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I’m amazed by the misconceptions about Muslim women and the Arab world that I hear, and that really does hurt me.

Queen Rania of Jordan

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.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Devotion God Mean People
The youth are the catalysts for real change.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Catalyst Real Youth
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.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Clothes Creative Expression
I don’t believe that there is fair enough understanding of either our status as women or the total context of our lives, which is very rich and multi-faceted.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Believe Rich Understanding
There are so many misperceptions and stereotypes out there that I would love to see clarified one day.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Day Misperception One Stereotype
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.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

People Population Thinking
Learning to read and write changes lives; it means jobs, money, health, and dreams fulfilled.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Changing Dream Jobs Life
I really feel that political will is born out of popular will.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Born Political Will
Of course democracy is good, but it is a process, not a prescription.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Course Democracy Process
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.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Children Daunting Empowerment Opportunity Safety Women
The job description for a queen changes with the times.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Description Jobs Queens
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.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Empowered Feels Labels
Muslim women must stand up and speak out about who we are, what we believe and where we are going. I think we need to know that our counterparts in the west are also willing to listen and reciprocate.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Believe Out Speaks Thinking
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?
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Expressison Home Husband Personal Son
Modernity is not about dress codes.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Code Dress Dresses Modernity
I want to be that person who could sacrifice everything for others.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Person Sacrifice Want
Being queen is overrated.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Being Overrated People Queens
When girls are educated, you get effects that cascade throughout society.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Cascade Educated Girl
Religion and modernity are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Exclusive Modernity Religion
I don’t believe there is a clash between cultures. I believe there is a clash between perceptions of each other.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Believe Culture Perception
We shouldn’t judge people through the prism of our own stereotypes.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Judging People Stereotype
Good teachers teach. Great teachers transform.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Great Teacher Transform Good
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.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Country Girl Looks
Extremism is not endemic in my region, nor is anti-Western sentiment. No doubt there is discontent and distrust. That is towards more the American and some Western policies, and not toward the American people.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Distrust Doubt People
We look at problems happening halfway across the world and we think, ‘Well, that’s their problem.’ But it’s not. … When you solve somebody else’s problem, you’re solving a problem for yourself because our world today is so interconnected.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Our Thinking Today World
When you educate a girl, you kick-start a cycle of success. It makes economic sense. It makes social sense. It makes moral sense. But, it seems, it’s not common sense yet.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Common Sense Girl Moral
Social media are a catalyst for the advancement of everyone’s rights. It’s where we’re reminded that we’re all human and all equal. It’s where people can find and fight for a cause, global or local, popular or specialized, even when there are hundreds of miles between them.
QUEEN RANIA OF JORDAN

Fighting Media Rights