Jordan Tribes Turn on Queen Rania

Tribes in Jordan are now targeting Queen Rania, demanding that King Abdullah II return her land to the Jordanian people. "We call on the king to return to the treasury land and farms given to the Yassin family [of the queen]. The land belongs to the Jordanian people," 36 tribal leaders wrote in a joint statement. The leaders represent 40 percent of Jordan’s population. "The queen is building centres to boost her power and serve her interests, against the will of Jordanians and Hashemites," they wrote. “Jordan will sooner or later be the target of an uprising similar to the ones in Tunisia and Egypt due to suppression of freedoms and looting of public funds.” Criticizing the royal family is punishable by three years in prison in Jordan.