Athens, 24 October 2026. Statement on the terrorist attack at a Christian church in Jordan

Dr. Maximos Charakopoulos, Secretary General of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO) and Member of the Hellenic Parliament, issued the following statement regarding the terrorist attack against Christians at the Church of Saint George in Hamoud village, Karak Governorate of Jordan:

“We strongly condemn, this latest heinous crime committed against Christians in the long-suffering Middle East. The terrorist attack in the Orthodox Church of Saint George in Hamoud village of Jordan—which took place during a funeral service—reveals the malicious intent of these vile murderers. By sowing death indiscriminately, they aim to terrorize Christians and drive them from their ancestral homelands. This is a tactic they have long employed in other countries across the wider region, resulting in a dramatic decline in the Christian population within the very cradle of Christianity.”

The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO), in these dramatic moments, stands firmly by the side of our friends, the Jordanian people—a nation that has tangibly demonstrated its respect for religious freedom and the Christian tradition. Throughout the Middle East, Jordan is, without a doubt, a model of peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims, and this must, under no circumstances, be disrupted.

We express our full support and solidarity with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which—drawing upon the wisdom of centuries as a beacon of Orthodoxy in the Holy Land—will overcome this crisis as well, providing strength and encouragement to the faithful of this beleaguered Church.

We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those killed by terrorist gunfire, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured ones.”