Queen Noor of Jordan

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In 1978 Arab-American Lisa Halaby left behind her western lifestyle, converted to Islam and married Jordan's King Hussein. The king named her Queen Noor al-Hussein, "the light of Hussein." The fairy-tale romance endured for more than two decades, until the king's death in 1999.

King Hussein bin Talal held a unique position in the Middle East, being a pan-Arabist with a deep understanding of Western culture, a consistent political moderate, and a dedicated member of the Nonaligned Movement. The nation of Jordan has been and continues to be a linchpin for Middle East peace efforts. (Miramax Books, 2003, 3)

Through the years, the wife of King Hussein came to be seen as an outspoken, strong-willed woman in an Islamic society. The fact that this tall, blond American was their queen had always rankled some. Queen Noor walked at her husband's side through his reign; a partner. She suffered with the nation as they watched him succumb to cancer in 1999. Through her dignity and sincerity during this time she so impressed the people of her country, that she was finally fully accepted as part of their society.

Queen Noor is known internationally for her continued committment to humanitarian work and international women's rights issues as well as for her longtime campaign against landmines.

Family Life and Education

Her Majesty Queen Noor (Arabic: الملكة نور) was born Elizabeth (Lisa) Najeeb Halaby on August 23, 1951, in Washington, D.C. to an Arab-American family distinguished for its public service. She attended schools in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New York City, and Concord Academy in Massachusetts, before entering Princeton University in its first co-educational freshman class.[1]

She is the eldest daughter of Najeeb Halaby and his wife Doris Carlquist. Her father, who helped to organize NATO under President Harry S. Truman, is a former CEO of Pan-American World Airways, one time head of the Federal Aviation Administration appointed by President John F. Kennedy, and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. The queen has a younger brother, Christian, and a younger sister, Alexa.

Queen Noor's paternal grandfather, Najeeb Elias Halaby, was a Syrian immigrant of Lebanese descent, who immigrated to America at the age of 12. An oil broker, he married an interior designer, Laura Wilkins in Texas. Together they founded the successful Halaby Galleries.

After receiving a B.A. in Architecture and Urban Planning from Princeton University in 1974, Queen Noor worked on international urban planning and design projects in Australia, Iran, the United States, and Jordan from where she traveled throughout the Arab World to research aviation training facilities. Subsequently, she joined ‘Royal Jordanian’ airline as Director of Planning and Design Projects. [2]

Marriage and Children

Lisa Halaby met King Hussein while working in Jordan on the development of the Amman Intercontinental Airport.

Their Majesties, King Hussein and Queen Noor, were married on June 15, 1978. They have two sons: HRH Prince Hamzah, born March 29, 1980, and HRH Prince Hashim, born June 10, 1981, and two daughters: HRH Princess Iman, born April 24, 1983, and HRH Princess Raiyah, born February 9, 1986. Their family also included the children of His Majesty’s previous marriage: Ms. Abir Muheisen, HRH Princess Haya, and HRH Prince Ali.[[3]]

King Hussein, of the direct lineage of the Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, was known as the voice of reason in the Middle East. He was a ruler who made lifelong efforts to bring peace to this wartorn region. He was a friend to not only the Arab nations, but to Israel as well. Queen Noor shared the same longing for peace in the region and was a constant source of support to her husband. King Hussein died of cancer February 7, 1999 during noon prayers.(Miramax Books, 2003, 432)

Beliefs

Lisa Halaby spent her teenage years in America during the 1960s. This was a time of social-consciousness for her generation and it is reflected in the course of her life. Attending Chapin High School she was afforded the opportunity to perform community service in Harlem New York, tutoring non-English speaking students. During this time she came to understand how difficult it is to break the cycle of ignorance and poverty. Years later she chose to focus her senior architecture and urban planning thesis at Princeton on a community development scheme in Harlem. (Miramax Books, 2003, 28) To this day, she contributes her time and abilities on those projects that work towards alleviating poverty and promoting education and self-sufficiency.

As she explained to Larry King of CNN,

"I've seen it around the world, in the poorest countries and in countries riven with conflict, it is women who are the key to breaking out of poverty, breaking out of stagnation. It's women who can contribute to achieving real security — not bombs and bullets and repressive governments."

Thus, Queen Noor continues to sponsor many projects aimed at increasing educational and work opportunities for Jordanian women. Internationally, she supports U.N. programs for women and children, in addition to her longtime campaign against landmines. [[4]]

Projects

Since 1978, Queen Noor has initiated, directed, and sponsored projects and activities in Jordan to address specific national development needs in the areas of education, culture, women and children’s welfare, human rights, conflict resolution, community development, environmental and architectural conservation, public architecture, and urban planning. She is also actively involved with international and UN organizations that address global challenges in these fields. Queen Noor has played a major role in promoting international exchange and understanding of Middle Eastern politics, Arab-Western relations, and humanitarian and conflict prevention, and recovery issues throughout the world, such as youth drug abuse, refugees, and disarmament.[[5]]

International Projects

Queen Noor's projects on the international level include:

• Serving as patron of the Landmine Survivors Network (LSN), the first international organization created by landmine survivors for landmine survivors

• Ambassador of Future Harvest, an international organization promoting public understanding of the relation between international agricultural research and global peace, prosperity, environmental renewal, health, and the alleviation of human suffering

• Member of the International Commission on Peace and Food (ICPF), which is an independent, non-political, non-profit organization of political leaders, heads of international agencies, scientists and other professionals from 15 nations founded in 1989 to redirect military resources into programs to promote peace, democracy, food security and employment

• Chair of the Advisory Board of the Center for the Global South, which brings renowned experts from around the world to examine critical issues such as global inequality, development, the environment and conflict resolution

• Director on the global board of The Hunger Project, an international organization committed to the end of world hunger through the empowerment of women and communities, the stabilization of population growth, the eradication of poverty, the preservation of the natural environment and the universalization of access to basic health and education

• Member of the International Council of the Near East Foundation (NEF), the oldest American private, non-profit development agency dedicated to raising the standard of living of rural and urban poor communities in the Middle East and Africa

• Trustee of the Mentor Foundation, an independent private foundation operating internationally with organizations involved in the prevention of substance abuse at the grassroots level

• Co-Chair of the International Youth Foundation’s (IYF) Global Action Council. The Council comprises a select number of key leaders concerned about the growing challenges facing the world’s children and youth

• Honorary Chair of Rays of Hope, a national annual candlelight vigil hosted by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS). The NCCS is an advocate group for people with cancer.

Education

The Jubilee School was launched in 1993 and is an independent, co-educational secondary school for gifted students from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, with special emphasis on students from disadvantaged areas. Queen Noor had this to say describing the mission of Jubilee School,

"We do not want simply to produce educated young people, important as that is; we hope to nurture educated activists and future leaders who can identify and help to resolve the challenges within their own societies and contribute to stability, peace and justice in the wider world."

Environment and Conservation

Her Majesty Queen Noor traces her environmental activism back to her freshman year at Princeton University when the first Earth Day was commemorated. She has been an active member of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) since 1978. She became the Patron in April 1996 for her continuous support of the RSCN’s projects and her activism in environmental protection. She also received the 1995 United Nations Environment Program Global 500 Award for her activism and for promoting awareness and initiating community action. For her international efforts she was named Patron of the IUCN World Conservation Union in 1988. She recently joined the board of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Culture and the Arts

Queen Noor, with a committee of volunteers supported by staff and students from Yarmouk University, launched the first Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts in 1981. Since then, the Festival has become an annual cultural landmark in Jordan, attracting hundreds of artists and tens of thousands of visitors every year.

Youth

Queen Noor supports the following youth projects:

• The Children’s Heritage and Science Museum, Jordan’s first children's museum, was established in 1986 in cooperation with the Haya Cultural Center in Amman.

• SOS Children Villages of Jordan were established in 1984 by SOS- Kinderdorf International, the Hermann Gmeiner Fund and the SOS Children’s Village Association of Jordan, to secure a permanent home and a loving family to Jordanian orphaned and abandoned children and prepare them for an independent life.

• An SOS Vocational Training Center was officially opened in 1990 in Sahab Industrial City to help young people acquire job skills. The Center provides professional training in carpentry to SOS youth and others from the surrounding community.

• The annual Arab Children’s Congress was initiated by Her Majesty Queen Noor after the 1980 Arab Summit Conference in Amman. It brings together children from throughout the Arab World in a program designed to promote understanding, tolerance, and solidarity.

• Under the Patronage of Her Majesty Queen Noor, the Children’s Creativity Contest was launched in 1988 by the Shoman Foundation in cooperation with UNICEF. [[6]]

Notable works

In 2003, Queen Noor published a memoir, Leap of Faith, which became a bestseller.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Queen Noor, Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life, New York, Miramax Books, 2003, ISBN 0-7868-6717-5

External links

• Official Queen Noor website
• Transcript of a speech given at The Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts in 1996
• 2002 commencement speech, Mount Holyoke College

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