A delegation from the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) was received by His Excellency Mr. Akram Saud Haraasheh, Jordan's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, on 26 June for wide-ranging discussions covering religious freedom, proposed legal reforms, and Christian-Muslim cooperation. The meeting marked a significant moment in the WEA's ongoing advocacy engagement with Middle Eastern governments and highlighted Jordan's distinctive role as a regional leader in interfaith dialogue.
The WEA delegation, which included Rev. David Rihani (WEA Deputy Secretary General for MENA), Prof. Dr. Janet Epp Buckingham (Director of the WEA Geneva Office to the UN), and Jordanian human rights activist Ms. Njoud Aldeqes, expressed appreciation for recent Jordanian government initiatives. Proposed legal amendments would allow Christians in Jordan to prepare legally recognised wills in accordance with their faith traditions and to facilitate the legal adoption of Christian children by Christian families — reforms that address long-standing concerns of Jordan's historic Christian minority. "These proposed changes offer greater assurance and flexibility for families seeking to honour their convictions in matters of inheritance and family life," Rev. Rihani noted.
Ambassador Haraasheh emphasised Jordan's commitment to promoting biblical tourism as a bridge between cultures and faith communities, and underlined the importance of peacebuilding through dialogue, cooperation, and mutual understanding. Ms. Aldeqes, whose humanitarian work in refugee service was recognised at the 2019 UNHCR Global Refugee Forum, shared insights on Christian-Muslim cooperation in serving vulnerable communities. Jordan has taken notable steps in recent years to strengthen the legal standing of its Christian community, including formal recognition of the Evangelical Council, and the WEA delegation welcomed the ambassador's continued openness to addressing the concerns of evangelical communities.
Source: World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) — worldea.org
