Jordanian students reported shock and confusion yesterday upon hearing of the death of the man who has ruled their nation for more than double their lives.

"It's a very unique feeling I've never had before," said Rayd Abu-Ayyash '01, who has met Hussein numerous times. "I've never known Jordan with any other king. For me, it's a fundamental change in the world and the face of Jordan."

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan's King Hussein bin Talal died yesterday of lymphatic cancer at 11:43 a.m. local time (4:43 a.m. EST) at the age of 63. His son Abdullah II was sworn in as the nation's new monarch only four hours after Hussein's death in a Jordanian hospital.

President of the Harvard-Radcliffe Society of Arab Students (SAS) Mohamad Al-Ississ '00 stressed that loyalty to the man who ruled for 47-years has been a rallying point for a nation which has been at other times divided.

"Running Jordan is like working in a minefield," said Al-Ississ. "The country was unified by the Jordanian people's love of Hussein."

The SAS issued a statement last night topublicly acknowledge the organization's mourning.

"Many feel that his contributions to peace athome and abroad are significant," the statementread. "He managed to maintain a delicate stabilityin a country with people of disparate origins andpolitical interests. He did so through hischarisma and paternal love.... His Majestymaintained his principles of peace in the contextof regional turmoil. His work for peace was notfor Jordan alone, but everyone."

The statement closed by expressing hope thatKing Abdullah II will "maintain this legacy."

According to Al-Ississ and other SAS members,the statement was carefully worded to incorporatethe condolences of all members of theorganization--even those who were critical ofHussein's policies during his lifetime.

"We spent the whole meeting talking about howwe should respond to this individually and as agroup," said SAS Media Chair Waqaas S. Fahmawi'99. "There was this strong sense of urgency tonot let his death go unnoticed on campus."

But at least one member of SAS said last nightthat he was opposed to the organization issuingwhat he felt amounted to a political statement.

"I'm uncomfortable with my name on thestatement as a member of SAS," said SAS HarvardFoundation Representative Hadi N. Deep '99. "Forus to take a stance on this issue is justinappropriate."

Deep said the statement sets a difficultprecedent for the organization.

"If we're honoring him as an Arab head ofstate, what happens when other Arab head of statesdie?" he said. "If we're honoring him as a personand for his deeds, that's precisely why we'restepping out of our bounds."

Chair of Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel Michael A.Kay '01 expressed his condolences on Hussein'sdeath yesterday.

"It's very sad when a world leader dies,especially one who was so committed to peace inthe Middle East and around the world," Kay said."It's frightening--with Hussein we've come to knowwhat to expect. It's a time of uncertainty--butI'm optimistic.