Abdullah II of Jordan

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King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein (Arabic: Template:Ar) (born January 30, 1962), is the current King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He has reigned since the death of his father, King Hussein on February 7, 1999.

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Birth and education

Born in Amman to King Hussein and Princess Muna al-Hussein (Antoinette Avril Gardiner) as the 43rd direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, the king as a young man attended the Islamic Educational College in the Jordanian capital for his primary education, later attending St. Edmund's School (Hindhead) in Surrey, England. Abdullah subsequently attended Eaglebrook School and Deerfield Academy in the United States of America for his secondary education. After leaving Deerfield he attended Pembroke College,Oxford University.

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Military career

In 1980, he entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK as a cadet. He joined the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) upon commission as a Second Lieutenant the following year. King Abdullah retains close links with the British Army and is the Colonel-in-Chief of The Light Dragoons, a tank regiment and the successor to the 13th/18th Royal Hussars. He attended the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University where he completed an advanced studies and research program as a mid-career fellow in the Master of Science in Foreign Service program in 1987.

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Marriage and children

Abdullah is married to a Kuwait-born, Jordan-bred Palestinian, Rania Al-Yassin (now Queen Rania al-Abdullah), who is as praised for her philanthropic work.She is well known in west for her frequent interviews to the Western press and her fondness for haute couture. They have four children:

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King of Jordan

Abdullah became king on February 7, 1999 upon the death of his father King Hussein. Hussein had recently named him Crown Prince on January 24, replacing Hussein's brother Hassan who had served many years in the position. It was not a universally popular decision. Abdullah's mother, Antoinette Avril Gardiner (commonly referred to as Toni Avril Gardiner), was British by birth and the Jordanian Constitution decrees that the King should be of Arab mother and father - hence Abdullah wasn't by Constitution fit to rule.

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Politics as King

Current Jordanian law bans all kinds of public criticism of the king and his policies and accords one-to-three year imprisonment and fines up to 5,000 Jordanian dinars (about US$7,000) for violating these regulations. Many editors, journalists and union workers who have criticized King Abdullah have been jailed and detained for long periods of time. Human rights organizations have also criticized Abdullah and his regime for several human rights violations and acts of torture committed against Islamic radicalists and those who express dissent and criticism over his policies [1].

Jordan's economy has improved under King Abdullah II, and he has been credited with increasing foreign investment, attending meetings between public and private sectors, and providing the foundation for Aqaba's freezone.

His speech at The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law in September of 2005 was entitled "Traditional Islam: The Path to Peace." While en route to the United States, King Abdullah met with Pope Benedict XVI to build on the relations that Jordan had established with Pope John Paul II, and to discuss ways in which Muslims and Christians can continue to work together for peace, tolerance and coexistence.

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Successor

On November 28, 2004, Abdullah removed the title of Crown Prince from his half-brother, Hamzah, (whom he had appointed on February 7th, 1999 in accordance with their late father's wishes). In a letter from Abdullah to Hamzah, read on Jordanian state television, he said, "Your holding this symbolic position has restrained your freedom and hindered our entrusting you with certain responsibilities that you are fully qualified to undertake." No successor to the title was named, but some analysts believe it probable that Abdullah intends to name his own son, Prince Hussein, to succeed him at some point in the future [2].


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Trivia

Image:King Abdullah on Star Trek.jpg

  • King Abdullah is an acknowledged fan of Star Trek. In 1995, while he was still Prince, he appeared as an extra in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Investigations". Abdullah's role was not given any speaking lines because he is not a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
  • After assuming the throne, the politically inexperienced king nearly caused a regional crisis by labeling Iran as the sole cause of instability in the region, to which Iran replied that the "Shah and his cronies are back into politics" (in reference to the courting by his father King Hussein of the Shah).
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See also

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External links

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