King attends Prophet birthday ceremony

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday attended a ceremony held by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs at the Royal Cultural Centre to mark Prophet Mohammad’s birthday, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The event was attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, several Royal family members, and senior officials and officers.

Awqaf Minister Hayel Dawood said Prophet Mohammad called for promoting the values of peace and tolerance and denouncing all forms of extremism and radicalism.

Dawood highlighted His Majesty’s role in defending Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and in supporting the Jerusalemites’ resilience. 

The minister also highlighted the symbolism in the co-occurrence of Prophet Mohammad’s birthday and Christmas for this year. 

In an address to the nation the night before, the King urged both Muslims and Christians to embrace values shared by both faiths, particularly tolerance and compassion. 

The awqaf minister stressed that terrorists seek to destroy such values inherent in Islam and Christianity, through committing crimes in the name of religion. 

On the occasion of Prophet’s birthday, marked on Rabi I 12 on the Islamic lunar calendar, King Abdullah and the Crown Prince received cables of congratulations from senior officials, including Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and the Council of Ministers and Arab leaders.