What is your reaction when Christianity is attacked? How do you feel when you hear that someone would be willing to burn the Bible but not the Quran? What do you think about people who take Christ's name in vain but won't dare to say anything negative about Muhammed? Some Christians feel angry. Others complain that it's not fair. Still others say that we as Christians should take a page from Muslims and raise more of an outcry. But in the end, perhaps the question we really should be asking is "What do we want to be known for?" Do we want to be feared more than we are respected? Would we rather be so imposing that no one would dare to insult Jesus Christ? And how would that further a message to a lost world? Really, you could argue with someone all day about your rights to be respected and how offensive their behavior is to your religion. But what will really make an impression on them is someone who is truly living out the Christian life. More often than not, we don't need to defend our faith as much as we need to demonstrate it. I pray that as we pray for Jordan this month, we will be inspired to demonstrate Christ in our lives, no matter the cost.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jordan
Basic Info: The country of Jordan is slightly smaller than Indiana and has a strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. It is the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank. Arabic is the official language, but English is widely understood among the middle and upper classes. About 78% of the total population is urban, and since the conflict in Iraq, aproximately 2 million Iraqis have fled their country and the majority have relocated in Syria and Jordan.
Government: After World War I and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain received a mandate to govern most of the Middle East. In the early 1920's, Britain carved out a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine. The area gained its independence in 1946 and adopted the name of Jordan in 1950. The government is a constitutional monarchy. The monarchy is hereditary and the Prime Minister is appointed by the monarch. The country was ruled by King Hussein from 1953-1999. During this time, King Hussein was on good terms with the major world powers. In the 1967 war with Palestine, Jordan lost the West Bank to Israel and King Hussein permanently relinquished Jordanian claims to it in 1988. He signed a formal peace treaty with Israel in 1994. After King Hussein's death in 1999, his son King Abdallah II took command. Since becoming king, he has instituted major economic reforms. In 2003, Jordan supported the removal of Saddam in Iraq and has since then taken in thousands of Iraqi refugees. Municipal elections were held in July 2007 under a system in which 20% of seats in all municipal councils were reserved by quota for women. Their Senate has 55 seats and the members are appointed by the monarch to serve four-year terms. Their House of Representatives has 110 seats and out of these 6 seats are reserved for women, 9 seats are reserved for Christian candidates, 9 seats are reserved for Bedouin candidates, and 3 seats are reserved for Jordanians of Chechen or Circassian descent. The radio and TV are dominated by the government-owned corporation that operates a main network, a sports network, a film network, and a satellite channel. The first independent TV broadcaster aired in 2007 and international satellite TV and Israeli and Syrian TV broadcasts are available.
Economy: Jordan's economy is one of the smallest in the Middle East and it relies heavily on foreign assistance due to insufficient sources of water, oil, and other natural resources. The government has also faced high rates of poverty, unemployment, inflation, and a large budget deficit. Besides absorbing Iraqi refugees, Jordan has also taken Palestinian refugees from Isreal which has placed a further burden on their economy. King Abdullah has instituted major economic reforms, such as opening the trade regime, privatizing state-owned companies, and eliminating most fuel subsidies, which in the past few years have spurred economic growth by attracting foreign investment and creating some jobs. The global economic crisis has hindered Jordan's growth while foreign assistance to the government in 2009 plummeted, preventing the government's efforts to reign in the large budget deficit. Export-oriented sectors such as manufacturing, mining, and the transport of re-exports have been hit the hardest. Amman is considering sweeping tax cuts to attract foreign investment and stimulate domestic growth. Jordan is currently exploring nuclear power generation to forestall energy shortfalls.
Religion: Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox; some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shia Muslim and Druze populations) Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1% Jordan is considered by the Western world to be one of the most tolerant Islamic societies and it is often held up as an example for maintaining good relations between Muslims, Jews, and Christians. The state religion of Jordan is Islam and the government appoints and financially supports all Islamic clergy. Christians and Jews are officially recognized and allowed to worship. However, encouraging Muslims to convert to Christianity is prohibited. Those who do convert to Christianity report social and government discrimination. In the eyes of the law, they continue to be Muslims and their children are considered Muslims. Both Jordanian and foreign Christians have been forced to leave the country due to opposition for their faith. In April 2008, a Jordanian Christian, Mohammad Abbad (40) was tried for apostasy for converting from Islam to Christianity in 1993. In a court hearing a month later, Abbad refused to deny his faith. He and his Jordanian Christian wife fled the country the following day. Also in July 2008, six Muslim men attacked a Christian church and cemetery with Molotov cocktails in response to a perceived insult to Islam.
World View: Violent Reactions from Muslims
In 2005 the world was astonished to see the violent reactions of Muslims in regards to the publication of Danish cartoons of Muhammad. Muslims rioted, burned embassies, and staged boycotts of all Danish goods, and many people died. Where does this kind of reaction come from? How can this behavior be justified in the minds of believers? In looking at the life and time of Muhammad, we can see exactly why this kind of behavior occurs.
*Muhammad himself ordered the execution of a poet who said his folk tales were better to listen to then the Quran; the man pleaded for his life because of his children, but Muhammad condemned them to hell.
*A nearly blind follower killed a woman poet who satirized the prophet; the follower tore her child from her while she was nursing and killed her; she had 7 children.
*Muhammad himself ordered his followers to kill a lyrist from Mecca who criticized the effectiveness and character of the prophet; the man was lured from his home and killed by the sword as the “Enemy of God”.
*When Mecca was conquered, only four people were executed; one was a female poet who had composed satirical lyrics against the prophet.
Islam has a history of reacting violently to criticism and they have an example for that behavior in their own prophet. According to Flemming Rose, editor of the Danish newspaper, this is not an issue of respect. “If a believer demands that I, as a nonbeliever, observe his taboos in the public domain, he is not asking for my respect, but for my submission. And that is incompatible with a secular democracy.” Deference and submission out of fear, is not the same as respect, and unfortunately, more people in the world fear Islam than respect it and it is clear why.
Info compiled from CIA World Fact Book 'Jordan'; VOM 'Jordan' www.persecution.net; "Unveiling Islam" by Ergun Caner and Emir Caner
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Persecution Report (Jordan is the second story)
Discover Jordan
Jordan a Biblical Land
Check out this great MSN video: Jordan's king on Mideast politics and terrorism
