His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday said that co-existence and fraternity among Muslims and Christians living in Jordan stand as a distinct model in the Middle East.

King Abdullah made his remarks at a meeting with a number of leaders of Christian denominations from Eastern churches in neighbouring countries along with representatives of international Christian organisations.

The King underscored the need to foster interfaith dialogue between followers of different religions in a manner that maximises commonalities and entrenches tolerance and moderation as a universal approach to all religions.

His Majesty called for bolstering stakeholders’ efforts to address challenges imposed by the spread of hatred, terrorism and fanaticism that have nothing to do with the values the three monotheistic religions promote.

The King cited the role Jordan plays in highlighting the true image of a moderate and tolerant Islam through the “Amman Message” and “Common Word” initiatives as well as religious conferences it has held, including one that focused on challenges facing Arab Christians.

On the other hand, His Majesty warned against measures that result in the forced migration of Arab Christians in some neighbouring countries, stressing their role in building Arab-Islamic identity throughout history.

The King underlined Jordan’s commitment to protecting the identity and existence of Arab Christians.

His Majesty cited the repercussions of frequent Israeli attacks on the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, especially Al Aqsa Mosque and reviewed efforts to bring about a just and comprehensive peace and stability in the region.

For their part, the leaders of Christian denominations commended the King’s commitment to enrich the values of coexistence and tolerance between Christians and Muslims, in addition to his peacemaking efforts.

The meeting was attended by His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammed, Chief Advisor to His Majesty the King for religious and Cultural Affairs, Personal Envoy of His Majesty the King.