Pope to lead Israeli-Palestinian peace prayer

Pope Francis is scheduled to host a peace prayer with the Israeli and Palestinian presidents in a move aimed at bringing the two peoples together. Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, will lead prayers on Sunday at the Vatican with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres in a gesture aimed at fostering dialogue.

“This prayer meeting will not be for mediation or to find solutions. We are just meeting up to pray. Then everyone goes home,” Francis said after issuing the invitations during a pilgrimage to the Middle East last month.

Tourism: ‘85% of Religious Sites Mentioned in the Old Testament Are in Jordan’

During a recent tour of Jordan by a select group of Nigerian journalists and media personnel to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Managing Director of the Jordan Tourism Board, Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat, took time out to answer questions on a wide range of issues. Demola Ojo presents excerpts…

What makes Jordan special?
I’m sure you will be surprised about the products we have regarding the historical and cultural sites in Jordan. 85 per cent of the religious sites mentioned in the Old Testament are in Jordan. This is something maybe a lot of people did not know that Jordan is the Holy Land. We have 34 sites in Jordan linked with Jesus. You can feel the origins of Christianity in Jordan.
In addition to religious tourism, we also have history and culture, adventure tourism, eco-tourism and medical tourism as well. Jordan is blessed with a diversity of products that can cater to all the needs and preferences of the tourist.