Queen Rania: Jordan confronting hijackers of Islam

Queen Rania of Jordan on Monday said her country was in a "confrontation with those who have hijacked Islam."

The queen was addressing the UAE Government Summit in Dubai through a recorded video message.

She had been due to attend the event but said that her country was still mourning the brutal death of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh, who was shown being burned alive by his ISIS captors in a video posted last week.

“Our country is mourning the death of our son Moaz al-Kasasbeh. It is our responsibility to leave behind a safe Muslim, Arab world for our children," she said.

Kasasbeh was captured after his plane crashed over an ISIS-controlled part of Syria, following a bombing mission on December 24. The U.S.-led air strikes in the region since September have helped stem ISIS expansion through Syria and Iraq.

Since the video of his death, Jordan's king has vowed to punish ISIS and has ramped up airstrikes on militant targets in Iraq and Syria.

"A dark cloud of sadness and grief has kept us from joining you because our hearts in Jordan are heavy with pain and anger," the Queen said in the video.

"The most trying times often bring us to face our responsibilities and Islam is our responsibility.

"We are in confrontation with those who have hijacked our religion, those who malign Islam with their violence, bloodshed and slaughter," she added.

ISIS has lost 20 percent of its military capabilities since the start of U.S.-led coalition air strikes in September, General Mansour Al-Jbour, head of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, said in a press conference on Sunday.