Nahed Hattar assassination: PEN calls for religious insult laws to be repealed after writer killed for sharing cartoon
'Hattar’s murder is the latest in a string of killings of writers for alleged religious reasons'
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Your support makes all the difference.A worldwide association of writers has said religious insult laws must be repealed without delay following the assassination of a Jordanian writer arrested for posting a cartoon deemed offensive to Islam.
Nahed Hattar was shot three times in the head by a local imam as he was about to stand trial at the Supreme Court in Amman.
Salil Tripathi, Chair of PEN International's Writers in Prison Committee, said: "Hattar’s murder is the latest in a string of killings of writers for alleged religious reasons, from the Charlie Hebdo killings in France to the killings of free-thinking bloggers in Bangladesh and attacks on writers in India by extremist Hindu nationalists.
"Use of these laws is making targets of writers, cartoonists, journalists and others who are merely exercising their right to freedom of expression."
Mr Tripathi added: "States now have the clearest possible signal to stop bringing such charges and instead to take seriously the obligation to protect freedom of expression – which includes speech which some may find offensive."
Mr Hattar, a prominent atheist writer, had turned himself in to authorities after Jordanian Prime Minister Hani Mulki ordered an investigation into a cartoon he had shared on Facebook.
The cartoon depics God in paradise, being treated as a servant by an Arab man, who is in bed with two women and asking for wine and nuts.
All physical depictions of God or the Prophet Muhammad are forbidden in mainstream Islam, and are illegal in deeply conservative Jordan.
Relatives said the cartoon was posted to illustrate the twisted religious views of Isis extremists and was deleted after the post received angry responses.
His family have criticised the government's response to the killing.
In a statement his cousin Saad Hattar said: “The prime minister was the first one who incited against Nahed when he ordered his arrest and put him on trial for sharing the cartoon, and that ignited the public against him and led to his killing.
"Many fanatics wrote on social media calling for his killing and lynching, and the government did nothing against them."
Mr Hatter was considered a controversial figure in Jordan. Although he was born a Christian, he considered himself an atheist.
He was also a strong supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and an outspoken critic of Isis and al-Qaeda.
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