Amman — Nine martyrs were killed in the terrorist attack on Hamoud Church in Karak Governorate. The tragedy left a deep wound in the hearts of Jordanians, transforming what should have been a moment of farewell at a funeral into a devastating scene marked by grief and shock.
The gunfire targeting mourners at the church was not merely an attack on lives. It also struck Jordanians’ sense of security and brought difficult questions back to the forefront about extremist ideas and how distorted convictions can evolve into violence that threatens society.
The tragedy was not simply an isolated security incident. It was a warning that calls for a reassessment of the tools used to confront extremism and for efforts to address its roots before extremist ideas find their way into people’s minds and behavior.
Following the incident, His Majesty King Abdullah II directed a review of policies to combat extremist ideology, opening the door to a discussion that goes beyond security responses to a shared national responsibility. This begins with intellectual prevention and extends to the role of educational, cultural and media institutions in protecting society from hate speech, recruitment and mobilization.
The Royal directives came after King Abdullah chaired a meeting of the National Security Council on October 24, during which he instructed the government and relevant institutions to review policies for combating extremist ideology and intensify efforts to dry up its sources as part of a systematic plan coordinated with religious authorities.
Against this backdrop, Al-Ghad examined the roles of ministries and institutions involved in combating and preventing extremism through the views of experts and specialists, as well as responses from relevant ministries, to identify the key requirements for updating existing policies and programs and setting priorities for the next phase.
Researcher at the Global Center for Terrorism Research Saud Al-Sharafat said that reviewing the National Strategy for Combating Extremism, Violence and Terrorism should begin with an assessment of the previous experience and an update of its tools to reflect new developments.
Al-Sharafat said the strategy was based on cooperation among state institutions, security agencies, law enforcement bodies, civil society organizations, universities and research centers, covering both security and preventive aspects.
He added that the passage of several years since the strategy was developed requires the inclusion of new areas, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and drones, alongside developing monitoring, evaluation and feedback mechanisms to ensure its continued effectiveness and prevent it from being left without periodic review.
Al-Sharafat highlighted the growing role of social media platforms in spreading extremist propaganda, polarization, recruitment and financing, stressing that addressing these challenges requires cooperation among security, media and cultural institutions and civil society organizations.
Renewing Strategies
Senate member Mahmoud Jumaa stressed the importance of continuously renewing strategies, warning that extremist ideas may recede for periods before re-emerging.
Jumaa recalled his experience establishing the Community Peace Center during the spread of the ideology of the terrorist organization ISIS. He said the initiative was based on cooperation between specialized security and religious bodies, dialogue with young people who had adopted extremist ideas, and the involvement of Sharia and Islamic jurisprudence specialists to discuss those ideas and correct misconceptions.
He stressed that preventing extremism is not the responsibility of security agencies alone. It requires an integrated role for the ministries of education, culture and religious affairs, as well as the media and institutions working with young people, through sustained awareness campaigns and community dialogue.
He also emphasized the importance of focusing on preventing incidents rather than merely managing them after they occur.
Culture and Intellectual Prevention
Alongside security efforts, culture provides a space for strengthening dialogue, tolerance and acceptance of differences, while giving young people opportunities to channel their energies into creative fields.
Ministry of Culture spokesperson Salem Al-Faqir said the ministry provides cultural spaces for young people across the governorates through its directorates, arts training centers, activities, festivals and programs aimed at discovering talents and promoting community participation.
He explained that these programs reinforce the values of moderation, tolerance and dialogue. The ministry also seeks to involve young people in developing cultural plans and programs, listen to their views and aspirations, and create spaces for dialogue that respect differences and promote critical thinking and responsible awareness.
Regarding the measurement of cultural initiatives, Al-Faqir said success should not be measured solely by the number of activities held, but by their impact on young people’s awareness, attitudes and behavior.
He said performance indicators could be developed to measure youth participation, the geographic distribution of activities, and the results of surveys conducted before and after programs, in addition to discussion groups, field assessments and monitoring initiatives emerging from these activities.
He also stressed the importance of coordination with the ministries of education and human resources development, universities and institutions working with young people, while using arts, theater and literature in awareness programs and making use of the network of cultural centers and organizations across the governorates to reach cities, districts and villages.
The Educational Dimension
Education expert Faisal Tayeh said reviewing the strategy requires strengthening the role of educational institutions in building students’ intellectual resilience.
He stressed that confronting extremism cannot be achieved simply by adding theoretical concepts to curricula or relying solely on awareness campaigns. Instead, teaching methods must be developed to strengthen students’ ability to think critically, verify information and analyze narratives that promote hatred and violence.
Tayeh said schools and universities are not merely institutions for transferring knowledge, but essential spaces for shaping young people’s awareness and attitudes toward society and others. This requires an educational environment that allows responsible dialogue, respects differences and promotes citizenship, belonging and human dignity.
He stressed the importance of improving teacher-training programs and preparing faculty members to manage intellectual discussions and address exclusionary ideas through educational approaches based on dialogue and trust, rather than labeling students or treating their questions as indicators of extremism.
Tayeh noted that media and digital literacy have become essential as young people are exposed to diverse content across digital platforms. He stressed the importance of equipping them with skills to verify sources, identify misinformation and incitement, and distinguish legitimate disagreement from discourse that justifies violence.
He said the success of preventive programs should be measured by improvements in students’ analytical, dialogue and information-verification skills, as well as by strengthening their sense of belonging and safety within educational institutions.
He called for sustainable programs based on teacher training, partnerships with families, coordination among educational institutions and regular measurement of results.
Tayeh also recommended strengthening the role of universities in preventing extremism by promoting critical thinking and media and digital literacy, and training faculty members to manage intellectual discussions and address exclusionary ideas through educational methods.
He emphasized the importance of providing a safe university environment that respects differences and encourages dialogue, while evaluating preventive programs based on their actual impact on students’ awareness rather than the number of activities carried out.
He concluded that building intellectual resilience begins with teaching young people how to think, verify information and engage in discussion, rather than simply asking them to reject extremism. He said embedding critical thinking and respect for differences in school and university life is a fundamental pillar of preventing extremist ideas.
Monitoring Digital Extremism
Media education expert Raya Yacoub said updating the strategy requires keeping pace with the transformations that have taken place in the media and digital landscape since 2016 and moving from multiple separate initiatives toward integrated efforts among institutions.
Yacoub stressed the importance of strengthening institutional coordination by clearly defining roles, exchanging information, establishing indicators to measure the impact of programs, and developing monitoring and media-response tools to keep pace with the spread of extremist content through short-form videos, digital misinformation and emotional manipulation.
She stressed that media literacy represents a key line of preventive defense by empowering the public to verify sources, detect manipulation of information and distinguish differences of opinion from incitement to hatred and violence.
She noted that the success of the strategy should not be measured by the number of programs implemented, but by the extent to which they are integrated and capable of preventing extremism before it develops into behavior or a threat.
Yacoub said the media’s responsibility is not limited to exposing hate speech and misinformation. It also includes avoiding their republication and preventing their reach from being expanded, even unintentionally.
She stressed the need to handle inflammatory material professionally by explaining its content and context only to the extent necessary, verifying information and avoiding giving extremist narratives additional platforms for dissemination.
She added that confronting extremism requires producing professional and engaging content that simplifies complex issues, promotes dialogue and critical thinking, and enables audiences to verify sources, examine images and videos and identify fabricated content.
She emphasized the importance of distinguishing legitimate criticism and differences of opinion from incitement to hatred and violence, ensuring that efforts to confront extremism do not undermine freedom of expression.
Yacoub concluded that the media’s role should not be limited to exposing misinformation after it has spread. It should also help build an audience capable of identifying it while providing alternatives based on knowledge, dialogue and responsibility.
Source: Al-Ghad
