Nahed Hattar Explained

Nahed Hattar
Native Name:ناهض حتر
Occupation:Writer and political activist
Birth Date:1960
Birth Place:Amman, Jordan
Death Place:Amman, Jordan
Death Cause:Assassination by gunshots
Alma Mater:University of Jordan
Movement:Jordanian Social Left Movement

Nahed Hattar (Arabic: ناهض حتر Nāhiḍ Ḥattar pronounced as /ar/; 1960 – 25 September 2016) was a Jordanian writer and political activist.

On September 25, 2016, he was shot dead outside the court as he arrived at the trial for sharing a caricature that was viewed as insulting religious beliefs.

Early life

Nahed Hattar was born in 1960 in Amman, Jordan. He was raised as a Christian and later considered himself an atheist.[1]

Political views

Hattar led progressive and left-wing political movements, in particular he held a leadership role in two political groups: the National Progressive Current and the Jordanian Social Left Movement.[2] He was highly critical of neo-liberal economic policies in Jordan.[3] He defended the right of Arab Christians to armed resistance against terrorist groups such as Al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[4] Moreover, he was a strong supporter of current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.[5] The writer was also outspoken against Jordan becoming an "alternative homeland” for Palestinians and defended the Palestinian right of return.[6]

Arrest

In August 2016, Hattar shared a caricature on the social media network Facebook that depicted the dead jihadist Abu Saleh in a tent in heaven smoking in bed with two women and asking a corporeal God to bring him wine and cashews.[7] The man also orders God to clear his dishes and build a door for his tent so God can knock before entering.[8] The cartoon sparked controversy, some regarding it as insulting to Islam.

As a result of sharing the cartoon, the writer was charged with the crime of inciting "sectarian strife and racism" in violation of article 150 of the Jordanian Penal Code, which punishes any form of speech that drives sectarian or racial prejudices or incites conflict between different sects.[9] He was also charged for violating article 278 of the Jordanian Penal Code, which prohibits the publication of printed material, image or drawing intended to offend religious beliefs. Hattar was detained for a week following the criminal charges.

The writer issued an apology on Facebook clarifying that he did not intend to insult God through sharing the cartoon, rather the cartoon represented the "God of Daesh" and was meant to mock how terrorists perceived heaven.[10] He added that he respected "the believers who did not understand the satire behind the cartoon".[11]

Death

On the morning of 25 September 2016, Hattar was shot to death by a gunman near the Palace of Justice in the capital Amman, where he was on his way to attend a court hearing.[12] [13]

The gunman was arrested at the scene. A security source identified the suspect as 49-year-old Riad Ismaeel Abdullah, a resident of east Amman. Abdullah is a preacher in a mosque in Amman[14] and an extremist.[15] He was sentenced to death in November and was executed on the dawn of 4 March 2017, along with 14 other criminals charged with terrorism and rape of minors.[16]

Some conservative Jordanian Muslims considered Hattar's sharing of the cartoon as offensive. Jordan's most senior official religious authority criticised Hattar for what they perceived as an "insult to the divine entity, Islam and religious symbols". However, they had also condemned his murder.[17]

Reactions

Domestic
International

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alleged killer who shot atheist Jordanian writer identified. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/alleged-killer-who-shot-atheist-jordanian-writer-charged-with-offensive-facebook-post-identified-a7329391.html . 2022-06-18 . subscription . live. McKernan. Bethan. 25 September 2016. The Independent. 26 September 2016.
  2. Web site: TLAXCALA: Lessons of the Tunisian and Egyptian Revolutions: Not realized in Jordan!. www.tlaxcala-int.org. 2016-09-26.
  3. Web site: The Arab Left: How Jordan Has Fared. 2016-09-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20160927030828/http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/7375. 2016-09-27. dead.
  4. Web site: Christians in the region have the right to armed resistance. 2016-09-26. https://web.archive.org/web/20160927030903/http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/21239. 2016-09-27. dead.
  5. Web site: Facebook post on Islam leads to Jordanian atheist writer Nahed Hattar's murder. 25 September 2016. CBS News. 26 September 2016.
  6. Web site: The "Jordan is Palestine" Scheme is no Illusion. 7 May 2012. Al-Akhbar English. Al_Akhbar_(Lebanon). 26 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160927031320/http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/7062. 27 September 2016. dead.
  7. Web site: Jordanian writer shot dead outside court before trial over cartoon. 25 September 2016. Today Online. 25 September 2016. 12 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161012212605/http://m.todayonline.com/world/jordanian-writer-shot-dead-front-court-trial-over-cartoon. dead.
  8. Web site: Writer turns himself in after cartoon sparks outrage. Ghazal. Mohammad. 13 August 2016. Jordan Times. 26 September 2016.
  9. Web site: Writer Hattar charged with inciting strife. 14 August 2016. Petra Jordan News Agency. 26 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160927032050/http://petra.gov.jo/Public_News/Nws_NewsDetails.aspx?Site_Id=1&lang=2&NewsID=264777&CatID=-1. 27 September 2016. dead.
  10. Web site: Gag order bans coverage of writer detained over cartoon. Ghazal. Mohammad. 14 August 2016. Jordan Times. 26 September 2016.
  11. Web site: Jordan: Nahed Hattar shot dead ahead of cartoon trial. 26 September 2016. Al Jazeera. 26 September 2016.
  12. Web site: Hattar shot to death. Jordan Times. 25 September 2016 . 25 September 2016.
  13. News: Beaumont. Peter. Jordanian writer shot dead as he arrives at trial for insulting Islam. October 5, 2016. The Guardian. September 25, 2016.
  14. Web site: Jordanian writer shot dead outside court before trial over cartoon. Al-Khalidi. Suleiman. 25 September 2016. Reuters. 25 September 2016.
  15. Web site: Jordanian satirist murdered in front of court. Reed. John. 25 September 2016. Jordan Times. 26 September 2016.
  16. Web site: Jordan executes 15 prisoners, 10 convicted of terror charges. BBC. 4 March 2017. 4 March 2017.
  17. Web site: Jordanian writer shot dead outside court before trial over cartoon. 26 September 2016. Yahoo. 26 September 2016. AFP.
  18. Web site: Government condemns assassination of Nahed Hattar. 25 September 2016. Petra Jordan News Agency. 26 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160927033751/http://petra.gov.jo/Public_News/Nws_NewsDetails.aspx?Site_Id=1&lang=2&NewsID=270038&CatID=-1. 27 September 2016. dead.
  19. Web site: 'Social media users to be sued over hate speech in reaction to Hattar shooting'. Husseini. Rana. 26 September 2016. Jordan Times. 26 September 2016.
  20. Web site: Gag order issued in Hattar shooting. 26 September 2016. Jordan Times. 26 September 2016.
  21. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/director_general_condemns_murder_of_jordanian_writer_nahed_h/#.V-w0fvCLSM9 Director-General condemns murder of Jordanian writer Nahed Hattar
  22. https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/09/27/jordan-prominent-writer-gunned-down-court Jordan: Prominent Writer Gunned Down at Court

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Nahed Hattar".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.