How has your life and family life changed since your husband took over the throne? How do you balance a busy family life with your official duties?
Some things have obviously changed, but I try as much as possible to retain the normalcy of the life I had before I took on my responsibilities. I think the one difference in my life now is that I cannot control my daily program as much as I used to be able to before. If I have official obligations or professional engagements then it is my responsibility to attend to them. But it is important that I balance these with my obligation to my family. One should not come at the expense of the other. The fact that I have three children under the age of seven makes it more of a struggle for me.

My children are at a very important stage in their lives and they definitely need their father and me very much. The challenge is to strike a balance between our personal and professional responsibilities, and we do it on a day-to-day basis. There really isn't a set formula as to how you can go about this balancing act. But every day, we try to make sure that we do enough at work and at the same time we give our children what they need.

King Abdullah and I at the end of the day are husband and wife, and parents to three children. So our relationship at home is very much a normal husband-wife relationship. The one major difference is that we have certain official duties and responsibilities for our extended family – the people of Jordan.

Do you see yourself as a role model for young women in the region and around the world?
I am very much a daughter of the Arab World, and I believe that the Arab woman, with a mix of traditional values and modern spirit, can be an inspirational role model for all women today. She's shown both dignity and grace in balancing her simultaneous roles...mother, wife, and working woman. And really, she has been able to strike a very healthy balance between tradition and modernity.

Jordanian women have indeed come a long way, and we're proud of their achievements in the political, legislative, and social development spheres, among others. We participate in all walks of life. We have women judges, women in the army, ministers, senators, members of parliament, ambassadors, and leaders in the private sector. We also had in the past a woman Deputy Prime Minister, and in fact she was the first woman to hold such a senior post in the Arab World.

Having said that, we realise that there are certain cultural and traditional factors that constrain women and hinder them moving forward. These usually take a little bit longer to change, but that will happen over time with certain initiatives. We are also working on changing some of our laws to remove the legal obstacles to women's empowerment.

How much do you work in partnership with your husband?
My relationship with King Abdullah is a partnership in every sense of the word. In fact, all the work that I do is in an effort to complement his work for the people of Jordan. He's also entrusted me with a number of specific projects, including the Royal Commission on Human Rights, established in March 2000, and most recently, in October, the National Council for Family Affairs. Our successive efforts to meet the specific needs of our citizens led us to form these entities so that we can protect the rights of all Jordanians and strengthen the main pillar of our society – the family unit.

Another project that I work on in close partnership with him is the IT project, which aims to introduce computers and technology into the Jordanian educational system, and to incorporate their usage in every public school in the Kingdom's 12 governorates. We want to empower the Jordanian citizen and tap into his creativity and innovative potential, so that we can have a competitive edge in the global economy. We try our very best in all that we do to get Jordan up to the international standard of excellence in all fields.

King Abdullah and I talk openly about his vision for the country. If he asks for my advice, I offer it to him, and I always try to provide as much support as possible. But at the end of the day, it's very important for us when we are at home to relax. Many times we find it's better not to talk about our work because we want to recharge and refresh ourselves in order to really get a new perspective on things.

How do you see your main role – as wife, mother, Queen – which is given priority?
I view all these different roles – as a wife, a mother, and a queen – as equally important, and really take pride in these inter-linked valuable components of my life. Each role has its own duties and responsibilities, and striking a balance between them is key to a healthy lifestyle.

It's not an easy balancing act, and each day presents its own challenges. At this stage of my life, however, if I were to tell you which of my roles is more important, I would say that being a mother and caring for my young children is a top priority. Like every mother, I believe that the work can always wait, but my children can't. At the end of the day, my children are children who have the same needs, aspirations, and fears as other children do...and their father and I address them in the same way.

How does Your Majesty view the implications of the recent terrorist attacks in America for the region and the Middle East Peace process and the work you are involved with in Jordan?
We strongly condemn the terrible tragedy that took place on September 11. The magnitude of human suffering and destruction was a real shock to the whole world. But I believe that as a result of the attacks, there is a realisation that all of us have a role to play in learning from the situation and bettering the world.

It's been a reality shock for everyone, and we've all had to go through a process of self-assessment and soul-searching. The situation has forced us in the region to look inwards and see what can we do to make sure that we have a healthy environment for our youth to grow up in. It really has highlighted the necessity for transparency, democracy, and equal opportunities. And those are things we need to look at to preempt any circumstances that could cause terrorism to arise.

If there's anything we've learned from the events of September 11, it is that we all have to work together. Out of this tragedy emerged a global moral consciousness, and a real sense that what happens in other parts of the world concerns us. I think we all understand now, more than ever before, that if we do not objectively address problems in other countries, then they can come back and hurt us. So it's important for us to really sensitise ourselves to the rest of the world, and to look objectively at some of the global injustices being committed. Only then can we ensure that people everywhere can have a better chance in life.

I believe that lately we have seen more effort being put into reviving the Middle East peace talks. That should continue in order to give the people of our region hope. The main frustration for us has been that people have suffered for far too long and have not seen the dividends of peace. The international community must therefore rally together and make sure that we finally do achieve lasting peace in our region. I think both sides realise the calamity that happened in the United States has changed the world. And I believe we are at the threshold of seeing both sides sitting down, once and for all, and hopefully coming to a peaceful agreement.

Your Majesty appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in America following the Sept 11 attacks in New York – in order to discuss Islam and break down some of the stereotypes the West has regarding Islam. I would very much like to ask Your Majesty why You felt it was important to do this?
The September 11 attacks were a terrible shock to the whole world. But I think out of adversity, a new ground for dialogue can be born. People are finding a need to try and understand Islam and our region a bit more. There's a new awareness for our issues, and I think it's important for people to start asking questions. I believe it is important for the world to know that the extremists who are responsible for this terrible tragedy do not represent true Islam or the majority of Muslims. It's been essential for me to explain that, and to address the average person in the US, not only the policymakers and opinion leaders in Washington.

This is our opportunity to express our views on issues to people across America, in places like Idaho, Mississippi, and so on. We need to explain that the majority of Muslims around the world are moderate and condemn what happened in the United States. They believe in God, and are simply good people. I think this is also a great opportunity for the world to know that Islam is a religion of tolerance and peace and compassion that builds on the beliefs of Christianity and Judaism.

What happened in the United States also highlighted the fact that there is a gap between the Western world and our part of the world. There is this sense of mutual suspicion or mistrust, and I believe that it is very important to bridge that gap. I think the reason for that is the lack of proper communication. But with dialogue and with more open channels, we can rise above this together.