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Queen Rania of Jordan: What makes her different from other Arab women

Middle East News

GDN Online DeskTue, 14 Jun 2016Tue, 14 Jun 2016

Manama: She is beautiful, vibrant and contemporary — Queen Rania of Jordan has redefined the look of the modern monarch with her own sense of style.

She is a strong progressive female voice in the Arab world and a powerful advocate for education, health and women's rights.

Using her position as the queen of Jordan, she advocates for many social causes, including the rights of women and children, public health, environmental concerns, and the development of strong Jordanian communities.

Since her marriage, she has founded a variety of charities to campaign for various sectors of society in Jordan and beyond.

Click next to read more about this story

Rania Yasin was born on August 31, 1970, in Kuwait to Palestinian parents and grew up in a comfortable home on the West Bank.

She received Western education, first at the New English School in Kuwait City and then at the American University in Cairo, where she graduated with a business degree.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

She moved to Amman where her parents had settled after fleeing Kuwait following the 1991 Gulf War.

After a brief stint with international company Citibank, Rania took on a marketing position with Apple Computers.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

Then, a chance outing to a dinner party hosted by Prince Abdullah's sister in January 1993 changed Rania's life forever.

Rania was married to Prince Abdullah five months after their first encounter at the dinner event.

Rania was never expected to be queen as father of Abdullah II, King Hussain had initially changed the line of succession in favour of his brother King Hassan when Abdullah II was just three years old, according to Hello magazine.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

However, King Hussein unexpectedly named his son his successor on his deathbed in 1999.

Despite the unexpected happenings in her life, the young queen has taken to her role and is now known as much for her progressive social and economic agenda as for her supermodel good looks.

She has promoted the creation of child abuse counselling centres.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

She has pushed for education reform, fighting for better school facilities and mandatory English language training.

Also, she is an enthusiastic supporter of the micro-fund movement which provides financial assistance to would-be entrepreneurs.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

She regularly hops in her car alone often popping in a Lauryn Hill CD to make impromptu visits to sites of social and welfare projects.

Queen Rania also makes sure there is plenty of quality time with her four children: Prince Hussein, Princess Iman, Princess Salma and Prince Hashem.

"I make it a point and find comfort in tucking them into bed at night, reading them their favourite bedtime stories and reciting verses from the Koran to them as they sleep."

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

She's known for her tireless charity work and continued efforts to try and improve the lives of those less fortunate.

Queen Rania of Jordan has had her endeavours applauded by La Sapienza University in Rome.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

The 45-year-old received an honorary degree in International Cooperation and Development Science from the Italian institution.

Known for her poise and beauty, she didn't hold back in denouncing the repugnant activities of ISIS during a power address to the Abu Dhabi Media Summit in the United Arab Emirates in 2014.

She is also known for her outspokenness.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

She has divided opinion between those who feel she should take a more traditional role and those who see her as a shining example for Arab women.

"I am an Arab through and through," she insists.

"But I am also one who speaks the international language."

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

In a September 2008 interview with Fareed Zakaria, Queen Rania stated that she is not opposed to women choosing to wear the Islamic veil on their own volition as long as it is not compulsory.

She further noted that modern Islamic women must be entitled to wear any veil of their own individual choice and not be ‘pressed’ by a traditionalist interpretation of Islamic law in society.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

Rania herself has been seen wearing a veil or a styled hat often.

Beautiful and intelligent Queen Rania of Jordan twice made to the Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most powerful women 2009.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

Balancing a modern outlook with a deep concern for her people since she entered the spotlight after she married then Prince Abdullah in 1993, she has become known for her philanthropic work, pushing for better educational facilities for Jordan’s school children and supporting efforts to empower women.

Queen Rania was named the third most beautiful woman in the world by Harpers and Queen magazine in 2005.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

She makes effective use of social networking sites in order to promote intercultural dialogue by calling on young people around the world to engage in a global dialogue to dismantle stereotypes of Muslims and the Arab world.

Queen Rania is a profound supporter of cross cultural talks, an insightful promoter of women rights, she continues to serve as a source of motivation for social change and world peace.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

When asked what type of life did she imagine when she was a young woman, unknown to the public. Here is what she had to say.

"I grew up in a very ordinary, private family…doing pretty regular things….cinema…gym…restaurants… interacting and making friends with people from all walks of life - and I’m so glad I did. My parents instilled in my brother, sister and I the value of hard work as a key to success in life. When I was in college, I studied business so I would probably have become a businesswoman.

I thought I would start my own company or something like that. I think I was open to ideas. Like most graduates, I didn't have a set path that I wanted to follow."

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

On veil

You do not wear a veil. Is that one way of demonstrating your convictions and your ideas on the status of Muslim women?

Talking about her not wearing a veil, she presents her idea of women.

"Actually, in our religion there is no coercion. In other words, you’re not forced to wear a veil and that is a personal decision on my part not to wear the veil.

"For me, whether you wear the veil or not, is not an expression on your views of women; it doesn’t reflect on the status of women. This is a mistake I think that many people around the world make, that they take the veil and they assume that it represents a way of thinking, or that it represents oppression of women, or powerlessness.

"That’s not the case, you know, I prefer to judge women on their ethics, their values, what they think, what they do, rather than on what they wear.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

If she was not a queen, here is what she says about whether or not she would have exercised the same liberty in speaking about women’s rights?

“There are so many Jordanian women who are much tougher than me and who talk much more forcefully than me. Some of them think I’m too soft.

“We do have a lot of women who voice their opinions; we have a lot of feminists in Jordan.

“I think there is this perception that women in Jordan, and the Arab world, are all subjugated or oppressed, but although there are some women who are conservative, or who are too shy to discuss these issues, at the same time there are some women who are very, very independent.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

When it comes to fashion icon, are you restricted in your choice of apparel? Are you subject to criticism, for example, from conservatives?

You know when you’re in the public eye, you get all sorts of praise and all sorts of criticism, so I maybe criticized for some people thinking my clothes are not as conservative as they’d like, some people criticize me because they don’t like my taste; some people just don’t like this particular hair style or this particular outfit.

So you’re exposed to all sorts of praise and criticism.

But for me, I think, as with every other woman, your clothes are an expression of yourself and of how you feel, and I have found that, over the years, I’ve gotten comfortable with a particular style.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

Queen Rania once said she was worried about the gap widening between the Arab world and the West.

She believes people have not taken the time to really understand each other which has resulted in mutual fear, mistrust and suspicion, she said in an interview with Elle.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

Queen of Jordan Rania Al Abdullah visited refugees before highlighting the urgent need for a 'sustainable long-term solution to this crisis'.

(Image credit: The Royal Hashemite Court)

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