Tucker Carslon Interviews Christian Muslim in Jordan
Tucker Carlson: So, thank you for doing this. One of the reasons I wanted to talk to you was even I was amazed to discover how many prominent, like truly prominent, Christian families there are in Jordan, a lot, and you’re from one of the most prominent.
What’s it Like to be a Christian in an Overwhelmingly Muslim Country Here?
Christian Muslim: Well, you know, Christians here in Jordan have always felt, you know, really one and the same with the Muslims in Jordan, and it goes back thousands of years, really, Tucker. So, it’s always felt like we’re really one and the same. Islam is very much an integral part of our culture as Christians here. Yeah, we feel very comfortable.
Tucker Carlson: As Christians here?
Christian Muslim: As Christians, absolutely.
Are Americans Surprised to Hear You are a Christian from Jordan?
Tucker Carlson: So, you went to school, a number of very prominent schools in the United States. You spent a lot of time living in the U.S., so you know that most Americans are going to be surprised to hear that.
Christian Muslim: Oh, of course. I mean, you know, a lot of my American friends, when I first met them, they were surprised that, you know, I’m Christian from Jordan, and I’m like, what do you mean? I mean, this is where Christianity started, right? This is, we are the ancient Christians. So, of course, there are Christians in Jordan, and it’s just a very special place to be. I hope you’ve had some time to…
How the Christian and Muslim Faith are Similar
Tucker Carlson: I’ve had an amazing time. I’ve been to this country before, and I’ve always felt comfortable here, and if you say that, in the West, people are either incredulous, or they accuse you of being a secret Muslim or Jihadist or something, which I’m not at all, but I’m really struck that you said Islam is an integral part of the culture for Christians here. What does that mean?
Christian Muslim: Well, look, the faith traditions are so similar. It’s remarkable. I mean, you know, if you look at the Quran, for example, the Quran is… Jesus was mentioned 25 plus times in the Quran, and he was mentioned under different words, different names. So, Isa is what his name is in Arabic. The Word of God, that’s actually from the Quran. The Messiah, al-Masih. That’s also Ibn Maryam, son of Maryam. The other thing that you might find interesting is also the Virgin Mary, right? She was mentioned 30 plus times in the Quran. She’s revered, right? Actually, she was the only woman whose name was actually mentioned in the Quran. No other name of a woman has been… I mean, there was… Absolutely. Maryam is the only name that’s named by name in the Quran, as a woman.
Tucker Carlson: As the mother of Jesus.
In the Quran There is a Whole Chapter of the Virgin Mary
Christian Muslim: As the mother of Jesus. There is a whole chapter in the Quran just dedicated for the Virgin Mary. So, you can see of course, the same prophets, many of the same prophets, whether it’s Elijah or Moses or Abraham o They’re in the Quran, as they are in the New Testament and the Old Testament. So, the faith traditions are very similar. So, that’s why the Muslims are actually very accepting of the Christian faith traditions. They are encompassing of the Christian faith traditions. I’m saying this as a Christian here in Jordan. Absolutely.
Are Muslims Hostile Towards Christianity?
Tucker Carlson: I’m at a disadvantage because I have not read the Quran. I’ll just say that. We have been taught for 25 years, since 9-11, that Islam is inherently hostile to Christianity. You don’t believe that.
Christian Muslim: I totally disagree with that. I think hostility is a human thing. You find humans on all sides of the spectrum that are compassionate or hostile. That’s a common thing across humanity, across the world. To demonize one religion to say everyone in that religion is hostile is an atrocity, Tucker. It’s absolutely not true.
Did you Experience Discrimination Growing Up in Jordan as a Christian?
Christian Muslim: Never. I’ve never felt discriminated against as a Christian. In terms of, you know, I feel at a disadvantage to be a Christian here. Absolutely not.
You’ve Never had Any Problems Dealing with the Government as a Christian?
Christian Muslim: No, actually, that’s a great question. So, Christians are very well represented here, as you can imagine. They’re really part of the social fabric of the economy and the political environment. So, Christians are represented, you know, in the Senate, in Parliament, in government, in the military, in the private sector, even though we are a minority, right? The representation is everywhere.
Christians as the Minority in Jordan
Tucker Carlson: You’re a tiny minority, right?
Christian Muslim: We are, like, probably two or three percent at this stage.
Tucker Carlson: I’m just guessing, but it seems like if you’re two or three percent of the population, you seem disproportionately represented among the affluent.
Christian Muslim: Possibly. I think maybe minorities everywhere around the world, that’s the case. Yes, it is.
Tucker Carlson: Actually, that is true.
Christian Muslim: You know, if you think about it, right? I don’t know. I’ve never measured that. I don’t know if there are statistics.
Tucker Carlson: That’s never been a problem, I guess, because you do see minority groups around the world, as you said. You know, the Indians in Uganda in the 70s, or name a group, but the minority group often is disproportionately successful, and then they are persecuted for that.
Christian Minorities in the Holy Land
Christian Muslim: No, absolutely not. There’s a reason, I think, it’s why it is. I was thinking about sort of why is Jordan a special sort of model for that, right? Of coexistence, of interfaith harmony. I think there’s three things, Tucker, and if these three things are there, you know, Christian minorities in the Holy Land, they will thrive.
Jordanian Constitution – Christians and Muslims Constitutional Rights
Number one is we have constitutional rights as equal citizens. It’s in the Jordanian constitution. You know, so Christians and Muslims here have the same rights, complete equality. When it comes to even matters relating to Christian affairs, whether it’s marriages, and, you know, even some civil affairs, there are Christian courts that are different from the Sharia courts that there are for Muslims. So there’s, in that sense, there’s, you know, this sort of coexistence. When it comes to, of course, civil and commercial and all those kinds of laws, those apply to all of us equally here in Jordan. So constitutional rights are protected. That’s number one.
Tomb of Jesus was Restored by the Muslim King of Jordan
You know, the Hashemites are very much the custodians of the Christian and the Muslim sites in Jerusalem. I think maybe that if you allow me, Tucker, I think that’s something that people don’t realize is that a lot of the restoration work that happens there is very much funded personally by the king. I mean, the tomb of Jesus Christ in the Holy Sepulchre was restored by personal donations from King Abdullah. It says something.
Tucker Carlson: Wait, what? The tomb of Jesus was restored by the Muslim king of Jordan?
Christian Muslim: Yeah, I mean, that’s the king of Jordan.
Tucker Carlson: It’s kind of a surprise ending to the story, I have to say.
Stories of the Holy Sepulchre and Prophet Muhammad
Christian Muslim: He’s a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, right? He’s the one restoring the tomb of Jesus Christ. And I think that’s this interfaith story. It is true. There’s another story on the church of the Holy Sepulchre. I think it shows you just how old these traditions are in the region and how welcoming it used to be to people from all across all faiths, Jewish or Christian or Muslim, right? In the past. So, since I think a thousand years ago, since Saladin or Saladin, right? The keys to the church of the Holy Sepulchre did not belong to any of the Christian dominations because they couldn’t agree amongst themselves, right? The Armenian, the Orthodox, the Ethiopian, like who’s going to have the key to the church, right? Actually that key was handed to, at the time, Saladin. Even today, those keys are handed to a Muslim family. It’s, I think, Pensebe family of Jerusalem. They opened the church in the morning, you know, and they closed the church at night. So that’s the kind of sort of, I mean, these are the stories we grew up with as Christians in the region, as Muslims in the region, even as Arab Jews, right? From the region. This is sort of the faith and the common faith and cultural tradition we grew up with here. So a lot of the stuff that we see today is very new. These are lines drawn in the sand by colonial powers that really sort of destroyed that social cohesion and the social fabric that existed here.
Muslims Believe Jesus as a Prophet – The Young Turks
Ana Kasparian TYT: I had no idea that Muslim religion believes in Jesus as a prophet.
Cenk Uygur TYT: Jesus is a very sacred prophet in Islam. So much so that when God sends his messenger back down, when everyone is saved in the Quran, he does not send Mohammed. He sends Jesus back. Okay. So that’s how holy and important Jesus is in Islam. How often have you heard that?
Ana Kasparian TYT: Never, literally never.
Cenk Uygur TYT: I didn’t know why until recently, to be honest with you. Now I know it was propaganda from Israel to get you, get Americans to hate all Muslims. So that when Israel kills them and takes their land, you were going to say, well, I mean, what are you going to do? They’re the Muslims of the day, not the Israelis, but the victims of the attacks. It has been an overwhelming propaganda campaign to smear Muslims in this country.
