Director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader has stressed that the Hashemite custodianship of the holy sites has never been ink on paper. He pointed out that this custodianship has an unlimited concrete presence on the ground as it is represented in the extended moral and financial support, as well as in the backing of the Muslim and Christian Jerusalemites under all circumstances.
He added that everyone is fully aware that the Palestinian issue is the central issue in the Middle East despite the events relevant to the so-called Arab Spring, and that this issue is alive, according to the assertion made by His Majesty King Abdullah and the Jordanian diplomacy he leads.
Fr. Dr. Bader pointed out that the issue of Jerusalem can be viewed from two perspectives. The first one is political implying that it is the capital of the Palestinian state, and the second one is that it contains holy places for Muslims and Christians; that is why Jordan never abandoned Palestine and will never do so.
He continued that His Majesty the King made a donation to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, noting that this provides cogent evidence to the whole world that the Hashemite attention was never focused merely on the Islamic holy places, as it included the Christian ones in accordance with the 2013 agreement signed by His Majesty the King and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
On how the Christians view the custodianship of the holy places, Fr. Dr. Bader said that this custodianship is historic and that Jordan is one of the countries that seeks to instill the spirit of tolerance, respect for religions, as well as rejection of violence and terrorism which is manifested in the harmony prevailing in Jordan.
By: Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader
Source: en.abouna.org
