Farewell to a king
The death of Jordan's King Hussein on Sunday is mourned not only by around 4.5 million Jordanians but, also by millions of others around the globe who feel the world has lost one of its finest sons, greatest leaders and a champion of peace.
Nearly 40 heads of state and government, including U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan attended the king's funeral on Monday to pay their last respects to the man who played a major role in fighting for stability and peace in the turbulent Middle East.
During his 46-year-reign over the tiny desert kingdom, Hussein developed Jordan's economy with aid from Western countries, and withstood internal pressures and unrest, the worst of which was the outbreak of civil war in 1970.
His signing of the peace treaty with Israel in October 1994, which ended nearly 50 years of hostility between the two nations, created internal rifts in Jordan, and -- except for Egypt, which had clinched its own peace accord with the Israelis -- was held in contempt by most Arab countries, which consider the Jewish state their archenemy.
All in all, however, the late king was much loved by his people, who realized the kingdom's political and economic achievements were largely due to the peace that Hussein had persistently campaigned for. The genuine sorrow of the Jordanian people moments after the announcement of his death demonstrated they consider Hussein to be not just their king but their father.
This bond of affection was also evident in the way Jordan's new King Abdullah addressed the people.
"King Hussein was a father to every one of you, as he was my father ... We will preserve the course that Hussein set," said King Abdullah, as quoted by Reuters in his televised speech on Sunday, pledging that he would preserve his father's policies while urging the country to remain united.
The parliament's brief swearing-in ceremony of King Abdullah a few hours after Hussein's death signals the smooth transition of power, thereby abating fears of neighboring countries that the replacement of former crown prince Hassan, Hussein's brother, might lead to internal turmoil. This is understandable as instability in Amman could break apart the entire peace process in the region.
CNN reported that on Sunday evening, Princes Hassan and Abdullah took the same car to the parliament building for the swearing-in of the new king, showing Hassan's solidarity and support for his nephew.
With the support of Jordan's people and its Western allies, the 37-year old Abdullah, an army major general and commander of the kingdom's special forces, is obviously far more prepared to rule the kingdom than Hussein was in 1952 when he was proclaimed king as a teenager.
King Abdullah must stick to his pledge that he will "preserve the constitution and be loyal to the nation" if he wants to win the respect and sympathy his people showed to his father. He must continue with Hussein's great work for peace in the Middle East, stability within the nation and the betterment of his country's economy to improve the welfare of the Jordanian people.