Jordan Times
Friday, May 26, 2006
Jordan celebrates 60 years of independence
AMMAN (Petra) — Jordan on Thursday marked its
60th Independence Day with an array of festivities, including a major
celebration at Zahran Palace during which the Monarch addressed the nation.
Jordan was created after World War I under British mandate and gained its
independence in 1946.
To celebrate the occasion, the Royal Court announced that the King had presented
each member of uniformed and civil service personnel, including pensioners, with
a JD60 bonus to be added to their June salaries.
During the ceremony at the palace, King Abdullah bestowed medals of various
types and orders to several former officials, including former premier Ahmad
Obeidat, who received the Al Hussein Decoration for Distinguished Contribution,
First Order. His successors Faisal Fayez and Adnan Badran were each presented
with the Al Nahda Decoration, First Order.
Also on the list of the honoured officials were former Amman mayor Nidal Hadid
(Al Hussein Decoration for Distinguished Contribution, First Order) and outgoing
director of the Media and Information Division at the Royal Court Rania Atallah,
on whom the Monarch bestowed Istiqlal Medal, First Order.
The list included a group of retired and serving officials, officers and
academics from several units, departments and institutions, including citizens
whose service started in the 1940s.
The King and Her Majesty Queen Rania greeted guests at the ceremony, which was
attended by members of the Royal family, senior officials, political party
leaders, unionists, youth leaders and Muslim and Christian religious leaders.
Jordanian poet Haidar Mahmoud, a former minister of culture, recited a poem
especially composed for the occasion.
Later Thursday, the King and Queen attended a dinner banquet held by Prime
Minister Marouf Bakhit as part of the Independence Day celebrations.
Royal family members, senior parliamentarians, former premiers and senior
officials attended the banquet.
Bakhit delivered a speech in which he reviewed the role of the Hashemite dynasty
in building today’s Jordan, and their contributions to Arab causes.
Also yesterday, Bakhit acted as patron at the Third Jordanian Day Festival
organised by the Jordanian Society for Heritage Preservation.
The premier added his signature to a 60-metre high “Cable of Allegiance,” which
carries the signatures of around a million citizens. The document was delivered
to the Royal Court by a procession of cars. Royal Court Secretary General Yousef
Issawi received it on behalf of the King.
The celebration included a minute’s silence for the souls of fallen servicemen,
speeches and patriotic songs.
Meanwhile, the Royal Automobile Museum organised a parade of classical cars
through the capital’s roads. The motorcade set off from the museum in King
Hussein Park and drove through Ras Al Ain to downtown Amman and the Citadel.
Drivers included celebrities such as Finnish Tommi Makinen, a four-time world
rally champion.
This event marked the first time the museum’s classical cars have been driven on
public roads. The museum, which was opened by King Abdullah in June 2003, is the
first of its kind in the region, displaying 80 of His Majesty the late King
Hussein’s cars and motorcycles.
Jordan’s diplomatic missions abroad also held celebrations to mark Independence
Day.
Saudi Arabian royal family members and senior officials attended a ceremony held
by Jordan’s Ambassador in Riyadh Qaftan Majali on Wednesday. It included
folklore dancing, the screening of documentary about Jordan and a dinner
banquet.
Meanwhile, the ambassador to Qatar, Omar Amad, visited members of the Jordanian
community currently being treated at hospitals in the gulf Emirate.
The festivities will continue through to June 10 to mark the 50th anniversary of
the end of British control over the Jordan Armed Forces.