Prince Hassan bin Talal
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Prince El-Hassan bin Talaal (Arabic: الحسن بن طلال) was born on 20 March 1947 in Amman as a member of the Jordanian royal family.
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[edit] Family
He is the son of King Talal and Queen Zein al-Sharaf. He is the brother of the late King Hussein, Crown Prince from 1965 to 1999 and is uncle to the present King Abdullah II of Jordan.
[edit] Education
Prince Hassan was educated first in Amman. He then attended Summer Fields School, then Harrow School in England as well as Christ Church, Oxford University, where he received a BA Hons in Oriental Studies followed by an MA. Prince Hassan is fluent in Arabic, English, French and German. He has a working knowledge of Turkish and Spanish, and studied Hebrew in university. [1]
[edit] Marriage and children
In 1968, Prince Hassan married Sarvath Ikramullah, daughter of Pakistani politician Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah, whom he first met in London in 1958, when they were both youngsters.
They have four children together:
- Princess Rahma (born 13 August 1969)
- Princess Sumaya (born 14 May 1971)
- Princess Badiya (born 28 March 1974)
- Prince Rashid (born 20 May 1979)
[edit] Career and controversy
From 1965 to 1999, he served as Crown Prince of Jordan. There are many theories in relation to why King Hussein made the succession change that he did, that instead enabled his son Abdullah to become the ruler of Jordan after his death. Some of these theories include the following:
a) Certain people[who?] speculate that the late King's decision was influenced by his illness and its treatment. Others believe that Abdullah was his actual choice, but that his part English ethnicity was an obstacle to the original plan, during the time that he was born. [2] Some also think that, due to the number of assassination attempts on his life, King Hussein had worried about the potential risk of leaving Jordan in the hands of a child and thus only temporarily handed the title over to his brother.
b) Some[weasel words] regard Hassan as being more independent from Western-US influence than the current king and see King Hussein's sudden decision as a result of US influence, which happened during King Hussein's hospitalization in America before his death.
c) King Hussein, terminally ill with cancer, made Abdullah (who was then 37 years old) successor to the throne on 24 January 1999. It is believed that the ailing King wanted his direct descendants on the throne, instead of his brother's. [3]
d) Hassan might also have been regarded as too liberal, as he is known for his liberal views. In the World religious conference in Kyoto in 2006, Prince Hassan accused the Arab leaders of "stealing billions from their people in order to waste it on weapons to fight against Israel, which they will never defeat".[citation needed] He also warned that Iran must not have nuclear weapons.
e) There is a widely held belief[weasel words] that the late King removed his brother from succession as a result of some presumptuous actions on his part while the late monarch was abroad undergoing medical treatment. This theory is derived in part from the content of an open letter from HM King Hussein to the Crown Prince announcing his decision.
| Styles of Prince Hassan of Jordan |
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| Reference style | His Royal Highness |
|---|---|
| Spoken style | Your Royal Highness |
| Alternative style | Sir |
[edit] Organizations
The following includes some of the organizations that Prince Hassan belongs to and/or founded.
Member of the:
- Advisory Board of think tank Gold Mercury International, London, UK
- Board of Directors of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, Washington, DC (2002)
- Executive Committee of the International Crisis Group
- Informal Advisory Group to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- International Board of the Council on Foreign Relations
- World Future Council
Moderator of the:
- World Conference of Religions for Peace
Patron of the
- Post-War Reconstruction and Development Unit (PRDU), University of York[1]
Chairman of the:
- Policy Advisory Commission for the World Intellectual Property Organisation (1999–2002)
- Co-Chair of the Independent Bureau for Humanitarian Issues
- Co-Chair of the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues (ICIHI)
President of the:
- Club of Rome 1999–2007
- Arab Thought Forum since 1981
- Board of Directors for the Center for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution at OU
Established the:
- Al al-Bait University in Mafraq
- Hashemite Aid and Relief Agency
- Islamic Scientific Academy
- Triannual Conferences on the History and Archaeology of Jordan
- The Amman Baccalaureate School
- The Al-Hassan Youth Award
Founded the:
- Royal Scientific Society (1970)
- Annual Bilad Al-Sham Conference (1978)
- Al al-Bait Foundation (1980)
- Arab Youth Forum (1988)
[edit] Abraham Geiger Award
The Abraham Geiger Award 2008 is conferred upon HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan as a voice for global sustainability, reconciliation and interreligious understanding. HRH will receive the 2008 Abraham Geiger Award in commemoration of the great liberal thinker of Judaism, Abraham Geiger (1810–1874). The award ceremony will be held in Berlin on 4 March 2008. Prince Hassan follows in the footsteps of Cardinal Karl Lehmann, Alfred Grosser, Emil Fackenheim and Susannah Heschel, past recipients of the Award.
Honouring the President Emeritus of the World Conference of Religions for Peace underlines Prince Hassan's courage in defending pluralism, promoting understanding among different cultures and enhancing dialogue between Jews, Muslims and Christians. The Prince's efforts to promote understanding between the Islamic and Western Worlds are crucial at a time when we seem to be drifting apart, with perceived differences appearing to overwhelm the many things we have in common, both culturally and religiously.
[edit] Honorary Doctorate
In 2002 Prince Hassan was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of York in recognition of his contribution to the field of post-war reconstruction and development.[1]
[edit] Humanitarian initiatives
In 2009 joined the project "Soldiers of Peace", a movie against all wars and for a global peace. [2][3]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/poli/prdu/Prince.htm
- ^ "Prince Hassan bin Talal — The Cast — Soldiers of Peace". Soldiersofpeacemovie.com. http://www.soldiersofpeacemovie.com/about/the-cast/21/hrh-prince-el-hassan-bin-talal/. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
- ^ "Soldati di Pace (Soldiers of Peace)". Soldatidipace.blogspot.com. 2009-10-18. http://www.soldatidipace.blogspot.com/. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
[edit] External links
- Biography
- Diminutive King Hussein Leaves a Giant Mark
- Picture of Prince Hassan (taken from the BBC)
- Prince Hassan Official Website
- Prince Hassan's Project Syndicate op/eds
- The Estimate - Jordan's Stunning Change: The Shift in Hashemite Succession
- The Royal Forums: Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath Threads
- World Future Council
- Profile on PRDU website
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Prince Abdullah bin Al Ghazi |
Line of succession to the Jordanian throne | Succeeded by Prince Rashid bin El Hassan |
| Preceded by Hussein bin Talal |
Heir to the throne of Jordan 1952-1962 |
Succeeded by Abdullah bin Hussein |
| Preceded by Abdullah bin Hussein |
Heir to the throne of Jordan 1965-1999 |
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