Attack on a Church in Jordan: STP Criticizes the Jordanian Government’s Response

Following the terrorist attack on a Christian congregation attending a funeral in Jordan, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is calling for a thorough investigation into the attack and criticizing the Jordanian government’s response. On Friday, October 23, armed assailants opened fire on a Christian funeral congregation outside and inside the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in the Jordanian village of Hamoud in the al-Karak Governorate. At least nine people were killed and about 40 others were injured in the attack.

“The Jordanian authorities have stated that they will punish anyone who spreads false information about the attack. Instead of investigating why this cowardly attack took place and who is behind it, the government is warning that the act ‘threatens the country’s security, stability, and social cohesion’ and has imposed a news blackout. In doing so, the government is deliberately shifting the focus away from the Christian victims of the attack and toward a general issue of social security and stability,” reported Dr. Kamal Sido, Middle East expert at STP, today in Göttingen.

“The legitimate concerns of Christians in Jordan regarding Islamist violence against their community are being downplayed under the pretext of preventing social division. At the same time, the educational environment created by the Jordanian government, political parties, organizations, and the media is contributing to an extremist interpretation of Islam gaining more and more ground. We need an open debate about this development and the associated dangers,” said Sido. The Jordanian government’s and the royal family’s condemnation of the attack, as well as their promise to find and punish the perpetrators, were not enough. Concrete steps are needed, not just words.

The STP’s Middle East Advisor also sees a danger in the fact that awareness of Christianity as a national and historical heritage of Jordan and other countries in the Middle East is being suppressed. Christians are increasingly perceived as outsiders, even though they are deeply rooted in the history of Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and Turkey. “Christianity originated in the Middle East, and these countries are the homeland of the first Christians in history. Schools, universities, politicians, and the media must educate the public about this,” he emphasized. To truly strengthen social cohesion in Jordan, he says, it is important to revise the school curricula.

In the predominantly Sunni Muslim Kingdom of Jordan, Christians make up about three to four percent of the 11.5 million inhabitants. The largest denominations include the Orthodox, followed by the Roman Catholic, Melkite, and other Christian communities. Under the Jordanian electoral system, Christians are guaranteed a fixed quota of nine seats in Parliament. State-recognized churches enjoy autonomy in matters of personnel and family law. However, people must overcome many challenges and restrictions. Converting from Islam to Christianity is a major social taboo and highly problematic from a legal standpoint. Converts face the threat of social exclusion, pressure from their own families, and the loss of legal rights. Actively proselytizing the Christian faith to Muslims is prohibited by law and can result in criminal prosecution. Due to lower birth rates and the quiet emigration of young, well-educated Christians for economic reasons, the percentage of the Christian population in the country is declining.