As expected in the
world of the media today, with its open platforms for opinion and
counter-opinion, reactions to the passing away of Queen Elizabeth II, especially
in our part of the world, vary.
اضافة اعلان
It is true that
the late queen, the longest-serving British monarch ever, inherited the throne
of Great Britain, a colonialist power and the empire on which the sun never
sets, but in 1952, when she ascended to the throne, the UK was a different kind
of empire and the sun had started to disappear from its skies, seven years
after the end of World War II when
384,000 of its soldiers were killed in combat, 70,000 civilians died under German’s
aerial raids and entire towns were destroyed.
In the aftermath
of the global war and the bitter-sweet victory, new superpowers arose, the US
and USSR, and Britain was pushed by history to the second row at a time when
demands for independence were heard from almost every colony of the empire,
around the world. The country’s name was tainted by the brutalities committed
against the colonized nations.
The queen,
reigning over one of the oldest democracies in the world, had a new country to
build, a new type of relation to forge with nations and a challenge to keep
Britain great.
Did she do that?
The fair answer is yes.
There are 72
cities as diverse culturally as we can imagine in England, Scotland, Wales, and
Northern Ireland, which form the UK. This diversity has turned into an example
of coexistence for the entire world to follow, a lesson we should learn, too,
especially in the Arab world, where, regrettably, the diverse ethnicities,
religions, sects, and sub-cultures are a burden on efforts toward move to
prosperity for every citizen.
Britain now is
one of the most multicultural nations, with its strength lying in its
diversity. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s educational
institutions, like Oxford and Cambridge, sustained their exceptional role in
serving human knowledge, producing great scientists, thinkers and innovators.
Britain is a different country as it bids farewell to its beloved queen, but facts say it has become a better country in many aspects than it used to be when it ruled half of the world.
The lesson to
learn is that the wars, the divisions, the violence, and the frustrations the
Arab countries have seen in the past decades, or even centuries, should be no
obstacle to reassuming their role in building themselves strong and
contributing to human civilization.
On the economic
front, the UK is the sixth-largest economy in the world, with a GDP of around
$3 trillion. Foreign aid takes up 0.5 percent to 0.7 percent of the gross
national income to help international partners grow sustainably. In 2025, the
UK is expected to “mobilize up to £8 billion” for international development,
according to its 2022 aid strategy, despite the ongoing economic crisis and the
looming threats expected in the coming years.
Britain is a
different country as it bids farewell to its beloved queen, but facts say it
has become a better country in many aspects than it used to be when it ruled
half of the world.
The best
description of Queen Elizabeth was given by Her Majesty Queen Rania who told
ITV in an interview recently that the late queen was “public service
personified”. She will always be remembered for that.
Khalid Dalal is a former advisor at the Royal Hashemite
Court, former director of media and communication at the Office of His Majesty
King Abdullah, and works currently as a senior advisor for media, strategic
communication, PR, international cooperation, and business development locally,
regionally, and globally. khaliddalal@aol.com
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