The most wonderful part about the interview with His Royal Highness Prince Hussein Ibn Abdullah II is that he went to Ajloun in the second half of the wonderful interview, at a time when it is the first one by His Highness the Prince screened on an Arab satellite channel. He flew over Ajloun in his helicopter, to see the trees, forests, and beautiful terrain. He circled over Ajloun Castle, the site of Mar Elias and the grotto of Our Lady of the Mount, to be in his flight the largest promoter of Jordanian religious, historical, natural, and adventurous tourism. He promised goodness by saying: “I have a passion for the tourism sector, and I have faith that we can reach a situation much better than the current one.”
Many thank go to Al Arabiya television channel and to our dear colleague Taher Barakeh, who accompanied His Royal Highness the Prince for a few hours in cooperation with Al Arabiya office in Jordan administered by its creative colleague Imad Adhayleh and the working team that participated with him in the preparations which lasted for hours and days. Thanks also go to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who successfully and intelligently delivered several messages at home and abroad. He highly engulfed us with pride as he drank chamomile, or thyme, of Ajloun, which is distinguished by its pleasant natural taste and aroma.
What drew my attention in the interview, among the thorny issues that he discussed with competence and skill, was that “beating on chests” no longer leads to the positive result that the speaker aspires. I think that whoever beats on the chest and fails to fulfill promises, needs to regretfully beat on the chest. Pretense is one thing and external preparation is another, while there is a need for preparation and determination at home to do, on the ground and in reality, by not merely making verbal stands or just “beating on chests.” There is something similar in the Holy Bible, which states that Lord Jesus Christ spoke in one of his parables about two brothers, whose father asks them to go to the field, and one of them apologizes but regrets that, yet he goes to work, while the other “beats his chest” but does not go. The first gets support, yet the second one is rebuked. Lord Jesus Christ said (Matthew 21: 28-31): “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first one,” they answered.
His Royal Highness the Prince reminds us that commitment to the promised work is very important, its perfect fulfillment is important, and being honest in adhering to appointments is important if we want to uplift our institutions, our society, and our beloved country, which is fully abounding with beauty. His Highness said: “I care about results, and I have a problem with a person who asserts ability to do something, and says, ‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘It will be fulfilled,’ and promises to do something, and then I discover that he has neither done anything nor borne responsibility.”
The reminder made by His Highness the Prince that Jordan is rich and has the petroleum of tourism and touristic sites is what instills joy and pride. However, this is not useful all by itself. It rather needs the human treasure that preserves the assets and beauty of our beloved Jordan, the Land of Baptism sanctified by its pure water and blessed soil. Owning sites abounding with holiness and history in our dear country is a beautiful thing, and what is more important are the “minds” that market this product and make people come to visit it and even come on pilgrimage.
Moreover, the interview was screened the day after the celebration marking Jordan’s outstanding independence, which follows 78 years of liberation and self-reliance. I felt immense pride as I participated, at the Husseiniya Palace, with the extended Jordanian family that rallies around its leader, King Abdullah II, the 25 years of the pledge of allegiance to the King. They have been years of incessant goodies, and it is always hoped not to beat on the chests flatteringly and make mere informal readiness, but rather to express allegiance to the noble Hashemite Throne with a sense of belonging and loyalty to all that our fathers and grandfathers have accomplished over the years, and to further develop it in reality—by not beating on the chests-- in the service to the new generations in the second centenary, which His Royal Highness the Prince promised us in his “smart” interview that it would be a ”centenary” flavored with the “aroma” of the chamomile and thyme of Ajloun...
