Having flipped through the calendar of the new year, we said, “O God, we rely on You.” We can only be optimistic, because falling into despair is a great danger. It involves a risk of passing a judgment on the new year with views abounding with negativity, bleakness, and monotony that overwhelm one with boredom and despair.
Going back a hundred years in time, we can see the world being extricated from a bleak period called the World War I. The Paris Conference convened and the Treaty of Versailles was concluded which led to the founding of the League of Nations with the victorious countries formulating the features of the future and imposing harsh sanctions on the defeated countries. The world did not expect another war after years, namely, World War II which wreaked havoc, and brought calamities as well as acts of vengeance.
We earnestly ask the Almighty God, a century after Versailles Treaty, to extricate the world for the state of loss or from the feeling of being defeated awaiting what conditions that would be imposed by the powerful or victorious which will consequently be obeyed.
There is no indication that that equality among countries and peoples would be fully attained in the new year. But dreaming remains a legitimate right for every human being and for every people. Let us strive together to achieve equality and justice at all levels, namely at the social, local, regional and international levels. Let us strive to bring about a united humanity within an extended unified family governed by a new set of values and ethics.
We borrow from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the slogan for this year, namely “A Year of Tolerance”. After having establishment a Ministry of Tolerance at a time when it includes ethnic, religious and sectarian plurality, the UAE also approved the law prohibiting and criminalizing insult to religions. The UAE will consequently be the first Gulf country to receive Pope Francis who will make a double-targeted visit, namely to the state that launched inclusive initiatives for the followers of religions, and for the Church composed of different languages, nationalities and rituals. The visit will coincide with an international gathering organized by the UAE titled, "The International Conference on Human Brotherhood", while the logo of the papal visit is a dove of peace bearing the colors of the Vatican and the UAE flags with a green olive branch sticking from its mouth. The logo of the “Pope’s visit” was derived for the impressive prayer of St. Francis (12th century): "Lord, make me an instrument for Your peace".
There are reasons to be optimistic. However, it is a world that regrettably made us feel more pessimistic. But why not adopt the slogan of the UAE for this new year in our Jordanian homeland and in our Arab world? Tolerance is a necessary address for optimism and solidarity. The Pope's plane, which landed in our country five years ago, will cross our airspace on its way to the UAE. There are links of friendship, understanding and cooperation between the leaders and the peoples of the two countries designed to uphold human dignity and improve the lives of our citizens.
Let it be a year of optimism, a year of tolerance in Jordan and the UAE, and in the world at large.
