Jordan’s Crown Prince Hamza bin Hussein delivers a speech to Muslim clergy and scholars at the opening ceremony of a religious conference at Al al-Bayet Islamic University in Amman, Jordan August 21, 2004. REUTERS/Ali Jarekji/File Photo
AMMAN, April 3 – Prince Hamza bin al-Hussein, a former heir to the Jordanian throne who was placed under house arrest last year, announced on Sunday that he is relinquishing his royal title in protest at Jordan’s current policies.
Hamza was accused last April of trying to destabilize the monarchy in a foreign-inspired plot but was spared punishment after swearing allegiance to King Abdullah, his half-brother. Continue reading
In the letter, published on his Twitter account, Hamza said what he has experienced in recent years has made it difficult for him to support the policies of Jordanian institutions.
“I have come to the conclusion that my personal beliefs and the principles instilled in me by my father (the late King Hussein) are not consistent with the way, policies and modern methods of our institutions,” he wrote.
Hamza, 42, was made crown prince when King Hussein died in 1999 and Abdullah became king, but lost that title five years later when Abdullah named his own son as heir.
He was placed under house arrest last year after allegations of corruption and authoritarianism. The feud shattered Jordan’s image as a haven of stability in the unpredictable Middle East.
A former chief royal adviser and a child king were later sentenced to 15 years in prison for involvement in an alleged conspiracy to bring Hamza to power.
Hamza released an apology last month in which he vowed not to act against the interests of Jordan’s rulers. Continue reading
His statement on Sunday was brief, saying he would continue to serve Jordan in his private life, without mentioning the king or any future role for himself.
Published on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, it was labeled with religious terms that would likely appeal to conservative Jordanians, whose support Hamza is said to have courted over the years.
Last year’s crisis prompted major Western and regional powers to rally behind King Abdullah in rare public support for a staunch US ally who plays a central role in regional security.
The monarch said the crisis has been “the most painful” because it came from both inside and outside the royal family.
Reporting by Suleiman al Khalidi, Additional reporting by Ahmad Elhamy; Editing by Dominic Evans and Kevin Liffey