Jordan: three suspects arrested after the Karak church attack, Europe must stand by Amman

Three days after the shooting that brought mourning to the village of Hamoud, in Karak governorate, the Jordanian authorities say they have arrested the alleged perpetrators. According to Reuters, citing state television and the Public Security Directorate, three suspects holed up in an abandoned house opened fire on security forces early on Monday, before being wounded and detained. No member of the security forces was hurt, and weapons were seized.

The facts

On Friday 23 October, gunmen fired on a funeral procession at the Saint George Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, about 120 kilometres southwest of Amman. The latest official toll stands at nine dead. The number of wounded varies by source: 25 according to state television as cited by the Belga agency, around forty according to Reuters. According to Arab News, Muslims were among the wounded, alongside Christian worshippers.

No claim of responsibility has been issued. Reuters notes that the authorities consider it too early to establish a link with any known group. Interior Minister Mazen al-Faraya said the three men were reportedly Jordanian and that no evidence so far pointed to links with a foreign organisation, while calling this point premature.

The attack has been described as unprecedented against the kingdom's Christians, who make up about 3% of a population of some 11 million, according to Belga. Karak has not been spared violence before: in 2016, a commando linked to the Islamic State killed fourteen people around the citadel, the Christian Science Monitor recalls.

The positions

The Jordanian authorities have chosen firmness. King Abdullah II denounced a terrorist attack and promised a relentless response, according to Reuters. Three days of national mourning were declared. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan called for fighting takfiri ideology through ideas as much as through security, Arab News reports, and the interior minister says he wants to understand what drives young people towards extremism.

Jordanian society has responded with unity. Thousands of people attended the funerals on Sunday, in the presence of ministers, local leaders and religious representatives. The priest of Saint George's, Father Theodoros Sweis, said the attack was contrary to every religion and warned against the spread of hatred on social media.

Abroad, condemnations multiplied. Paris responded with a statement from the Quai d'Orsay, reported by the Anadolu agency:

France condemns the terrorist attack in the strongest possible terms — Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

French diplomacy also assured Christian communities of its full support. According to Cath.ch, Christian and Muslim religious authorities in the region also condemned the attack.

In Europe, two readings will clash. The first emphasises the persecution of Eastern Christians and calls for specific protection, in the name of a historical bond that France has long claimed. The argument is not without foundation: Christian communities in the Middle East have shrunk under the effect of wars and terrorism. The second warns against any sectarian reading, which would play into the attackers' hands by pitting Christians against Muslims where local society is showing its solidarity.

Analysis

Both readings agree on one point: Jordan is a pillar of stability in a region on fire, and that stability is now under pressure. The kingdom has suffered missile and drone fire linked to the war with Iran, the Christian Science Monitor recalls, and fears the effects of instability in the West Bank. It hosts many refugees and depends on tourism, notably religious tourism. An attack on a church is therefore also an attack on the Jordanian model of coexistence.

Protecting Eastern Christians does not mean a sectarian foreign policy, but supporting states that guarantee equality for all their citizens. That is the Gaullist tradition: dealing with nations, respecting their sovereignty, defending the law. Jordan's response, which rejects amalgamation and speaks of national unity, deserves unreserved support.

The Jordanian minister's warning must also be heard. If the perpetrators are indeed young Jordanians with no established foreign links, the question is not only one of policing. It concerns education, employment, online radicalisation and the hope offered to young people exposed every day to images of war. Security alone is not enough without social justice and a political horizon.

Conclusion

France and the European Union have a role to play. They can strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation with Amman, but also provide lasting support for the Jordanian economy, for the hosting of refugees and for programmes to prevent radicalisation, rather than reacting only to the rhythm of tragedies. The question remains open: will Europe manage to help its partners in the Middle East before the next attack further weakens what still holds there?

Article written with the help of artificial intelligence.