When Karak bleeds, all of Jordan aches, and when the hand of treachery reaches out to the lives of Jordanians, the sorrow transcends the city's borders to reach every heart that believes that the human being is the most precious thing in this homeland, and that their security, dignity, and life are lines that must not be crossed.
The criminal attack witnessed at Hamoud Church in Karak Governorate, and the victims and injured it left behind, is a painful tragedy that shakes the human conscience and calls for a responsible national stance worthy of the sanctity of blood, reflecting the conscience of Jordanians who are united by one homeland, one destiny, and a flag that does not differentiate between its children.
To our people in Karak, to the families and relatives of the victims, and to the injured to whom we wish a speedy recovery, we say: You are not alone in this affliction; the hearts of Jordanians are with you, your pain is our pain, and your sorrow is the sorrow of every Jordanian home that realizes that what affects a part of the homeland affects the entire homeland. It is a crime condemned by all standards, which cannot be justified under any pretext, nor reduced to an attack on individuals alone; it is an attack on the human right to life and safety, on the human values that unite us, and on the sanctity of places of worship and the holiness of places that should be filled with tranquility and mercy.
Terrorism is not only an attack on the security of the homeland, but an attack on the conscience of humanity and the values that unite us. Religion is never a justification for killing, disagreement does not grant anyone the right to attack, and the sanctity of blood does not change with the change of belief; because human dignity is an inherent value that does not accept division or diminution. Those who seek to sow fear and division among Jordanians overlook the fact that the unity of this homeland was not the result of a fleeting circumstance, but a deep-rooted legacy of brotherhood, solidarity, sacrifice, and shared responsibility, inherited by generations and safeguarded by stances.
And Karak, with its long national history and established place in the conscience of Jordanians, is not alone in facing the pain; all Jordanians stand with it, Muslims and Christians, in an image that embodies the truth of a homeland whose children shared joys and sorrows, stood side by side in times of adversity, and realized that the homeland is not built on similarity, but on respect, and is not protected by slogans alone, but safeguarded by sincere stances when values are tested and circumstances intensify.
Hence, our national responsibility requires us to be up to this moment; we condemn the crime in the strongest terms, stand by the families of the victims and the injured, and trust in the state institutions and the competent authorities to uncover the circumstances of the incident, achieve justice, and hold those responsible accountable according to the law. At the same time, we must not allow rumors or unreliable information to turn into fuel for sedition, or for this crime to be exploited to spread hatred and incitement among the members of the same society.
Anger in the face of a crime is a human right, but turning it into collective hatred is neither a victory for the victims nor a tribute to their memory. True victory lies in upholding the right, safeguarding human dignity, holding those responsible accountable, and protecting society from every attempt aimed at tearing its national fabric. True patriotism does not conflict with demanding justice, but rather requires it, and is not achieved through revenge and generalization, but through awareness and recourse to the law.
Our unity and national cohesion will remain the most eloquent response to everyone who attempts to undermine the security and stability of the homeland. We recall in this context what the martyr King Abdullah I bin Al-Hussein used to repeat:
“If it is said one day, ‘O horses of God, mount up,’ I would wish for their flow to be by the hand of a Jordanian.”
These words evoke the depth of Jordanian belonging, and the meanings of courage, sacrifice, and loyalty it carries, and remind us that Jordanians were and will remain worthy of major national stances, rallying around their homeland in times of adversity, and making their unity and cohesion an impenetrable fortress in the face of everyone who attempts to tamper with their security or undermine their stability.
Our national unity will remain the safety valve that protects Jordan; not because it denies difference, but because it rises above it, and not because it ignores the crime, but because it confronts it with justice, law, and awareness. In such moments, the responsibility of the word and the media becomes prominent, for a word may console a broken heart and strengthen national cohesion, and it may harm and mislead if it precedes the facts or contributes to spreading rumors. It is our duty to be faithful to the truth, mindful of the feelings of the victims' families, responsible for what we publish and say, placing the interest of Jordan above all considerations; for protecting the homeland is not through security alone, but also through awareness, and the ability to distinguish between truth and rumor, and between demanding justice and calling for hatred.
To beloved Karak we say: Your affliction is the affliction of an entire homeland, and the children of Jordan will remain there for each other, sharing sorrow as they shared hope, and supporting each other in adversity as they supported each other in the march of building and giving. We are each other's strength and support, and what unites us is too deep to be harmed by a crime or weakened by attempts at sedition; it is a history of sacrifice, a shared conscience, and a belief that the security of the homeland is everyone's responsibility, and that an attack on any citizen is an attack on the right of all citizens to tranquility and dignity.
May God have mercy on the martyrs of the homeland, and grant their families, our people and loved ones, patience and solace. We ask God to cover the victims with His vast mercy, to grant the injured a speedy recovery, to protect Jordan—its leadership, people, and land—to perpetuate the blessing of security and stability upon it, and to keep the hearts of its children harmonious and cohesive, untouched by attempts at sedition and tampering.
Our hearts are with Karak, our prayers are for its people, and our pledge to Jordan is to remain faithful to its unity and the dignity of its children. For Jordan is not just a homeland that brings us together under one flag, but one family that, if one of its members suffers, it suffers, and if one of its children is targeted, it stands with them, and if sedition tries to divide it, it becomes more attached to its brotherhood. The pain may intensify, but the homeland supported by love, awareness, and justice cannot be broken by a bullet, defeated by a crime, or overcome by sedition.
May God protect Jordan, have mercy on the martyrs, heal the injured, and perpetuate the blessing of security and safety upon our homeland.
