Al-Rawabdeh: Participation is a fundamental pillar of citizenship, and equality is its essence

Al-Rawabdeh emphasized that the concept of citizenship is influenced by the political, economic, and social conditions in any state, reviewing the stages of the development of this concept in the Jordanian state from its inception to the present time.

He pointed out that whoever holds the status of citizenship must express their patriotism through all means and ways, and that this should not be linked to calculations of gains and obligations, stressing the importance of the unity of the Jordanian national identity by viewing the homeland as a single unit, without neglecting that national unity is a fundamental element and a complement to the national and religious identity.

Al-Rawabdeh added that public property is a right for all citizens and is funded from their pockets, and harming it when expressing political dissent or positions is an offense to every citizen before it is an offense to governments.

Al-Rawabdeh said that patriotism is considered the highest degree of citizenship and represents its actual and true aspect, and that national belonging is a fundamental element of citizenship; for citizenship is an intellectual process, while patriotism is an actual practice.

Al-Rawabdeh explained that patriotism is a sound expression that means an individual's love and loyalty to their homeland, which includes belonging to the land, the people, customs, and traditions, pride in history, and dedication to serving the homeland.

He emphasized that rights and duties in the homeland are two inseparable matters, as citizenship establishes the rights of citizens and ensures equality among them in exercising those rights, while simultaneously confirming the citizens' commitment to their duties toward the homeland, noting that a citizen acquires citizenship through a passive act by merely belonging to the state and holding its nationality, whereas patriotism is a positive act that a citizen only acquires through hard and sincere work for the benefit of the state.

Al-Rawabdeh called on everyone who holds the status of citizenship to express their patriotism through several matters, most importantly: commitment to the national identity because it is the single identity and the unifying foundation that leads to viewing the people of the homeland as one indivisible unit, especially since bypassing the national identity in favor of sub-identities leads to marginalizing the role of the homeland and the citizen and is an explicit or implicit invitation to instill a sense of grievance that weakens the momentum of the unification trend; and national belonging, which is considered the incubator of national identity and cultural specificity, as belonging is an internal feeling that settles in the conscience and is only manifested by sincere and clear work to serve the homeland.

He added that patriotism is expressed through intellectual and ideological pluralism, which represents sub-identities that enrich political and social work, provided they do not replace the national identity, as well as preserving public property and national achievements, respecting public order, adhering to the rule of law, and respecting the rights, freedoms, and dignity of other citizens.

Al-Rawabdeh emphasized the close relationship between democracy and citizenship, noting that the more democracy is entrenched, the more the concept of citizenship rises accordingly and takes root in the conscience of the people and the practice of governance, defining citizenship as "a relationship between the individual and the state, during which the individual offers loyalty and the state in turn provides protection, and the relationship between them is determined by law," based on pluralism, participation, and equality.

He added that there must be some temporary exceptions to the principle of equality with the aim of achieving justice rather than discrimination, protecting the political system, maintaining social cohesion, and ensuring national stability. Examples of these exceptions include: setting a specific age in election laws to exercise the right to vote; special representation for ethnic, religious, and social minorities and women in parliaments; improving the representation of remote areas in parliaments at the expense of areas close to the center to compensate for the cost of accessing the center; exempting low-income individuals from tax obligations; and setting simpler conditions for university admission for less fortunate areas.