Queen Noor
Mon., September 15, 01:35 PM
Queen Noor
I am amazed at how long it took me to read this book. Part of the problem was logistical; if I found a spot where I could sit comfortably, there was often insufficient light for me to read. (I’ve got to work on that.) And the other problem, of course, was that I always put down the book for a while when the contents upset me.
Sometimes I wonder why I choose to read books that trouble me. I read for enjoyment, after all. But I also read to learn, and sometimes the teachers don’t realize…or maybe they do. I was looking forward to reading Leap of Faith: An Unexpected Life by Queen Noor of Jordan. A Cinderella story is not new – Grace Kelly did it twenty years previously, and Wallis Simpson did it twenty years before that. Nevertheless, every story has a new twist.
Lisa Halaby was born and brought up in the United States; her father, who headed the FAA under President Kennedy and later became an airline executive, was of Syrian descent. Though her family does not appear to have been especially religious, they were definitely Christian. Her college major, architecture and urban planning, comprised a very wide variety of disciplines. In the interests of learning more about her Arab background, she worked in the Middle East (including in Teheran) after graduating from Princeton. I found myself wondering – not that it matters now – whether King Hussein might have cultivated her acquaintance originally because he was looking for an architect.
Lisa looks so very young (she was actually in her mid-twenties) in those photos taken at the announcement of their engagement. You have to wonder whether she realized what she was taking on, just in the matter of a man who had been married several times previously, with six or seven children. (I really wished she had included a family tree, it was so hard to remember who was who.) When you factor in palace politics and the general unrest in the Middle East, you realize that accepting the King’s proposal really was a leap of faith. But it is also obvious that King Hussein was a charming and educated man, dedicated to his people and his religion. Lisa Halaby became a Muslim just before her marriage.
Another thought came to mind: suppose you had the opportunity of a lifetime position where you could make use of your education and do the things that were really important to you. Would you make sacrifices for it? And did she? Queen Noor and her Foundation have accomplished much in improving the social and economic condition of women, not only in Jordan but also in other developing countries. She helped to restore and re-open buildings – both private and public – that were important to the Jordanian culture. Together King Hussein and Queen Noor worked to protect the environment. They both believed that educating young people is the key to healing the differences between peoples. To that end, Queen Noor cites three organizations: United World Colleges and Seeds of Peace, as well as the United Nations University International Leadership Academy, which is actually based in Jordan. My only objection to these excellent programs is that they start too late; the education should begin before they are of high school age so that youngsters don’t have to unlearn all their prejudices.
Queen Noor has lived in Jordan for almost thirty years, and I knew she had received much of her local history from the king, so that her comments would be slanted to the benefit of the Palestinian “refugees.” What I didn’t expect was the height of the soapbox.
For example, when you see two people who both have ownership documents for the same piece of land, shouldn’t you at least suspect some shady dealings on the part of the sellers who issued those papers? Queen Noor’s viewpoint is distressingly one-sided, all the more surprising when she is so open-minded about so many other things.
Leap of Faith is good reading, stories of people and events that had far-reaching effects. Much of the story centers around King Hussein’s life and interests, and she tells it in a particularly touching way. I think he must have been a man of good intentions, often disappointed in his efforts with other people. He was also a person of many interests, not the least of which included airplanes (he usually piloted his own plane, even on long international flights), fast cars and motorcycles. And he was interested in art and history and, above all, people.
Queen Noor discusses Islam, the religion she adopted. I think she is not an expert, but she speaks movingly about the peace and comfort she derives from it. There is probably no aspect of philosophy that doesn’t occur in other faiths as well. I especially liked this quote: “The true believer desires for his brother what he desires for himself.”
Sound familiar?
