Queen says technological advancement without moral progress ‘an illusion’

AMMAN — Technological progress without moral progress is “nothing more than the illusion of progress”, according to Her Majesty Queen Rania.

In a blog post published on Wednesday in The Huffington Post, the Queen asked: “What good are these technologies if they cannot be shared and enjoyed by all — especially the people or nations who need them most? Or if a lack of security and stability prevent people from accessing them?”

She cited incidents in the Middle East where “men are beheaded for sorcery while children are forced to watch” and women are abused for belonging to “another religion”. 

“Around five million children are out of school — missing out on the a,b,c’s and the 1,2,3’s of their future and the future of our region,” Her Majesty added in the opinion piece, part of a series commemorating The Huffington Post’s 10th anniversary through “expert opinions looking forward to the next decade in their respective fields”.

Her Majesty also cites race-charged incidents in the US, the recent massacre in Kenya and the drowning of 1,500 refugees so far this year who were searching for “a better life… because of the global community’s indifference to their plight”.

“As long as progress is exclusive and not inclusive, shared by some and not all, the more we’ll see incidents like these. And the more we’ll see lone wolf terrorists and groups… feed off people’s sense of injustice and seek perverted fulfilment,” the Queen said.

For humanity to move forward in the next decade, she wrote, a return to basics is required.

“We must return to the roots of our common humanity and to the universal values that connect us to each other. And we must be as hungry and restless for them as we would be if they were the next smart phone or Fitbit or video game.”

The Queen said that standing in someone else’s shoes and reaching out to people from different cultures or religions brings about understanding and compassion.

As a mother, Her Majesty said she empathises with African American mom Toya Graham “when she hauled her son out of the riots in Baltimore and ordered him home to keep him safe”, and with 40-year-old Ghada, a Syrian woman who lost her husband to sniper fire and took her seven children to Jordan to escape the violence. 

“… Somewhere in our fast-paced world, crammed full of the latest gadgets, the alleged hallmarks of ‘progress’, too many people have forgotten the values on which our global family is built,” she added.

Instead of waiting for a mobile application “to remind us to be honest, kind and generous”, the Queen called for putting down “our devices” and listening “to our hearts and consciences” — “not so much ‘connectivity’ as just connecting with each other”.

“If that moral progress could keep pace with technological progress then that would be, well, real progress,” she concluded.