Jordan
(2005)
The Constitution provides for freedom
of religion, on condition that religious practices are
consistent with "public order and morality;"
however, the Government continued to impose restrictions
on this right. According to the Constitution, Islam
is the state religion.
There was no change in the status of
respect for religious freedom during the reporting period.
A convert from Islam to Christianity was detained on
the orders of a Shari'a court in September 2004 and
charged with apostasy. In November, the Amman Shari'a
Court found him guilty of apostasy, stripped him of
his civil rights, and annulled his marriage. A Shari'a
appellate court upheld the conviction in January 2005.
Members of unrecognized religious groups and converts
from Islam face legal discrimination and bureaucratic
difficulties in personal status cases. Converts from
Islam additionally risk the loss of civil rights. There
is no statute that expressly forbids proselytizing Muslims.
However, Shari'a courts have the authority to prosecute
proselytizers.
The generally amicable relationship
among religions in society contributed to religious
freedom. Relations between Muslims and Christians generally
are good; however, adherents of unrecognized religions
and Muslims who convert to other faiths face societal
discrimination.
The U.S. Government discusses religious
freedom issues with the Government in the context of
its overall policy to promote human rights and interfaith
dialogue and understanding.
Section I. Religious Demography
The country has an area of 55,436
square miles, and its population is approximately 5.6
million. More than 95 percent of the population is Sunni
Muslim. Official government figures estimate that Christians
make up 4 percent of the population; however, government
and Christian officials privately estimate the true
figure to be closer to 3 percent. There also are at
least 20,000 Druze, a small number of Shi'a Muslims,
and fewer than 800 adherents of the Baha'i Faith. There
are no statistics available regarding the number of
atheists or persons who are not adherents of any religious
faith.
Officially recognized Christian denominations
include the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic
(Melkite), Armenian Orthodox, Maronite Catholic, Assyrian,
Anglican, Lutheran, Seventh-day Adventist, United Pentecostal,
and Presbyterian churches. Other churches, including
the Baptist Church, the Free Evangelical Church, the
Church of the Nazarene, the Assembly of God, and the
Christian and Missionary Alliance, are registered with
the Ministry of Interior as "societies" but
not as churches. Some Egyptian immigrants are adherents
of the Coptic Church. There also are a number of Chaldean
and Syriac Christians and Shi'a represented in the immigrant
Iraqi population.
With few exceptions, there are no
major geographic concentrations of particular religious
groups. The cities of Husn, in the north, and Fuheis,
near Amman, are predominantly Christian. Madaba and
Karak, both south of Amman, also have significant Christian
populations. The northern part of the city of Azraq
has a sizeable Druze population, as does Umm Al-Jamal
in the governorate of Mafraq. There also are Druze populations
in Amman and Zarka and a smaller number in Irbid and
Aqaba. There are a number of nonindigenous Shi'a living
in the Jordan Valley and the south.
Foreign missionaries operating in
the country include representatives of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Jehovah's
Witnesses, Campus Crusade for Christ, Samaritan's Purse,
The Evangelical Alliance Mission, Life Agape, Intervarsity,
Navigators, Christar, Arab World Ministries, Operation
Mobilization, Southern Baptist International Mission
Board, the Conservative Baptists, Frontiers, Brother
Andrew, the Jesuits, Christian Brothers, Rosary Sisters,
Benedictines, Anglican Church Mission Society, the Society
of Friends (Quakers), Comboni Sisters, Little Sisters
of Jesus, the Religious of Nazareth, Sisters of St.
Dorothy, the Daughters of Mary the Helper (Salesian
Sisters), the Little Sisters of Nazareth, the Little
Family of the Annunciation, Sisters of St. Joseph of
the Apparition, Basiliennes Chouerites, Focolare Sisters,
Franciscans (OFM), Sons of Divine Providence (Don Orione
Fathers), Association Fraternal International (AFI),
Institute of the Incarnate Word, Franciscans of the
Cross, Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine, Franciscan
Missionaries of Mary (FMM), Franciscan Missionaries
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Daughters of Mary of
the Enclosed Garden, Theresian Institute, and the Missionaries
of Charity.
Section II. Status of Religious Freedom
Legal/Policy Framework
The Constitution provides for freedom
of religion, on condition that religious practices are
consistent with "public order and morality;"
however, the Government continued to impose restrictions
on this right. According to the Constitution, Islam
is the state religion.
The Constitution, in Articles 103-106,
provides that matters concerning the personal status
of Muslims are the exclusive jurisdiction of Shari'a
Courts, which apply Shari'a law in their proceedings.
Personal status includes religion, marriage, divorce,
child custody and inheritance. Personal status law follows
the guidelines of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence,
which is applied to cases that are not explicitly addressed
by civil status legislation. Matters of personal status
of non-Muslims are the jurisdiction of Tribunals of
Religious Communities, according to Article 108.
While Christianity is a recognized
religion and non-Muslim citizens may profess and practice
the Christian faith, churches must be accorded legal
recognition through administrative procedures to own
land and perform marriages and other sacraments. The
Prime Minister unofficially confers with an interfaith
council of clergy representing officially registered
local churches on all matters relating to the Christian
community, including the registration of new churches.
The Government refers to the following criteria when
considering official recognition of Christian churches:
the faith must not contradict the nature of the Constitution,
public ethics, customs, or traditions; it must be recognized
by the Middle East Council of Churches; the faith must
not oppose the national religion; and the group must
include some citizen adherents. Groups that the Government
deems to engage in practices that violate the law and
the nature of society or threaten the stability of public
order are prohibited; however, there were no reports
that any religious groups were banned.
Churches and other religious institutions
that wish to receive official recognition must apply
to the Prime Ministry for registration. Recognized non-Muslim
religious institutions do not receive subsidies; they
are financially and administratively independent of
the Government and are tax-exempt. Some churches were
registered with the Ministry of Interior as "societies"
rather than churches.
Religious instruction is mandatory
for all Muslim students in public schools. Christian
and Baha'i students are not required to attend courses
in Islam, and Christian religious instruction is provided
for Christian students in public schools. In the past,
a local Orthodox priest complained that public schools
did not provide a satisfactory curriculum for Christian
students in lieu of Islamic studies. In 1996 the late
King Hussein and the Ministry of Education approved
religious instruction for Christian students in public
schools. In 1998 the Government launched an experimental
program in four districts to incorporate Christian education
in the public school curriculum. However, this program
has not progressed as planned. In public schools with
a Christian population large enough to merit a Christian
curriculum, several different denominations are usually
present. While it is the responsibility of the various
churches to design a program of instruction, they have
not been able to agree on a common curriculum. The Constitution
provides that congregations have the right to establish
schools for the education of their own members "provided
that they comply with the general provisions of the
law and are subject to government control in matters
relating to their curriculums and orientation."
There are two major government-sponsored
institutions that promote interfaith understanding:
the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies and the
Royal Academy for Islamic Civilization Research (the
Al al-Bayt Foundation). The last time the Government
held an international Christian conference in government
facilities was in 2002.
The Muslim feasts of Eid al-Adha,
Eid al-Fitr, the Birth of the Prophet, the Prophet's
Ascension, and the Islamic New Year are celebrated as
national holidays. Christmas and the Gregorian calendar
New Year also are national holidays. Easter is a government-recognized
holiday and Christians may request leave for other Christian
feasts approved by the local Council of Bishops.
Restrictions on Religious Freedom
There were no reports that the practice
of any faith was prohibited; however, the Government
does not officially recognize all religious groups.
Some religious groups, while allowed to meet and practice
their faith, faced societal and official discrimination.
In addition, not all Christian denominations have applied
for or been accorded legal recognition.
The Government does not recognize
the Druze or Baha'i faiths as religions but does not
prohibit their practice. The Druze face official discrimination
but do not complain of social discrimination. Baha'is
face both official and social discrimination. The Government
does not record the bearer's religion as Druze or Baha'i
on national identity cards; Druze are listed as Muslim,
and Baha'i do not have any religion officially listed.
The small Druze and Baha'i communities do not have their
own courts to adjudicate personal status and family
matters; such matters are heard in Shari'a courts. The
Government does not officially recognize the Druze temple
in Azraq, and four social halls belonging to the Druze
are registered as "societies." The Government
does not permit Baha'is to register schools or places
of worship. Employment applications for government positions
occasionally contain questions about an applicant's
religion.
The Government does not recognize
Jehovah's Witnesses, the Church of Christ, or the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but each denomination
is allowed to conduct religious services and activities
without interference.
The Government does not interfere
with public worship by the country's Christian minority.
Because Shari’a law governs
the personal status of Muslims, converting from Islam
to Christianity and proselytizing Muslims are not allowed.
Muslims who convert to other faiths face societal and
governmental discrimination. The Government does not
recognize the legality of such conversions. Under Shari'a,
converts are regarded as apostates and legally may be
denied their civil and property rights. In the past,
this principle has not been applied, but during the
reporting period one convert to Christianity was found
guilty of apostasy and stripped of many of his civil
rights. The Government claims it neither encourages
nor prohibits apostasy. Converts from Islam do not fall
under the jurisdiction of their new religion's laws
in matters of personal status; they are still considered
Muslims under Shari'a. Converts to Islam fall under
the jurisdiction of Shari'a courts. Shari'a law prescribes
the death penalty for Muslims who convert to another
religion; however, such punishment has never been applied.
Government policy requires that foreign
missionary groups (which the Government alleges to be
unfamiliar with the customs and traditions of the indigenous
society) refrain from public proselytizing to maintain
the missionaries' safety and security with regards to
members of society opposed to such practices. In the
past, the Government has taken action against some Christian
missionaries in response to the complaints of local
Christian groups who charged that their activities disrupted
the peace and cohesion of society.
Despite past difficulty in obtaining
legal status, the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary
(JETS), a Christian training school for pastors and
missionaries, was registered with the Government and
currently operates as a cultural center. JETS is permitted
to appoint faculty and administration, but as a consequence
the Government denies accreditation. Students and faculty
from abroad wishing to attend JETS were able to obtain
residency through tourist visas; however, because of
the lack of accreditation, visas were not guaranteed.
Many students overstayed their visas and upon departure
from the country were required to pay two dollars for
each day they spent out of status. JETS is forbidden
by the Government to accept students who are Muslim
converts to Christianity. In the past, seven foreign
students who had converted from Islam to Christianity
were forced out of the program and asked to leave the
country. The Government authorized JETS to own property,
and in August 2003 they broke ground on a new facility.
Of the 110 seats in the Lower House
of Parliament, 9 are reserved for Christians. No seats
are reserved for Druze or adherents of other religious
faiths. The parliamentary elections law historically
has under-represented urban areas that are centers of
support for Islamist candidates. The Islamic Action
Front, the major Islamic party, participated in the
June 2003 parliamentary elections and holds 17 of the
110 seats.
The Political Parties Law prohibits
houses of worship from being used for political activity.
The law was designed primarily to prevent government
opponents from preaching politically oriented sermons
in mosques.
In early 2000, radical Islamists criticized
a poem published by Muslim poet Musa Hawamdeh, and the
Government banned the book in which the poem was included.
Based on provisions in the penal code, he was charged
with the equivalent of a misdemeanor for insulting Islam.
In July 2000, Hawamdeh, without retracting any portion
of his poem, was acquitted in both the Shari'a and civil
courts; however, because of technicalities the Shari'a
court subpoenaed Hawamdeh again in 2001 for the same
case in which he had already been acquitted. In May
2003, Hawamdeh was sentenced to 3 months in prison for
apostasy. The Court of First Instance found that Hawamdeh
had denied "undeniable facts from the Holy Qur'an."
Hawamdeh immediately challenged the verdict, but in
August 2003 the Appeals Court upheld the lower court's
ruling. At the end of the reporting period, he remained
free pending another appeal.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs
and Trusts manages Islamic institutions and the construction
of mosques. It also appoints imams, provides mosque
staff salaries, manages Islamic clergy training centers,
and subsidizes certain activities sponsored by mosques.
The Government monitors sermons at mosques and requires
that speakers refrain from political commentary that
could instigate social or political unrest.
In January 2003, the private weekly
newspaper Al Hilal was shut down and three of its journalists
were arrested and accused of "harming the dignity
of Muslims" (blasphemy) by publishing an article
about the Prophet Muhammad's sexual relationship with
his wives, described in some legends. In February 2003,
all three were found guilty, with the prison sentences
of two journalists commuted to fines and the author
sentenced to 6 months' incarceration. The newspaper
has since resumed publication.
According to the Constitution, religious
community trusts ("Awqaf") and matters of
personal status such as religion, marriage, divorce,
child custody, and inheritance fall within the exclusive
jurisdiction of the Shari'a courts for Muslims and separate
non-Muslim tribunals for each religious community recognized
by the Government. There is no provision for civil marriage
or divorce. The head of the department that manages
Shari'a court affairs (a cabinet-level position) appoints
Shari'a judges, while each recognized non-Muslim religious
community selects the structure and members of its own
tribunal. All judicial nominations are approved by the
Prime Minister and commissioned officially by royal
decree. The Protestant denominations registered as "societies"
come under the jurisdiction of one of the recognized
Protestant church tribunals. There are no tribunals
assigned for atheists or adherents of unrecognized religions
such as the Druze and the Baha'i. Such individuals must
request one of the recognized courts to hear their personal
status cases.
Shari'a is applied in all matters
relating to family law involving Muslims or the children
of a Muslim father, and all citizens, including non-Muslims,
are subject to Islamic legal provisions regarding inheritance.
All minor children of a male citizen
who converts to Islam automatically are considered to
be Muslim. Adult children of a male Christian who has
converted to Islam become ineligible to inherit from
their father if they do not convert to Islam. In cases
in which a Muslim converts to Christianity the conversion
is not recognized legally by the authorities, and the
individual continues to be treated as a Muslim in matters
of family and property law; his minor children also
continue to be treated as Muslims under the law.
In 2002, the Shari'a and civil court
systems adjudicated a dispute concerning custody of
two minors, raised as Christians, whose father allegedly
converted to Islam shortly before his death. The widow
contends that her husband's signature on the conversion
certificate is a forgery. The courts assigned legal
custody to the Christian widow's brother, who is a convert
to Islam. However, the children remained in the mother's
physical custody pending the result of a counter suit
she filed against her brother, alleging disinterest
in the children and misuse of the children's trust funds.
In April 2005, a court ruled in the mother's favor and
assigned her legal custody of the children. In May,
the widow's brother appealed against the ruling, but
an appellate court rejected the petition.
Some Christians are unable to divorce
under the legal system because they are subject to their
faith's religious court system, which does not allow
divorce. Many such individuals convert to another Christian
denomination or to the Muslim faith to divorce legally.
Druze, Baha'is, and members of other
unrecognized religions do not have their religious affiliations
correctly noted on their national identity cards or
"family books" (the family book is a national
registration record that is issued to the head of every
family and that serves as proof of citizenship). Atheists
must associate themselves with a recognized religion
for official identification purposes.
The Government traditionally reserves
some positions in the upper levels of the military for
Christians; however, all senior command positions traditionally
have been reserved for Muslims. Division-level commanders
and above are required to lead Islamic prayer on certain
occasions. There is no Christian clergy in the military.
Abuses of Religious Freedom
On September 13 2004, on the order
of a Shari'a court, a convert from Islam to Christianity
was arrested and held overnight on charges of apostasy.
On November 23, a Shari'a court found the defendant
guilty of apostasy. The ruling was reaffirmed on January
25, 2005 by a Shari'a appeals court. The verdict declared
the convert to be a ward of the state, stripped him
of his civil rights, and annulled his marriage. It further
declared him to be without any religious identity. It
stated that he lost all rights to inheritance, may not
remarry his (now former) wife unless he returns to Islam,
and forbade his being considered an adherent of any
other religion. The verdict implies the possibility
that legal and physical custody of his child could be
assigned to someone else. The convert reportedly left
the country with his family.
There were no reports of religious
detainees or prisoners who remained in custody at the
end of the period covered by this report; however, in
September 2004 the security services detained and released
11 unlicensed preachers, described in the press as Islamists.
Such detentions were related to allegations of involvement
in strictly political activities rather than religious
affiliation or belief.
Forced Religious Conversion
There were no reports of forced religious
conversion, including of minor U.S. citizens who had
been abducted or illegally removed from the United States,
or of the refusal to allow such citizens to be returned
to the United States. However, according to the law,
the father of any child, whether Muslim or Christian,
may restrict the child's travel. There are at least
six U.S. citizen children of mixed-religion marriages
residing in the country against the will of their U.S.
citizen mothers. Under the law, such children are considered
to bear the religion of their fathers.
Abuses by Terrorist Organizations
There were no reported abuses targeted
at specific religions by terrorist organizations during
the reporting period.
Section III. Societal Attitudes
The generally amicable relationship
among religions in society contributed to religious
freedom. In general, Christians did not suffer discrimination.
Christians held high-level government and private sector
positions and were represented in the media and academia
approximately in proportion to their presence in the
general population. Baha'is faced some societal discrimination.
The majority of the indigenous population
view religion as central to one's personal identity.
Relations between Muslims and Christians generally are
amicable. However, Muslims who convert to other religions
often face social ostracism, threats, and abuse from
their families and Muslim religious leaders. Interfaith
relationships, which ultimately may lead to conversion
(either to the Muslim or Christian faiths), usually
are strongly discouraged by the families. Such relationships
may lead to ostracism and, in some cases, violence against
the couple or feuds between members of the couple's
families. When such situations arise, families may approach
local government officials for resolution. In the past,
there were reports that in some cases local government
officials encouraged Christian women involved in relationships
with Muslim men to convert to Islam to defuse potential
family or tribal problems; however, during the period
covered by this report, there were no known cases in
which local officials harassed or coerced persons to
convert from Christianity to Islam. In the past, a number
of mixed-faith married couples sought to emigrate because
of negative family and societal reactions to their marriages.
Anti-Semitic editorial cartoons, articles
and opinion pieces, usually the expressions of political
columnists, were published in the newspapers "Al-Rai"
and "Al-Dustur". They were not common, but
did occur without government response.
During the reporting period, a member
of the royal family, Prince Hamza, hosted a conference
that promoted interfaith dialogue among religious communities.
The conference included religious leaders from numerous
countries and focused on Islam as a faith with democracy
principals. In November 2004, supported by the Government,
the Grand Mufti issued a proclamation, stating that
the "true nature" of Islam is one of moderation
and tolerance. He encouraged the "silent majority"
to promote Islam as a faith capable of building bridges
of understanding between all nations.
In 2003, a number of Muslims and Christians
founded the Jordan Interfaith Coexistence Research Center,
which promotes interfaith dialogue both domestically
and internationally. For instance, the Center was instrumental
in organizing a trip of moderate Muslim clerics to the
United States to meet with religious leaders from the
three monotheistic faiths. During the reporting period,
local newspapers occasionally published articles critical
of Christian evangelical organizations.
Section IV. U.S. Government Policy
The U.S. Government discusses religious
freedom issues with the Government as part of its overall
policy to promote human rights. U.S. Embassy officials
raised religious freedom and other human rights issues
with government authorities on a number of occasions.
Embassy officers met frequently with members of the
various religious and missionary communities in the
country, as well as with private religious organizations.
During the reporting period, the Embassy
funded six American speakers to participate in a conference
entitled, "Islam and Muslims in the 21St. Century."
The Faculty of Shari'a and Islamic Studies at Yarmouk
University hosted the conference. The Embassy also sponsored
the participation of a prominent Shari'a judge in an
international visitor program designed to promote interfaith
dialogue. Embassy officers met with moderate Islamic
political leaders dedicated to tolerance and religious
dialogue. The Department of State instituted a multi-phase
exchange program that will bring U.S. religious leaders
to Jordan and Jordanian imams and other religious leaders
to the United States for outreach activities aimed at
grassroots communities and youth. The Embassy also sent
a reporter who covers religious issues to the United
States on an international visitor grant.
Sources: U.S. State Department - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor |