- Title: Jordanians condemn killing of writer Nahed Hattar
- Date: 26th September 2016
- Summary: AMMAN, JORDAN (SEPTEMBER 26, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CARS DRIVING ALONG STREET NEWSPAPER STAND ON SIDEWALK MORNING NEWSPAPERS VARIOUS OF FRONT PAGE OF JORDAN TIMES, WITH NEWS ITEMS ABOUT DEATH OF WRITER NAHED HATTAR VARIOUS OF THE FRONT PAGE OF AL-GHAD NEWSPAPER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AMMAN RESIDENT, QASIM JAWABREH, SAYING: "We are against any killing, this creates civil strife in the country. It will result in sensitivity between Muslims and Christians, something we do not want. If he made a mistake, then the state will punish him. It is no one's right to punish another human for something which has nothing to do with him. The government would have punished him if he offended God. No one should take justice into their own hands in the street and shoot others." PEOPLE WALKING ALONG A SIDEWALK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AMMAN RESIDENT, AHMAD HUSSEIN, SAYING: "He has no right to kill (Nahed Hattar). There is a justice system and laws. In my opinion, it was wrong for the man to kill him directly. We have laws and God is present, God can protect the prophet Mohammad. But for the man to kill him as he did, this is wrong." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ALONG SIDEWALK
- Embargoed: 11th October 2016 10:03
- Keywords: writer shot cartoon religion Jordan court contempt Nahed Hattar
- Location: AMMAN, JORDAN
- City: AMMAN, JORDAN
- Country: Jordan
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime
- Reuters ID: LVA001517BI9Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Jordanians spoke out against the killing of Nahed Hattar on Monday (September 26), a day after the writer was shot dead in the street.
Hatter was killed on Sunday outside the court where he was to stand trial on charges of contempt of religion after sharing on social media a caricature seen as insulting Islam, witnesses and state media said.
The gunman was arrested at the scene, state news agency Petra said. A security source said he was a 39-year-old Muslim preacher in a mosque in the capital.
On the streets of the Jordanian capital on Monday, local residents said it was wrong for the gunman to have taken the law into his own hands and kill Hattar.
"If he made a mistake, then the state will punish him. It is no one's right to punish another human for something which has nothing to do with him," said local resident, Qasim Jawabreh.
Hattar, a Christian and an anti-Islamist activist, was arrested last month after sharing on social media a caricature depicting a bearded man in heaven smoking in bed with women and asking God to bring him wine and clear his dishes.
Many of Jordan's conservative Muslims considered Hattar's actions deeply offensive. Still, such politically motivated assassinations are rare in the U.S.-backed Arab kingdom, whose relative stability has distinguished it from war-ravaged neighbours such as Syria and Iraq. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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