2017 5 17 Report on Jordan

Report on Jordan - The Hole in the Donut

Peace Mennonite Church 2017 6 25

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I. Introduction

As some of you know, Anne and I were blessed to be able to recently visit the Middle East again this year. We went this time under the leadership of Canadian Mennonite University Old Testament Professor Emeritus and founding president, childhood friend of mine, Gerald Gerbrandt. I also graduated from CMBC with him 50 years ago. For the New Testament teaching we had CMU Prof. Sheila Klassen-Wiebe.

This year we also went first to Jordan - here is its ruler, King Abdullah II and its flag -  and because we hear little about that country, I thought I wanted to share with you what we learned in three areas:

(1)  Historical background

(2)  The state of the church and Christianity in Jordan and

(3)  The work of MCC there.

This report is based on what we saw and heard from some of its citizens, including our tour agent and guide, the staff of MCC and their partner agency Caritas, speakers that we heard in learning sessions and other individuals from the community such as the head cleric of the capital Amman's Greek Catholic diocese and even the taxi drivers who took us from our hotel to some of the city's sites and back. Some other facts come from related websites, including that of MCC.

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So, here is Jordan, to the east of Palestine and Israel, south of Syria, west of Iraq and north of Saudi Arabia. The capital, here, is Amman, where we landed April 25 and started our journey. 

April 27 we traveled south through Madaba, where a sixth century church was destroyed in the earthquake of AD 749, one that damaged many buildings throughout this whole region. It was rediscovered and rebuilt in 1884. Still to be seen there is one of the most famous original mosaic church floors which measures some 20 x 8 m square and is largely a map of the holy land, the first known one, including the streets of Jerusalem. From Madaba we made a side trip to Mount Nebo and ended up April 28 at Petra before crossing the border into Palestine and then Israel north of the Dead Sea on April 29.

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II. Background – History

Old Testament
Jordan comes from the Hebrew Hayarden, which literally means, according to our guide – “of the Dan.” Dan, if you remember your Bible history, was the northernmost tribe of Israel. It seems almost strange then, that this would be the name of a nation other than Israel, a nation that has at times been Israel's enemy. Indeed, some Jordanians’ ancestry might be traceable to Ammon, the son of Lot, and you know that the Ammonites were one of Israel's enemies in Old Testament times.  Others might descend from Jacob’s brother Esau, or Edom – the Edomites – and still others from Lot’s other son, Moab – the Moabites.

It is Mount Nebo were Moses was apparently taken by God to view the promised land before he died. There are ruins of a sixth century church there and a much more modern church that was just reopened this year after an eight-year renovation project. Farther south is Mount Hor where Aaron died and is buried, and which also has a religious shrine on top of it. Near Petra itself is Wadi Musa, Arabic for the River of Moses, where he got water for Israel by striking a rock, yielding seven springs here according to tradition.  

  Finally, it was through Jordan that the Israelites finally made their way north to cross into their territories by crossing the Jordan River north of the Dead Sea. I think God knew what he was doing there. When you see that land, you realize that it’s a lot easier to move several million people over the flat plains of southern Jordan and down one river valley to the Jordan River than through the barren hills and valleys of southern Israel! 

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Modern Times

Jordan is a relatively new country - only having been carved out of the land east of the Jordan River in 1946 under the rule of a band of Hashemite Arabs under their leader, King Abdullah I. He claims to be a descendent of Mohammed. This was made possible by Britain, which had gained control of the area when The Allies defeated Turkey/the Ottoman Empire in World War I. This empire had ruled this area for 400 years.

Jordan was not a populous country to begin with. The population of Amman was less than half a million in 1946, versus 4 million now. However, its numbers swelled in 1948 when many of the 750,000 Palestinians forced out of their villages by the newly-formed state of Israel that spring, fled east across the Jordan. They were not well off and their presence created considerable strain for the young nation. Jordan took over the administration of the newly demarcated territory or what became referred to as the West Bank. That ended in 1967 when an attack on Israel by its neighbors, including Jordan, resulted in Israel driving them back and itself occupying lands previously held by Jordan (the West Bank) and Egypt (Gaza). The outcome of that war did not really help Jordan, as Israel's occupation of those lands at that time caused even more Palestinians to flee eastward as refugees.

In the years following Jordan began to develop. Surprisingly, unlike most of its Arab neighbors, it is not blessed with either oil or gas! Actually, that might be a blessing in disguise. At least that has kept it freer from the interference that plagues so many of its neighbours from the likes of Russia, Europe and the USA because of their oil wealth. However, in the vast arid spaces of its southeast were large deposits of potash, used as fertilizer, which has become one of its top exports. Then, it began to build on the potential of the greener northeast, where most of the people, understandably, live. There is more rainfall here but Jordan, like Israel, also began to siphon off water from its namesake river. This helped turn it into a veritable market garden for the mostly-desert Arab states to its south and east.

Indeed, Jordan was apparently beginning to prosper and be able to develop its infrastructure, education and health care. Amman, so named in AD 661, was turning into a modern, well organized and relatively clean city. Its peace and stability in the face of the unrest in many of its neighbors has also led to its becoming something of a financial and business center. Hence my title, the hole in the donut. I have to thank our guide for that. It has come to terms with its powerful neighbor Israel too, and both states benefit economically and politically from their current relationship, which is good for themselves and the region.

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CURRENT CHALLENGES

In 2004 things were looking up and it seemed Jordan was on the way to meet its citizens’ desires for transparence, democratic government with equal rights for all under the rule of law and without corruption. Improvement in education and health care with other priorities.  However, these gains have all been rendered quite precarious once again by new floods of refugees. Since 2011, the government has again been in crisis mode with no time or money to devote to improvements such as garbage collection and recycling, meaning we saw a lot of the former everywhere, even piled along the highways. The cost of living and unemployment have increased unacceptably.

First were the Iraqis fleeing the civil war and then the endeavors of the radical inroads of the would-be Islamic State known variously as Daesh, ISIS or ISIL. The new refugees presented a somewhat new and different challenge though. The previous Palestinian refugees have, over time, left to form a new life elsewhere, or remained as refugees hoping still to return to their homelands in Israel. The Iraqis, on the other hand, came with money. They buy land and build large mansions. They are not returning to Iraq. This has caused a real estate problem for the Jordanians. Many of them can now not get into the housing market. This new group of refugees and their needs and demands began to put a strain on the political and economic equilibrium of Jordan. It also changed the religious demographics as many of them were Christian. Most of these refugees seem to make their way on their own and settle into the Jordanian towns and cities. Some 20% have registered and increased the population of the refugee camps, now numbering something like 10.

And then came the Syrians, over 1 million of them. Can you imagine that? We pride ourselves, a rich country of 35 million versus 9 million with accepting 30,000 refugees. As you can imagine, taking census under these circumstances is difficult and some say there might be well over 11 million people in the country, of whom anywhere from 3-5 million could be refugees altogether. Coping with this financially, socially and politically has once again threatened to tip Jordan over the edge with their needs. Indeed, their national debt is now something like 20 billion. The newer refugees are mostly more conservative Muslim and not as educated or wealthy as the Iraqis were. This means you can identify the women because they are more likely to where the full length burqa, whereas Jordanians and Iraqis mostly only wore the scarf or hijab. They want to return to their homes though, so are not settling in as some of the previous refugees were, so they are not contributing as much to the economy. Jordan's neighbors and the international community through the UN are really not helping Jordan keep ahead of the challenges either. So, Jordan is once again struggling somewhat, though still doing better than a few decades ago.

Jordan has, for the most part been able to keep the radicalism away though. This has been made possible by considerable tightening of both border and internal security. Jordanians now must always carry their ID as they can be stopped at any time and checked. However, this seems to be something the citizens take in their stride if it will help keep the peace. At this time, I am only aware of one significant terrorist incident in Jordan in recent years, and that occurred early this year in one city in the middle of the country.

The Jordanians are proud of the diversity they espouse, the stability they have enjoyed and want to keep it that way so, overall, prospects are still positive. They like to talk about that this city as the white city, for the color of its stone, built on seven hills, just like Rome. Indeed, during the days of the Roman empire, it was called Philadelphia, which you know means, “city of brotherly love.” As a secular state, they identify themselves first as Jordanians, not Muslim, not Christian. Let's hope it stays that way. The Middle East needs some successes. 

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III. Christianity in Jordan

The history of The Church in Jordan could be said to go back to the time of Jesus. Whenever you read of him crossing The Sea of Galilee, or the Jordan River, he was going into what is now Jordan. Some of the cities of the district of 10 Towns or Decapolis, such as Gerasa, modern-day Gerash, where he healed a demon possessed man by expelling his legion of spirits into a herd of pigs, are in Jordan. Then there is Bethany beyond-the-Jordan, rediscovered in 1994, so-called to distinguish it from the one on the east side of the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem, where some believe Jesus went when he was baptized. Some traditions also hold of that Herod had a fortification and prison here at Makaros and that this was where John the Baptist was held and beheaded.

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This area was also under Rome when Jesus lived, just as Galilee, Samaria and Judea were. So, you can see a lot of ruins of Roman buildings there, including a still-functioning theater in the capital Amman, the largest in the Middle East. The Arabs in this region became quite Christianized over the next centuries after Jesus' ascension. They built churches and monasteries and many monks went to live in the center in South desert areas. Thus it was, that when the Roman Empire adopted Christianity, even more churches were built. We were privileged to be able to see some of them, many of which feature intricately-designed mosaic floors, which was an architectural style of the time.

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Of course, we know that in the seventh century, the Muslims overran the region. The Romans had already been driven out by the Persians before that. However, the Muslims did not particularly attempt to persecute or eradicate Christians by any means. For the most part, over the centuries, they co-existed relatively peacefully, as they do today. The Arab world still holds them responsible for the Christian and Muslim holy sites in the region

because, as you know, that West Bank, which included the important Christian sites in East Jerusalem, was under Jordanian rule until 1967. The government under King Abdulla II seems to relate well to The Church, even though he is Muslim. In fact, about the time we were there, his son, a prince, was taking part in the grand opening of a new Greek Catholic monastery in one of the Jordanian cities.

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Our first day was spent sightseeing in Amman. I wanted to see the Coptic and Greek Orthodox churches which were next to the King Abdullah II Mosque downtown. We toured the mosque first, which is the only one that allows non-Muslims in apparently. Then we walked across the street but the Coptic Church was all locked up so we went and managed to enter the Greek Orthodox Church. Not only that, we met the head cleric who showed us around and explain things, proudly pointing out a series of icons that had been given to them by the church in Russia. Then he invited our small group into his office where we had a wonderful visit over some refreshing drinks. Interestingly, he is a Palestinian who was out of the country in 1948 so never gained the right to return. He is also the Sec. of the PLO, which really isn't much of an organization nowadays.

He told us that there were 150,000 Greek Orthodox in Jordan, 60,000 of them scattered in eight churches in Amman itself. Since 1948 they have started to open private schools and at this point even have land to start a Christian University. He said that they have good relations and work together in consultation with the government and Muslim leaders. The country is 90% Muslim. With respect to the Coptic Church, he indicated that some half-million Egyptians Christians had fled Egypt in the middle of the last century and settled in Jordan. They like working in Jordan where the standard of living and value of money is higher so they can send funds home to their families in Egypt.

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MCC

That evening, a local MCC staff person, Alex Lazar, who also identified himself as a Canadian, came to speak to us about Jordan and MCC. MCC work in Jordan goes back to at least 1967 when they began helping Palestinian refugees fleeing the West Bank when Israel occupied it. The work was renewed in 2012 with the onset of the Syrian refugee crisis. So, the second day began with a visit to a couple of sites where MCC is working with partner agencies in Jordan.

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The first stop was on the grounds of an old Mission Hospital, The Italian Hospital. Here the Catholic relief and development agency, Caritas provides a variety of services currently to some 50-100 families a day of Syrian refugees, as well as from Iraq and vulnerable. Many of the Syrian refugees are Bedouins who are uneducated, not even used to seeing working females with no head coverings, which the Christian volunteers there don't wear. Most are illiterate and don't even know about Christianity. Fitting into life in Jordan is especially difficult for the women because they can't even work unless their father, spouse or brother allow it. They are registered and

screened. They receive medical and dental care from two physicians and one dentist in seemingly modern and well-equipped offices that serve up to 100 patients a day. If they need laboratory investigation, prescriptions or further help they are referred to the adjoining hospital.

Staff also include social workers, psychologists, mental health workers, counselors and a nutritionist. The mothers get education in terms of prenatal and childcare, parenting, domestic violence and refugee rights while their children are looked after in an adjoining activity room. There is also counseling for married couples, the elderly and those having experienced trauma and experiencing anger and grief. They may be given food or vouchers for the same. Sometimes home visits are made in follow-up.

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Then those who need are given our famous MCC quilts and kits for hygiene, relief, infant care, school, sewing as well as packs of soap, towels and fabric. Syrian families were being helped at the time we were there. They were told of our connection to MCC and the gratitude showed on their faces. One cannot take pictures of them without their permission, especially the women, hence the pictures of them from the back.

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From there our bus took us considerable ways South along what is known as The King's Highway to a well-known Greek Catholic Church which earned distinction as a residential and training center for the disabled and hearing impaired. On the grounds of this church, MCC has again partnered with Caritas to help refugees, this time mainly Iraqi, to gain skills that will help them find their way back into gainful employment. In one area, MCC wooden shipment pallets are dismantled and used to make a variety of wood products from somewhat ornamental items to functional furniture. 

Another portable trailer on the grounds houses a shop where bars of soap are made from olive oil to which different ingredients are added for different purposes and fragrances. A third trailer housed a group that was doing sewing, including making some quite fancy-looking purses and handbags. At the far end, was a large section for gardening where individuals were putting in watering systems and planting herbs and vegetables alongside and in between olive trees.

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Our trip to Jordan also included sightseeing on our last day there, April 28, at Petra, a truly amazing UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985, that I know some of you have also seen. The next day, April 29, we left for Palestine and Israel. I would like to share further with you about some of the things we learned there both last year and this year, perhaps in some future session here, but not likely until after the summer.

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After we left Jordan Caritas celebrated its 50th anniversary. Many dignitaries came from far and wide, not the least being Jordan’s own Princess Ayesha. She is seen here looking at the rural project for the Iraqis we visited and even handing out MCC kits!

Conclusion

For us, it was encouraging to see and hear about the church in Jordan down through the ages and today. It was good to see one country where thing are relatively peaceful, stable and where progress is being made without the divisiveness one sees in so many of its neighbours. It was also rewarding and reinforcing, very moving even, seeing MCC at work and seeing items actually being picked up by the people for whom they were meant was a very moving experience, that few of us get to have. I hope it has also been inspiring and encouraging for you to see what is happening on the ground in Jordan. Let us continue our support for what MCC is doing there and in other places in the world. And let us not forget to pray for our brothers and sisters, the Church, in Jordan. It is alive and well.

Thanks for your interest.

Lorne Brandt

With thanks to my fellow travelers for all the MCC-related photos.

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