After a Lyme disease- ridden guy kills a pastor in the US and this, it seems churches aren’t quite the sanctuary one would hope for. I guess it will be metal detectors and ‘prayer marshals’ in the future for houses of worship.
After the bombing of the International Church in Pakistan, we now have a security team and have learned what to do if someone throws a grenade into church (kick it away from people, take two long steps and drop flat). We get police guards at Christmas and Easter.
AMMAN, Jordan: Jordan’s military court has sentenced 3 militants to a little more than two decades in jail for plotting to bomb a Catholic church in the capital last May.
Two of the Jordanians were in court Monday when the verdict was read while the third was tried in absentia.
The military judge said he handed down the 22 1/2 year sentence because he considered such a plot, whether implemented or not, a “danger to the state and its people.”
Prosecutors have said the three planned to remotely detonate an explosive-laden vehicle in front of the church during Sunday Mass. The plot was foiled when the group’s mastermind was arrested for speeding on the day he planned to carry out the attack.
I’m pretty thankful that this was one speeder the police pulled over. Imagine if he hadn’t.
i’ll bet you anything they didn’t stop the guy randomly for speeding.
100jds says they were following them from the minute they bought the materials and another 100jds says they probably sold it to them in the first place.
and finally…another 100jds goes towards them being amateurs and not professionals.
it’s a lot of money to put down, but then again, i stand to make a lot
Very shameful indeed. As a Jordanian Muslim I think Jordanians of all walks of life denounce such acts of terrorism.
I remember when I first came to the US, how my parents told me to seek sanctuary in a Church if I felt threatened, unsafe or scared.
This is how the older generations thought of churches, and have been for centuries. Churches are houses of god. Houses of worship, and should never be violated for any reason no matter what!
I agree with sam.
A military court tried and convicted them? How strange! Were they in the military? Or is their martial law in Jordan, or something?
Nas, I’m with you on the 200JD bet former and latter, but the middle 100JD? Are you saying the police keep that tight a watch on the materials trade? I suppose it is a greater comfort than ticketing speeders.
Qwaider, cool advice from your folks. I hope you would always be welcome and not find prejudice there. Thanks for not tiring of denouncing such acts.
Hamede. Glad to hear it. No surprise.
(HEY, we used some of your dumb blonde jokes at my party last night and MommaBean mentioned you indirectly – us bloggers knew who she meant)
Hi Craig, well now that is an interesting observation, and I hadn’t thought through the ramifications of what it would mean. No martial law, insha’allah.
Its annoying to hear such news but for some reason i dont buy this.. i mean this cant be real.. who would do this and why.. very weird to happen here in Jordan.. and that happened last may? (when they tried)
Happy birthday sorry i forgot.
Craig,
that was because it is a national security case. Terror suspects in Jordan are always brought into a military court.
Jano, if it wasn’t the Inter’l Herald Tribune, I probably would be more skeptical. Two Easters ago, one of the police guarding a church was overheard telling his fellow cop that he wished he could gun the parishoners down. It was reported and he was fired for it, so we know Jordan is serious about squashing such things.
Hamede, thank you! Great to be in my 5th decade…so far.
Ma3boos, thanks for the explanation. Minnak ata3allum.
life would be too little a punishment for these, these… i cant think of a word for them! For Gods sake, dont they know that in a muslim dominated country, we have a responsibility to protect the temples, churches and mosques… with churches listed before the mosques!!! seriously disgusting!
It’s people like these that give Islam a bad name, or more like already gave Islam it’s bad reputation. Suicide bombers, terrorists, basically men in black masks killing innocent men, women and children “in the name of Allah”. It’s a disgrace to Arabs, Jordanians and humans everywhere..
Yikes! Makes you even more appreciative of the protection. We also always have 2 types of police at our special services (you know regular and those who shall not be mentioned, teehee). And we don’t have any foreigners (except me) in our congregation… Clearly they are concerned and apparently rightfully so. Thank goodness they pulled him over, although I tend to be with Nas on this one. All three points.
How on earth can anyone think that this is what our creator wants us to do?
loolt, thanks for the input and empathy. I’m glad the gov is serious about such things.
Shmal, thanks, I agree.
MB, yea! We get both types, too;). Next time we meet for hot chocolate you can explain what Nas meant.
Nizar, dude, you’re slippin! Did you write “our” creator? I agree, there is no way our Creator would want us to do such things. Do not murder is a clear one.
It wasn’t a slip nor a mistake, my understanding of the creator is whatever holds responsibility for our existence, if it was indeed an Abrahamic God then he is our creator, if it was a cosmic force then it is our creator, same applies whether it was a spirit or a pink unicorn, the creator is the ‘X’ behind the existence of this creation.
We just have different understanding of what this creator is and what he wants from us, and that’s what made me wonder how can people think that this creator would in any way want us to do such things!
Nizar, yea, I know you are too much of a detail guy to let it slip. Although I would love to see you in love with Jesus, I am thankful for the voice you bring to encourage people to think farther outside of religious circular reasoning.
“Want’ and ‘permit’, the old destiny vs. free-will debate. Working with sexual abuse victims, we go straight to the heart of that argument: where was God when this happened? Did he allow it? Abandon me? Want it to happen? God and his ways are just a lot bigger than we can know, how he works allowing people’s wrong choices to affect others, and how it brings it all back to him. Now, I can say I am thankful he allowed the abuse I experienced to happen, it is a way I can model healing to other victims.
I suppose my biggest beef with evolution is that our behavior has not evolved to become more efficient as our bodies and world have. Proof of evolution would be that humans are kinder to one another. That only happens when God gets a hold of heart and makes it pure again.
kinzi: i’m pretty sure of it.
also, i’m wondering what similar sentences have been for people in the west that have attempted to attack mosques or synagouges.
also, we dont have a military court per se, but a state security court that tries both civilians and military personnel.
Nas, you definitely win the bet, the guys had gas cannisters for weapons.
We’ll find out more about the answer to your second point when that Jordanian who tried to bomb a synagogue in Chicago is tried. Def not 22 years.