JORDANIAN GID DIRECTOR RESPONDS TO ALLEGATIONS OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 000104

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2018
TAGS: PGOF KIRF JO
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN GID DIRECTOR RESPONDS TO ALLEGATIONS OF
MISSIONARY DEPORTATIONS

Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Following reports of deportations and
residency refusals of foreign missionaries, the Ambassador
asked Jordan's Intelligence Director in early January for an
explanation. Dahabi replied in writing on January 7
affirming Jordan's commitment to hosting minority religious
sects and a diversity of churches. He noted that "although
the Jordanian constitution guarantees religious freedoms,
this does not equate with breaking the law, defying public
mores, or offending any other sect or group." Those deported
or refused residency, according to Dahabi, were asked to
leave because they violated Jordanian residency or work
regulations or were thought to be the targets of attacks due
to their alleged missionary activities. End Summary.

Deportations Raised with GID
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2. (C) The Ambassador raised the issue of deportations of
missionaries with General Intelligence Director Lt. General
Mohamed Dahabi on January 2, inquiring about approximately a
dozen specific cases of foreign Christian religious workers
and missionaries who have been deported, or had their
residence requests denied, over the preceding year. The
Ambassador urged GID to review the cases and reconsider
deportation decisions. In response, Dahabi claimed that
missionaries are getting "more aggressive" in Jordan, and
explained that GID counseled religious workers to reduce
their proselytizing activities before deportations or
residency revocations were implemented. Dahabi said that
their activities bring them to the attention of takfirists,
which limits the GID's ability to ensure their security.


3. (SBU) In 2007, the Embassy has received reports of nearly
a dozen cases of foreign Christian pastors, missionaries or
priests that faced challenges with Jordanian immigration
officials. Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary (JETS)
president Imad Shehadeh told poloff in September that it has
become increasingly difficult for his institution to secure
visas for students or faculty members, and cited
approximately 19 individuals of Egyptian, Syrian and Iraqi
nationality that were denied entry or residence this school
year.


4. (C) On December 7, a Finnish pastor, who claimed to be
legally resident in Jordan, was summoned by GID under another
pretext, taken into custody, questioned and held by GID and
PSD - Jordan's Public Security Directorate or national police
- for 36 hours, escorted home for an hour to collect his
possessions, and expeditiously returned to Finland. The
Embassy heard of event from his wife, who left Jordan the
following week. According to her, her husband was not
actively proselytizing, but would discuss his faith with
Muslims if asked. They have requested the Finnish Embassy in
Damascus make a formal inquiry into the legal rationale for
his deportation. Dahabi's January 7 letter challenged the
legitimacy of the pastor's claim of legal residence, and
explained that "his activities were in violation of the law
and provocative; they aroused public sensitivities and
undermined the social fabric of the Jordanian society, while
placing his own safety in jeopardy."

Unofficial Churches Face Challenges
--------------


5. (C) The problem - as described by local religious leaders
- affects unofficial churches, specifically the Assemblies of
God, the Nazarene Church, the Baptist Church and several
evangelical churches. These churches have long described
their disputes and dissatisfaction with the hierarchy of
Orthodox churches responsible for registration and
recognition in Jordan. Dahabi, as well, alluded to the
divide by referencing a September 29 letter from the Council
for Middle East Churches to King Abdullah , requesting that
missionary activity in Jordan be halted "given its damaging
effect on Christian-Muslim relations and historic/social
ties."


6. (C) In his January 7 letter to the Ambassador, Dahabi
acknowledged Jordan's desire to "be a model for religious
social and political tolerance" while maintaining its right
to maintain the social fabric of the country and protect
missionaries whose activities could place them in harm's way.
Dahabi stated that "there is no policy in Jordan to oppress
religious freedoms," and went on to list a number of minority
religious communities (e.g. the Druze, Bahi'i, and Jehovah's
Witnesses) that face "no interference from the state."
Dahabi added that "Jordan has a diversity of churches,
including fronts for persons/groups who practice
proselytizing."

GID: Deported were Illegal Residents

--------------


7. (C) In his written response, Dahabi proceeded to address
the specific list of cases of Americans, Egyptians and
Koreans raised by the Ambassador in his January 2 meeting.
In the majority of cases, GID concluded that the individuals
had been illegally resident in Jordan, and were therefore
violating Jordanian law and subject to deportation. NOTE:
Applications for residency are technically submitted to and
approved by the Ministry of Interior. All such applications
are vetted by the GID prior to approval. Neither the GID nor
the MOI are required by Jordanian law to provide a reason for
refusing a residence permit. END NOTE. In several other
cases, Dahabi noted that they "find themselves compelled to
refuse residence permit renewal in order to preserve the
lives and wellbeing of such activists."


8. (C) COMMENT: The Jordanian government has made and
continues to make public commitments to support religious
freedoms and positive interfaith relations amongst Christian
and Muslim communities. However, some elements perceive the
activism of missionaries as a potential catalyst to
disrupting the balances that exist between Christian and
Muslim populations. And due to rifts between the orthodox
and evangelical Christian communities, the evangelical
communities find few Jordanian defenders in their court. In
fact, because Evangelical conversions are almost exclusively
made from the ranks of Jordanian Orthodox Christians, not
Muslims, Jordan's Christian community leaders are among those
most hostile to Western missionaries. The Embassy will
continue to discuss this issue with the Jordanian leadership
as well as with traditional and non-traditional religious
communities in Jordan.

Hale