What’s the opposite of a Wahabbi madrassa?
Freshly cut grass and young olive trees decorate the walled campus. The library is rapidly filling with books; art supplies and lab equipment are unpacked and ready for use. The buzz of student conversations, both in Arabic and English, bring the campus to life. In some ways, this campus resembles any number of others around the world. But it’s different here.
The students are the cream of the intellectual crop from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Palestine, Syria, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. There are even a few from America and Taiwan. Ultimately all Middle Eastern countries will be represented, including Israel. But even more striking, particularly in this region of “haves and have nots”, is the economic diversity of the students.
What is this?
King’s academy is in Madaba, which lies in a fertile valley at the base of Mount Nebo, the biblical perch from which Moses looked out over the promised land. The school is the inspiration of King Abdullah II, who wanted to create a top-quality boarding school for talented teenage boys and girls from across the Middle East. Last week, the first 106 teenagers arrived to join the first classes.
Did I mention my healthy respect for Jordan’s royal family?
And the article closes with this note of hope.
What could be more important in the Middle East than educating open-minded future leaders?
Well, they could end up hanging out with Liberals, in which case they’d go back to grievance mongering. Even that has an upside. Instead of the Palistinian Liberation Organization, they may opt for Queers for Palestine.
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September 16th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Until recently, the PLO was headed by the biggest queer in Palestine.
September 16th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Now, now Annika. Just because Arafat liked some man in his can, doesn’t make him a fruit.