Deputizing For King, PM Inaugurates 38Th Jerash Festival

(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)

Jerash, July 24 (Petra) -- Deputizing for his majesty King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh on Wednesday evening inaugurated the 38th Jerash Festival and lit the torch of the festival titled "The Promise Continues". The torch was carried by poet and former minister Haider Mahmoud.
The opening ceremony was attended by a number of ministers, Jerash Governor Firas Faour, members of the Higher Committee of the Festival, directors of departments in Jerash, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Sports of Georgia, Thea Tsulukiani, and Egyptian Minister of Culture, Ahmad Fouad Hanno.
Minister of Culture Haifa Al-Najjar, Chairman of the Higher Committee of the Festival, said, "We stand this evening on this platform, with all that it symbolizes in terms of historical, civilizational and cultural depth of the originality of this country and the extension of its roots, and with the hope that we carry in our hearts to launch the activities of this prestigious festival in its thirty-eighth session."
"We celebrate the life that was associated with the festival, which was launched 4 decades ago as a Jordanian national address, a humanitarian cultural address, representing our serious thought and culture, our committed heritage art, our identity and our national narrative in its commitment to the issues of our Arab nation, and expressing our pride in our national achievement, as we cross the bicentennial of the Jordanian state and celebrate the silver jubilee of His Majesty King Abdullah II's assumption of his constitutional powers," Al-Najjar added.
Al-Najjar emphasized the Jordanian Arab position, "which is based on the values of the Hashemites and the visions of the forty-third grandson of the Arab Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in our alignment with our Arab causes, foremost of which is the cause of Palestine, and Jerusalem. We stand with our people in Gaza who are subjected to indescribable killing, destruction and annihilation of people, places, humans and stones at the hands of the extremist right-wing Israeli government. At the same time, we express our pride in the national achievement during the reign of His Majesty the King at various levels, as culture has been and continues to be one of the main drivers of all productive activities, and an engine of reform and enlightenment."
For his part, Jerash Mayor Ahmad Hashim Al-Atoum said that the Jerash Festival is a unique cultural, social, economic, and tourism phenomenon, and carries a clear message about Jordan's pivotal role in enriching the Arab cultural phenomenon and deep tourism. The festival also plays a key role in engaging local actors and enhancing local community participation, directing its programs towrads creating jobs for the people of Jerash.
The opening ceremony was held at the Northern Theater of the Roman City of Jerash, 48km north of Amman. It will feature national performances that celebrate Jordan's history and the Kingdom's pivotal role in supporting Palestine. Artistic, cultural, intellectual and folklore programs will begin at noon Thursday, according to organizers.
The festival includes an intellectual and cultural program, featuring poetry recitals with poets from Jordan and the Arab world, a conference on the "renewal of renaissance thought," and a forum on short story. Artists known for their patriotic and committed songs will also perform, alongside an elite group of Jordanian artists.
The festival will also showcase artistic, cultural, and folkloric activities from Palestine, including performances by poet Abdullah Issa, singer Sana Moussa, and the Soul Band from the Gaza Strip.

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