Ammon News - AMMAN (Petra) – Minister of Culture Barakat Awajan on Saturday condemned as "alien and unacceptable" an attack on the editor of a local weekly newspaper by unknown persons who assaulted him physically, ransacked his office and fled.

The minister was speaking during a visit to the hospital where Hassan Khreisat, editor of the weekly Al Hayat newspaper and secretary general of the Jordanian Writers Association (JWA), was receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the attack.

"The attack on Khreisat is an alien, unacceptable and condemnable behavior that does not reflect the notion of civility and amicable spirit our society has cultivated, and was not in keeping with the freedom of media guaranteed by the law and supported by His Majesty King Abdullah," he said.

"The culture of dialogue and recognition of the dissenting opinion is the essence of any freedom and the true expression of a nation's civilization and thought," he said, adding that violence emanates from failure to accept a differing opinion or thought.

He said a media that embraces objectivity, verifies information and shuns character assassination is worthy of support, adding that the government would continue to back the media and safeguard the journalists’ rights and ensure their safety. He said an objective media is the real backbone of reform and national renaissance.

Hassan praised the security forces for their promptness to investigate the assault "seriously and transparently," calling it "an odd" behavior in our society and expressing hope that the perpetrators would be arrested and brought to justice.

The attack on Khreisat elicited swift condemnation from the JWA and the Jordan Press Association.