Jordanians mourn victims of terrorist attacks in US

By Oula Al Farawati

Citizens of all ages and walks of life, including ministers, former prime ministers, religious leaders, professional union chiefs, tribal dignitaries, and women activists quietly passed through a large white tent set up in the embassy's front parking lot.

Many laid flowers beside the American flag.

“We are so sad and affected by the death of thousands of innocent civilians at the hands of insane terrorists,” one university student said as she laid a bouquet of flowers beside the American flag.

“I wish this could be of some help. This is all I can do to express both my sadness and anger,” she said.

An elderly man, who said he represented Al D'aja tribe, one of Jordan's central badia tribes, expressed his “deepest condolences to the American people,” and dictated words of sympathy to a young man who wrote them in the condolence book.

Speaking to the press after he paid his respects at the embassy, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdul Ilah Khatib said that the “least we can say about these acts is that they were cowardly and of no benefit to any nation or group.”

The minister said the US administration has expressed a positive position in not linking what happened to Islam and calling on the American people not to treat Muslims and Arabs “as if they were responsible for what happened.”

A general anti-Muslim and anti-Arab sentiment grew in the US after federal authorities said they had identified 19 hijackers of Middle Eastern descent in Tuesday's terror attacks in New York and Washington and have gathered evidence linking them to Saudi-born dissident Osama Ben Laden and other extremist networks.

US President George W. Bush has urged Americans not to give way to religious and ethnic hatred in the wake of the attack.

Khatib said the attacks were “against the Islamic Sharia and international human legitimacy and that they should not be accepted.”

“Terrorism is a phenomena that is not exclusive to a certain religion or race but is an international phenomena that requires joint cooperation from the entire international community,” said Khatib.

He reiterated a call on Washington not to abandon an active role in forging Middle East peace after the suicide attacks.

Newly-appointed US Ambassador to Amman Edward Gnehm said he was “overwhelmed” with the number of Jordanians who flocked to the embassy to show their support for America.

“But I would tell you I am not surprised.”

“If there was anything I knew when I was coming back to Jordan on my new assignment is that I was coming back to a great country that has been a friend to the US for decades,” said Gnehm, who was deputy chief of mission in Amman from 1984 to 1987.

“I appreciate the strong support His Majesty [King Abdullah] has given us in these difficult times,” the ambassador added.

The embassy will continue to receive condolences today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In related news, the Ahrar (freedom) party and the National Constitutional Party on Saturday expressed their condolences to the American people and the families of US civilians killed in the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on Tuesday.

In statements to the press, the two political parties said they condemned the killing of innocent civilians.

A spokesman for the Ahrar Party said its members “condemned the cowardly acts of terrorism against the US,” describing what happened as “a tragedy that violates all human morals”.

The two parties also called for the unification of all efforts to stem terrorism and work to bring peace and stability to the whole world.