in a situation where saying anything else would not be the wisest course of action for her personal wellbeing.

Apart from the Queen Rania article, an article on the Duke and Duchess of Windsor mentions the Duke's antisemitism (probably no surprise to many). But one reason the Duke was so eager to visit Hitler in 1937, in addition to the Duke's own beliefs, was because Hitler would treat the Duchess like a queen - literally.

Another article mentions the king of Bulgaria, who saved 50,000 Jews from deportation at the last minute during WWII. However, Jews in territories that were obtained by Bulgaria during the war were deported.

I probably won't have a chance to type anything up for a while from the article, but if anyone else wants to feel free.

[Manaia]

Sorry to drag this post up but I'm wondering what peoples stance on Queen Rania & Jordan is at this time. I've only read about her and seen her stuff on youtube but think her efforts are laudable. Would it be wrong to assume that she and her husband would like to bring Jordan into the modern world but are faced with the constant threat of upsetting and pushing some of their more impressionable citizens into the hands of Hamas or other terrorist groups? Jordan hasn't been great friends in the past, is it considered a friend of Israel's now?

[Y. Shulamith]

I wonder how the Queen feels about girls as young as 8 being sold into "marriage" to 47 year old men in Saudi Arabia?

I'd like her to worry about "her own" people and leave worldly matters to people who are capable of such.

[Mediocrates]

When you can't change an entire culture, you revert to complaining about someone else's.

[Y. Shulamith]

When you can't change an entire culture, you revert to complaining about someone else's.

Indeed, a culture of dirty old men!!!

[Manaia]

Yes that is disgusting indeed but what about in Jordan itself. Is Rania going in the right direction? or do you think her thinking is totally corrupt? What would be a good direction for their country to take without giving The Muslim Brotherhood or Hamas, or any other terrorist organisation, an excuse to motivate the people to revolution against the Monarchy.

[13al]

do you think her thinking is totally corrupt?

excuse me ??

Indeed, a culture of dirty old men!!!

According to Jordanian law, the legal marriage age is 18 with some exceptions
but since you can marry legally at 16 even younger in alot of states in the US
i think you are being a hypocrite.and to quote Mediocrates "When you can't change an entire culture, you revert to complaining about someone else's."

[Mediocrates]

The problem with monarchies is that they tend to spout unassailable platitudes as a reflection of their disconnection and unaccountability to the general populace.

[Manaia]

excuse me ??

yes, I'd like your opinion on whether you think Queen Rania is taking good steps in the role she has, and why please?

[CLL1709]

Yes that is disgusting indeed but what about in Jordan itself. Is Rania going in the right direction? or do you think her thinking is totally corrupt? What would be a good direction for their country to take without giving The Muslim Brotherhood or Hamas, or any other terrorist organisation, an excuse to motivate the people to revolution against the Monarchy.

That is the tight-rope Queen Rania and her husband must walk in Jordan. She is best to keep her efforts confined to Jordan. He seems proWestern in his actions, where they fit in into that narrow context.

[Y. Shulamith]

Yeah, some tightrope.....if they aren't careful, it might turn into a noose.....plenty of their not-so-moderate citizens would probably love to see them swing from a rope.

[River]

Thank you for sending all those posts,I am using it a lot ,since the war in Gaza,for informing Serbian public,since I speak Serbian.