A popular Christian writer from Jordan was shot dead outside an Amman courthouse last Sunday after posting a cartoon image on social media deemed offensive to Islam.
Petra News Agency reports that Nahed Hattar, was struck by three bullets, just outside the Court of Justice. Upon being taken to a hospital immediately thereafter, Hattar was pronounced dead.
CBN News reports that although the police force was successful in tracking down the murderer and retrieving the murder weapon, his identity has not been revealed. The controversy that sparked off this murder occurred some time last month, when 56-year-old Hattar was detained on charges of offending religion and causing religious tensions and racist feelings. When he shared a cartoon on his Facebook page, ridiculing Islamic extremists' views of heaven, several Muslims across the country accused him of defaming their religion.
The controversial cartoon depicted God asking an Islamist, who was shown to be in bed with two women, if he needed anything. In reply, the man was shown to have requested God to get him wine and for the angel, Gabriel, to get him cashews.
Islam forbids any depiction of God, whom it considers as formless. Following this incident, as many as three threats had been made on Hattar's life. The writer's family has blamed the government for failing to protect him despite the threats.
Hattar's cousin stated, "We believe that the perpetrator had ISIS ideology." Mohammed Momani, the Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government spokesman, explained, "The Jordanian government will respond with an iron fist against anyone who will exploit this crime to perpetuate hate speech in society."