Look at any country that’s plagued with poverty, disease or violence; the antidote is girls. Girls are the antibodies to many of society’s ills.
I think generally, in life, I try to always ensure that there are periodic moments where I do venture out of my comfort zone, because that’s what keeps you alive. That’s what keeps you from getting stale.
My role models are people who can do things; I say to myself, ‘I wish I could do that.’
I don’t lose sleep over failures. I worry about the successes and how they can be replicated.
I don’t know if I’d put labels on myself, but I do feel that when women are empowered, they have the power to transform society.
Religion and modernity are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
I really feel that political will is born out of popular will.
Everybody’s social life in Jordan revolves around family.
I work in areas related to child protection and family safety, women’s empowerment, the creation of opportunities for youth, and culture and tourism. Daunting? Yes. Impossible? No. In fact, such challenges energize me.
I want to be that person who could sacrifice everything for others.
Maybe clothes are a form of creative expression for me. An outlet. Because I don’t get to express myself creatively through my official duties.
Well, my husband is supportive of my work, like advocating for dialogue between cultures on YouTube.
I don’t think people by nature are extremists. You will never find a population of extremists. Extremists have existed throughout the centuries on all religions. And what happens is, extremists start to have more leverage when the situation is bad.
For many, the hijab represents modesty, piety and devotion to God, and I truly respect that. But the hijab should not be used as a means of applying social pressure on people.
In education, technology can be a life-changer, a game changer, for kids who are both in school and out of school. Technology can bring textbooks to life. The Internet can connect students to their peers in other parts of the world. It can bridge the quality gaps.
By its very nature, hard-line ideology is self-serving and self-perpetuating; its primary goal is to survive – and that precludes everything.
We’re programmed to believe that time is the enemy, that it takes away from us or that it diminishes us. I have found that it’s done the opposite to me. Life is in perfect balance. It’s just that our perception of it isn’t.
I’m amazed by the misconceptions about Muslim women and the Arab world that I hear, and that really does hurt me.
I’d rather be dealt with as a person than a persona.
To achieve a lasting peace in the Middle East takes guts, not guns.