Independence Day, New York Time May 25th, 1946

Trans-Jordan Emir Becomes King in Setting of Arabian Pageantry

By Gene Currivan

Amman, Trans-Jordan, May 25- The emirate of Trans-Jordan became a kingdom today and Emir Abdullah became King Abdullah Ibn Ul-Hussein in a spectacular ceremony and amid a setting that in some respects resembled a frontier town in the Western United States when the first railroad came through.

Amman was jammed. Dignitaries from all the surrounding countries were on hand to pay their respects to the world's newest king. The narrow bazaar-lined streets were flag-bedecked and crowded with colorfully garbed Arabs.

Crowns decorated the festooned and illuminated archways and ever present were photographs of the 64-year-old monarch who some day hopes to rule a kingdom that will some day include Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.

Suring his acceptance speech at the palace, King Abdullah intimate as much when, after thanking and his loyal subjects for his good fortune, said:

"My hope is that soon there will be a federation, effective and powerful, of all Arab states. I offer my throne as a rallying point for that federation."

His remarks also were constructed to mean a federation of Arab states to meet the threat of Jewish encroachment, because he later added that "Palestine is a special case and will be given special treatment."

His speech occupied a few minutes of the fourteen-minute ceremony in the throne room where the dignity of the setting received a bit of a setback as the klieg lights flooding the dais for the battery of cameraman gave the scene a Hollywood flavor.

The King, wearing a black flowing robe, with a gold chain hanging from his neck and a halo-like agal or camel hair rope holding his headdress in place, read his speech and never changed expression. He was flanked by his two sons, his Ministers and on either side of the room were the British delegation and visiting statesmen.

After the palace ceremony all converged on the Royal Air Force field for the biggest show of the day- the King's review of the fabulous Arab Legion.

The reviewing stand was flanked by Arab Legion bands- pipes on one side and brass on the other. Lined up across the field were colorful units of the legion, including a camel corps and cavalry nd a mechanized brigade of infantry and artillery.

Glubb Pasha on Hand

With the King was Glubb Pasha (Brigadier John B. Glubb), the glamorous figure who helped organize the legion, mostly from desert Bedouins- who now prevent other Bedouins from becoming unruly. He wore a British summer uniform and spiked helmet and at hi side was a long sword.

Each unit paraded counter-clockwise across the field, passed the reviewing stand and then formed in front of it and marched in parade review directly toward the King. No monarch could have asked for more than this precision march of one of the world's most colorful armies.

Beyond the tented areas tribes raced around on their spirited mounts, firing their pistols in the air and otherwise adding an Arab rodeo effect to the scene. down in the town others who could no longer restrain their emotions fired from second floor café windows fired as cars bearing the guests went by.

Iraqi Gets Beaten, Just Because

I was so pleased to see those brave Jordanians (in the clip below) beating the shit out of this Iraqi employee at the embassy. I was also pleased to see a brave Jordanian writer express his desire to shoot those non-Jordanians who can't drive or behave well, especially while they're talking with their funny accent in the street. They come to our country and they expect to be treated like they're equal? They come to our house and start making their own rules?

I liked all the Iraqi-hating Syrian-cursing Egyptian-condescending comments, clips, pictures and articles on facebook on my way back from work. If you're wondering where I work, it's in the United States. I moved here about 10 years ago alongside many of my classmates, not because there was a war in my country and I had to flee so I won't be slaughtered like a goat, I just moved here because there's a better opportunity to make money and be treated well. I don't only have a different accent, I speak a different language, have a different culture, and still have deep connections home. When I want to complain about problems here, I don't do it behind closed doors, I do it in front of people, write about it in the paper or express it on TV. Americans don't beat the shit out of me when I diss their country, instead they gave me a green card. Even in a country that sets the bar for freedom so high that one can burn the flag of his country in the street, no journalist is allowed to write an article encouraging violence against a certain group of people. He can go to jail for that.

But they're cowards, and we are brave. We can beat people because we can. They don't know what they're missing. I just hope, from the bottom of my heat, as an Arab, that Americans will start judging an entire ethnicity of millions of people just based on the action of a very small minority. Only then will I realize they have been promoted to become a third world country and I will finally feel that I belong here.
(Warning: clip consists entirely of foul language)