My role models are people who can do things; I say to myself, ‘I wish I could do that.’
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.
Of course democracy is good, but it is a process, not a prescription.
I believe that if we want our children to understand the world beyond their classroom, we must bring the world into their classroom.
When girls are educated, you get effects that cascade throughout society.
It isn’t often that the logic behind a policy is so clear. But when it comes to the value of educating girls, the evidence speaks for itself.
Of course, I tweet. Tweeting is a very personal form of expression. Who else could talk about my son refusing to wear a suit to meet the Pope, my husband flying a helicopter, or take a twitpic from our home?
Twitter’s a great way to tell people across the world what I care about and, hopefully, motivate them to join me in furthering my causes. It’s also a fantastic medium to hear the ideas and opinions of people I might not otherwise get to meet.