10 Reasons Why King Abdullah II Of Jordan Is A Leader Worth Listening To

Here are some of King Abdullah II’s insights on different global issues and what happened since then. King Abdullah is 54 years old, and Jordan’s monarch since 1999.

1. In 2011, He Said:

“You are going to continue to see violence and demonstrations and conflict in Syria. I don’t see anything that is going to change unless there is unforeseen situation where the international community gets more involved.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan
BBC, November 2011

2. In 2007, He Said:

“Issues in the region are interconnected. They must be addressed comprehensively to end the state of despair and frustration and stop the slide towards extremism.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan
Asharq Al Awsat, January 2007

3. In 2003, He Said:

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

“September 11 was a wake-up call for Muslims. It is not about East VS West. It is a conflict within Islam. We -Muslims- are the next targets for extremists.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan
Davos, January 2003

4. In 2006, He Said:

“It is important to stress that terrorism does not threaten one country or region alone. It is a danger that threatens any country in the world, and we should not allow terrorism to change our way of life.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan
Al-Arabiya, May, 2006

5. In 2008, He Said:

Stringer Iraq / Reuters

“I fear radical ideologies will determine the political and social agendas in many of our countries. The region will move further away from our vision of moderation, prosperity and peace.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan
Princeton University, February 2008

6. In 2008, He Said:

“Should there be a rise of tension between Russia and the West, I’m afraid that the countries of the Middle East will be involved.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan
L’Express, August 2008

7. In 2004, He Said:

“If it was a Shia-led Iraq that had a special relationship with Iran, and you look at that relationship with Syria and with Hezbollah-Lebanon, then we have this new crescent that appears that would be very destabilizing for the Gulf countries and actually for the whole region.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan
Hardball, NBC News, December, 2004

8. In 2007, He Said:

“If the status quo, and the level of violence and security chaos continues, all Iraqis, no matter their sect, will lose.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan
Asharq Al Awsat, January 2007

9. In 2006, He Said:

“Unless we start within the next weeks and months with a comprehensive negotiating process between the Palestinians and Israelis, then people of this region will have to live many more difficult years characterized by violence.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan
Al Hayat, September 2006

10. In 2009, He Said:

Debbie Hill / UPI

“Jerusalem is a tinderbox that will have a major flashpoint throughout the Islamic world.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan
Haaretz, October 2009

11. In 2007, He Said:

“We need today and not tomorrow to move the peace process forward. Otherwise, the Middle East will have a very dark future, and it affects you just as it does us.”
King Abdullah II of Jordan
CBS, March 2007

King Abdullah II of Jordan