Aqaba, Oct 24 (Petra) – Prominent figures in Aqaba said on Saturday
that attacks on places of worship are a crime, rejected on religious,
moral, and national grounds, stressing that Jordan’s unity is a
bulwark against attempts to sow discord and hate, or undermine the
country’s security and stability.

Jordanians, both Muslims and Christians, are a single family, brought
together by bonds of brotherhood, neighborliness, a shared history,
and a common destiny, they said in interviews with Petra.

Any assault on places of worship violates the human and religious
values ​​upon which Jordanian society is built, and that such acts
will never succeed in shaking the nation’s unity or weakening its
social fabric, they said.

The attack on the church in Hamoud village in Karak is an assault on
shared human, moral, religious, and national values, said Faris
Jawazneh, Director of Awqaf (Endowments) in Aqaba.

It is “a malicious” attempt to destabilize society and sow division
among the people of the same country, he said, affirming that Jordan,
which stands as a model for coexistence, rejects all forms of
extremism and terrorism.

Protecting places of worship is a national and humanitarian duty that
is “not a matter for compromise”, he said.

Jawazneh said Jordanians band together against “blind extremism”,
adding that such terrorist acts will only embolden Jordanians in
their commitment to national unity and coexistence and fend off
attempts to stir up strife.

The bonds of coexistence that unite Jordanians are far stronger than
any attempt to sow discord, said Mohammad Jahani, Mufti of Aqaba.

“A wound to a Christian is a wound to a Muslim, and the suffering of
the people of Karak is shared by all Jordanians,” he said, urging
more awareness and national responsibility to deny those who seek to
spread hatred and extremism the chance to succeed.

The Aqaba Mufti said the perpetrators of the crime in Karak do not
represent Islam, urging the promotion of the tenets of moderation,
tolerance, and peace in schools, universities, mosques, and churches.

“This heinous crime will fail in trying to intimidate Jordanians or
fracture their unity,” commented Imad Amro, former head of the Aqaba
Governorate Council, stressing that Muslim-Christian unity is
unbreakable.

//Petra//SS