Jordan a refuge in the desert: one of the Middle East's most stable countries offers tolerance, history, and struggle--especially for Christians. From: U.S. Catholic | Date: May 1, 2003| Author: | COPYRIGHT 2003 Claretian Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Jordan is stuck in one rough neighborhood. With next-door neighbors like Iraq, Israel, and the West Bank, the country is accustomed to nearby discord and disruption. Despite each incident and tension over at the neighbors', Jordan somehow manages to hang onto its status as one of the few stable, secure places in the Middle East.

That status is tenuous, though. In the months before the American-led attack on Iraq, uncertainty seemed to permeate Jordanian air: How would everything hold together as a wave of anticipated Iraqi refugees cross its border?

Today, more than 4.6 ...