New cardinal Patriarch Emmanuel III Delly of Iraq greets Pope Benedict in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican (click here)
New cardinal Patriarch Emmanuel III Delly of Iraq greets Pope Benedict XVI after he received the red biretta during the Consistory ceremony in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican November 24, 2007. The 23 prelates elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Benedict on Saturday join the most exclusive group in the Roman Catholic Church, a kind of hand-picked Senate that elects the next pontiff. REUTERS/Tony Gentile (ITALY)
‘Out of love’
By Mahmoud Al Abed
AMMAN - Pope Benedict XVI has invited an array of Muslim scholars, led by HRH Prince Ghazi, to discuss a letter they sent to Christian leaders last month urging a search for common moral ground, according to a Thursday statement by the Vatican.
Replying to Prince Ghazi, who chairs the board of trustees at the Royal Aal al Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said the pontiff felt deep appreciation for the initiative, "for the positive spirit which inspired the text and for the call for a common commitment to promoting peace".
The meeting is expected to add a new achievement to Jordan's track record in interfaith promotion, together with successes the Kingdom has recorded in the intrafaith arena: bringing Muslim groups together.
Efforts in both directions witnessed a high level of involvement by His Majesty King Abdullah. The first landmark achievement was the Amman Message, which defined basic principles of the way Islam should be introduced to others and the faith's outlook on the universe and its engagement with other partners in human society.
http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=4030
Building on a tradition of bedouin hospitality
A view of a campsite in Wadi Rum ( Photo courtesy UASAID/Siyaha)
By Dalya Dajani
AMMAN - A warm welcome, a cup of Arabic coffee, or glass of sweet tea and a plasce to sleep - these are the hallmarks of the time-honoured traditions of bedouin hospitality.
In the vast expanse of the Kingdom’s southern desert, where scenic landscapes and sunsets draw thousands each year, these simple traits are a magnet for travellers.
Bedouins, who for decades relied on raising livestock for their livelihoods, have now expanded on fulfilling visitors’ search for the “desert experience”.
It is a mission they take seriously, despite limited means and financial returns.
“It is an ingrained value in bedouin tradition that no visitor leaves unhappy,” said Nasser Zawaydeh, a camp owner who heads the tourism unit at Aqaba Special Economic Zone, which oversees the Wadi Rum Protected Area (WRPA).
But “it is something that may not be easily attained under the current conditions”, according to Zawaydeh, one of 37 campsite operators in the WRPA.
Although a potentially lucrative source of living for local residents, many camps in the area fall short of tourist expectations.
http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=4031
