Dual task ahead of the country

In a recent meeting with the president of the Senate and the heads of Senate committees, His Majesty King Abdullah stressed that Jordan is facing both domestic and regional challenges that have to be confronted in a “balanced and simultaneous manner”.

The two fronts should be addressed equally in a manner that both upholds higher national interests and makes economic and social goals achievable, said the King.

Domestically, poverty and unemployment are top challenges that require full attention and comprehensive plans of action that tackle them.

The government is already working on a 10-year economic plan, but the Monarch urged state institutions to foster the principle of collaborative work to achieve a better future for citizens.

Public and private sectors should also work together to address the problem of unemployment, especially among the youth, an issue that is of utmost importance at this point in time when extremists are on the prowl to recruit ignorant or disenchanted people to their evil causes.

The danger of terrorism and extremism is real in the region and coming closer to home.

As such, the King said, “we as part of a moderate coalition, as Arab and Islamic countries, are working against terrorists and extremists. But as the same time, I assure everybody that we are constantly working to develop our country and attract investments that push the national economy forward.”

Jordan is not an island isolated from the rest of the Middle East. The dangers facing the region pose dangers to Jordan as well.

This is no time to retreat from the responsibility of joining the effort to combat the rise of radicalism, as exemplified by Islamic State rogues.

“There is a war within Islam and there are problems in Syria and Iraq, and we must find solutions for them. However, we must strike a balance between the war against extremism and working for the progress of our country, economically and socially,” said the King.

There is no room to escape from these awesome responsibilities.

That’s why Jordan has not shunned the coalition of nations fighting IS, while, at the same time, attending to its internal challenges the best it can.