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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities denied this week claims that it is banning tourist groups of Bohra Shiite Muslims from visiting the Kingdom.

Secretary General of the Tourism Ministry Issa Qamwa denied claims that the Ministry circulated a memorandum to tourism and travel agencies asking them to stop organizing tourism visits to Bohra Shiites, Addustour daily newspaper report said on Saturday.

Qamwa stressed that the Ministry of Tourism coordinates regularly with Tourism Police to provide protection and facilitate tourism visits to tourists visiting the kingdom, stressing that it did not request a halt on welcoming any tourist groups, regardless of their religious or social affiliation.

The Ministry emphasized that the kingdom welcomes all tourists and that no religious groups or nationalities are banned from the kingdom.

Qamwa wondered about that claims, citing them as untrue, and stressed that the Ministry did not issue any such memorandum to tourism agencies regarding Bohra Shiites.

The Ministry official added that the Ministry asked Tourism and Travel agencies to coordinate with the Ministry and the Tourism Police to provide a tourism police escort with each group to help facilitate their trip.

"This was done for the purpose of helping facilitate the groups' tourism trips and protect them, not to ban them," Qamwa stressed.

Amid the country's welcoming of tourists from all nations, Qamwa stressed "We have not banned anyone from reaching the country, on the contrary, we work to provide all necessary facilitations to welcome increased tourism," Addustour daily reported.

Earlier in May, Jordanian authorities launched an investigation into an incident where local residents in the Southern Mazar region set ablaze a building that serves as a lodge for Dawoodi Bohra Shiite Muslims visiting the Kingdom.



A government official told Ammon News that concerned authorities are investigating the incident, stressing that perpetrators will be brought to justice.



An official complaint was filed by representatives of the Bohra community which owns the building. The complaint was filed at the Karak Public Attorney's office, Ammon News correspondent in Karak Mohammad Khawaldeh reported.



Earlier in May, dozens of local residents in Southern Mazar, in the southern governorate of Karak, some 120 kilometers south of the capital Amman, set the building on fire, expressing rejection of the presence of Bohra Shias, calling on the government to ban their visit to the region.



The Bohra are a subsect of Shi'a Isma'ili Muslims, mostly prominent in India and small communities in other countries. 



The building is reportedly owned by Dia Mohammed Burhanuddin, the spiritual leader of the Bohra sect.

An adjacent building under construction was not affected in the attack.



The Southern Mazar is home to several centuries old tombs and shrines revered by Muslims, and attracts religious tourism particularly by Shi'a Muslims to visit the shrine of Jaafar bin Abi Talib, the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and brother of Imam Ali.



Several other tombs of companions of the Prophet who fought in the battle of Mu'tah are also located in the area.



During the attack, Civil Defense cadres evacuated a Shi'a family that was lodging in the building, including parents and children reportedly of Southeast Asian descent.

No Casualties were reported in the arson incident, police said.

The Jordanian government has since reiterated that all groups, regardless of their religious or national affiliation, are welcome in the Kingdom.


By Banan Malkawi for Ammon News English