Jordan church attack death toll rises to 9 as Christian leaders call for unity

The death toll from the armed attack on St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Hamoud, in southern Jordan’s Karak governorate, has risen to nine, with others wounded. The attack took place during a funeral Friday, and security authorities are continuing their investigation and search for the perpetrators.

According to authorities, three gunmen arrived at the church in a blue pickup truck. One wore a mask and carried a Kalashnikov rifle, while the other two had their faces uncovered and carried handguns. The shooting began near the church’s main entrance, where mourners had gathered.

Al Jazeera’s Arabic-language website reported that the attackers carried substantial quantities of ammunition and changed their weapons’ magazines several times during the assault. They also fired again at some people after they had fallen to the ground. According to the same report, all those killed were near the church entrance when the shooting began.

Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya described the assault as a terrorist attack carried out by an extremist group. Public Security Director Maj. Gen. Obeidallah al-Maaytah said authorities were continuing to gather information and investigate to identify the perpetrators, arrest them, and bring them to justice.

As of Saturday morning, Jordanian authorities had not officially linked the attackers to a specific organization or announced any arrests. Media reports, citing Jordanian government and security sources, said the perpetrators espoused a takfiri ideology, an extremist outlook that declares other Muslims to be unbelievers.

A public prosecutor ordered a ban on publishing details of the investigation as authorities continued their search.

King Abdullah II pledged that the perpetrators would face the harshest penalties.

“Those who imagined that treacherous bullets could divide Jordanians have been thwarted by our resilience and unity,” he said, emphasizing Jordanians’ shared homeland and solidarity.

In their response, the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem described the targeting of mourners at prayer as “a grave crime against God and humanity.” They expressed solidarity with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Jordan, and the victims’ families.

They called on all churches in the region to ring their bells at noon Saturday Jordanian time and to pray for the victims and the recovery of the wounded. They stressed that the attack would not succeed in undermining the unity and cohesion of Jordanian society.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said the attack violated the sanctity of places of worship and the right to life and to worship freely and with dignity. It described Jordan’s national unity as “a safeguard against terrorism and extremism,” emphasizing that the country’s Muslims and Christians form one family bound by a shared history and destiny.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, under whose jurisdiction the targeted church falls, affirmed that the attack would not undermine the Christian presence or Christians’ ties to their homeland.

“We are the children of this land, its living roots, and partners in its history, present, and future. We will remain here as witnesses to the faith, however great the challenges,” the patriarchate said.

The Jordan Council of Churches said the attack on the church and the mourners targeted social peace and coexistence. It emphasized solidarity among all communities in Jordan and rejected attempts to sow religious division.

The statements from Jordan were accompanied by condemnations from churches across the region, including the Middle East Council of Churches and several churches and patriarchates. Their responses emphasized the protection of places of worship, the need to confront extremist rhetoric and hate speech, and the fact that Christians are an integral part of the region’s societies, with deep roots in their homelands.

Church bells rang across Jordan and Palestine at noon Saturday in remembrance of those killed and in solidarity with their families and the wounded, answering the appeal of the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Source: https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/middle-east/jordan-church-attack-death-toll-rises-to-9-as-christian-leaders-call-for-unity