First Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Khamis Hussein Attieh, condemned the shooting incident that targeted Christian mourners at a church in the village of Hamoud/Karak, describing it as a dangerous terrorist act that requires firm national condemnation, and the arrest and prosecution of its perpetrators.
Attieh emphasized that targeting mourners in a human moment that should be characterized by respect and sanctity reveals the gravity of this assault, which not only targets specific individuals but also threatens civil peace and coexistence, and attempts to undermine the Jordanian national fabric that has been formed through a long history of unity and cohesion among the people of the same nation.
He stressed that whoever planned this act or stands behind it, if it is proven that there was planning beyond the perpetrators, is aiming to drag Jordan into areas of strife and division that it has never been a theater for, and is attempting to introduce sectarian violence into a society known for the cohesion and brotherhood of its people, Muslims and Christians, under the umbrella of the state, the law, and the inclusive national identity.
Attieh said that Jordan will not allow any party, whoever it may be, to tamper with its security to incite strife among its people, confirming that Jordanian Christians are an authentic component of the state and society, and that the assault on them is an assault on all Jordanians, and on the values of citizenship, pluralism, and coexistence.
He added that the shooting and terrorizing of citizens is a crime rejected by all standards, and that dealing with it must not be limited to containing its repercussions, but requires uncovering all its circumstances, pursuing everyone who participated in committing it, planned it, or incited it, and imposing the harshest penalties permitted by law against those involved.
Attieh affirmed that civil peace is a red line, and that Jordan's strength lies in its national unity and its rejection of all forms of extremism, incitement, and violence, stressing that the awareness and cohesion of Jordanians will thwart any attempt to sow strife or move the country into a reality of division.
Attieh concluded by emphasizing that protecting Jordan and its unity is a collective national responsibility, and that the response to such acts is by adhering to the state and the rule of law, strengthening confidence in its institutions, and standing as one rank in the face of anyone who attempts to threaten the security of citizens or tamper with the stability of the homeland.
May God protect Jordan and its people under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II
