Jordan's Judicial Council Changes Court System For Small Evangelical Denominations

Religion News Service reports that Jordan's Judicial Council, apparently responding to growing tension between Orthodox Christians and Evangelicals, has issued a memo changing the legal status of some 60 smaller Christian denominations in the country:

In Jordan, the legal system is divided into civil courts, where commercial and criminal cases are heard, and separate religious courts that settle matters of marriage, divorce and child custody according to canon law for the majority-Muslim population and for the 11 recognized Christian communities.

While United Pentecostal and Jehovah’s Witnesses members are allowed their own ecclesiastical courts, legal matters for members of nearly 60 other Protestant churches are heard in civil court, or, for minor matters, work through the court of the Anglican Church, one of the 11 approved denominations.

But on Feb. 5, in response to [Greek Orthodox Archbishop] Atallah’s letter, Judge Mohammad Al Ghazo, who heads Jordan’s Judicial Council, issued a memo disqualifying any Christian without an approved ecclesiastical court from using the civilian courts. Cases would instead be referred to the Council of Church Leaders, a government advisory body.

Evangelicals fear that the change could endanger the validity of past marriages performed in evangelical churches. Orthodox proponents say that the concern is a proliferation of small separate ecclesiastical courts.

Jordan's King Appoints New Chief Islamic Justice and New Mufti

According to Jordan Times, King Abdullah of Jordan issued a royal decree yesterday endorsing a Cabinet decision appointing Sheikh Abdul Karim Khasawneh as the chief Islamic justice.  The chief Islamic justice oversees the Sharia courts that deal mainly with personal status law.  Before his appointment, Khasawneh served as grand mufti, heading the Iftaa Department that has authority to issue religious edicts. In a second royal decree yesterday, Mohammad Khalaileh was appointed grand mufti to replace Khasawneh.

UPDATE:  The appointment of a new Islamic chief justice was triggered by the resignation of the prior chief justice, Ahmad Hilayel, after he delivered a Friday sermon that embarrassed the Jordanian government.  According to Al Jazeera (Jan. 23), Hilayel criticized leaders of the Gulf States for not sharing their wealth with Jordan.

Suit In Israeli Court Charges Administration of Temple Mount Violates Religious Discrimination Ban

Arutz Sheva and JNS reported yesterday on an interesting lawsuit filed this week in Israel in Jerusalem's District Court.  Jewish activist and attorney Baruch Ben-Yosef has sued the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and the Islamic Movement group in Israel, essentially claiming that they are violating Israel's equivalent of a public accommodation law by limiting Jewish access to the Temple Mount.

The suit alleges violation of an Israeli law enacted in 2000 that prohibits operators of public sites from barring admission on the basis of religion, race, nationality, gender or political affiliation. The suit charges defendants with discriminatory practices against Jews on the Temple Mount. Jewish access is limited to certain times, and Jewish prayer on the Mount is banned. The suit charges that inciting of violence on the Temple Mount is aimed at decreasing Jewish visitors.  The suit also challenges Jordan's claim of sovereignty over the Temple Mount in light of Israel's control over the site taken in the 1967 Six Day War. The Temple Mount is currently administered by the  Islamic Waqf that is controlled by Jordan.  However security is handled by Israeli police.

Jordanian Media and Muslims Criticize U.S. Ambassador's Support of LGBT Event

AlMonitor reported yesterday on the strong criticism leveled by Jordan's Islamic Action Front and conservative Jordanian media of U.S. Ambassador Alice Wells' attendance at an event last month in central Amman to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. In a statement, the Islamic Action Front said in part:

such meetings are a form of corruption and deviation. These meetings threaten the security and stability of the country, spreading the taboo and immorality in this conservative society and are also contrary to the constitution.

Pope Visits Holy Land; Presses On Peace Efforts

Pope Francis is on a 3-day visit to the Holy Land, originally described by the Vatican as follows:

The Holy Father will travel to the Holy Land from Saturday, 24 May to Monday, 26 May, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic embrace between Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras in Jerusalem on 5 January 1964.

The trip takes the Pope to Jordan, the Palestinian territories and Israel. the Full text of all the Papal addresses during the trip and all Vatican media reports on it are on a special Holy Land Pilgrimage website.

AP reports today that the Pope became heavily involved in encouraging Middle East peace efforts by inviting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres to a summit in the Vatican next month to discuss the peace process. Both presidents have accepted. According to AP:

Peres has been a fervent support of Mideast peace efforts, and the independent-minded Israeli president, whose job is largely ceremonial, risks upsetting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the move.