ASIA/JORDAN - Reconciliation meeting in Zarqa in the church damaged during a fight

Tuesday, 21 June 2016 oriental churches  

raialyoum.com

Zarqa (Agenzia Fides) - A reconciliation meeting among the inhabitants of the neighborhood and the effective work done by many of them to repair the damage, put an end to the story of the Greek Catholic church in Zarqa, attacked on Friday evening, June 17 after a street fight. Everyone involved in the fact, starting from Fr. Jehad Ammari, confirms that the incident did not have any religious connotation, and denies distorted and manipulative versions disseminated on the Internet sites around the world, presenting the episode even as "evidence" of an alleged jihadist rampant contagion in Jordan.
The incidents erupted following an argument between a peddler and a passerby, after the first had used offensive words towards the passerby’s wife. After the quarrel between the two, the peddler went to call his friends, while the other took refuge in the church, where a liturgy was taking place. Once the peddler and his friends arrived at the sacred building, they started throwing stones at the church and damaged some cars parked in the surrounding area. The intervention of the police led to the arrest of ten people involved in the assault.
On Sunday afternoon, June 19th, the elders of the area and a representation of the local population took part in a public meeting, hosted inside the damaged church, in the presence of representatives of local political institutions and security forces, to condemn the incident and reiterate a commitment to peaceful coexistence. Some active youth organizations in the area organized a fundraiser to help repair the damage to the outer walls of the church during the riots on Friday night. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 21/06/2016)


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