KING ABDULLAH II BIN AL HUSSEIN

HIS MAJESTY KING ABDULLAH II BIN AL HUSSEIN

King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

King Abdullah II of Jordan has influence in Jordan and around the world due to his lineage in the Hashemite family, his custodianship of Jerusalem and activism on various fronts - from freedom of the press and reformed domestic policy to international diplomacy. In his reign as King, he is noted for having developed Jordan’s free market economy, arts and culture scene, as well as addressing issues of homelessness and poverty.

Prophetic Lineage
King Abdullah II is a member of the Hashemite family and a 41st generation direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through the lineage of the Prophet’s grandson al Hasan. The Hashemites, or Bani Hashem, link back to the tribe of Quraish. Hashem was the name of the Prophet’s great-grandfather. King Abdullah II is thus a member of the Ahl al Bayt (the family of the Prophet Muhammad).

Ruling Dynasty
The Hashemite family ruled Mecca from 1201 CE to 1925 CE and other branches of the family ruled Mecca from 500 CE, when Qusayy, the grandfather of Hashem, became Mecca’s first king. The Hashemite dynasty is the oldest ruling dynasty in the Islamic world, and the second-oldest in the world, after that of Japan.

Custodian of Holy Sites in Jerusalem
As custodian of the Muslim holy sites in the city of Jerusalem, King Abdullah II maintains a unique prestige in the region. He has gone on record in March 2010 to condemn Israel’s inclusion of West Bank religious sites in its national heritage list.

Islamic Outreach
King Abdullah II has proven influence at the forefront of a global intra-faith movement, through the creation of the Amman Message; a call for greater intra-religious tolerance and unity in Islam that was endorsed by representatives from all major Muslim groups in 2004. King Abdullah II is also credited with the Royal Aal al Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought’s most authoritative website on the Qur’an and tafsir or Qur’anic exegesis (AlTafsir.com). An extensive resource for Islamic scholarship, AlTafsir.com includes Arabic texts from over 90 commentaries of the Qur’an, Hadith texts, among other tools for research in the Qur’anic sciences, with daily hits in the thousands. King Abdullah II is also noted for founding the new World Islamic Sciences and Education University in Jordan (www.wise.edu.jo). King Abdullah II is also lauded as an interfaith leader for the 2007 initiative, A Common Word - a groundbreaking initiative in Christian-Muslim engagement (www.acommonword. com).

Peace Activist
King Abdullah II is the leading player in the dialogue for peace between the Palestinians and Israelis. He has openly called for discussion in the negotiations toward a two-state solution.