After the recent horrific bombings in the capital Amman, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has been brought into the spotlight in news media as an influential American ally in the Middle East. Though this is one of its key roles, Jordan has been influential in the Arab world not only for its progressive policies, but for its willingness to work with world powers on both sides of the proverbial fence in order to bring peace in the region.

King Hussein of Jordan signed a historic peace treaty with Israel in 1994 and has worked closely with its neighbors, including Israel, to bring development to the area. King Abdullah II has worked furiously since his father’s passing in 1999 to push for economic and political reform, and has reaffirmed his commitment to the peace process and has endeavored to bring stability in this region.

Amman also recently hosted the International Islamic Conference in July of this year, where Muslim leaders from different interpretations of the faith came to an unprecedented understanding on what it is to be Muslim. By acknowledging the diversity of interpretations in Islam, Muslim leaders have outlined a “degree of mutual respect between rival versions of Islam that has not been seen since the Fatimid empire a millennium ago. More practically, the pronouncement should act as a restraining influence in Iraq, by denying Sunni Muslims any right to attack their Shia compatriots as heretics.” (The Economist) In addition, this conference was influential in “undermining the legitimacy of so called Islamist (rather than Islamic) terrorism.” (The Telegraph)

With the Hashemite Kingdom doing so much to further the cause of the acceptance of pluralism of practice, culture, and opinion, it is truly heartbreaking to see it being the target of such violent crimes against innocent people. Though it is truly inspiring to see everyday Jordanians rising up from the aftermath of these heinous attacks and speaking out against injustice and violence. Though it may be far from perfect, Jordan has many things it can teach its neighbors and allies; most specifically, that there is strength in dialogue and diversity.

(I’m exhausted, so I didn’t get a chance to fact check, everything in this post has come straight off the top of my head. If there are any glaring errors, please let me know.)