Queen Noor.(Interview)

Jordan's 51-year-old queen noor is in a unique position to reflect on America's war in Iraq and the turmoil in the Middle East. The former Lisa Halaby is an American-born Jordanian of half-Arab ancestry. She was educated at Princeton University and, in 1978, became the fourth wife of King Hussein of Jordan. They had four children. Noor's recently published memoir, "Leap of Faith," recounts her life with Hussein, who, before his death in 1999, spent much of his life walking a political tightrope between the Mideast and the West. The queen spoke with NEWSWEEK's Richard Ernsberger Jr. in New York last week. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: Why did you write the book?

NOOR: I wrote it because after my husband's death, many people [asked me] to share my perspective on living in two different cultures. Like my husband, I have a conviction that there is much more that binds [American and Arab] culture than separates us. I feel a responsibility to highlight our common ground so that both cultures can work together to resolve conflicts peacefully. My husband is the hero of the book; his search for peace is the central theme, and yet it's not meant to be a definitive historical or political account.

What's your reaction to the American invasion of Iraq?

In the Middle East, birthplace of the three monotheistic faiths, people have been tested for a long time. That's why I pray at this very difficult juncture that the common values shared by the children of Abraham, as my husband always emphasized, will come to the fore. The only security that will [produce] peace must be based on human needs, and its weapons are education, economic opportunity and a political voice for the people. As my husband said after the 1967 war, the precondition for peace is justice, and when we have justice in the Middle East, we will have peace. It's that simple. And that means social, economic and political justice, especially where the Palestinians are concerned.

Will the demise of Saddam Hussein be a good thing for the region?

I don't look at it as a question of one man. I look at it as a question of whether people--Iraqis, Jordanians, Israelis, Palestinians--can have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives, in choosing their leaders and in having hope and opportunity.