Terror in Jordan
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This is a partial transcript from "On the Record," 9, 2005, that has been edited for clarity.
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST: This is a FOX News Alert.
At least 67 people are dead and nearly 300 are wounded after terrorists bombed three international hotels in Amman, Jordan.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Joining us live on the phone is Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, welcome your majesty and obviously a very sad occasion for Jordan.
HER MAJESTY QUEEN NOOR OF JORDAN (by telephone): Thank you, Greta, yes it is indeed. We've seen an abominable and diabolical attack on innocent civilians and it's a tragedy for so many.
VAN SUSTEREN: Can you describe the area for us because most Americans haven't had the pleasure of traveling to Amman?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}QUEEN NOOR: Well, this has been generally described as downtown Amman. These are hotels that were central for visitors to the country and also very popular locations for parties and weddings and conferences and other kinds of events in the country. So, it's not surprising that there was a wedding taking place in one of them and no doubt many other reasons why many other people were in the others.
But, as far as we understand, Jordan has, you know, announced that the majority of the victims were Jordanians and that means Muslims and, you know, some Christians but a majority of Muslims and Jordanians and that adds to the diabolical nature, though it wouldn't have mattered who were victims of this.
Jordan, in spite of the fact that our population has grown so much, it is very much a -- we have a strong, tightly knit sense of family and community and so we all -- a very good friend of mine according to the Arab news is one of the victims of this bombing and another relative of a family that we know and that's just of the few that we're aware of. Probably everyone in the capital and perhaps elsewhere will know of someone who was a victim of this attack.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}VAN SUSTEREN: Was this expected in the sense that Amman is sort of the gateway to Iraq and, you know, it's so close to so much dissention? I mean here in the United States after 9/11 we're sort of, you know, waiting on pins and needles hoping it doesn't happen. But did Amman have sort of a carefree attitude or did it really expect sooner or later that something like this would happen?
QUEEN NOOR: No, I don't think anyone has had a carefree attitude in Amman or anywhere else for a very long time in the region and, you know, our security services are never relaxed or complacent.
And it is, as I've been trying to explain to my family members, who have called up in great distress, some of my children who weren't able to be there, this is happening now in so many places in our world and it just has to motivate us to try to tackle the roots of what is causing this and also to be very firm, as I know our government will be and being as aggressive as possible in running down those responsible.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The other responsibility incumbent upon us all is to ensure that people understand that these actions do not reflect the attitudes or the beliefs of the vast majority of Arabs and Muslims in our world. These are people acting outside of the teachings of Islam, contrary to the teachings of Islam, which forbid the killing of innocents among many other humanitarian values that are part of our faith.
VAN SUSTEREN: We only have about a minute left, your majesty. What do you think it is having traveled to both countries so much, what do you think Americans don't fully understand about Jordan?
QUEEN NOOR: I think that it's very hard for many Americans to understand the distinct natures of different countries in our region. For example, Jordan is unique, as each is, but uniquely different from many of the stereotypes that Americans have about Arab and Muslim societies, which they've seen through the lens of Taliban images on television or other radical attitudes in other Arab countries where women are denied, you know, basic human rights or the right to education or to function.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Whereas in Jordan women and men have been working and partnering side-by-side and have been granted equal rights in our constitution since the '50s and we are an open, free and very dynamic society on all levels.
VAN SUSTEREN: And with that, I have to thank you, your majesty, thank you for joining us.
QUEEN NOOR: Thank you, Greta.
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