Jordanian Writer Killed in Court Over Cartoon Case

Nahed Hattar, a Jordanian journalist and writer known for his anti-Islamist positions, was shot dead by a 'mosque preacher' while attending a court session related to his case. The official Jordanian news agency reports that the assailant has been detained at the scene. Reuters cites a security official stating that the attacker was an imam from one of the capital's mosques. Hattar had been accused of insulting religious sanctities for posting a cartoon on his Facebook page, which depicted a bearded man in paradise asking God for wine while lying in bed with two women. According to Reuters, Hezbollah referred to him as a 'brave and loud voice' against 'takfiri terrorism.' This Shiite militant group is considered one of Iran's main allies. Hattar was also a supporter of Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria. On the other hand, the same news agency reports that 'many traditional Jordanian Muslims' considered the publication of the critical cartoon on Hattar's Facebook page as 'offensive.' The 'General Ifta House of Jordan,' the highest authority for issuing fatwas in the country, labeled the published cartoon as 'an insult to God, Islam, and religious symbols.' The New York Times states that Hattar's murder occurred after he had been clearly threatened by extremists in recent weeks. Meanwhile, some of Hattar's secular and liberal supporters claim that his trial was an attack on 'freedom of expression' in the country. The Jordanian government condemned Hattar's murder. Hattar was born into a Christian family but reportedly considered himself an atheist.