Jordan Times
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Habashneh, Patriarch Irineos I discuss alleged land sale
AMMAN (Petra) Minister of Interior Samir
Habashneh met yesterday with Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Irineos I to
discuss recent news reports on an alleged church land sale to Jewish
organisations.
The controversy erupted over a week ago after an Israeli paper reported that
foreign Jewish investors had paid millions of dollars for two large properties
at Jaffa Gate in a secret deal with the Greek Church.
The patriarch has denied the charges, dismissing the growing scandal as a plot
against the church.
Last week, lawmakers signed a petition urging the Lower House to preserve Arab
rights, since the Orthodox issue is an integral part of the greater Arab cause
and the question of Palestine.
During the meeting, Habashneh reiterated that the Kingdom was concerned with
guarding the church's properties and interests, saying the Hashemites pay
special attention to Islamic and Christian shrines in the Holy City of
Jerusalem.
He highlighted several points to activate the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Law
No. 27 for the year 1958, on expanding the base of participation of Orthodox
Church followers in managing the church's affairs.
They agreed to hold another meeting in the near future to address the points
raised in yesterday's discussions.
Following the meeting, Minister of Culture and Government Spokesperson Asma
Khader told The Jordan Times the patriarch denied that any land sale
transactions had taken place and said he had cancelled all documents giving the
power of attorney to others to handle such matters.
Meanwhile, Habashneh, Minister of Justice Salah Bashir and Khader met yesterday
evening with a delegation representing the Christian denominations in the
Kingdom in the presence of several Lower House members.
The delegation was briefed on the meeting earlier on Monday between Habashneh
and the patriarch.
The reported sale has also sparked an uproar among Palestinian followers of the
church, who accuse the Greek leadership of betraying the Palestinian cause.
The Greek Orthodox Church is one of the largest Christian denominations in the
Holy Land, with about 100,000 faithful. It owns large amounts of land in both
Israel and the Palestinian areas.