Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

By Drew Kumpf
The Review of Faith and International Affairs
Mar. 20, 2009

Since its establishment in 1946, the constitutional monarchy of Jordan has proven itself a savvy, successful engager of disparate political and religious groups. The Jordanian monarchy has adopted a consistently positive message advocating constructive dialogue on Islam and is playing an increasingly significant role in regional and world dialogue on peace and religious coexistence. The monarchy’s work specifically in religious engagement should serve as an example to many countries battling domestic extremism while balancing external political and social pressures.
Intra-Islam Dialogue

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is nestled in a volatile region and is a land of paradoxes. It is a Muslim country with a pro-Western government that can still generate meaningful dialogue within the Muslim community. Its rulers are religious moderates while many in Jordan have more extremist views.[1] (For example, a Pew Global Attitudes Project survey released in 2005 found that 57 percent of Jordanians felt suicide bombings and other violent acts are justifiable in defense of Islam.[2]) Its female monarchs have assumed important roles as advocates for women in a region traditionally dominated by men. This has drawn both praise and criticism, especially of Queen Rania, as she has stepped on toes of traditionalists to push forward her agenda. According to Julia Choucair, the monarchy has taken steps to control the political climate to allow for its moderate line. This comes at the cost of greater openness in the political process.[3]

One way the Jordanian monarchy has chosen to exercise intellectual and theological leadership within Islam is through a think tank called the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought. This institute has significant government backing and is producing scholarly documents and launching intra-Islamic consensus-building initiatives such as its “Amman Message.” Controversial topics such as the issuing of fatwas, apostasy, the definition of a Muslim, and the concept of jihad are all being examined from within Islam with the purpose of developing consensus and unity grounded on sound Islamic theology—a critical antidote to the global jihadist movement, which distorts Qur’anic teachings to justify acts of war and terror.[4]

For example, King Abdullah II called a July 2005 conference in Amman and brought together roughly 200 Muslim scholars from 50 countries to discuss apostasy—known as takfir to Muslims. A key conclusion reached by this group—that Sunni and Shia alike are Muslims—has broad ramifications for Middle East peace in light of ongoing sectarianism throughout the region. Subsequent ratifications of the conclusions in Jordan, Kuwait, and even Mecca led to what Daveed Gartenstein-Ross calls “a true cross-section of contemporary Islamic thought.” This agreement regarding Muslim identity received over 550 scholar-signatories.[5]

Now, the Institute is seeking consensus on the topic of jihad. It hopes to dispel a lingering assumption in some circles that Islamic and non-Islamic communities worldwide are in perpetual battle. This document seeks to encourage Muslims to interpret the concept of jihad in an historical context and to “bring the world closer to the [Qur'anic] ideal of non-aggression and peaceful coexistence.”[6] Also of note is a passage in the document asking why the membership of so many terrorist organizations is comprised of doctors, engineers, and computer scientists rather than educated graduates of reputable Islamic schools or madrasahs.[7] This may be because a solid religious education based on consensus on Islamic teaching is sorely missing in many parts of the world and would serve to protect young minds against the twisting of Islam’s message.

To be sure, the documents on takfir and jihad have significant shortcomings. They fail to address certain sects or practices many consider non-Muslim and miss some critical distinctions in defining non-combatants (e.g. Israelis, since military service is mandatory for eligible citizens) and whether Muslims are called to protect sovereignty on what some consider to be Muslim land (e.g. the Iraqi insurgency).[8] Despite these shortcomings, however, this process needs to continue—bringing reform from within, definition, clarity, and consensus at a time when fractional divides are tearing apart a region and a faith. According to Gartenstein-Ross, “theological consensus is a model for reform to which scholars and policymakers have devoted insufficient attention. The ambitious Amman Message may help to change that.”[9]
Inter-faith Engagement

Jordan’s rulers have defined the monarchy’s role as an East-West go-between, and this role has resulted in creative forms of Western engagement including efforts to increase dialogue about Islam with non-Muslims. Jordan is directly engaging not just Western government officials but Western societies through media and inter-faith initiatives in civil society. Even prior to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, Jordan was calling for moderate Muslim voices. And within a month after the attacks, at a particularly sensitive time, Jordan’s Queen Rania appeared on Western media outlets speaking about Muslim values and daily life to the American populace and serving as a positive voice for Islam. On October 5, 2001, she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show with the following message:

We do not approve of these terrorist acts or any gruesome activities like the ones we saw on September 11. The American people have to realize that the whole world is with them, they feel with them. They are not hated by the rest of the world. Some people feel unfairly treated, but I think that dialogue is the way to understand each other and to reach out to each other… I think this is the right time to reach out and have this open, ongoing dialogue about different religions.[10]

Queen Rania also launched an initiative on YouTube in 2008 to generate dialogue concerning myths and misconceptions of the Muslim faith.[11] For her efforts, she became the first recipient of YouTube’s Visionary Award in 2008, as she sought to show people “the real Arab world…unedited, unscripted and unfiltered.”[12] It is striking how these outreach efforts, rather than focusing on high-level policymakers, targeted the American middle class watching Oprah and teenagers/young adults discovering new outlooks on life over YouTube.

In the spirit of her predecessor, Queen Noor, Queen Rania is also an advocate for women, especially in Muslim-majority societies, and she works to show what Muslim women are accomplishing in multiple spheres. Many in the West decry the poor treatment of women in parts of the Middle East. As this prominent female monarch works for change from within, she is deeply challenging that perception by informing the West of the situation on the ground. While the situation for women in some Middle Eastern countries remains problematic (Rania repeatedly speaks out against honor killings, calling them “un-Islamic”[13]), she tries to show how some people choose to live out their culture and customs in a way Westerners may find surprising (e.g. wearing hijabs and burkas) and that many women are happy and achieving great things.

The monarchy’s outreach is not limited to Western media outlets; it has also appealed to other religions, namely Christianity, through its Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought. In a recent speech at the United Nations, King Abdullah II called for more interfaith dialogue and spoke of his support for an institute initiative to increase understanding between Christians and Muslims.[14] The initiative, “A Common Word Between Us and You,” was spearheaded by Jordan’s Prince Ghazi bin Muhammed bin Talal.[15] After garnering 138 Muslim signatories, the October 2007 letter was addressed to Pope Benedict XVI and 26 other Christian leaders. It sought to highlight the commonalities between Christianity and Islam, arguing that both place a similar priority on love of God and love of neighbor.[16] The Vatican responded by inviting some of the signatories to Rome for a forum.[17] Professors from Yale Divinity School drafted a statement of support called “Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to ‘A Common Word Between Us and You.’”; various Christian scholars and pastors signed onto the statement.[18]

The “Common Word” initiative was not a complete success, as it was criticized for containing weak language[19] and for offering platitudes on interfaith cooperation while papering over clear contradictions.[20] Most notably, while the “Common Word” letter stated that “justice and freedom of religion are a crucial part of love of the neighbor,” at the time of the letter’s publication the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute had several fatwas posted on an affiliate website that expressed contradictory sentiments condemning Muslims to death who left Islam.[21] Today, at least 14 Muslim states continue to consider apostasy illegal.[22] Still, given the contemporary context of dangerously strained relations between Islamic and non-Islamic communities worldwide, the Jordan-sponsored “Common Word” initiative has made a vital contribution to changing the climate of opinion. The progress has been imperfect—but imperfect progress is far better than dangerous regress, which is what most observers were predicting in 2006 after Pope Benedict XVI’s ill-received remarks regarding Islam.[23]
Conclusion

Despite its shortcomings, the Jordanian monarchy’s efforts to engage Western societies and to seek consensus within Islam are laudable. The initiatives’ successes lie in the monarchy’s ability to navigate paradoxes and competing pressures. King Abdullah II and Queen Rania’s sway rests partly in their ability to generate consensus-building dialogue within Islam. And as prominent Muslims, their role lends legitimacy to the process; the Hashemite Kingdom’s royal line is based off of a direct bloodline to the prophet Mohammed. The monarchy has molded this legitimacy into action with a government think tank that is bringing together many people of faith. Furthermore, Jordan’s message remains consistently constructive, not belligerent or threatening. Of all the countries in the Middle East today, Jordan has arguably been the most successful at reaching its peers and the greater global community with a message of constructive dialogue and cooperation.

Countries combating religious extremism today would do well to study Jordan’s example of consensus-building and constructive dialogue involving those from within and outside of the religious community in question. Two lessons in particular are applicable even beyond the Middle East. First, possessing religious legitimacy in the eyes of those with whom one engages (a huge challenge for atheistic states) provides a solid foundation for dialogue. Second, engagement should use language that is constructive rather than inflammatory to gradually work out differences.

Jordan is by no means a perfect country, but the monarchy’s efforts are yielding results in multiple arenas. For a small country, Jordan is generating an arguably large amount of soft power, influence, and progress that should be enviable to the world’s more populous nations.

[1] Boukhars, Anouar. “The Challenge of Terrorism and Religious Extremism in Jordan.” Strategic Insights. Volume V, Issue 4 (April 2006). http://www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/si/2006/Apr/boukharsApr06.pdf

[2] “Islamic Extremism: Common Concern for Muslim and Western Publics.” Pew Global Attitudes Project, Pew Research Center. 14 Jul 2005. http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=248

[3] Choucair, Julia. “Illusive Reform: Jordan’s Stubborn Stability.” The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. (Dec 2006): 3. https://www.policyarchive.org/bitstream/handle/10207/6467/cp76_choucair_final.pdf?sequence=1

[4] Gartenstein-Ross, Daveed. “The Role of Consensus in the Contemporary Struggle for Islam.” The Review of Faith & International Affairs. Vol. 6, No. 4 (Winter 2008): 13-14, 16.

[5] Ibid 14-15.

[6] Ibid 17 (Quotation from Jihad and the Islamic Law of War, the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, pages 28-29).

[7] Ibid 18.

[8] Ibid 18.

[9] Ibid 20.

[10] “Transcript: Queen Rania on Oprah Winfrey Show.” Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. 5 Oct 2001. http://www.jordanembassyus.org/speech_hmqr10052001.htm

[11] “Queen Rania on YouTube.” YouTube. 2008. http://www.youtube.com/queenrania

[12] Mattar, Shafika. “Jordan’s Queen Rania receives YouTube Award.” The Associated Press. 25 Nov 2008. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j-1Bj1BJy471BUe-KqPm2fGZ-pLQD94M14E01

[13] Ireland, Michael. “Queen Rania speaks to American audiences about Islam.” Jordan Times. 14 Oct 2001. http://www.jordanembassyus.org/10142001003.htm

[14] “Remarks by His Majesty King Abdullah II High Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on Interfaith Dialogue.” Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. 12 Nov 2008. http://www.jordanembassyus.org/new/jib/speeches/hmka/hmka11122008.htm

[15] Christiansen, Drew. “The Context of ‘The Common Word.’” The Review of Faith & International Affairs. Vol. 6, No. 4 (Winter 2008): 49.

[16] Gartenstein-Ross 19.

[17] Christiansen 49.

[18] Pavlischek, Keith. “Why I Would Not Have Signed The Yale Response To ‘A Common Word.’” The Review of Faith & International Affairs. Vol. 6, No. 4 (Winter 2008): 61.

[19] Gartenstein-Ross 19.

[20] Pavlischek 61.

[21] Pavlischek 62. (Quotation from “A Common Word Between Us and You [Summary and Abridgement].” The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought. 2007. http://www.acommonword.com/index.php?lang=en&page=option1)

[22] Gartenstein-Ross 15.

[23] Stackhouse, John G. “Why I Signed the Yale Response To ‘A Common Word.’” The Review of Faith & International Affairs. Vol. 6, No. 4 (Winter 2008): 57.

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