Jordan Times
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Two towns come together
to condemn terrorist attacks
By Sheila M. Dabu and Victoria Macchi
FUHEIS — The people of the neighbouring towns of
Fuheis and Mahas united on Saturday afternoon to condemn Wednesday night's
attacks in Amman.
Children waving flags and banners twice their size led the march from
predominantly Christian Fuheis to Hassan Circle, where demonstrators from
neighbouring Mahas, which has a Muslim majority, joined them.
Local leaders and citizens from both Fuheis and Mahas spoke out against the
recent attacks in front of a crowd of around 1,000.
The event was organised by City Hall, NGOs and the people of the two towns who
are proud of their longstanding relationship.
“The Christians and Muslims are united all the time and we stand together at
this time because we feel that some people from outside attacked us and invaded
our country. We are more united and stronger than ever before,” said Mayor of
Fuheis Fuad Smeirat.
Romenaous Samawi, a Greek Orthodox priest at St. George and St. Jacob churches
in Fuheis, marched arm in arm with Roman Catholic and Latin priests leading the
group toward Hassan Circle.
“What happened today reinforces the brotherhood between the Christians and
Muslims... The rally shows people that we are brothers and we forget our
religion because we are Jordanians,” he said.
“All of the parishioners, they feel sadness and feel it's a big problem. Jordan
has always tried to keep peace everywhere... as a Jordanian, we can't believe
that war happened here.”
Samawi said that since the bombings, the Greek Orthodox parishes had held many
church services and opened the churches' doors for candlelight vigils.
“This is against our culture and our religion,” reiterated Mamoun Akroush from
Fuheis. He suggested that the best way to recover from the attacks was to return
to a normal schedule as soon as possible.
At Petra University, where he is an assistant professor of marketing, Akroush
said that on Saturday students were sitting for exams and attending classes.
“We are not afraid of terrorism, we will beat them, with security forces and our
people.”
Father Boulos Haddad, a Greek Catholic priest at a parish in Fuheis, also
participated in the rally.
He said that special prayers will be said in this Sunday's mass for the victims
of the attacks.
Jordan's bishops have requested that today's sermons address the attacks,
although each priest will be able to write his own homily.
More than half of the rally's participants were children, who draped themselves
in flags and kuffiyehs, some even wearing military fatigues. They accompanied
the chants of “Jordan First” by waving their fists in the air, together with
photos of the King.
Wessal Ziadatt, 15, said that it was important to attend the rally.
“We are here to say that we are strong... Nobody can ruin our country.”
Ziadatt, a Muslim, thinks that Zarqawi is the prime suspect.
“He is Muslim but he does not practise his religion because Islam is a peaceful
religion.”
Mahas resident Hussein Nabbel, 12, agrees.
“Zarqawi, he is the cause of all that's happened,” he said.
Most of 14-year-old Noor Akroush's friends and family are at the rally. It was
important to be here “to be together, express our determination, to tell the
world that we are against terrorism,” she told The Jordan Times.
“Zarqawi is not a Muslim. He's a criminal. He kills innocent souls, babies,
women,” she said.
Jalileh Kareem also came with her family to the rally.
“I am very sad, very upset because this is not the Jordanian custom and this is
not the Islamic custom. They are not human beings. They are animals,” she said.
Qosai Hattar, 5, of Fuheis, is dressed in fatigues from head to toe and holds
one end of a banner that reads “We will defend our precious country.”
“I am very sad about all the children who were killed by the bomb. I pray for
all small children,” he told The Jordan Times.
His statement echoed the sentiments of many participants.
“I love the King. I hate the murderers,” he said.