Since I composed my last blog, I’ve had a great deal of reflecting, rethinking, and reframing to do, which has driven me to write another post on the matter and readdress some issues with my newfound perspectives. The initial post on Queen Rania not only embodied my own emotional disruption, but elicited a strong response from many readers on various points of the spectrum, from defending her, to expressing anger and frustration about the state of their country, to blatant accusations of shady business deals and laying blame for maltreatment of children in far off countries to which she has no ties.
Rania vs. Queen Rania
Such is the problem for public personas and those of us who follow them, deciphering between the reality and the fantasy of who these people are, who they present themselves to be, and who others claim them to be. Accused of being the epitome of pretention, despite Rania’s claims that she uses the internet to allow people to get closer to her “real self”, it could very easily be argued that the “self” Rania portrays online is no more realistic than the self she portrays in every other public domain of her life. Some people even argue it’s not really her posting. However, in light of Occam’s razor, perhaps she really is just being herself and trying her hardest to prove it to a world of naysayers. So how do we know who’s who? God help me for alluding to Eminem but will the real Queen Rania please stand up?
Publicity vs. Philanthropy
Sadly, with all the doubt and suspicions, no one will ever truly know who the real Rania is. I don’t know her and I do not foresee myself bumping into her down at 7-11 while I’m snatching a Big Gulp to sustain a crippling Diet Coke addiction (I said Diet Coke…the soda…put away the 800 numbers). However, there can be no fantasy without some basis of reality, and Rania cannot portray herself to be a philanthropist without actually accomplishing some good. Whether it’s a nothing more than a photo op or a woman just doing her job with a photographer on her tail, there are always beneficiaries of her work. As one person told me, does it matter what her motives are so long as someone’s being helped? Ultimately, no. People don’t care if they’re being used for a front page spread to gain public favor when they’re starving or freezing, as long as they get the food they need and the clothing to keep them warm. And while it’s not the stuff role models are made of, if Rania is truly self-serving and self-indulgent in her work, so long as people are being taken care of, that will be an issue she will have to contend with when she meets whomever she answers to morally. In other words, not our problem.
Role Models vs. Models Playing Roles
A few people were surprised of the investment I’ve made in this woman in terms of admiration and expectation. As I briefly alluded to in the postscript of my previous blog, role models have always been in short supply in my world and I often needed to look to public figures for guidance. Some came and went, because let’s face it; 13 year olds are not great judges of character when it comes to picking personal influences. But even today, I feel I still need the positive influence and the guidance to help direct me down the right path in life, a set example to aspire towards, and though some may find it childish that a 26 year old looks to public figures for such, I don’t believe our need for that crucial example ever dies no matter how old we get, and what’s wrong with admiring someone who seems to embody the values you wish to have?
Now herein lies the problems with role models, especially the public kind we never get to meet. From a safe distance and filtered through TV screens and magazine pages, it becomes all too easy to forget that these people are, in fact, nothing more than human beings, regular people behind superfluous titles who are given to every day imperfections that make us human. Hence, we build these individuals up in our minds and are greatly disappointed when we find they are not who we hoped (who could forget that gut-wrenching moment when Julia Child called Julie’s blog “stupid”?), and Rania is no different. Of course if she ever calls my blog stupid there will be swift retribution of epic proportions…in other words I will grab a small bottle of tequila and spend the evening flipping off my computer screen…but I will do so swiftly! But I will be the first to say (actually I’m like the third after a few friends gave me a verbal knock upside the head) that I set impossible expectations of this woman and in turn set myself up for failure.
I was greatly disappointed when I learned of all the suffering that still goes on in Jordan, how many people are still hungry, still freezing through the winters, still struggling to survive. But then, as I was browsing the discussion board of Rania’s Facebook page, I began to see what could only be described as a digital wailing wall. With topics entitled “I Need Help”, “Only You Can Help This Woman!”, and “Why?”, posts range from begging for help with education, organizations for the disabled, calling for advocacy of Human Rights issues, even requests to help some find a wife, a job, or low airfare to Jordan. And I realized, how can this woman do so much? How is she supposed to solve every single problem for every single person in her country, and then some? No doubt she prioritizes and tackles the most pressing matters first. But the people of Jordan have every right to be upset, having to sit back and watch as her charity is bestowed upon someone else, just waiting and wondering “when will it be my turn? When will my suffering be enough to get someone’s attention?” And when you’re in pain, all you see is the one person who seems to have the power to help, and the fact that she doesn’t. They can’t see the burden of a country, the sack of troubles and worries she seems to carry on her back. And fake persona or not, no one can listen to those voices pleading for help and go home to a restful sleep at night. It will never be enough, she will never be enough. And I’m beginning to pity her plight right alongside the other Jordanians.
Dollars and Sense
Now I don’t want this to sound like I’m back-tracking my way up to oblivion again. While I’ve changed my perspective on Rania the person, Rania the queen still has some work to do. I still can’t defend the spending of the royal family, because excessive spending is not something I’m familiar with. I am a self-proclaimed anti-materialist and anti-conspicuous consumer, I shop for clothes at Wal-Mart and Target, I pass on accessories and the latest gadget, and I prefer to spend my birthdays in a quiet low-priced restaurant enjoying a turkey sandwich, topped off with a cupcake my mother buys for me (thanks Ma). It’s not because I’m broke, it’s not because I am technologically challenged, and it’s not because I’m the biggest bore in SoCal (course you won’t find me dancing on the pool tables at The Colorado either -ahem- Miss M). I just know there are better things I can be spending my money on. There’s no need to have the shiniest, fanciest car just so you can drive around and show off the fact that you can afford it. There’s no need to pay $80 for a shirt that cost a company $4 to make just because it has a well-known name sewn on the tag, a tag no one will see. And while 40 is a big birthday, I don’t know if I would celebrate it on a luxury yacht in France. Not when there are people in the world who don't even have safe drinking water. Now I’m not asking for a vow of poverty, but do people really need 20 pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes? In the scheme of things, the people who truly matter don’t give a damn about what’s on your feet anyways. I stand by my previous comments on the matter, something in Jordan has to change, and it can start by selling a Prada bag and feeding a few hundred families.
Internet Checks and Balances
Likewise, I won’t change my beef with the internet censorship. I had a vague recollection of an interview Rania gave bragging about free internet in Jordan and meant to post it in the last blog, but couldn’t locate it until now. Attending Le Web in Paris during December of last year, Rania denounced internet restrictions, claiming that such a system of censorship is “not sustainable, and will never last” and goes so far as to call it a violation of human rights. Remarkably, she echoes the comments I made (or rather I unintentionally echoed her) that efforts should be made to resolve situations creating criticism rather than in trying to silence that criticism. So what gives? Ironically, the bill was passed just a few weeks after Rania returned from France. Either Rania was bullshitting us, or there’s some serious discrepancies between the viewpoints of the queen and the Jordanian government, but either way, someone’s looking bad.**
Now there is hope at the end of this tale. In what could be called coincidental, or maybe the woman actually read this blog, in response to the birthday wishes she received on Twitter, Rania wrote “When ur [sic] in ur 20s u think these old 40yr olds must have it figured out…not true! Ur still a little confused! Questioning, exploring and seeking ways to make urself and everything around u better.” So she has acknowledged that she is not one of those omniscient leaders I was complaining about two blogs ago and that she, like all of us, is still learning and still growing, and sure enough, imperfect. And God help her, for one reason or another, she's trying. Whether or not this persona is the real Rania, until we meet at the soda fountain of a local convenience store, I can only take her at face value and hope that she is who she claims to be. If she is putting on a façade, that’s on her head, if I wrongfully accuse her, then it’s on mine. Is it worse to believe a liar or condemn an honest person?
Author's Note: If all else fails, she's still pretty freakin' hot.
**UPDATE: It was brought to my attention by one of my readers that an article was published on the Canadian Reuters site 2 days prior to the composition of this blog addressing the Jordanian internet censorship. After heavy criticism from the public sector of Jordan and concerns of the image that would portray to the western world, the incredibly vague bill restricting freedom of speech on the internet was amended to include only criminal issues such as pornography and e-fraud. Yay for you Jordan! Guess Rania was right, it won't last.
27 comments:
very good post!
by the way the new Jordanian cyber law was revised in the meantime.
http://ca.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idCATRE68526T20100906?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0
from when was she an engaged woman?
ask all the jordanians, if they answer sincerly, they told you every woman in the world is more engaged and work harder, without any staff, huge media help or others.
she has only made a reputation by the petra agency photos propaganda, with the help of hello and others.
Not a really engagement with results, she want to be in the media, for nothing than personnal publicity and it's boring at the end. Bla bla speech on internet is nothing, a wrong message to the west. how can she tell us this when in her country, she and her husbund, with their gov, want to limit seriously the freedom of their people on internet?????!!!!!!
something really revolting.
Don't forget what I read before:
she is the MADOFF of royalty!!!
Anonymous Sept 12, 12:15-
You obviously didn't read the whole post nor did you get the point of it. Read it again, if you still have the same opinion this is fine, if you still come to the same conclusions, you're not getting it.
Miss Jae, Whilst I appreciate you are a Rania fan let me tell you, I find it distasteful in the EXTREME that this woman who is a multi millionaire in her own right because of shady business deals involving telecoms not to mention other business deals, who appoints her unqualified brother to sit on the board of the private school she set up in Amman, a school may I mention that ost poor people could not eveb afford the registration fees for (USD1000) let alone the actual school fees, who has just taken a half a million dollar holiday on a luxurious yacht and was seen eating, drinking and dressed with her breasts hanging out during Ramadan has now been treated to a huge blowout in Wadi Rum and then goes around playing Lady Bountiful to the poor people. Ask yourself how many poor people in Jordan her party for her super wealthy friends could have helped? This woman has NO SHAME. If she did she would be much more modest with her spending, spend time in her country and get her hands dirty really helping her people instead of yet more foreign trips.
It is NO secret in Jordan that she hates being there and considers herself too grand to spend time there.
The disconnect is enormous. The lack of sensitivity is ENORMOUS. The gap between rich and poor in Jordan is ENORMOUS. Consider the pictures of her daughter Iman's school with the Public Schools. The public schools have had a cheap lick of paint but that is it. Still tatty furniture and lack of educational materials. Now she is flying to the USA AGAIN!!!! and what for? Another stupid award that doesn't help anyone but themselves. USA doesn't need the celebrity queen, they have enough celebrities themselves and al that happens is the people on these committees think of the people with high public profiles who they can invite. There is usually very little done to actually merit these awards which are usually just a sop to a celebrities ego and a carrot dangled to get them to attend.
Do yourself a favour and start reading instead of juts listening to propaganda. I will attach links for you to read from the press.
Don't discount what Jordanians write on your blog. They live with nd pay for the hypocrisy of this woman and her husband's regime EVERY day.
You are American, ask yourself about the image Rania likes to project, why did she show wealthy West Amman women on her show on Oprah and try to make out all Jordanian women live like that? Are wealthy enough to afford take out pizza and yoga classes? Considering how big Oprah's audience is, you can see that as a n example of blatant media manipulation and we Jordanians are not happy about it.
Miss Jae, Whilst I appreciate you are a Rania fan let me tell you, I find it distasteful in the EXTREME that this woman who is a multi millionaire in her own right because of shady business deals involving telecoms not to mention other business deals, who appoints her unqualified brother to sit on the board of the private school she set up in Amman, a school may I mention that ost poor people could not eveb afford the registration fees for (USD1000) let alone the actual school fees, who has just taken a half a million dollar holiday on a luxurious yacht and was seen eating, drinking and dressed with her breasts hanging out during Ramadan has now been treated to a huge blowout in Wadi Rum and then goes around playing Lady Bountiful to the poor people. Ask yourself how many poor people in Jordan her party for her super wealthy friends could have helped? This woman has NO SHAME. If she did she would be much more modest with her spending, spend time in her country and get her hands dirty really helping her people instead of yet more foreign trips.
It is NO secret in Jordan that she hates being there and considers herself too grand to spend time there.
The disconnect is enormous. The lack of sensitivity is ENORMOUS. The gap between rich and poor in Jordan is ENORMOUS. Consider the pictures of her daughter Iman's school with the Public Schools. The public schools have had a cheap lick of paint but that is it. Still tatty furniture and lack of educational materials. Now she is flying to the USA AGAIN!!!! and what for? Another stupid award that doesn't help anyone but themselves. USA doesn't need the celebrity queen, they have enough celebrities themselves and al that happens is the people on these committees think of the people with high public profiles who they can invite. There is usually very little done to actually merit these awards which are usually just a sop to a celebrities ego and a carrot dangled to get them to attend.
Do yourself a favour and start reading instead of juts listening to propaganda. I will attach links for you to read from the press.
Don't discount what Jordanians write on your blog. They live with nd pay for the hypocrisy of this woman and her husband's regime EVERY day.
You are American, ask yourself about the image Rania likes to project, why did she show wealthy West Amman women on her show on Oprah and try to make out all Jordanian women live like that? Are wealthy enough to afford take out pizza and yoga classes? Considering how big Oprah's audience is, you can see that as a n example of blatant media manipulation and we Jordanians are not happy about it.
Be aware that not everyone agrees that it is OK to prostitute the poor and suffering people in this world for your own publicity purposes.
There are many who find that sort of behaviour despicable and morally low. And your argument that this 'brings attention' to the plight of the suffering is rather redundant in this day and age of TV, internet and 24 hour news. People give because they are genuinely moved by the plight of seeing people have their children swept away in floods, or children being mutilated by bombs and explosions NOT because Rania turns up three days AFTER on TV to make 'an appeal'.
Why do people follow her on forums? Because many of her husband and her spending and 'private trips' and such are not publicised in Jordan. People just do not see the pictures in the local press that are there for the rest of the world to see and on a final note, yes the cyber law was repealed but only due to international pressure from the USA who is the main donor and paymaster for Abdullah and Rania's lifestyle and international press reporting. If they weren't all that bothered about what is written on the internet then why would they bring in such a law in the first place?
This backward logic of presenting these events as though they are something to be applauded when they are brought upon the Jordanian people by the King and his wife in the first place is ridiculous.
If they could get away with it they would crack down on Jordanian freedoms until it was like a former communist country.
To quote another ARAB writer
Exactly what "needs" and "vision" is the "Queen" providing? And what percent of the royal budget is it? Does her many gifts to the Jordanian people include the lavish gifts that were showered on Condi Rice or other American leaders and dignitaries? Including a $140K necklace given to Rice? At the same time poverty in Jordan has increased under her and her husband's "reign" not to mention the level of oppression under the regime. Why is the royal budget a state secret for that matter? Ignoring the obvious of the political and moral sensibility of giving gifts to members of the Bush administration, how is it that a country and a royal family that survives only on aid from the United States (incl. secret military and intelligence financial support dating to the lat 1950s) and subsidies from the Gulf States (incl. oil and natural gas) can afford (or should) give such lavish gifts-considering their poverty, illiteracy, infant mortality rates, etc.
As others have pointed out, "They aren't whining about a regime," because they can't-like Egypt and Syria it's a mukhabarat state-except one that the US wholly approves of.
The "Modern Progressive Monarch" which is an antonym for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. A "Modern Progressive Monarch" doesn't operate under "emergency powers" and only has ceremonial functions. A "Modern Progressive Monarch" has free and fair elections, they don't preside over a mukhabarat state in which "opponents" are routinely arrested and/or disappeared and tortured in state prisons. A "Modern Progressive Monarch" is interested in the welfare of their people-not to use them as a prop. A "Modern Progressive Monarch" allows freedom of the press, political dissension, and independent political parties and debate within parliament not a rubber stamp backed by the truncheon's of the mukhabarat and his praetorian guard. A "Modern Progressive Monarch" doesn't parade around in designer dresses pretending to represent a "moderate" face to the world while her husband wears army uniforms with medals for battles never fought or won to cover up one of the worst human rights records in the region and crony-capitalist economic policies-that is what a fraud does and that is what the "King and Queen" are down to the ridiculous English accent and botox smile.
"US law states that all gifts should be stated, and that means if you want to find out what the hashemites have given as gifts, well, its there in black and white and accessible to everyone."
Which is exactly how we found out about the lavish gifts given to condi rice and others. A surprise since one would expect a "Modern Progressive Monarch" to have more transparency about their budget and expenses. But yet again there is what a "Modern Progressive Monarch" would do and what the "Hashemite royal family" does.
While we are on the subject of gifts, lets deconstruct the 140K necklace given to Rice. Was that a symbolic baby shower gift for the "New Middle East" she gave birth to? Was it a symbolic token for the millions of Iraqi refugees and hundreds of thousands killed-when the "smoking gun" wasn't a "mushroom cloud" at all but a bundle of lies and deception. Or was it a token of the number of Lebanese killed in 2006 or the number of Palestinians starved and killed in Gaza for the past 3 years?
"where the money comes from is another matter, ain't nobody's business but her own, or so we are told). "
And so we are told. Were you always so obedient or were you trained that way by your "Modern Progressive Monarch"?
One would say that after nearly a century of corruption, collusion, incompetence, and treachery the Hashemites and their apologists should be ashamed, but they don't have that capacity.
Poverty in Schools
http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=30084
Corruption in the regime
http://www.arab-reform.net/IMG/pdf/ARB_40_Jordan_S-_Obaidat-_ENG-.pdf
More corruption
http://lynch.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/03/10/a_rare_crackdown_on_corruption_in_jordan
How the Arab Press mocks Abdullah's 'efforts'
http://www.alraimedia.com/alrai/Article.aspx?id=191577&searchText=%C3%98%C2%A7%C3%98%C2%A8%C3%99%CB%86
Nothing has changed in Jordan since this was published
http://articles.latimes.com/2006/oct/01/world/fg-jordan1
How Abdullah spends much of his time in Amman
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2010/07/king-playstation.html
Again, how little has changed. Abdullah is not a popular or well loved King and his queen isn't either
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3724/is_200603/ai_n17185538/
More on the way the laws operate
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/19/AR2010081902955.html?sub=AR
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/jordan/100903/increasing-censorship-irks-jordanians
Jordan falls behind
http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=29966
Queen Rania's image as perceived by other Arabs
http://www.kabobfest.com/2009/09/queen-rania-not-good-for-arabs.html
How 'free' Jordan is without any international condemnation to prevent further restrictive measures
http://www.editorsweblog.org/newsrooms_and_journalism/2010/08/jordan_silences_online_criticisms.php
These are just a small selection but I am happy to post more to educate Americans like yourself about what it is like to be a Jordanian in Jordan from a middle income family - a patriotic Jordanian who wants a government that helps it's people and does not oppress them and at the head of these governments is Abdullah and Rania who have supreme and unaccountable power in the country. Even your president is accountable, Abdullah and Rania are not and they behave very differently in the Arab world than they do to the West so just keep an open mind when you read the press releases about 'St Rania' and all the 'good' she does in the world and ask how to actually MEASURE the results of her 'work' and not rely on PR handouts for information.
Finally someone tell the truth on the Madoff royalty. 250 millions dollars American aid to Jordan for the Development projects!!! Is this also a gift for rania birthday and she can spend it as she like, with Wendy, her best friend who is a mogul wife and not like her, a queen of poor country helpdependant.
Please put yourselves in our place, and let us feel free to say our reality beyond this false image.
I love how everyone's biggest argument on here is about their spending when I never reneged on my initial opinion, never justified their ridiculous spending, and still criticized her for her birthday celebration in France.
And the argument that people only give to causes because of media coverage is BS. Do you really think they would have raised $65 million during that telethon for Haiti after if no one asked them to? Try studying marketing. Using celebrities and public figures to garner attention for anything, be it a cause, a tragedy, or even selling a product is an Appeal to Authority and it works. And yeah, people see the tragedies of Haiti and Pakistan on TV but what about the other things? If none of these big names showed up to conferences and public forums and charities, who would pay attention to maternal mortality during pregnancy? To unsafe drinking water in Africa? When was the last time there was a telethon for uneducated children in the world? We need people like Rania and movie stars to show up and say "Hey, look over here!" Otherwise people don't notice.
Propaganda works both ways and while I now know Rania is no angel, I don't think she is the devil everyone is making her out to be either. And if she is, like I said, that will be her problem when she dies and faces her god.
Oh and as I believe I pointed out on the forum, there were no photos of her eating or drinking while she was in France, just various reports of it, and her breasts were only "sticking out" on the privacy of her boat. I also pointed out she was not receiving an award on this trip to the US, and was more than likely invited by Sarah Brown to attend, not just looking for an excuse to leave Jordan, so let's stick to the facts here, otherwise you are definitely spreading negative propaganda about her.
By the way, the necklace for Condy Rice was given to her by the Saudian King Abdullah. The US press mixed the both Abdullahs up when reporting about such gifts (but corrected the mistake later on; it's strange that some people only read the first reports .... why oh why?).
Rania's brother has nothing to do with the IAA (the private school she founded that is not only for rich kids but offers also scholarships like the King's Academy which the king founded).
And it was the prime minister who wanted to limit the internet freedom. Maybe the king is to blame to have named this mimosa prime minister who is unable to stand any critics, but it was also the king who never signed those famous cyber law and prompted the government to revise it.
And it's a bit boring when the same 2-3 people are repeating again and again that they are representing the Jordanian people. As a Jordanian myself I want to tell you that you are only representing yourself!
Anonymous 20 September 2:18
Perhaps it is YOU who should check your facts. Here is the IAA website list of board members and oh look! Who is on there....oh yes, it's Majdi Yasin! Who is he? Rania's brother!
Here is the link to the board of directors page if you doubt me
http://www.iaa.edu.jo/main.html#/page1-4
As a Jordanian you would know that the King doesn't sit around passively in government and this law was passed by the King, he has to sign off on it!
If you actually WERE a Jordanian you would know that!
September 20 2:18
He is the VICE CHAIRMAN of the BOARD of GOVERNORS!! Wonder how he got that job and the other appointments??? Everything the man has is because off the nepotism of his sister. I doubt you are a Jordanian or if you are, you are incredibly badly informed about things that the whole of Amman knows!
I would like to say king did not say ban law bacause he think it is bad idea but only the news was going around the world that jordan was doing this law and it make king and jordan look very bad. only when the bad things was said in other places was the king ok to say remove the law.
That is an interesting website and thank you for posting Anonymous 21 September 3.54pm The school offers tuition fees only scholarships so it is still out of the reach of the poorest parents who would have to pay for uniforms (several sets) books, stationary, food, transport and other costs. The school does not list how many scholarships are available.
I am not a Jordanian but even I am shocked at how Queen Rania has put her brother in positions he is not qualified for. I think I also remember reading that her sister Dina is also involved in other of the queen's projects and I believe they both, Dina and Majdi get salaries or whatever you want to call financial recompense. As an American, that sort of nepotism is deeply distasteful. Queen Rania is losing her lustre as far as I am concerned having looked deeper behind the image she gives us and reading about what goes on in her country. Really, I feel let down and disappointed that she is a fake.
I am a Jordanian living in the USA and even I know about the cronyism and corruption at the royal court. I am not proud of the people who run Jordan and feel they let us all down and in fact make us a laughing stock as more and more people are waking up to the difference between the image our royals present and the truth behind their lifestyles.
I am sad that there is no connection between this king and queen and the people. He can't even converse in Arabic with the people unless there is an interpreter and he grew up mostly outside the country so he doesn't have a good read on the place and the subtleties are lost on him.
In addition, he has a very dictatorial and confrontational style, something his father, the late, great King Hussein never had. He loved his country and his people, he took time out to spend time with the ordinary people and yet he could be tough when it was needed. King Hussein ruled through respect but his son rules through fear which is evidenced in these draconian laws. Of course King Abdallah has fingers in the constitution, laws to suggest otherwise is totally naive when he is effect a virtual dictator.
These two have gotten personally very rich off the backs of Jordan and enriched their families with business deals that would not stand up to scrutiny here in the US.
Enough already! It is the 21st century and we need democracy, transparency and accountability in Jordan to make progress; something that Abdallah will never allow because it would expose him for what he is.
I don't think the guy who wrote on September 20 is a real Jordanian as he would know all this. Hell! I am thousands of miles away and even I hear about it!
Is it really so unusual that she gave her brother a job? Lots of people give jobs to their (sometimes incompetent) relatives because hey, he's your brother and he needs a job, or she's your sister and you want to help your family out. Are you really going to sit here and tell me that a person in power, be it a queen, a CEO, the owner of a private business, or even a manager at McDonald's doesn't help get their relatives into job positions? While it may not be beneficial to have someone who isn't qualified in the position, it's not unexpected that Rania would do such a thing.
You guys hold her to ridiculous standards sometimes, and it seems you are just searching for any fault to hold against her so you can continue to hate her. Stop nitpicking over stupid things and stick to complaining about the big stuff, like their spending, the stuff you can actually win an argument on.
Hi, I am from the UK and I have to say that I don't like nepotism or cronyism either. I think if someone is in a position of power and influence then it is even more important that they are seen to uphold a level of decent behaviour as they are role models. This type of behaviour and the spending and lifestyle in the face of problems in her country I have been reading about for this queen is actually rather outrageous considering she is the wife of head of state from a very poor country and yes, I know other people from other countries do the same thing but they don't set themselves up as 'humanitarians/anti-poverty campaigners/human rights afficionados' which I find very hypocritical with Queen Rania as she is living a life that is totally at odds with these things. She talks the talk but does not walk the walk as far as I am concerned.
I am surprised at your comments Miss J. As an American, I thought you would be one of the first people to say that people in these positions should be above reproach and not using influence to enrich their close family members.
She is a queen and not a private business person. I understand what you say about there has to be a balance in people's views but I don't believe in defending the indefensible and this lady needs to start practising what she preaches and others need to stop defending what are some pretty heinous practices in collusion with her husband, the absolute monarch.
From what I can see there is no difference in this repressive regime than there is in several others except the dictator has a photogenic wife who looks good and makes the right noises in the Western press but that alone doesn't make up for what they (and I use 'they' as it has often been stated she and her husband are a team in every way) do to their people every day.
I used to really like this woman too until I worked in Jordan and heard for myself and saw for myself what life is like for the average Jordanian and not the rich who live in Shmeisani and other wealthy suburbs. I am not anti-Rania as a person but I have no illusions about her and her husband and I would respect her more if she had fewer holidays, less plastic surgery, less frothy interviews and rolled up her sleeves and started to spend some time with her people and work hard to help them which unfortunately she doesn't as she is hardly ever in the country.
I would also like to add that nepotism is not a 'nit picking' complaint or a 'stupid' comment but rather as several people have already mentioned, a manifestation of the corruption and rot within the palace and the government of which Rania's husband is head.
He's on the board of directors at a school, it's not like she appointed him foreign minister, and I'm sorry, but how do we know he's not qualified?
I'm not saying the behavior is OK, I'm simply saying it is not unusual, and she is being criticized for a common practice employed all over the world because she's in the public eye. If you were unemployed in this recession and your sister could get you a job you've never really been trained to do, would you turn it down? Would you say, "No, that's nepotism and that's wrong!" or would you prefer to pay your bills? Either way, your sister gets away with it because she won't be publicly trashed the way QR must be every day.
It's true, though public figures are not perfect and make the same mistakes we do, they get more flack for it because their mistakes are sprayed across newspapers every day, whereas our mistakes pretty much stay in the bubbles of our every day lives.
all people in jordan know she get new boobs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
she return from her operation in new york with this gift for abdullah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
^^^she had a heart procedure, her boobs are not any larger than they were last month...gimme a break people.
comment 30 SEPT:
Very, very FUNNY!
She was in hospital for heart problem, but Jordanian people can be true, and she can have the new procedure of breast modelling by substances like hyaluronic acid or other more softer than surgery, who knows? She is a woman after all and can have this opportunity.
Best wishes for her.
Great publicity for her again.
Shr certainly can keep her procedure secret, but take the opportunity to make the headlines in some medias.
possible esthetic surgery? why not, she can do it, every time she wont no problem, no limit for her very botoxed face, we miss her figure in her first queen days.
anyway, we can only wish her a speed recovry and good recuperation.
Post a Comment