The Queen of Jordan: In her own words

Queen Rania Al-Abdullah chats with PT about hate and prejudice.

By Robert Epstein, published on February 01, 2003

A 31-year-old humanitarian, mother of three and co-ruler of a peaceful Arab nation, Queen Rania Al-Abdullah was surprised by her coronation—so was the rest of the world. But since taking the throne three years ago, she's certainly proven she's up to the challenge.

Robert Epstein:, or the fear of foreigners, is a fairly widespread phenomenon. You are of Palestinian ancestry, and your family was once forced out of Kuwait. Have you personally ever experienced xenophobia?

Queen Rania: I went to an English school, and there was a very large expatriate community in Kuwait. My classroom had children from many different nationalities, so I grew up with people from Europe, the United States, Africa, the Far East. These interactions made me realize how alike we are, that what makes us similar is much more than what separates us. Over the past three years with my husband, we've had to travel to so many different countries—from China to Russia to countries in Africa—and most countries I was visiting for the first time. Beforehand, I felt a sense of apprehension: I didn't know what to expect. But once there, I interacted with the people and realized that, although on the outside they may do things differently, at the end of the day, they're just like us. They have the same hopes and fears, they want the same things out of life. Parents worry about their children, people worry about their health, their future, their jobs. These are things we all have in common as humans, no matter where we come from. That knowledge helps you get over that kind of fear.

So you're suggesting that the cure for xenophobia is meaningful contact, knowledge, information.

I do believe that. And today we stand at a crossroads. On the one hand, what happened in the United States in September may increase fear, and that's understandable. Having gone through such a traumatic experience, it's normal to worry about people who come from a different kind of life. But at the same time, we have an opportunity today, because we have certain tools—the Internet, TV news—available to us; it's so easy to obtain information about different countries, different cultures. This kind of education, if we take the time to invest in other people, will really help widen our perspective and therefore reduce our fear and increase our confidence.

Some researchers suggest that xenophobia is a natural phenomenon, that we have this tendency because we need to protect ourselves from the unknown. Americans have had relatively little face-to-face, meaningful contact with Arabs. All of the 19 hijackers last September were Arabs, all of one religion, all male. Are Americans going to overreact in our reaction to Arabs?

The feelings are natural, and sometimes feelings don't have to be logical. But if we do try to put things in perspective, these 19 Arabs are not representative of the millions around the world. Many Americans who have Arab neighbors don't fear them at all; they have great relationships with them. At the same time, a lot of Americans live in our world and have excellent experiences. These are the people we should listen to, because they've had experience firsthand and they'll tell you there's nothing to fear. We have to ask, `What are we protecting ourselves from?' The unknown is always frightening. I find that in anything in life, not just in other people. The more you know, the less you fear.

In the United States, we're having a debate now about racial profiling. If you were an authority in this country, what would you say? Should we practice racial profiling to protect our citizens?

One of the United States' major strengths is the fact that it is a melting pot. People come here and feel comfortable. They don't feel they're being discriminated against, and they assimilate into society very quickly. I don't think that there's any other country in the world that offers this kind of environment to foreigners. I see that as a strength. Obviously, this debate is going to go on; how much of American civil liberties are going to be compromised for the sake of security? Security is a very important issue, but I encourage the United States to hold onto its strengths and to continue to be the tolerant, accommodating society it is now. Because that's what makes it so great; that's what people love about it. The differences are what enrich American society. Especially in New York. Here, you see people from all different parts of the world, and it's just wonderful; it's so cosmopolitan.

I have read two things about you which are a little hard for me to reconcile. First, I read about your wonderful romance with the man who is now king and your husband. On the other hand, I also read that it was good politically for you to be princess and then queen because roughly 60 percent of the population of Jordan is of Palestinian origin. Do you serve a political purpose, and if so, have you helped ease tension within the country?