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Christianity Today, February, 2008 |

The Peacebuilding Prince

One Jordanian leader shares his deep desire to preserve the Arab Christian world.

Interview by Cornelis Hulsman | posted 2/13/2008 08:50AM

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The ongoing war has many effects throughout the region. How has the state of Jordan helped?

I have hosted meetings, five or six now, with Iraqi religious leaders—Sunni and Shia, as well as with Christians. Last Ramadan, I called for a political effort to rebuild churches and mosques. Educational and philanthropic institutions have a role in outreach work.

It is tragic to see the number of people displaced. Jordan has received what would be in the U.S. the equivalent of 30 million people arriving on American shores. A return to their homeland—we hope—will be possible when the situation stabilizes in Iraq.

Related Elsewhere:

Christianity Today's coverage of the Middle East's traditional Christian communities includes:

The Middle East's Faithful Are Breathing Fine | A response to David Aikman. (January 16, 2008)

Is Life Worth Living Before Death? | Dwelling in the Holy Land has become a curse for many of its inhabitants. (January 7, 2008)

Suffocating the Faithful | Will the last Mideast church leader be sure to turn off the lights? (December 17, 2007)

What Iraq's Christians Need | Two strategies to build up the church in the war-weary nation. A Christianity Today editorial. (January 22, 2007)

Fleeing Nineveh | Threatened by persistent violence, Assyrian Christians in Iraq want to govern themselves. (December, 18, 2006)

Daring to Dream Again | Chaldean Christians connect with other believers. (August 1, 2003)

Reflections from a Messianic Jew in Israel | When questions are too hard to answer, we must still be about our Father's business. (August 31, 2006)

The Christian Message in Lebanon | Journalist Rami Khouri on how the church can foster peace in a troubled region. (August 24, 2007)

A Precarious Calm | A year after the July 2006 war, Lebanon's Christians face a murky future. (June 25, 2007)

The Colors of Lebanon | What would real peace mean? (February 7, 2007)

The 'Jesus Manifesto' for Lebanon | Rebuilding the soul of a shattered nation on the brink of civil war. (February 7, 2007)

Orthodox Unity …| Autonomous Orthodoxy isn't an oxymoron. It's the fulfillment of a different kind of American dream. (July 1, 2004)

Q&A: Karekin II | The leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Karekin II visited the U.S. in October to support a resolution condemning Turkey's 1915-1917 Armenian genocide. (November 26, 2007)

Death Watch | One of the world's earliest Christian cultures totters on the edge of extinction. (January 1, 2003)

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February 2008, Vol. 52, No. 2

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Muneer -The Jordanian

Posted: February 24, 2008 5:39 PM

The events and actions taken following the issuance of the Compass Direct report speak it all. Government is so mad at Evangelicals in Jordan, Traditional Churches [ mostly motivated by govermnent] issued a statement denouncing Evangelicals and accused them of destabilizing the Middle East by their preaching and asking King and government to close down their university [www.jets.edu] because, they add, University is pulling jobless and poor people and teach them to transmit hate all over the middle east !Moreover, Traditional churches [understand] the deportation of some evangelicals[ without trials or lawyers represented].

Sue	Posted: February 23, 2008 1:48 PM


Try reading Joel Richardson's insightful book, Antichrist: Islam's Awaited Messiah for Islam's own eschatology. Does it match rather eerily close to HbT? I think so.

Charlie

Posted: February 22, 2008 7:17 AM

This week in front of the Jordanian Parliament - Information Minister Nasser Judeh mocked the well document report by Compass Direct which outlines the deportation of dozens of evangelical pastors. Nasser happens to be Prince Hassan's son-in-law. Nasser also read the insulting response to these deportations (signed by some bishops). A government sponsored document which challenges the legitimacy of the evangelical denominations which have a great heritage in Jordan. When the Prince says he believes in 'conversation not conversion', I think we can say that he believes in this very forcefully.

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