Jordan rejects targeting of minorities in Mideast — FM

PARIS — Jordan on Tuesday reaffirmed its rejection of the targeting of religious or racial minorities in the region. 

Speaking at an international conference on the issue that gathered some 60 countries and representatives of around 15 NGOs in Paris, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said Jordan believes in the importance of safeguarding cultural pluralism in the region and putting a stop to extremism, which leads to sectarian and racial violence, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Stressing the Kingdom's commitment to combating terrorism, Judeh called for a comprehensive approach to counter the phenomenon, extending beyond military action to include cultural and social efforts on the long term.    

He quoted His Majesty King Abdullah’s address to the 69th UN General Assembly, saying: “Another critical global focus must be a decisive affirmation of mutual respect, within and among religions and peoples.”

“Arab Christians are an integral part of my region’s past, present and future,” Judeh said, quoting the King.

He also highlighted Jordan’s initiatives to promote interfaith dialogue and harmony, stressing the important role that young people play in shaping the region’s future, according to Petra.

Also at the conference, co-chaired by Judeh and his French counterpart Laurent Fabius, France said it will contribute 25 million euros to a global “action plan” for the protection of minorities in the Middle East that are persecuted by Daesh and other extremists, Agence France-Presse reported.

Fabius said the plan aims to help displaced minorities, fight against extremists and maintain religious and ethnic diversity in the region.

“We will not sit back and let the historic diversity of the Middle East disappear,” Fabius said.

So far, France is the only country to have contributed any funds to the action plan but other countries will follow, he added.

Of the 25 million euros ($28 million), 10 million euros will go towards an emergency fund for tasks such as de-mining, housing and rehabilitating displaced minorities.

The rest of the money is earmarked for refugee camps in countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.

Minorities in the Middle East — Yazidi, Kurds, Christians — have long suffered at the hands of Daesh terror group and many have fled from Iraq or Syria after terrorists took over their homelands there.