At least 56 people were murdered on Wednesday night in Amman when three suicide bombers attacked three hotels in the city. Al-Qaida in Iraq has taken responsibility for the bombing. Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the victims.

In one of the hotels (the Radisson), the bomber targeted the a wedding of two Jordanians of Palestinian descent. (See here.) Both the bride and groom lost their fathers among a score of guests who were killed, mostly relatives. This probably marks the first time that a Palestinian wedding was targeted by an al-Qaida faction.

The Radisson was targeted at least once before, nearly six years ago in the Millenium Plot. Fortunately, those attacks were stopped in advance, as were the simultaneously planned attacks in Los Angeles and elsewhere.

On a hopeful note, there were mass protests today in Jordan against the bombings. The protesters were not calling for the US to withdraw from Iraq. They were not calling for an end to peace with Israel. Their message was loud and clear. "Burn in hell, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi!"

The editorial line of the Jordan Times (Jordan's English language newspaper) was similar:

We were attacked because of what Jordan stands for, because of what it represents in this region and beyond: A model of stability and security in a constantly turbulent area, an example of moderation and tolerance amidst bloody wars and religious and ethnic tensions, a success story of modernisation in a gravely underdeveloped region.

Terrorists hit Jordan because it embodies what they despise the most: Peace. They hit us because we are the champions of the true Islam of tolerance, dignity, respect for human life and understanding of the other.

They hit us because we have always been at the forefront in the fight against terrorism, long before Sept. 11, long before the “war on terror” became an integral part of US policy, long before Washington and all other Western capitals had ever even heard of Al Qaeda and Osama Ben Laden.

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This is how we respond to those who try to take from us what we hold dearest: By upholding it more strongly and firmly than ever.