Exclusive interview: Jordan’s Prince Hassan Bin Talal visits NZ to honour Christchurch fallen
Family
Prince Hassan is the third son of King Talal and Queen Zein al-Sharaf, brother of King Hussein and uncle of King Abdullah II.
In 1968, Prince El Hassan married Sarvath Ikramullah, daughter of the politician and diplomat Mohammed Ikramullah, and female politician, diplomat and Urdu author, Begum Shaista Suhrawardy Ikramullah. Both her parents from prominent Bengali families born in then British India. They first met in London in 1958, when they were both youngsters and have four children together:
Prince Hassan was educated first in Amman. He then attended Summer Fields School, Oxford, and Harrow School in England, then Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford, where he graduated BA with Honours in Oriental Studies and later proceeded to MA. Hassan is fluent in Arabic, English, French and German. He has a working knowledge of Turkish and Spanish, and studied Hebrew at university.
Career
In 1965 Hassan was named as Crown Prince of Jordan after the constitution was amended. He was frequently regent during his brother's absences from the country. During Hussein's final illness in January 1999, he was replaced by his nephew Abdullah only days before the king died. Abdullah subsequently inherited the throne of Jordan.
In 2009, he joined the project "Soldiers of Peace", a movie against all wars and for global peace.
On 10 June 2013, he was appointed as the chairman of advisory board on water and sanitation (UNSGAB) by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Organizations
The following includes some of the organizations that Prince Hassan belongs to and/or founded.
Member of the:
Global Leadership Foundation, an organization which works to support democratic leadership, prevent and resolve conflict through mediation and promote good governance in the form of democratic institutions, open markets, human rights and the rule of law. It does so by making available, discreetly and in confidence, the experience of former leaders to today’s national leaders. It is a not-for-profit organization composed of former heads of government, senior governmental and international organization officials who work closely with Heads of Government on governance-related issues of concern to them.
Chairman the United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation
Advisory Board of the think tank Gold Mercury International, London, UK
Member of the Advisory Council for Research of the Center for Democracy and Community Development (2010)
In June 2003, following the U.N. General Assembly resolution 56/266, Hassan was elected as one of five regional experts in the Independent Eminent Experts group, appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, to implement the Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance that took place in Durban, South Africa, in 2001.
Sweden: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star
Sweden: Recipient of the 70th Birthday Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf
Honorary degrees and doctorates
In 2002, Prince Hassan was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of York, in recognition of his contribution to the field of post-war reconstruction and development. In 2004 he was awarded an honorary fellowship by York St John University, for his lifelong contribution to peace initiatives in the Middle East, humanitarian projects and inspirational leadership in interfaith dialogue.
The 2003 Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum Award for the Advancement of Inter-religious Understanding – June 2003.
The Abraham Fund Pioneer of Co-existence Award (New York) – January 2004.
The 2005 Eternal Flame Award by the Annual Scholars’ Conference of the U.S.
The Calgary Peace Prize – 2007.
A medal to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the adoption of UNESCO's Constitution, at the inaugural meeting of the Tolerance Foundation held at the Yusupov Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia – May 2007.
The Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani medallion – Iqbal Academy, UK – 2008.
The Peace Prize of the City of Augsburg – Germany – 2008.
Abraham Geiger Award
The 2008 Abraham Geiger Award, named after liberal thinker of Judaism Abraham Geiger (1810–1874), was conferred upon Prince Hassan bin Talal. The award ceremony was held in Berlin on 4 March 2008. Past recipients include Cardinal Karl Lehmann, Alfred Grosser, Emil Fackenheim and Susannah Heschel.
"Honouring the President Emeritus of the World Conference of Religions for Peace underlines Prince Hassan's courage in defending pluralism, promoting understanding among different cultures and enhancing dialogue between Jews, Muslims and Christians. The Prince's efforts to promote understanding between the Islamic and Western Worlds are crucial at a time when we seem to be drifting apart, with perceived differences appearing to overwhelm the many things we have in common, both culturally and religiously."
Publications
To Be A Muslim: Islam, Peace, and Democracy, Alain Elkann coauthor, Sussex Academic Press, Handcover, December 2003, (96 pages), ISBN 1-903900-81-6.
Christianity in the Arab World, SCM Press with Foreword by the Prince of Wales, 1995, (120 pages), ISBN 0-8264-1094-4.
Palestinian Self-Determination: A Study of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Quartet Books, New York 1981, ISBN 0-7043-2312-5.
