Jordan Times
Sunday, November 13, 2005

Deputies meet to condemn attacks

AMMAN (JT) — The Lower House of Parliament on Saturday strongly condemned Wednesday's hotel bombings that killed and injured scores of innocent people.

After expressing deep sympathy for the families of the victims, Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali said: “Jordan will remain as always a strong fortress unrelenting in confronting hostile conspiracies, ambitions and challenges.”

The speaker made the address at the beginning of an unscheduled meeting of deputies to review the situation in the aftermath of the blasts.

“If anything, the attacks have enhanced the Jordanian people's unity and steadfastness behind their Hashemite leadership,” said Majali.

At least 57 deputies spoke at the meeting during which the House speaker announced that he will call for an extraordinary meeting by the Arab Parliamentary Union dedicated to discussing the question of terrorism.

One after another, deputies took to the podium to denounce the perpetrators of the terror attacks as cowards and traitors.

They voiced their sympathy with the relatives of the victims and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.

Deputies also called on the government to intensify security checks at the borders and airports to protect the country from any possible further attacks.

Meanwhile, Arab and Muslim organisations expressed their solidarity with Jordan.

The Lebanese Hizbollah party on Saturday condemned the killing of innocent citizens as a “link in a long chain of criminal acts by those seeking to distort the image of Islam.”

The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan on Saturday issued a statement condemning the attacks as a cowardly criminal act that can by no means affect the Jordanian people's unity and the country's stability.

The Royal Court was inundated with cables of solidarity from Arab heads of state and foreign leaders.

Badran received Lebanon's Environment Minister Yaqoub Sarraf who conveyed his government's solidarity with Jordan and discussed with Minister of Environment Khalid Irani progress in three Jordanian-Lebanese projects. The Ramallah based Department of Arab and International Relations on Saturday issued a press release condemning the attacks, while on Wednesday International Monetary Fund sent a cable to Governor of the Central Bank of Jordan Umayya Touqan expressing condemnation of the attacks and pledging to continue the fight against terrorism.

Jordan's churches announced that Sunday's mass would be dedicated to the victims.


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