His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday reiterated Jordan's pride in citizens' unity and solidarity against the terror attacks that hit Amman on November 9 last year.
Jordanians are “great people, who, in their courageous stand, demonstrated coherence and utter keenness on the country's security and stability”, the King said in remarks to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, on the first anniversary of suicide bombings at three Amman hotels.
The terror attacks killed 68 Jordanians and 22 foreigners, according to the Public Security Department.
King Abdullah said the bombings “strengthened Jordanian solidarity and will to fight all forms of terror”.
“As we commemorate the martyrs, we stress the support of all Jordanians for the families of the victims…. We are aware of the pain and suffering of every family that lost a beloved one in this tragedy,” the King said.
“The challenges facing us, regardless of their magnitude, will never send us off-course.”
King Abdullah said: “We will always adhere to our plan to achieve the envisioned progress and defend the principles of Islam, which is a faith of moderation, tolerance and peace.”
He said this anniversary should be seized as an opportunity to confront terrorists, who are manipulating Islam to justify their crimes and spreading of destruction and mayhem in the world.
The fight against terror, the King added, is a responsibility all should share because “terrorism is blind. It does not discriminate between people regardless of their nationalities, ethnicities or religions”.
What happened in Amman and other regional and world cities like Riyadh, London and Madrid distorted the image of Islam.
King Abdullah highlighted the role of Muslim scholars and intellectuals in combating the takfiri ideology adopted by some terrorist groups.
“Jordan is on the right track,” the King reiterated, adding that “Jordanians will go on with building their country as a model of freedom, justice and equality.”
Also on Thursday, Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania held a banquet for families of the victims.
Their Royal Highnesses Prince Feisal, Prince Ali and Prince Hamza, Royal Court Chief Salem Turk, Director of the King's Office Bassem Awadallah and Chief Islamic Justice Ahmad Hilayel attended the lunch banquet.
The guests included Huda Akkad, sister of the late Syrian American director Mustafa Akkad, who was killed in the bombings along with his daughter, Rima.
In interviews following the event, the victims' relatives said the crime that claimed the lives of their beloved ones did nothing to “serve the cause of Islam and the Muslims.”
The Jordan Times