Amman, Oct. 23 (Petra)-- Senate Speaker Faisal Al-Fayez on Friday condemned the terrorist attack carried out by unidentified gunmen against people attending a funeral at Hamoud Church in Karak.

In a statement, Al-Fayez described the incident as a terrorist act and called on the relevant authorities to swiftly apprehend the perpetrators and impose the harshest possible penalties on them. He expressed confidence in the security agencies and their ability to identify and arrest those responsible.

He said the heinous act constituted an assault on Jordan and its citizens, stressing that those responsible must not escape punishment. He added that the criminal attack sought to undermine Jordan's national unity and Muslim-Christian fraternity, which he said represented a model of peaceful coexistence regionally and internationally.

"Muslims and Christians in Jordan have always lived as brothers and sisters, sharing the same rights and duties. We have never known sectarianism, and we have all united in our love for our homeland and loyalty to our Hashemite leadership, sacrificing dearly to safeguard our country's dignity, independence and progress," Al-Fayez said.

He stressed the need for all Jordanians to stand against those seeking to sow discord, spread hate speech and advance suspicious agendas, emphasizing that peaceful coexistence and Jordan's social fabric were red lines that must be preserved.

Al-Fayez urged citizens to remain vigilant against attempts by terrorist and extremist groups and infiltrators to undermine national unity, calling on them to deny those seeking to harm the country any opportunity to achieve their aims, particularly as Jordan enjoys security and stability.

He said Jordan took pride in its wise Hashemite leadership, which had dedicated its efforts to promoting a culture of coexistence, love and harmony, strengthening noble humanitarian values and rejecting hatred.

Under this approach, he added, Jordan had become a symbol of human fraternity, emphasizing common bonds among people regardless of their ethnic, racial or religious backgrounds. He also highlighted Jordan's continued efforts to promote global stability, security and development, respect for religions, and the rejection of violence, extremism and radicalism.

Al-Fayez noted that Jordan had set an example of Muslim-Christian fraternity, with all its social and religious communities living together in a spirit of cooperation, tolerance, national belonging and loyalty to the Hashemite leadership.

He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families, relatives and loved ones of the deceased, as well as to the people of Karak, both Muslims and Christians, and Jordanians across the country. He prayed that God would grant the bereaved patience and solace and a speedy recovery to those injured in the attack.

//Petra// MF