Religion in Jordan
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a majority Muslim country, with 90% of the population following Sunni Islam while a small minority of around 2% follow Shia Islam and Sufism.[1] Jordan also has a indigenous Christian minority, making up around 8% of the population, mainly Catholic, Church of the East, Oriental Orthodox or Greek Orthodox. Jews are not permitted to be Jordanian citizens.[2] The small number of Jews living East of the Jordan River in 1922 when the Kingdom was created were expelled, as were the many Jews of Judea, Samaria, and East Jerusalem when Jordan occupied these areas in 1948. There are small Druze and Baha'i communities.[3]
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[edit] Distribution
The percentages vary slightly in different cities and regions, for instance the south of Jordan and cities like Zarka have the highest percentage of Muslims, while Amman, Irbid, Madaba, Salt, and Kerak have larger Christian communities than the national average, and the towns of Fuhais, Al Hisn and Ajloun have either majority Christian or much greater than national average. As well as several villages have mixed Chritian/Muslim populations, like Kufranja and Raimoun in the north.
Christians made up 30% of the Jordanian population in 1950.[4] However, Jordanian Christians emigration to Europe, Canada and the United States has significantly decreased the Christian percentage of the country's population.[4]
[edit] Social life
In general, Muslims and Christians live together with no major problems regarding differences and discrimination.[citation needed] While some families may privately have a point of view against a certain religious group, it does not often take a public shape. There has been some recent controversy regarding the difficulties that ethnic Assyrian Christians fleeing from persecution in Iraq have faced in attempting to gain citizenship or refugee status in Jordan.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.israinternational.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=119
- ^ "Law No. 6 of 1954 on Nationality (last amended 1987)" (in En.). National Legislative Bodies, Jordan. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/3ae6b4ea13.html. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
- ^ "The People of Jordan". http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/people1.html.
- ^ a b Fleishman, Jeffrey (2009-05-10). "For Christian enclave in Jordan, tribal lands are sacred". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-tribal-catholic10-2009may10,0,6480090.story. Retrieved 2009-05-10.
[edit] See also
- Demographics of Jordan
- Islam in Jordan
- Christianity in Jordan
- Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence Research Center
- Fuhais
- Al Hisn
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