Jerash community offers floral welcome to visitors

Mexican tourist group re-visits ancient city following stabbing attack

By Ahmed Bani Mustafa - Nov 10,2019 - Last updated at Nov 10,2019

Visitors to Jerash on Sunday were welcomed with flowers and dessert as part of an initiative organised by the community (Photo courtesy of social media)

JERASH — In an initiative organised by the local community of Jerash, visitors to the ancient city were welcomed on Sunday by flowers and desserts.

The initiative, which came the week after a stabbing attack against tourists, police and a tour guide, aimed at highlighting the rejection of such acts, which “do not belong to the Jordanian society”, participants said.

Jerash Governor Atef Abbadi, along with officials and representative of the local community, joined the initiative to convey a message of peace and solidarity to the visitors.

The initiative aimed to reflect the true nature of the local community, which values and respects guests and understands the importance of tourism for the national economy, said Hamzah Otoum, an organiser.

Feras Khatatbeh, Jerash’s Tourism director, commended the initiative, stressing that 5,000 tourists visited the destination over the last week.

Later in the day, Jerash received the same Mexican group that was attacked last week.

The Jordan Times interviewed the group, which was missing two members, who were among the victims injured in the stabbing and who are still receiving medical attention.

During the interview, a couple from Mexico praised the local community for the warm welcome they received during their visit, stressing that they were “mesmerised by the kindness of all Jordanians they met”.

They said that the group came back to visit Jerash because they knew that the attack was an individual behaviour that it did not represent the Jordanian community, and that Jerash is home to a unique Roman City that deserves to be visited.

Omar Omar, the group’s tour guide, said that his group enjoyed the visit, which included a full guided tour at the archaeological site.

Last week, members of the local community in Jerash issued a statement condemning the stabbing attack, describing it as “an act of cowardice”.

On social media, residents of Jerash expressed disapproval of such an attack against innocent people.

“This coward will not affect the security of our country,” a resident commented on a post with the assailant’s photo on Facebook.

Sources at the Public Security Department said that the suspect has been identified and arrested. They added that an investigation is under way.

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