Undoubtedly, the Jordanian state has succeeded in keeping pace with the significant development in the concept of internal security, in its political, economic, and societal dimensions, and in flowing with the updates of the intersections of this important term, which is no longer related to a concept based on classical security theories with specific tasks, but rather expands to include the process of smooth transition with the channels and ramifications of the content of the concept that has begun to enter into all vital sectors and at all levels and worlds of people, including the virtual world through what is known today as cybersecurity.
Internal security in all its dimensions has become today the axis of the vitality of the Jordanian state, and its impact is present in the details of the lives of Jordanians, in their work, their movement, their relationships, and their ability to continue life in the midst of a restless region.
I travel every day to my work between two cities, from the beloved capital to Irbid, the bride of the north, and I contemplate, back and forth, the process of Jordanian societal movement on faces, on the roads, and in the eyes, where the pure conversation is scooped from the silent eyes in the mornings of Jordanians who are sparing in speech on their way to work, and enthusiastic to recount what they have in their pockets of stories in the evening of returning to their homes. I read the news, press reports, and comments at the bottom of the news on social media sites, and I see in the details of the story and between the lines a Jordanian insistence that transcends confusion and turmoil, clings to life and work, and faces anxiety with some humor and a lot of patience, awareness, and steadfastness.
Here we tip our hats to that solid Jordanian mentality, which realizes the difficulty of the circumstances and continues its path with a conscious stubbornness filled with hope.
But where did all that come from?
It is not a confusing question, nor is it difficult to answer. Despite the difficulties and problems we face in various aspects of life, the durability of the Jordanian state, with its institutions and its loyal people, remains the solid foundation that we not only lean on, but stand upon and launch from for decades, where experiences accumulate and trials are repeated.
Undoubtedly, at the forefront of this equation stands the Hashemite leadership, which has established throughout the history of the state a relationship with Jordanians based on trust, the credibility of governance, and its closeness to the people. Over more than a hundred years, this state was built hand in hand with its people, to gather on its land a societal mosaic, and to forge from it a national experience that has proven its ability to endure and continue.
We have enough in the conditions of our neighbors to realize the value of this experience, and the weight of the responsibility in preserving it.
We are not in a position of absolute positivity, nor of ignoring the points of failure. Preserving the state requires us to see our difficulties clearly, and to discuss them with boldness and responsibility. But it also requires us to place the national interest at the forefront of the discussion, and to correctly assess the risks of the region.
Jordan's non-involvement in the battle of weapons and fire does not exempt it from its repercussions, nor does it make its society immune to attempts at influence and polarization, which is what we are experiencing and have experienced in all the events of the region and the region as a whole.
Hence begins the necessity of fortifying Jordanian awareness, and safeguarding our positions in a way that preserves our interests and our security. For the Israeli aggression and its brutality in Palestine, the conflicts of influence and Iranian interventions, the presence of militias, and the invocation of sectarian and factional divisions,
are all factors that increase the inflammation of the region, and multiply the possibilities of errors in calculations. And when religious and sectarian identities turn into tools for conflict and governance, societies become fuel for battles that drain their present and threaten their future. These are facts that impose on us constant vigilance, and a Jordanian reading of the scene, which starts from the interests of our homeland and assesses the consequences of every position.
In Jordan, there is a King who inspires hope and confidence in us, and gives the national position its clarity and steadfastness in the face of this turmoil. Behind this confidence is the experience of a state, a leadership, and a people who have throughout their history confronted challenges and conspiracies that did not undermine their determination, and did not rob them of the ability to continue building. We have in His Majesty the King's speech before the United Nations a clear expression of the strength of this position;
when he placed the world before its responsibilities towards the Palestinian cause, and demanded an end to the aggression and displacement and the protection of Palestinian rights, and emphasized the necessity of safeguarding Jordan's security. It is a position that derives its strength from the justice of the cause and the clarity of the argument, and from the affirmation that peace is made by justice, and not imposed by military force.
For all these reasons, the psychological and mental toughness we need begins with understanding reality, distinguishing information from rumor, confronting the instigators of strife with awareness, and refusing to be dragged behind fear and incitement. It requires us to protect our differences from accusations of treason, and to discuss our affairs with boldness, without wasting our self-confidence or weakening our ability to cohere. It is the right of a Jordanian to worry, to criticize, and to demand a better life; for these are rights that strengthen the state when it finds those who listen to them and deal with them responsibly.
Therefore, he must, in return, weigh what he adopts, transmits, and defends with the scale of his homeland's interest. Protecting Jordan is a responsibility that unites us, and rallying around its Hashemite leadership gains its meaning through awareness, work, and safeguarding the unity of society. In this inflamed region, the security and stability of our homeland remain a priority that cannot afford miscalculation.
