SadaNews – On Sunday, the Presidential Committee for Church Affairs organized a solidarity vigil in Manger Square in Bethlehem, in support of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and to condemn the attack that targeted a church in Karak Governorate, resulting in martyrs and injuries.
Christian and Muslim religious leaders and citizens participated in the vigil, and church bells rang as a sign of solidarity with Jordan and its people. Participants raised banners condemning terrorism, extremism, and violence, emphasizing the importance of protecting places of worship and enhancing coexistence among followers of different religions.
The Mayor of Bethlehem, Hanna Hanaia, stated that the Palestinian people reject terrorism, extremism, and violence, expressing their solidarity with the Jordanian people, particularly the residents of Karak city, and emphasizing the deep fraternal ties between the Palestinian and Jordanian peoples.
He added that Bethlehem, representing a message of peace to the world, rejects terrorism in all its forms, based on its belief in the values of coexistence and unity among peoples, stressing that terrorism has no religion and that attempts to undermine relationships between peoples will not affect their commitment to coexistence and peace.
He confirmed that the Palestinian and Jordanian peoples share concerns and fate, and that the Palestinian people stand by Jordan, its leadership, and its citizens in facing terrorism and extremism, pointing out that the message of solidarity from Bethlehem to Karak confirms that Jordan is not alone in this tragedy.
For her part, the representative of the Governor of Jerusalem, Tahani Al-Louzi, stated that this vigil comes to express solidarity with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, its leadership, and its people, and to offer condolences to their brothers in Jordan, especially the people of Karak.
She added that Jerusalem, with its religious and historical significance, hosts the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, while the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem embodies a message of love and peace, emphasizing the importance of promoting values of coexistence and brotherhood between Muslims and Christians.
She pointed out that the Jerusalem Governorate, with its institutions and citizens, condemns the attack and stands by its brothers in Jordan, confirming that the Palestinian and Jordanian peoples are united by deep historical ties of solidarity and fraternity.
In his speech on behalf of the President of the Presidential Committee for Church Affairs, Ramzi Khoury, Samir Haboun confirmed the Palestinian people’s solidarity with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and their condemnation of the terrorist attack that occurred in Karak Governorate, stressing the need to enhance unity and social cohesion in the face of terrorism and extremism.
He stated that the committee sends, from Bethlehem, a message of solidarity to Jordan, its leadership, and its people, confirming their support for their brothers in this tragedy, emphasizing that terrorist acts will not affect the social fabric, but rather will strengthen unity and solidarity among Muslims and Christians and between the Palestinian and Jordanian peoples.
He called for the entrenchment of values of love and solidarity with the victims and their families, and for working towards a peaceful Middle East in all its political, social, and humanitarian dimensions.
For his part, the Governor of Bethlehem, Mohamed Taha Abu Aliya, offered condolences to the families of the victims and the injured in Karak city, denouncing the attack that targeted worshippers in a place of worship.
He stated that the vigil expresses feelings of sadness and anger towards this criminal act that violates the sanctity of human life and places of worship, stressing that churches and mosques should remain safe places for believers, and that targeting them constitutes an assault on human and religious values.
He added that the extremist thought targeting places of worship seeks to incite sedition and undermine the social and national fabric, emphasizing that these attempts will not succeed in impairing the unity and cohesion of peoples, and stressing the deep fraternal relations that unite the Palestinian and Jordanian peoples, with Jordan standing by the Palestinian people.
In turn, the Mufti of Bethlehem Governorate, Abd Al-Majid Al-Amarna, condemned the attack, affirming that targeting places of worship is strictly forbidden and contradicts the teachings of Islam which call for the protection of places of worship and the dignity of individuals as well as freedom of belief.
He noted that protecting churches and places of worship represents a firm principle in Islamic law, citing the Covenant of Umar and the instructions of Caliph Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq to Islamic armies not to attack places of worship, monks, or worshippers.
He emphasized the necessity of adhering to religious and human values, promoting a culture of tolerance and coexistence, and protecting the social fabric from attempts of sedition and division.
For his part, Father Issa Thaljiya, the priest of the Greek Orthodox Church in Bethlehem, conveyed condolences on behalf of Metropolitan Phinidiktos, the patriarchal delegate in the city, and the congregation and its believers, to King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein, the Jordanian people, the Orthodox Church in Jordan, and the families of the victims, wishing the injured a speedy recovery and patience for their families.
He affirmed that the assault on churches and places of worship does not only target a specific religious community but also undermines human dignity, freedom of worship, and values of love and tolerance, stressing that terrorism has no religion, and that violence and extremism do not represent the message of any divine religion that calls for mercy, love, and peace.
He added that Jordan will continue to be a land of love, brotherhood, and stability, and that terrorist acts will not succeed in severing the ties of fraternity between Muslims and Christians, but will rather strengthen the commitment to national unity and the protection of individuals and their dignity, and their right to live and worship in safety and freedom.
In this context, Hussein, in a speech on behalf of the National Coordination Committee in Bethlehem Governorate, condemned the attack that targeted the church in Karak Governorate, affirming that it contradicts religious and human values, and that confronting it requires further cohesion among the people and thwarting plans aimed at undermining the social fabric.