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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The 64-year-old grandmother was invited to the special celebration in London to receive the accolade for her contribution to Anglo-Jordanian relations’ representing the ward since 1992, winning eight successive elections.

The former nurse, who came to Darwen in 1978, was presented with her award by Jordan’s Ambassador to the UK, His Excellency Mazen Kemal Homoud.


It was the second time her home country has honoured Cllr Foster, born in Bait Jala near Bethlehem, who served as a first 1st lieutenant in the Jordanian Arab army and was acting matron at the army hospital in Aqaba.

When she was Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen in 2011/2012 she was invited to meet its monarch King Adbullah.

at his Royal palace A Christian Palestinian, she was born in Bait Jala near Bethlehem but moved to Jordan before the Six-Day War in 1967.

Cllr Foster, a Liberal Democrat, said: “It was a great honour to receive this award. I am privileged to be a citizen of two countries and I am equally proud of both.

“I came to Darwen in 1978 to marry my husband David and have been honoured to have been elected and re-elected by the people of Whitehall ward eight times since 1992.

“To be honoured on Jordan’s Independence Day was very special.

“I have a dual passport and am proud to be Jordanian, British and a Darrener. I have had a wonderful time in this country but also strong links to Jordan.“There si ni conflict between the two.”

Her fellow Liberal Democrat councillor husband David, also a Lib Dem councillor, who accompanied her to the ceremony.

He said: “I am extremely proud of my wife. She has done a first-class job for Darwen and a great job representing Jordan in the UK. It is wonderful to see her recognised again by her home country.”

The event, which was held at ‘One Whitehall Place’ at the Royal Horseguards Hotel near the Houses of Parliament, was attended byBritish Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

Fellow recipients of the special Independence Day ward to mark their ‘contribution to Anglo-Jordanian relations’ were Mrs Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani is the Founder Chairman of The Arab International Women’s Forum and Dr Robert Bewley is the Director of the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa, based in the University of Oxford.

*The Citizen.