The International Religious Freedom Report for 2014 was issued, causing no uproar

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The annual Report to on International Religious Freedom – the International Religious Freedom Report for 2014 was issued with no signs of media uproar as was the case in the past, despite the fact that the past year witnessed the emergence of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) whose early “achievements” was the elimination of religious plurality in the regions that came under its control, namely Mosul as well other villages and cities of the Nineveh Plain in Iraq. The report deliberately addressed it and its sisterly organizations, such as Boko Haram, whose deeds are similar to those of ISIS. They involve killing, devastation, labeling others as infidels, as well as conducting open and direct exclusion of whatever is religious, doctrinal and ethnic different.

The past year was abound with these cancellation movements. Masses of people greatly suffered from its horrors and they forcibly left their homelands and their countries of origin where they lived for hundreds of years in perfect harmony with the other components of the same society. The advent of the 21st century proved to be the hardest, the most sorrowful and the most brutal, as these people were forced to flee their homes, and thus they were transformed from being "citizens", who effectively contributed to building their communities, to "displaced" having their named registered in the United Nations offices, or rather knocking on the doors of embassies in search of warm havens, and crossing cold or rather deadly seas.

This is very bleak image revealed in the International Religious Freedom Report for 2014 that covers events of this stormy year , despite the fact that there have been some positive signs in some countries, particularly in Egypt where the report did not mention violations of religious human rights in particular, as was the case in the past, despite that fact that it discusses the-religious- status of the world by basing it on two main terms, namely ''anti-Semitism" and "Islamophobia".

With regards to Jordan, the report reiterates what is published every year particularly, with regards to the Constitution's reference to freedom of worship, and holding religious rites. It refers to the legal problems that follow change of religion as well its social and legal ramifications with regards to inheritance rights and other complications. The report also discusses official recognition of the emerging religious institutions in our society. At any rate, this is not a serious problem.

The report praised Jordan for two reasons. First, the visit of Pope Francis and his meeting with King Abdullah II. It pays tribute to His Majesty the King’s appreciation of His Holiness’ mission to promote peace and tolerance, stressing Jordan’s care for its Muslim and Christian population which is designed to build a common future based on mutual respect, peace and worship of God.

Secondly, the report praised Jordan’s welcoming of the displaced from Mosul and the confirmation made by His Majesty the King and the government to have Jordan serve as a safe haven for Christian Arabs at risk of persecution. The report, at this point, says that the number of displaced people is 3,000 people while they are in fact 8,000.

Finally, the report tackles the reverberating talks about textbooks. Instead of calling for having the curricula include Jordanian initiatives relevant to dialogue among religions, particularly with reference to mentioning the Christian Arab history in Jordan and the region, it calls for highlighting the so-called "holocaust" and the call to renounce anti-Semitism. From this premise, we can tell about the party that stands behind the annual report which lost its influence in the field of “annual report formulation” which lost its influence in the field of media and also lost the annual uproar concomitant with its release every year. Every day there is a new “holocaust” for a people as there is no longer a single people that plays the role of a victim.

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By Fr. Rif'at Bader