Queen should look closer to her kingdom

I wish to comment on the feature article written by Queen Noor of Jordan (January 5).

While her message of justice, respect and equitable treatment for all in helping to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict is laudable, I would respectfully suggest she look to her homeland first. As an unconstitutional monarchy with limited democracy ruled firmly by the Hashemites, I would be wary of expressions of advice.

The Kingdom of Jordan’s treatment of dissenters, while certainly not up there with some other Arab countries, has not always been equitable or just. In 1970, for example, they ruthlessly suppressed the PLO and expelled them to Lebanon and her reference to Yitzhak Rabin as “great warrior — turned peacemaker” would have many wondering just who she was referring to.

Avi Shlaim, the Israeli historian, describes Rabin as having “inflicted more punishment and pain on the Palestinians then any other Israeli leader”.

More recently, Jordan refused to recognise officially the hundreds of thousands of Arab refugees fleeing from the Iraq war into the kingdom, as required under international conventions, as to do so would be to assume responsibility for them.

I agree with her sentiment of hope in the future, especially with a new US president, but I cannot countenance a lot of the hypocrisy and fake sentiment we see expressed by many of political leaders in relation to the Middle East.

Niall McCarthy

The Kingfisher

Jacobs Island

Cork