A tale of betrayal: How King Abdullah II Became the King of Jordan 🧵 
1. King Abdullah II of Jordan comes from the Hashemite dynasty, a family that once ruled Makkah & Madinah. But how did they end up ruling present-day Jordan? It all starts with Sharif Hussein bin Ali, the Amir of Makkah.
2. Sharif Hussein was appointed Amir of Makkah by the Ottomans in 1908. But in 1916, he betrayed the Ottoman Caliphate by launching the Arab Revolt, backed by the British, who promised him an Arab kingdom.
3. Although there might have been some discontent about Ottoman rule, the bloodshed and disunity that has ensued in the Middle East since, far outweighs that.
4. The British never intended to keep their promise. While Sharif Hussein was fighting the Ottomans, the UK & France secretly signed the Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916) - dividing the Middle East between them.
5. After WWI, instead of giving Arabs independence, the British & French colonized the region. The French took Syria, the British took Palestine & Iraq. Sharif Hussein’s dreams of ruling an Arab empire were crushed.
6. As a consolation, the British installed his son Abdullah as Emir of Transjordan (1921) & his other son Faisal as King of Iraq. This is how the Hashemites were placed on the throne of Jordan - by British hands.
7. Meanwhile, in 1924, Sharif Hussein lost Makkah & Madinah when Ibn Saud conquered the Hijaz, establishing the Saudi State. The British secretly supported Ibn Saud and betrayed Sharif Hussein. The Hashemites were driven out & their rule in present-day Saudi Arabia ended.
8. King Abdullah I ruled Transjordan until 1951 when he was assassinated by a Palestinian nationalist for his cooperation with Britain & Israel. His grandson, King Hussein, took over & ruled until 1999.
9. King Hussein signed a peace treaty with Israel (1994), making Jordan the 2nd Arab country to recognize the Zionist state.
10. This is how Sharif Hussein’s family lost Makkah & Madinah but gained Jordan & Iraq - not through the people’s will, but through British colonial strategy.
Learn more about how the British divided the Ummah through deceit and treachery:
It should be said that the Ottoman caliphate had become severely weakened and the caliphate had become one which was only symbolic. It is possible that the colonialists would have taken over regardless of the Arab revolt.
But we must learn from history to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Messages of Muslim unity must be emphasised across the Muslim world - one that transcends borders, flags and ethnicities.
But we must learn from history to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Messages of Muslim unity must be emphasised across the Muslim world - one that transcends borders, flags and ethnicities.
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