Khaberni - The Ad-Damur tribes issued a clarifying statement about their refusal to host the American ambassador James Holtsnaider at the Diwan Abna Al-Karak during the condolences for the late Dr. Abdullah Ad-Damur.
In a statement attributed to the Ad-Damur tribes, the visit of the American ambassador is against the political traditions followed in Jordan, which restrict the work of diplomats to the official channels of the state.
It was explained that this comes in light of declared U.S. positions and policies that have actually played a role in what the Palestinian people in Gaza are subjected to, pointing out that international relations in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan are managed exclusively through state institutions and their channels, and that the tribes are neither a venue nor an alternative to these channels nor a field for external political communication outside the official frameworks.
The Ad-Damur tribes also affirmed that the visit of the American ambassador violates the Jordanian tribal norms that separate the sanctity of condolences and any political presence.
Furthermore, the rejection to host the ambassador at the condolence venue represents a full alignment and harmony with the principles of the deceased, who remained steadfast in his national and patriotic positions during his life, and would not have accepted in his death what he did not accept in his life, thus the stance at the condolence event being a natural continuation of his life’s narrative, not a deviation from it nor an exploitation of his memory.
At the same time, the tribes emphasized their respect for diplomatic norms.
The text of the statement follows:
From our national responsibility, and our firm commitment to preserving the sovereignty of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, respecting its constitutional institutions, and maintaining national unity, the Ad-Damur tribes issue this statement to clarify a responsible national, ethical, and political stance, and to establish a correct narrative of history.
The Ad-Damur tribes have followed the recent developments on the Jordanian scene, which included social diplomatic visits that deviated from their usual political framework and included attendance at tribal and private events. While we affirm our respect for diplomatic norms, we emphasize that international relations in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan are exclusively managed through state institutions and their official channels, and Jordanian tribes are not a venue or an alternative for these channels, nor a field for external political communication outside the accredited frameworks.
In this context, during the mourning house of the Ad-Damur tribes at Diwan Abna Al-Karak for their beloved national figure, known for his honorable and steadfast national positions, may God have mercy on him, the visit of the American ambassador was decisively rejected, and he was directly and clearly told that his presence was unwelcome, requesting his immediate departure from the condolence house.
This decision was made for clear and declared reasons, among them:
The visit violates the Jordanian tribal norms that separate the sanctity of condolences and any political presence with general implications.
It contradicts the political traditions followed in Jordan, which restrict diplomatic representation to the official channels of the state.
It comes in light of U.S. positions and policies that have actually contributed to the killing, destruction, displacement, and starving of our people in the Gaza Strip.
The request for the ambassador to leave was an expression of a responsible ethical and emotional stance, a clear alignment with the blood of the innocents, and genuine solidarity with the resilience of Gaza, its children, women, wounded, and martyrs, and with what they are suffering from siege, starvation, displacement, and destruction of homes over their heads, a scene that shook the human conscience before the Arab one.
This stance is fully consistent with the principles of the deceased, who remained steadfast in his national and patriotic positions during his life, and would not have accepted in his death what he did not accept in his life, thus the stance at the condolence event being a natural continuation of his life’s narrative, not a deviation from it nor an exploitation of his memory.
In this statement, the Ad-Damur tribes confirm the following:
The Hashemite leadership and the royal system in Jordan are red lines, and loyalty to them is firm and unwavering, being the safety valve for the nation and its stability.
The Jordanian tribes are an essential national component, uncompromising on their dignity, their Arab identity, or their principles.
The rejection of this visit does not target the Jordanian state nor its policies, but expresses an ethical and human stance in harmony with the conscience of the Jordanian people.
We reject any attempt to exploit the name of the tribes or social events to achieve personal gains or convey messages that do not reflect the general national stance.
This position represents the stand of the nation’s free people, who differentiate between the duty of hospitality and the duty of dignity, and stand where the stance must be, without offense, without retreat, and without deviation from the state's principles.
May God have mercy on our deceased, and on all the martyrs of the Arab nation, and may God keep Jordan safe, strong, steadfast in its positions, under its Hashemite leadership, and with its conscious people and tribes that do not compromise on the homeland.
And let history record that we were with the homeland, with its leadership, and with the truth, no matter the cost.
Issued by the Ad-Damur Tribes
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
