Jordanian News Agency
February 15, 2008 Friday 3:38 PM EST

Statement issued by Council of Church Leaders in Jordan

Amman, Feb.15 (Petra)?The Council of the Church leaders in Jordan
expressed its surprise regarding an article published by an American
News Agency, "Compass Direct News" about Christians in Jordan. The
article contained falsities that distort the truth and harm relations
between Muslim and Christian citizens in Jordan.

The Council added that it is puzzling that certain small groups,
whose memberships number only few hundred people and which are
foreign to Christians in Jordan and to the history of
Muslim-Christian relations, permit themselves to speak in the name of
all Christians and appoint themselves as the guardians and protectors
of Christianity as if Christianity were in danger.

The statement clarified the proportion of Jordanian Christians
nationals currently residing in the country comes to about 4% and
rise to 5% if the Christian nationals residing abroad were included.
The statement added that Christian citizens are not imported from
abroad; they are Jordanian citizens deep-rooted in this land since
the days of the prophets and the first Christian generation. There is
a Council of Church Leaders residing in Jordan grouping the Bishops
of Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, (Melkite), Roman Catholic, and
Armenian Orthodox Churches. Ninety-five per cent of Christian
citizens in Jordan belong to one of these churches. Due to the small
numbers of the followers of other churches their religious leaders
reside in Jerusalem.

The statement underlined the Christian nationals in Jordan live a
normal life, in various towns and villages, in secure and safe
environment where they maintain good social relations with their
Muslim compatriots. The two different religions did not produce two
split communities: Muslim and Christian. Christian contribute to the
social, economic, cultural and scientific life in Jordan, and serve
in the army and in various front line with other intellectual, and
arte educationally qualified in various fields. Christian leaderships
enjoy good relations with both Muslim religious leaders and
government officials.