JORDAN: HISTORY AND A PRO-INTEGRATION VIEW
By Ulises Canales

Prensa Latina
Oct 6, 2008
Cuba

Amman, Oct 6 (Prensa Latina) The home of tribes and civilizations,
with a legacy of thousands of years of history, Jordan currently stands
out for its pacifist vocation in the Middle East and a pro-integration
view, which transcends its geographical environment.

The fact that it is also home to sacred sites and events
for Christians, Jewish, Muslim and other peoples may explain the
atmosphere of peace, stability and fraternity which dazzles those
who come from abroad.

Located in the historic Fertile Crescent region, the annals refer to
this country since a bout 2000 BC, when Semitic Amorites settled in
the margins of the Jordan River, in the area known as Canaan, which
is often cited in the Bible.

Later, Hittites, Egyptians, Israelites, Assyrians, Persians,
Babylonians, Greeks, Nabateans, Romans, Arabs, Christian Crusaders,
Mameluks and Ottoman Turks joined the list of cultures and beliefs
that gave birth to the Jordan we know today.

Current Jordan was founded by King Abdullah I after World War I. Since
then, his son, King Hussein, and his grandson, current King Abdullah
II, have tried to give it a well-known though often controversial
prominence in the Middle East.

At home, it was less traumatic to conciliate the respect for the vast,
ancient culture with the ultramodernity that can be witnessed in Amman,
the capital. However, abroad, several Arab neighbors criticized the
peace pact signed with Israel in October 1994.

Ancient Transjordan (as it was named until 1950) and Egypt are the
only Arab countries which have diplomatic links with the Jewish State,
a controversial step, but perceived here as a matter of security and
a premise for stability and economic take-off.

Besides, the fact that it shelters the largest community of
Palestinians refugees, encourages peace talks between Palestinians
and Israelis and is a valid interlocutor in negotiation processes in
the area, have underpinned the prominence of this tiny country.

As well as its ever increasing economic growth, which is obvious in
the construction and foreign investment sectors, Jordan is identified
as an Arab and Islamic country, and its authorities are very careful
in acting accordingly.

Official figures indicate that over 92 percent of Jordanians are
Sunni Muslims, and six percent are Christians, mostly belonging to
the Greek Orthodox Church.

Small communities of Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptics,
Armenians, and some Protestant denominations, and small groups of
Siite and Druse Muslims also coexist in this country.

Undoubtedly, equal veneration for relics of high significance to the
three Monotheistic religions of the region shows the value granted by
the Jordan monarchy to ethnic and religious diversity and tolerance
of its population.

However, according to Jordanian authorities, besides seeking a greater
rapprochement with its natural environment, the country is interested
in consolidating its economic, commercial links with Europe and the
United States, and has set its sights on Latin America, an emerging
area with which Amman plans to establish strategies for economic,
political and cultural cooperation.