The Muslim-majority country of Jordan acknowledged Wednesday that it expelled foreign Christians for illegal preaching under what it claims was the guise of charity work.
The announcement is the first official acknowledgment that the government has clamped down on several foreign Christian preachers. Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said Christians had come to Jordan under the “pretext of charitable and voluntary activities, but they had violated the law by undertaking preaching activities and were expelled,” according to The Jerusalem Post.
Under Jordanian law, conversion from Islam to Christianity is not allowed in Muslim conservative Jordan and foreign missionary groups are banned from seeking converts, according to Agence France-Presse. But the government must sanction preaching and any religious activity, whether Christian or Muslim
In January, the Christian persecution watchdog group Compass Direct News reported that at least 27 expatriate Christian families and individuals were refused residence permits last year. The foreign Christians include Americans, Europeans, South Koreans, Egyptians, Sudanese and Iraqis.
But Jordan’s lower house of parliament countered on Thursday what it called “false reports” that the government was increasing crackdown on expatriate Christians.
In a statement, the lower house said “Christians in Jordan are an integral part of the society,” holding positions in parliament, the government and the armed forces and “living in peace and harmony with their Muslim brothers,” according to AFP.
Foreign Minister Judeh highlighted that the Council of Churches, the highest Christian body in Jordan, had “made it clear that Christians in Jordan lived in peace and security with their Muslim brethren and that the Jordanian constitution guaranteed the rights of all Jordanians regardless of their religion and sect,” according to The Earth Times.
The Council issued a statement last week denouncing some unspecified missionary groups that presented themselves as charitable organizations and refuting allegations that the government was cracking down on foreign Christians in the country.
"It is puzzling that certain small groups with a few hundred members and which are foreign to Christians in Jordan and to the history of Muslim-Christian relations, permit themselves to speak in the name of Christians and act as protectors of Christianity as if it were in danger," the Council said, according to The Earth Times.
Jordan is 92 percent Sunni Muslim, six percent Christian, and two percent other religions.
Comments
The word of God knows no barrier, it will continue to reach millions of people via satellite and internet.
I want just to add that The US support the Government in Jordan no matter even though no freedom to the people of Jordan ever achieved and the reason for Islamic radicals in Jordan is poverty. Once you are poor you are susceptible to any type of thinking. I ran away from Jordan and I live in the US temporary because I have no way to apply for asylum, because Jordan and US relation is good.
Hi,,,
I am a Christian Jordanian who can shed some light on this subject.
I will tell you from my experience what exactly happen to me personally.
I was taken by the Jordanian Intelligence Dept. (JID) and was interrogated for two days accusing me of Baptizing Muslims. I was emotionally tortured and humiliated. After this experience I was denied Jobs everywhere and I had no way to make living so I decided to leave. The Churches they are talking about in the government response are Catholic Churches, they don't like the competition of the other Christian denominations. US should put more pressure on Jordan to promote democracy and end the backward Monarchy system.
What will Moslem feel if the government of US as well as European countries chase the missionary of Moslem away from their nations? What will they feel if the abovementioned countries restrict the Moslem from preaching to the Christians?
It is hoped that Moslem nations will be more tolerant towards Christianity and respect the rights of Christian missionaries to preach in their nations.
From Indonesia,
It is understandable. Jordanian Christians live a dhimmitude life because in order to survive conservative Muslim government then those brothers and sisters must follow the dhimmi way and pay jizya - its in Qur'an. That is why locals said -Christians in Jordan are an integral part of the society,” holding positions in parliament, the government and the armed forces and “living in peace and harmony with their Muslim brothers,-
IN THE MIDDLE EAST For Muslim, Christians are seen as the Crusaders --while for the Israeli Jews, Christians are friends of the Palestinians and Arab who are 30% Christians such as GEORGE HABBASH. Even in Israel the hard-line HAREDIM still looks on Christians social activities with fear of Conversion to Christianity.
Dear Americans,
This is the reality. There is an actual war between the Bible and Qur'an in 1.2 billion people of the Islamic lands. These Christian Missionary groups are men of God, the ones who are answering God's calling and are there to gain more souls for the Lord. THEY ARE DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB, REACHING TO ALL THE WORLDS THROUGH SOCIAL WORKS AND MAKING NEW DISCIPLES FOR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
AND NEW BELIEVERS ARE COMING BY MILLIONS FROM MIDDLE EAST, INDIA, CHINA, EX-SOVIET ASIA, INDONESIA, SAHARAN AFRICA, BALKANS, RUSSIA etc. That is why there are so many persecutions when long ago there is none.
Of course they bypassed the dhimmies, (1) The missionaries are free people unlike local dhimmies (2) To include local Christians shall endanger those local Christian family, their livelihood/ jobs etc (3) The missionary shall be bogged down by dhimmi law and they would be stagnant.
And while this is going on, young and inexperience Americans who take their religious freedom and freedom of expression FOR GRANTED whine, and whine, and whine over nothing. Such as attacks by so called Christians on Science, Reason, Secularism, Humanism and Atheism. Please open your eyes and learn from this expelled Long Term Missionary families.
God bless the missionaries and keep them.
Shalom Aleichem