Ammon News - AMMONNEWS – Banan Malkawi - Despite violations and infringements, Jordan faired well in the 2009 International Religious Freedom Report issued by the U.S. Department of State.

The report commended the role of the Government of Jordan and members of the royal family in promoting religious freedoms and interfaith dialogue in Jordan, yet highlighted violations and infringements on freedoms of religious minorities by the government and society.

Despite constitutional stipulating religious freedoms, the U.S. report indicated government violations of religious freedoms of citizens, especially ones who convert from Islam to other religions. It noted that “the application of Shari’ah (Islamic Law) infringes upon religious rights and freedoms by prohibiting conversion from Islam and discriminating against religious minorities in matters relating to family law.”

Converts, according to the report, risk losing their civil rights and members of unrecognized religions face legal discrimination in Jordan, including annulling coverts’ marriages and transferring child custody from coverts.

In regards to society’s respect to religious freedoms, the report noted that some converts and adherents of other religions face societal discrimination, including social ostracism, threats, and physical and verbal abuse. Family members of some converts were reported to have filed apostasy charges against them in Shari’a courts, leading to annulment of their marriage contracts and loss of custody of their children.

The report indicated that no religious faiths are prohibited in Jordan, but the fact that some Christian denominations and other faiths are not legally recognized poses obstacles to their adherents especially in matters of legal documentation.

The religious freedoms of religious groups not recognized by the Jordanian government were highlighted in the report. Druzes and Baha'is are recorded as Muslims on national identity cards and “family books.” Atheists in Jordan also have to associate themselves with a recognized religious denomination for purposes of official identification.

The Baha’i community in Jordan must seek Shari’ah courts for personal status matters. The report noted that since the Department of Civil Status and Passports (DCSP) does not recognize marriages conducted by Baha’i assemblies, many families are unable to obtain birth certificates for their children, as they are considered illegitimate.

The Press and Publications Law prohibits slander or insult of religion. The report alluded to the arrest of Al-Arab Al-Yawm reporter Islam Samhan, who was charged with slandering Islam and insulting “religious sentiment” by incorporating verses from the Qur’an in his poetry book.

The report denoted that incidents of deportation and residency permit renewal were denied to members of religious minority groups including Egyptian Copts and evangelical Christians. 30 foreign evangelical Christians were reported to have been deported in 2007 and 2008 on grounds of practicing missionary work, “fomenting sectarian strife with Muslims and threatening public security.”

The report indicated that local evangelical church leaders were denied permission by editors-in-chief of local newspapers to publish a response to the accusations.

Ammon News website (ammonnews.net) is specified in the U.S. report as the only news agency that published the church leaders’ response.

Anti-Semitism was present in the media and that Jews were sometimes depicted negatively in editorial cartoons and opinion pieces, according to the report.

On the bright side, the report did highlight improvements and positive developments towards religious freedoms in Jordan.

According to a press release issued on October 28 by the U.S. Embassy in Amman, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commended Jordan’s role in initiating religious and inter-faith dialogue and harmony especially through the “Common Word Dialogue.”

Promotion of religious freedom by prominent societal leaders and members of the royal family was conveyed in the report through mention of several initiatives such as the May 2009 visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Jordan, which aimed at “strengthening the historically close ties between the country’s Muslim and Christian communities and facilitating an expansion of interfaith dialogue and understanding,” the report stated.

The report also highlighted the role of the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, under the patronage of HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal, in promoting religious dialogue and harmony, particularly in its hosting of a colloquium with the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue exploring the relationship between religion and civil society in Christianity and Islam.

The report commended the role of Jordan in the formulation of “A Common Word Between Us and You,” an open letter prepared under the patronage of King Abdullah II, and signed by 138 Muslim leaders, clerics, and scholars addressing Christians worldwide calling for “interfaith dialogue to be based henceforth on love of God and neighbor.” The open letter also calls for the protection of religious minorities, symbols, and equal rights.

The Annual Report on International Religious Freedom is a part of U.S. efforts to promote freedom of religion, including interfaith dialogue and tolerance.

The report contains detailed information and evaluations describing the status of religious freedom in 195 countries throughout the world. Detailed reports on religious freedom practices were prepared on Jordan and countries around the world after speaking with government officials, religious leaders, civil society activists and citizens.

The U.S. Embassy in Amman supports a number of exchange and outreach programs that facilitate religious tolerance, and had hosted during the reporting period a number of video conferences that promote religious freedom and understanding.

* The detailed international report on Jordan’s religious freedoms is available on the US Embassy in Jordan’s website.

** Orthodox Coptic Church across the street from King Abdullah I Mosque in Amman, an example of Jordan’s religious diversity.