Jordan Times
Thursday, May 25, 2006
King to address nation
today
Festivities to mark 60th anniversary of independence
AMMAN (JT) — His Majesty King Abdullah will today
address the nation on the 60th anniversary of independence, as the government
kicks off festivities to mark the occasion and other upcoming national days.
The activities, planned by a special committee headed by Prime Minister Marouf
Bakhit, will continue through June 10, when the country will celebrate the 50th
Army Day, which marks the Arabisation of the Jordan Armed Forces.
That same day, Jordan will also mark the 90th anniversary of the Great Arab
Revolt, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
On June 9, there will be celebrations to mark the 7th anniversary of the King’s
ascension to the Throne.
The Monarch will deliver today’s speech at an event attended by officials and
local community leaders, during which he will also honour pioneers and excelling
citizens in their respective fields.
The Ministry of Culture will host festivities on May 30 at the Palace of
Culture, including an operetta performed by Jordanian artists and traditional
dancing by local troupes.
On the anniversary of the King’s ascension to the Throne, the private and public
sectors will stage a parade of more than 100 vehicles decorated with flowers.
The procession will start at the Sports City Circle and proceed through the
capital’s streets.
On June 10, King Abdullah is scheduled to present achievement medals to military
personnel, while he will receive an original banner of the Great Arab Revolt.
The flag, one of only two remaining from the early days of the Revolt, was
bought by a Jordanian at a July 12, 2005, auction at Sothebys in London.
It was then given to the Royal Court to be displayed at the Raya Museum, which
will be built near the Flagpole, the tallest in the world, in the vicinity of
the Royal Court. Lawrence of Arabia took the banner to London in 1920.
The Monarch will also tour an exhibition held by the Children of the Great Arab
Revolt Club on the occasion, which will also witness a car procession from Aqaba
to Amman organised by the Jordan Sports Federation.
On the same day, the King will act as patron at a military parade organised by
the Jordan Armed Forces, which will display old and new military vehicles to
highlight the progress witnessed by the army and the police over the decades.
Meanwhile, the Greater Amman Municipality has prepared an assortment of cultural
and art festivities, while each of the country’s governorates has designed its
own programme to celebrate the national occasions.
Within the same context, Amman Governor Saad Manaseer on Wednesday ordered the
release of 124 detainees, including four women, out of 227 persons held in
“administrative custody,” a procedure that falls within the mandate of district
governors.
The rest of detainees have “criminal records and are dangerous to the community,
while others are charged with car theft and purse snatching,” Manaseer told
Petra.
In a related development, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Abdul Fattah
Salah announced that 38 mosques across the country would be officially opened as
part of the national celebrations. Lectures and seminars have also been planned,
as well as the official opening of the second phase of Holy Koran Radio, which
now broadcasts recitals around-the-clock.
Meanwhile, a leading Syrian newspaper yesterday featured a report on Jordan’s
Independence Day.
The Tishreen newspaper said Jordan preserved its “faithfulness to Arab causes
and the principles of the Great Arab Revolt,” during the reign of King Abdullah.
The pro-government paper highlighted Jordan’s economic and other achievements in
the past years and King Abdullah’s efforts to activate joint Arab action and
develop Jordan-Syria ties, including an agreement signed last year to demarcate
borders, ending a decades-old problem. The two countries also signed 23
agreements of cooperation in various fields last year.