Jordan Times
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Families of hotel bombing victims testify
By Rana Husseini
AMMAN — As the trial of three Islamist deputies entered its second day, relatives of November 2005 Amman bombings victims testified on Tuesday to the emotional impact of the MPs’ visit to Abu Mussab Zarqawi’s condolence tent in June.
A general physician, who lost his wife and two of his relatives in the Radisson SAS blast, said he was startled to learn that the deputies visited Zarqawi’s family following the death of the Al Qaeda in Iraq leader.
“The IAF deputies’ visit is an act of treason,” Samer Abdul Hakim told the court.
Furthermore, said the general physician, the deputies “contradicted themselves.
“After the bombings, the IAF issued a statement condemning the attacks. Then when Zarqawi died they offered their condolences and glorified him,” said Abdul Hakim.
“It was as if the deputies gave the terrorist a green light to kill innocent people...” added Mansour Thneibat, whose eight-year- old daughter Lina was killed at the Radisson SAS.
Islamic Action Front (IAF) MPs Ali Abul Sukkar (Zarqa, Second District), Mohammad Abu Fares (Amman, Fifth District) and Jaafar Hourani (Zarqa, Fourth District) are being tried at the State Security Court (SSC) on charges of fuelling national discord and inciting sectarianism.
The MPs were arrested on June 11 following their alleged attendance at a condolence ceremony for Zarqawi, who claimed responsibility for the triple bombings in Amman last year.
Abu Fares and Abul Sukkar allegedly delivered a speech at the ceremony praising Zarqawi, while Hourani listened without objecting to the content of the speech, according to the charge sheet.
Later, Abu Fares allegedly told Al Arabiya satellite channel that Zarqawi was a “martyr” and a “holy warrior,” and described the people who said the Amman bombing victims were martyrs as a “mob” and “ignorant.”
“I was really upset, distressed and furious to hear what Abu Fares said and how he decided who is a martyr and who is not,” said Mohammad Tayseer, who lost two sisters aged 29 and 15 at the Radisson SAS.
Thneibat said he was “shocked and felt that he was stabbed in the back after learning that Abu Fares stripped the martyr description off his daughter and described the people who said the victims were martyrs as a “mob.”
Yousef Ahmad, 63, who lost one of his sons at the Hyatt Hotel, said Abu Fares’ statements, in addition to the visit to Zarqawi’s family, infuriated him.
“I wonder why the IAF deputies did not pay a condolence visit to my house when I lost my son...,” he told the court.
If convicted of the charges, the MPs, who currently do not benefit from parliamentary immunity because the Lower House is in recess, could receive a maximum of three years in prison.
The tribunal will hear the last prosecution witness today.