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Arab countries condemn church attack in Jordan
Seven people were killed and 27 injured in an armed attack on a funeral at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Jordan’s Karak. Arab countries, the Arab League and the Council of Arab Interior Ministers condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Jordan.
St. George Greek Orthodox Church in the Hamud area of Karak, in southern Jordan, was targeted by an armed attack on people attending a funeral on Friday. Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said seven people were killed and 27 injured.
Jordanian authorities said the perpetrators had not yet been identified. The attackers got out of a vehicle and opened fire on those attending the funeral.
Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said security forces were continuing efforts to apprehend the attackers. Faraya said it was too early to discuss the attackers’ identities and possible affiliations.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II said those responsible for the attack would receive the harshest punishment.
Support for Jordan from the Arab world
Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain condemned the attack. The Arab League and the Council of Arab Interior Ministers also expressed support for Jordan.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy described the attack targeting a place of worship as “an unacceptable act of terrorism and a crime that must be condemned in every respect.” Fahmy said he supported Jordan’s efforts to protect its security and stability and called for national unity against attempts to sow division, chaos and social fragmentation.
The Council of Arab Interior Ministers declared its full solidarity with Jordan and said it was confident that Jordanian security forces would apprehend the attackers.
Reactions from Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Palestine
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the attack violated the sanctity of places of worship, those who lost their lives and people attending the funeral. Aoun said, “Terrorism has neither a religion nor a homeland,” adding that the attacks aimed to weaken coexistence and create division.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry expressed support for Jordan’s security, stability and national unity. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein also spoke by phone with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, and conveyed Baghdad’s message of solidarity.
The Palestinian leadership said targeting innocent people and places of worship was a crime that could not be justified on any grounds. It stressed that the attack could not weaken the unity of the Jordanian people.
Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh, Hamas and the Palestinian Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs also condemned the attack. The committee called for church bells to be rung at 21:00 on Friday in churches across Palestine and invited Muslims and Christians to a solidarity gathering at Manger Square in Bethlehem at 11:00 on Sunday.
Egypt and Gulf countries condemn attack
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi pledged support for Jordan in the face of “all forms of violence and terrorism.” Egypt’s Foreign Ministry and Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, also condemned the attack.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates rejected acts of terrorism targeting Jordan’s security. Oman condemned violence against places of worship and the intimidation of civilians.
Kuwait and Qatar supported Jordan’s measures to protect its security and stability. Bahrain expressed support for efforts to apprehend the attackers and bring them to justice.
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