A few hours ago (11pm Wed.) saw the shooting of what the news is reporting as “six tourists” in downtown Amman after the “Opera Under The Stars” concert at the Roman Amphitheater. The gunman then killed himself. The targets seem to be all Arab, with four Lebanese nationals, a Palestinian and a Jordanian. Technically, I’m assuming the Jordanian – apparently the driver of the bus they were getting in – doesn’t really count as a tourist. In any case, thank God there have been no casualties.
…They said the attacker did not have a beard and did not appear to be an Islamic militant. He shot himself in the head when police tried to arrest him. [source
I assume the beard thing is a euphemism for “Islamist ties”.
The same AFP report also stated:
“The event was part of the Festival of Jordan, which has been surrounded by controversy.”
However, to correct this, the concert was actually put on by Jordan’s National Conservatory For Music and was not a part of the Jordan Festival. Nevertheless, this may be an act stemming from the controversy surrounding the festival in general these last few weeks that has labeled it as some type of pro-american-zionist event. It is a strong possibility, although the people were all in a bus so I don’t know if they were targeted.
Nonetheless, Reuters is reporting:
A third security source said he thought the attacker had suspected the Lebanese musicians were Israelis. [source]
The concert was a joint effort of the Choir of the Holy Spirit University from Lebanon and Amman Orchestra.
UPDATE: I should have pointed out earlier that despite the media calling them “tourists” the Lebanese victims were actually students participating in the event. [thanks nasim]
Also, the identity of the shooter was revealed today as Tha’er Abd il-Qader, who was only 18 years old (b. 1990) and lived in the Baqa’a Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of Amman.
this is really sad, but yeah, in the light of the Jordan Festival controversy; the company with so claimed Israeli ties and such, it’s no surprise that some fanatic maniac do such thing!
hope those poor people who were targeted are ok!
they were not tourists, they were students part of the the Choir of the Holy Spirit University from Lebanon. it happened just meters ago from me.
Such a disgrace! Let’s hope that the media does not blow this out of proportion; all we need now is some fanatics and irresponsible media coverage to bid farewell to our tourism industry future!
Although the injured bystanders were not killed, I hope that the idiots who started the Jordan Festival = Israel support feel the weight of what they’ve done with their misinformed blabber-mouthing.
Jennifer, the concert was organized by the Amman Symphony orchestra and the Greater Amman Municipality, and was not part of the Jordan Festival
For a minute I was wondering what concert was there part of the Jordan Festival. Too bad such a classy Orchestra event was disturbed in this way. Do u realy think the guy shot himself and wasnt shot by the Police officers @ the scene?
Nasim, tell us the details since you saw it?
ali … i will post about it today
Who cares whether this was part of the Jordan Festival; it’s another very sad and black day for Jordan. It is my understanding that most of those shot were members of this Christian Choir; i attended the concert and their performance was very moving – hearing the news early this morning has been very upsetting. Why?????? Unfortunately, so long as this tension continues, Jordan’s development will be retarded…
Seriously, thank God there were no casualties!
my story here
http://nasimjo.blogspot.com/2008/07/opera-under-stars-ending-with-shooting.html
Thank God there were no casualties. I hope they all fully recover quickly.
Think only of a State would benefit from such an operation?? Specifier especially in the Summer season ?? which state have an interest in it and you will know who is the mastermind ….
thanks alllll
Remembering how beautiful this concert was last year, I am shocked and saddened. Thank God there was no loss of life, but this is a different kind of loss.
its saddening that this is the kind of news we see in what was once quiet amman =[ where has our city gone?
I hope that the people who orchstrated so much falsehood and emotional hype over the Jordan Festival now understand what their short-sighted appeal to the worst human tendancies may cost us. It doesn’t matter that this particular concert wasn’t part of the Jordan Festival – this horrible incident shows that flinging accusations and stirring up passions around one thing (Israel-normalization) can so easily spill over into other, seemingly unrelated matters. It’s all about perceptions and emotional climates.
We may never know the real motivations of the young man who shot the student singers, their bus driver a passing tourist, and then, himself. It’s easy to imagine, however, that the paranoid and vengeful themes swirled up by the Jordan Festival boycott could trigger a troubled person to strike at the nearest or easiest target (no matter what the actual sponsorship or facts of the concert.) This is actually a much scarier prospect than someone with “terrorist ties.” Let’s pray he is the only one!
Hahahahaha!
Well, i wonder about all those comments linking this incident with the “Israel Support”-rumors. Even if the rumors had been true, this assault would not have been justified in any way.