The Le Web conference in Paris always has a surprise or two for attendees. Last year, author Paulo Coelho spoke about how he uses social networking to spread word about his books, and how he encourages people to download pirated copies of his work. This year, Her Majesty Rania Al Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, will be on stage.
We interviewed Queen Rania earlier this year.
Rania is a monarch on a mission. She focuses much of the messaging on her Twitter account towards helping women and promoting peace and education. A message earlier this week lamented the death of women and children in Pakistan. Another, yesterday, pointed to a NY Times article on the need for schools. She has become very adept at using social media, particularly Twitter and YouTube, to further her causes. And her very authentic, very human voice is doing a lot to dispel stereotypes about the Arab and Muslim worlds.
Her presence is more than enough reason to attend, even though the conference is in France in December. Despite popular opinion I’ll be back this year – TechCrunch Europe is partnering with Le Web on a startup competition. And eagerly awaiting Rania’s time on stage.
Le Web is offering TechCrunch readers a 10% discount on tickets. Just use this link.
Hard to see how Tweeting is “helping women and promoting peace and education”.
Seems just like more navel-gazing and ass-kissing going on in social media pundits and users land.
her Tweeting is what led me to understand who she is and what she stands for.
but it only helps if you do something about it…just reading it and saying “wow I understand” and then moving on is a waste of time.
it’s not what she does.
http://en.wikip...Rania_of_Jordan
I’d say she is a hell of a lot more qualified to get the Nobel Peace Prize than OhBahMa.
I think he was refering to *you* joining her cause, rather than just reading about it and moving on.
One more person who is eligible in place of Obama.
The list grows on.
she ’s gorgeous. sadly, she’ll probably be the most interesting subject in le web
Yeah. People talk about social revolutions from web 2.0… But when being an activist requires more than clicking a button to give rice to some people or making a tweet about how you support an event, are people out in the streets or going to where the problems are to really do anything about them? I kind of doubt it.
How does promoting your adult-content fit into this discussion… ooh well… I forgot the world is full of spammers.
So you were tempted to click on her link.
I went on http://ioscale.com/. Does that mean you’re spamming too?
…”give rice to some people or making a tweet about how you support an event”
How is that not “fit into this discussion”?
The internet is full of idiots.
Would it undermine her efforts to advance women’s rights if I pointed out she’s really hot?
No it wouldn’t. In fact I would like to tw33t her tw4t
can you do that through twitter? wow, that thing has evolved since the last time i used it
Im palestinian.. and im very impressed! At least someone is doing something rather than just being another rich non contributing zero!
Just learning about her myself, also from her Twittering.
This should be interesting and I’ll assume half as controversial as other folks who have graced the leweb stage.
Two things: 1) She and the King are the epitome of class. Not simply because they are royalty, because they have proven to be consistent beacons of progressive, intellectually-engaged leadership in the Middle East.
2) At the risk of being charged as a foul-mouthed infidel, the Queen is hot! Rania is, unquestionably, the Helen of our time.
+1 on your first comment. They (the king and the queen) represent the status-quo, and therefore are NOT willing to change the situation of their people (the very basic foundations of a system that keeps the people opressed under a monarchy).
+ 1 on your second comment. she’s hot, and i would totally do her
clearly no controversy expected on Her Majesty’s presence!
trying to lure people to join with a some hot babes, aren;t you?
If you don’t want any controversy, then make sure your WiFi works this time.
“And her very authentic, very human voice is doing a lot to dispel stereotypes about the Arab and Muslim worlds.”
I agree that she appears authentic and benevolent. For that very reason, she is far from representative of the “Arab and Muslim worlds.” The nature of her own personal activism is based on the fact of reality that women in that world are virtually rightless beings at the mercy of a barbaric stone-age culture. You don’t have to dig far to read that one of her goals is to reduce the grotesque so-called “honor killings” that are rife in that world.
The only ones benefiting from the totally false view that all cultures are equal are the despots and dictators that want their brutal cultures whitewashed. As long as that multicultural crap is accepted in the West, the mostly helpless victims of barbarism will remain as they have for thousands of years.
Take a closer look at what the Queen is doing as well as non-royalty such as Wafa Sultan and get a *real* idea of what these women are realistically trying to address. It’s an insult to their efforts to gloss it over with Polyanna pap about misunderstood barbarism.
Dude,
While what you say is true in many cases, it is a pretty bold over-generalization of the Arab and Muslim worlds.
As an often overlooked reminder, 4 of the top 5 Muslim populated countries in the world have been led by women leaders as elected officials (Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey).
America hasn’t even done that yet.
I just think it’s important to look at the Muslim world through a lens of what is really there. We Americans tend to generalize the Muslim world as tyrrany and only led by men, when in fact real data shows both Democracy and Women in place.
I still agree there are problems, but wanted to present a balanced perspective.
not all arab countries are the same – you’re falling in the stereotype trap again. jordan is one of the most pro-western arab countries
Queen Rania seems to be a good person. However, having spent some time in the Middle East, I can tell you she is the exception. Arab countries are amongst the most repressive, bigoted nations in the world.
Let’s take an example: If you hit a driver in Dubai your liability depends on whether the person is a local Muslim male, non-local Muslim male, Muslim female etc. As a Christian foreigner, I ranked lower than a dog.
These countries, and the majority of their citizens, are hypocrites. They deserve to be treated the way they treat other people. If they had the nuclear bomb, do you think for a minute they would hesitate to use it on other countries?
But Western nations are too soft and think that words like peace and humanity will save the day.
So what is the point Mr. Quigley? This article is about Queen Rania. It is not about Arab countries or the morality of its people/culture.
LOL, i really laugh when hear people talking about Muslims and Arab world the way you talk, it proves nothing but that you’re ignorant, I’m a Muslim and lives in the Arab world and really wonders where the hell you got your idea about Arab women??! FYI Females are the most respectful gender, and in most ways you find them with the upper hand, at least my Mom has the upper hand over my Dad
LOL, yeah, like most Arabic mothers, mine had the upper hand too– in between beatings that is.
I find it odd that you all obsequiously refer to her as ‘royalty’ and call her ‘magesty’ — if she’s a good person she’s a good person, but calling her ‘magesty’ just makes you all seem like stupid plebes. We’re beyond that, and have been for more than a century.
Um, what?!
Her being a good person has nothing to do with it. You may not approve of monarchies, but, accept it or not, she is queen to her people. It is both right and appropriate to call her “Majesty’ for she is indeed royalty.
Calling her Queen is fine — it’s a descriptive term to refer to a form of leader. But ‘majesty’ implies a level of revelry that isn’t appropriate unless you truly do believe she has special blood her in veins.
I disagree. ‘Majesty’ is the titular reference for a monarch. ‘Her Majesty’, is used the same way you would use “His Excellenecy” for Presidents, or “Right Honorable” for Prime Ministers. It’s not meant to suggest she walks on water, just a reflection of the title she holds as head of state.
well then we need to stop calling them that. ans how many times have u referred to obama or an ambassador as his excellency? irrespective of whether she’s done something or not, no person is above another. lets get over this shit, atleast in the valley if not elsewhere.
or “a@#ho€@” for bloggers that get amazed and stupid by the simple fact that they are going to be meeting a queen, representation of the opression of the people
Agreed with Munjita.
If I call you “Mr.” Hauser (Herr Hauser??) it’s the same thing. A title of respect, not worship.
Get over yourself.
The difference is ‘majesty’ is a title of respect for one’s birthright. I guess I’m just not as antiquated as you folks — I think titles, and the respect that goes with them, should be earned.
Good grief. This is unquestionably the most unusual exchange I’ve had on TC! Oh, and no offense, but I’m afraid you’re wrong.
(I should have just done this at the start:)
http://dictiona.../browse/majesty
Majesty:
3. A title used when speaking of or to a sovereign – a la the Queen of Jordan – (usually prec. by his, her, or your): His Majesty’s Navy; Will your Majesty hear our petitions?
4. a royal personage, or royal personages collectively: The royal wedding was attended by the majesties of Jordan.
Now that this is settled (I hope), what’s your take on having a monarch panel a tech event? Has to be a first, no?
hopefully this will clear everything up. the good part starts at :50.
“strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from farcical aquatic ceremony.”
“help, help! I’m being repressed!”
We done like her because she not true Arabic she more like white westerner she even dont listen to arab music and done know how to eat arabic food she usually eat with a spoon done know how to use her fingers to eat shame
She done even belch when dinner over to mean she like food? Ooooh… no good!
LOL.
done = don’t?
Queen of Jordan? Pshh! GIVE ME A BREAK. Is that even a country?
Just kidding….I applaud QUEEN Rania!!!
…i dont get it…are you retarded?
He is saying that Jordan is an insignificant country and that royalty from such country should also be viewed as insignificant. To answer your question, he may be a bit IQ challenged.
Jordan is not the problem. Saudi Arabia is. I was there for 8 months. God awful country. Women can’t drive. Period. A 9 year old driving a Ford explorer rammed my car. Turns out her mother is in the back seat and needed to go to the store to buy something. So she let her kid drive and he was barely tall enough to reach the brakes. Later, I am told that it is common practice through out the country.
Also, I found the most people who do any real work in Saudi Arabia are foreigners. The locals are lazy idiots. Its mostly Egyptians and Filipinos, followed by Pakistanis and some Indians.
Clarification : Women can’t drive, not because they can’t drive like a Korean woman can’t drive. Women can’t drive because its the law.
Probably you should read a little bit more (and don’t tell me you do, cause apparently, your information about the subject is bad). Saudi Arabia is the only country where women can’t drive (and to clarify, it is a stupid law). However, saying that all Arab and Muslim countries are the same is as stupid.
Clarification #2 they can drive, into other cars
Hey,
A [rich] woman who married a dictator and gets to look oh so hip to the international twitterati.
This woman is nothing without her husband, and certainly doesn’t represent the core of the national character of Jordan; She’s doing exactly what the wife of the egyption dictator does, in “championing” causes that appeal to western naval-gazers but not their own people/traditions.
Sorry to be going against the fashionable/comfortable tide, but then buying into the myth of a carefully-crafted PR/social-media hyping campaign team of the dear “queen” is far worse.
Yours kindly,
Shakir Razak
Goddam western navel-gazers and their stupid “World Wide Web” idea!
+1. well said.
amazing that loic and michael are both from countries that are republics, and still are lame enough to think that this woman is cool
Paulo Coelho is a real person? I thought he was a Brazilian version of SNL’s Jack Handey.
i can’t believe people don’t know who queen raina is. anyways last time i saw her was on the daily show and she was very good there. i love her. she’s hot and very smart and she’s always on the side of technology helping her cause, kids, and females. god on le web for getting her.
Hot girl trying to do her best to help the world. Hottest girl none of us will ever even come close to dating. Period. Amazing girl who deserves the best in life, and probably already has it. Besides world peace of course.. But it will all come in time regardless of people trying to do good. Technology is making us a one country global team, and eventually we will realize like in life it’s all about YOU whether you like it or not, and in order to live the best life possible we all NEED to get along with eachother. Rulers of the world are like grown up baby v******’s and hopefully we will be ruled by a person who is morally supreme and ethically noble. But until then let’s all get drunk and worry about our problems tomorrow!
quite possibly the worst non-troll, non-spam comment on techcrunch ever.
Man, that is funny though. First there is drunk dialing. Now there is drunk blogging/commenting.
I am not a troll and I bet I can do worse than aj.
last time i checked jordan was in one of the worst human rights offender record coubtries.
+1
Wow, she is quite attractive.