The future is bright

There is a general optimism in the air. Possibly it is the feeling that the danger of war in the Middle East is going to recede and the situation in Iraq will quieten down. The Economic Conference in the Dead Sea called for more attention to the tourism potential of all countries in the area. This comes as a clear recognition that tourism is no less important source of income than oil.

The case of one country that we feel needs more attention is that of Iraq. There is a little optimism about the situation there and a lot of pessimism, yet we chose to highlight its heritage and the rich history of the land and its people. We feel that this is farsightedness on our part, rather than shear optimism. In this issue we think of the future of Iraq as a free and a prosperous country. There is also a call for a programme of developing tourism in the near future as well as a focus on Iraq's ancient history, up to the Islamic period. We intend to keep a focus on Iraq in future issues.

The head of our Amman branch has visited several countries and has taken part in two exhibitions. His reports give a lively touch to the present issue, while the head of our branch in Cairo is embarking on a long journey to Africa and will publish his reports in the coming issues.

We are gathering new ideas about developing Islamic Tourism all the time. We welcome any comments on this issue and any suggestions that the readers may have.

Dr. Abdul-Rahim Hassan
Editor-in-Chief