Report on Jordan - The Hole in the
Donut
Peace Mennonite Church 2017
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SLIDE 1 TITLE
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.
SLIDE
2 MAP
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.
SLIDE
3
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.
F
inally, 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!
SLIDE
4
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.
SLIDE
5
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.
SLIDE
6
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.
SLIDE
7
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.
SLIDE
8
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.
SLIDE
9
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.
SLIDE
10
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.
SLIDE
11, 12
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.
SLIDE
13, 14
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.
SLIDE
15, 16, 17
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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18
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.
2017
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