As conditions for Chaldean Catholics in Iraq deteriorate and political unrest threatens Christians in Lebanon, the Kingdom of Jordan remains a small oasis of relative calm for the Middle East’s Christian minority. Bishop Selim Sayegh, the Latin patriarchal vicar for Jordan, told America that Christians in Jordan remain confident of their acceptance by the larger Muslim society as King Abdullah II remains a guarantor of their security. The Christian community is a disproportionate force in Jordan’s parliament, and the Hashemite kingdom continues to draw both Christian and Muslim refugees from Iraq. The bishop said the encounter with Islam is completely different in Jordan from what many Americans might expect. “The government is moderate and trying always to give a good balance,” he said. Christians and Muslims in Jordan practice the “dialogue of daily life” lived together.
Moderate Jordan Offers Oasis for Christians
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle analyze the reported forthcoming appointment of Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict XVI’s longtime secretary and how it fits into the archbishop’s often publicly tumultuous relationship with Pope Francis.
A Reflection for Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter, by Ashley McKinless
A Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, by Father Terrance Klein
Hybrid schools offer greater flexibility, which can allow students to pursue other interests like robotics or nature studies or simply accommodate a teenager’s preferred sleep schedule.