7 Dead, 34 Hurt in Greek Orthodox Church Attack in Jordan

Jordan is, relatively speaking, one of the modern and tolerant nations in the Muslim-majority world, but only relatively speaking. On Friday, gunmen opened fire on a funeral service at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan. Seven are reported dead, along with another 34 wounded, according to the country's interior minister. 

Gunmen carried out a deadly attack on a church in southern Jordan during a funeral Friday, authorities said. At least seven people were killed in the shooting, the kingdom's interior minister said.

Mazen Al-Faraya said at a press conference that 34 other people were wounded in the rare attack on Christians in the majority Sunni Muslim kingdom. The interior minister said a group of extremists carried out the shooting.

The motivation for the attack has not been determined, according to Jordanian authorities. 

Jordan's King Abdullah II vowed the "harshest retaliation" against the attackers.

"Every Jordanian life is precious, and we will strike with an iron fist against those who dare to threaten our nation," he said on social media.

The king is calling the attack a "terrorist attack," which seems like a glaring example of belaboring the obvious. The attack, which lasted about five minutes, targeted a funeral procession in Karak, a city south of the capital of Amman, which has a substantial Greek Orthodox community.

Images broadcast on Jordanian state television showed two gunmen who appear to be holding pistols approaching the church and firing shots, according to the Associated Press.

Images broadcast on Jordanian state television showed two gunmen who appear to be holding pistols approaching the church and firing shots, according to The Associated Press.

A third man who appeared to be holding a semiautomatic rifle then appeared and opened fire, and all three then ran toward the church.

A government statement said that the attack was "carried out by unknown assailants" but didn't say whether any gunmen were captured or killed. It noted that "investigations are underway at full speed."

Jordan is home to a significant (for the region) Christian minority. In the country overall, Christians make up about 2.1 percent of the population. The country's education system requires classes on the Quran, but non-Muslims can opt out of those classes, legally, but the Christian population still faces difficulties in a country that is over 97 percent Muslim. Islam remains the official state religion, and conversion from Islam to any other faith is outlawed. And, non-Muslims are still subject to Islamic laws.

This is one of the more "tolerant" nations in the Muslim world. 

This isn't the first such terror attack in Karak. In 2016, gunmen attacked police and others, including tourists visiting a Crusader castle in the city. In that attack, 10 were killed and more were wounded; seven police officers were among the dead. In that case, the attackers were killed by Jordanian security troops after a standoff.

As of this writing, 27 of the wounded in this latest attack are still undergoing medical treatment. There has, as yet, been no word on whether any of the shooters have been captured or killed. As always, we will update you as events warrant. 

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