Abdullah II, King of Jordan, addresses the hemicycle during the formal sitting of the plenary session of June 2002, in Strasbourg.

statement

plenary session

formal sitting

EU - Jordan (T)

ABDULLAH II (JO)

Formal sitting: extracts from the address by ABDULLAH II, King of Jordan

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16555478/ebs25380Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

Title: Formal sitting: extracts from the address by ABDULLAH II, King of Jordan

Arrival of Martin SCHULZ, EP President and Abdullah II, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, to the Plenary Chamber (1 shot)

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, "This is a difficult time for minorities in the entire region but Jordan is a tolerant country where people can practice their religion and live in peace together. Your participation in the Memorial March in Paris in February for the victims of Charlie Hebdo attack was a strong signal to the whole Middle East region; a very hurtful thank you for that". Applause

SOUNDBITE (English) Abdullah II, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: "Our world faces an assault by terrorists with ruthless ambition. Their motive is not faith, it is power pursued by ripping countries and communities apart in sectarian conflicts and inflicting suffering across the world (Applause) The savage murder by DAESH of Jordan pilot outraged all Jordanians and horrified the world and Jordan's response has been swift, serious and determined and our fight will continue".

SOUNDBITE (English) Abdullah II, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: "A dialogue of respect is a rock bed of all societies; attacking and excluding others, insulting other peoples on their faith and their convictions, this is no way forward. The future lies in unity and respect, not division and stereotypes. Europe is an important partner in this effort, especially in helping to stop the global raise of Islamophobia. This poison is based on false ideas and held place into the hands of these extremists".

SOUNDBITE (English) Abdullah II, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: "All my life, every day, I have heard the news, the greetings As-Salaam-Alaikum; a wish for the other to be blessed with peace. This is what it means to be a Muslim"

SOUNDBITE (English) Abdullah II, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: "1.6 billion Muslims worldwide. In fact these terrorists have made the world's Muslims their greatest target. We will not allow them to hijack our faith."

SOUNDBITE (English) Abdullah II, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: "How can we fight the ideological battle if we do not show the way forward towards Palestinian-Israeli Peace? Our countries united must provide the momentum and show the way forward towards a final, comprehensive settlement".

SOUNDBITE (English) Abdullah II, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: "Jordan has taken in thousands of Iraqi Christians over the past year. This in addition to giving shelter to 1.4 million Syrian refugees, which is 20% of the population over the past few years. (Applause) This is more than the equivalent of France hosting the entire population of Belgium. Our small country is now the world's third largest refugee host and I thank all of you who are helping us to uphold this global responsibility."

SOUNDBITE (English) Abdullah II, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: "My friends your support sends a message not only to my people, but to all those who seek to move forward in peace and moderation: Europe is with you. Our regions, our people can find no better partners and neighbours than each other. History, geography and future bind us. Let no one separate us because together we can create pillars of mutual respect that will support the common good for generations to come. Thank you very much." Standing ovation.