A Jordanian writer who was arrested for posting a cartoon deemed offensive to Islam has been shot dead.
Nahed Hattar was assassinated in front the Supreme Court in Amman with local media reporting he was shot three times in the head.
The shooter has reportedly been arrested by security forces.
Mr Hatter had turned himself in to authorities after the Jordanian Prime Minister, Hani Mulki, ordered an investigation into a cartoon he had shared on Facebook.
The cartoon depicts God in paradise, being treated as a servant by an Arab man, who is in bed with two women and asking for wine.
Saed Hattar, a relative of Mr Hatter, said the cartoon was posted to illustrate the twisted religious views of Isis extremists and was deleted after the post received angry responses. [141 comments]
[TOP RATED COMMENT] To some of us Jordanians Mr Hattar is and will always will be a martyr in the name of our plight for free speech. He lived a writer, an activist for secular government, and worked against the political islamist tide.
They shot him because they could not tackle his ideas, they shot an unarmed defenseless. During his trial he received many death threats and his family asked him to flee, he refused citing he did not fear death, simply that he was saddened that his country had come to this. That is the Nahed Hattar we will remember, a man who in the face of death thought of his country first.
[ANOTHER] This is islam folks. Stop fooling yourselves with the "it is just a lone wolf" or "not all muslims" or "religion of peace" fallacies. History has proven this for over 1000yrs. [The Independent] Read more
