Responding to a message that appeared on an Islamic website close to al-Qaeda urging jihadists to carry out a terrorist attack on the embassy of the Order of Malta in Cairo, the Catholic Order refuted all claims on Friday that it is somehow involved in military activity in Iraq or in any other country in the world.

In its statement, the Sovereign Military Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta – now commonly known as the Order of the Knights of Malta – said that such statements, while causing deep distress because they were unfounded, have been expressed about a humanitarian organisation that helps the weak and disadvantaged in 120 countries around the world with medical and humanitarian programmes.

The message, which appeared on 6 December urging the attack “either with car or truck bombs”, followed an editorial in the UAE daily al-Bayan, by Jordanian MP Jamal Muhammad Abidat who claimed that the Order was playing a direct role in the Middle East, Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

Abidat gave a Muslim interpretation of the Order’s history describing the role played by the Knight of Malta during the crusades and claimed that the Order is playing a similar role today in the Middle East. Furthermore, he accused the Order of being run by men close to US President George W. Bush and neo-conservative political circles.

He said that you cannot exaggerate, “the Order of Malta is a hidden government or the most mysterious government in the world”.