Jordan Times
Sunday, February 5, 2006
King says Palestinians' choice has to be respected
Petra
His Majesty King Abdullah urged the Palestinians and Israelis to rapidly return
to the negotiation table and said the international community should continue
its support.
“It is now vital for the parties to return rapidly to the negotiation table and
equally vital for the international community to continue their support,” King
Abdullah said Friday in remarks at the University of Mississippi's Trent Lott
Leadership Institute in Oxford, Mississippi.
“Establishing a viable, sovereign Palestinian state, alongside a secure Israel,
is the only way to put an end to violence and extremism,” the King said. “Peace
needs our full efforts.”
The Monarch said the elections in the territories formed an important step in
the history of the Palestinian people.
“We have to respect their choice,” he said. “For years, the Palestinian people
have expressed their desire for peace, and their respect for the legitimacy of
international resolutions. Both peoples, Palestinian and Israeli, are fed up
with violence. They want and deserve a future of hope.”
“Let's wait to see Hamas' decision on how to deal with political facts on the
ground,” King Abdullah said in response to a question on the movement's victory.
On Iraq, the King said: “There is a huge responsibility also on the
international community to support the Iraqi people as they rebuild their
country and restore stability and security.”
He said the entire world has a stake in a unified, stable and prosperous Iraq.
The King expressed hope that a coalition government would be formed, moving the
country towards a more inclusive polity.
Meanwhile, King Abdullah said the response to terrorism should not come only in
the form of security measures, but rather through completing reform.
He said any delay in reform only delays its benefits. “That makes the cause more
urgent — and our determination stronger,” he said.
The King added that Jordan has already been recognised for its success in
education reform and economic growth.
“But unfortunately there will always be resistance to change. At times, reform
has hit heavy weather. Those who like the status quo find excuses to reject
reform; often, they will claim it is being imposed from outside. But Jordan's
message is: Reform is ours, and our future will not be stopped.”
Outlining Jordan's priorities, King Abdullah told his audience that the country
is concerned with “creating more opportunity.”
“Growing a job-rich economy so our young people can build a future. Creating
safe communities for our families and children. Creating and sustaining good
government, to protect human rights and give citizens a stake in a peaceful
civil society.”
Referring to the Amman Message, the King said the document was released to
oppose false teachings.
“It is an explanation of the true nature of Islam and a call to peaceful
coexistence among all human beings,” he explained.
The King also made reference to last year's international gathering of Muslim
scholars in Amman. He said the major event carried the Amman Message forward,
with a declaration that invalidates extremist fatwas that violate Islamic
precepts and justify violence.
The Amman Message, King Abdullah stressed, “is an all-Islamic initiative, but
the road to moderation is not for Muslims alone.”
“All of us have a responsibility to promote the intercultural, interfaith
understanding that our future depends on,” he said.
Responding to a question on Iran nuclear issue, the King reiterated Jordan's
call for a Middle East free of nuclear weapons. He advised the US and the EU to
embrace dialogue with Iran.
On Friday, King Abdullah met with a number of distinguished Jordanian students
at the University of Mississippi.
The King expressed his pride in these students, saying that the reforms he is
leading are aimed to find opportunities for such enlightened minds to work in
their country and contribute to its development.