Jordan Times
Sunday, November 13, 2005
King Interviewed by CNN
Amman, Nov. 12 (Petra)-- His Majesty King Abdullah II underscored that Al-Qaeda network poses a threat to all of us in the international community and what has happened in Jordan is not a battle between a Jordanian-born or Jordan or different countries.
''This is an ideological struggle between extremist Muslims that have this perverse view of Islam against the rest of us moderate Muslims. Said the King in an interview with CNN The King stressed that the problems that we have had with Al-Qaeda happened before Sep. 11th events because the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan represents descendants of the prophet-- the moderate Islam.
We have always been targeted Myself My family. ''Jordan was targeted before Afghanistan, before Iraq,'' the King added. The King noted that Amman Message was a direct offensive against these people to say that they have nothing to do with Islam. '' I think that to walk into a lobby of a hotel, to see a wedding procession and blow yourself up? these people are insane,'' the King said. '' These people have perpetrated horrendous crimes from Bali on one side of the world to the United States on the other,'' added the King, pointing that Muslims, Christians, Jews, all of us need to come together and stand up against extremism.
The King pointed that the public outcry from north to south, Christians, Muslims, people of Jordanian origin, of Palestinian origin, have come together to I think rally against these people. This is something, I think, allows Jordan one-step forward in the battle against these extremists. The King said that I know the overwhelming majority of Iraqis here are our brothers. They are very pleased to be here. This is something that we as Jordanians are extending to the Iraqis in their very difficult time. Responding to a question, the King said that bombers are foreigners, our initial findings are Iraqis. So there are only two logistical places that they could have come across: either the Iraqi or the Syrian border. Regarding the peace process, the King said that there has to be progress to give hope.
What happened recently, the pullout of Gaza, I think was a very courageous decision, that both the Israelis and Palestinians need to capitalize on. It is a chapter of hope for all of us in the region that Israelis and Palestinians can move forward.