Jordan Times
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Challenges facing Muslim world
tackled at WEF session
AMMAN (JT) — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Thursday said the Muslim world is at a
“critical crossroad of self-examination and self-definition” as it faces
headlines of misconception and misunderstanding around the world, propagated by
an extremist minority. Addressing more than 200 delegates attending a panel
discussion during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Queen Rania
said tapping into the energy and talent of youth is a priority solution to the
region's most pressing challenges.
Sitting alongside Afghanistan's President Hameed Karzai, Pakistani President
Parvez Musharraf and President of the Iraq National Assembly Hajim Al Hasani at
a plenary session entitled `Muslim Societies in the Modern World,' the Queen
stressed that “the challenge that has dominated the headlines and captured
everyone's attention is the rise of a minority group of extremist Muslims who
have taken it upon themselves to distort Islam in order to justify violent
actions and crimes against humanity.”
The session, chaired by Thomas Friedman, a foreign affairs columnist from the
New York Times, focused on balancing the demands of modernism and tradition in
Muslim countries and the priorities facing countries in the Muslim world.
Today's extremists, the Queen added, have exploited “21st century technology,
means of communication, mobility to spread their message and magnify the
resonance of what they are trying to do.”
The Queen pointed out that this has, however, led to a “reaffirmation of the
basic principles of Islam... It has been a wake-up call for us, it has brought
us together.”
President Musharraf said there was no conflict between modernisation and Islam,
noting that the teachings of Islam have been hijacked by the extremists.
President Karzai agreed, defining modernism as economic growth, adaptation of
technology, better education. Democracy and its associated values should also
prove no problem as “Islam's principles are inherently democratic — equality,
participation and the protection of the unprotected.”
Queen Rania highlighted Jordan's leadership role in combating extremism,
starting with the Amman Message which “emphasises the true teachings of our
religion and calls for the peaceful coexistence of humanity,” and followed by
the Islamic conference which was held in Amman last year, where 180 religious
scholars from 45 countries, and all eight schools of Islam came together to
condemn extremism, reject violence and call for moderation.
Jordan has also been taking the lead elsewhere.
Asked about the number one priority for Jordan, the Queen answered: Education.
“Youth are the catalysts for change, and change is the only constant,” she said.
“Equipping them with the right tools to compete on the international stage,
creating opportunities for our youth, should be the overriding motivation in
everything and anything that we do,” the Queen added.
Her Majesty highlighted the need to create a generation of thinkers and
innovators by accelerating the many education reform efforts currently under way
— from introducing technology and innovation into the classroom, to training
teachers and upgrading the curriculum.
In reply to a question from the audience on the issue of women in the Middle
East, Queen Rania acknowledged that this is a global challenge, and not one that
is unique to the Middle East.
She pointed to a paradox in the status quo of women in the region: On the one
hand, the MENA region is one of the highest spenders on education, resulting in
high educational attainment amongst women; yet, on the other hand, women's
participation in the labour force remains amongst the lowest in the world.
“We are making huge investments in women, but we are depriving ourselves of the
returns,” she said, adding that “gender equality is not just about parity in
numbers, it is about changing mindsets and challenging ingrained social norms
and attitudes.”
When asked about the results of the Palestinian elections, the Queen said the
world should respect the wishes of the Palestinian people, expressing hope that
the peace process will move forward.
Meanwhile, in her capacity as the head of the Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGLs)
Nomination Committee, and the only Arab member of the World Economic Forum
Foundation Board, the Queen met on Friday with a group of YGLs to discuss their
on-going programmes and the developments that arose since their Inaugural Summit
in Zermatt, Switzerland, last June.
The 2005 YGLs, all aged 40 or younger, represent 68 countries: 71 from Europe,
63 from North America, 49 from Asia, 19 from the Middle East and North Africa,
19 from sub-Saharan Africa and 17 from Latin America.
Each year, the Forum brings together 200-300 young leaders, selected out of
8,000 candidates, who are currently internationally prominent, to serve for a
period of five years, and eventually becoming part of a 1,111-member community
by the year 2009.
Queen Rania also attended a YGL board meeting conducted to review the Forum's
accomplishments this past term, followed by a WEF Foundation Board meeting.
Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the Forum of Young Global Leaders is an
independent, nonprofit organisation, supervised by the Swiss government and
established by Professor Klaus Schwab in 2004. It acts in close cooperation with
the World Economic Forum.