Jordan: Satirist's Killing Highlights Radicalization Fears
| Publisher | Jamestown Foundation |
| Author | Alexander Sehmer |
| Publication Date | 14 October 2016 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | Terrorism Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 20 |
| Cite as | Jamestown Foundation, Jordan: Satirist's Killing Highlights Radicalization Fears, 14 October 2016, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 20, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5804dacb4.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Protesters in Jordan demanded the resignation of both Prime Minister Hani al-Malki and Interior Minister Salama Hammad in September, following the murder of Nahed Hattar, a satirical writer who was shot dead on the steps of a court building in Amman. Although the government condemned Hattar's killing at the time, the protesters – many of them members of Hattar's tribe – claimed the government had not done enough to protect him. The government quickly imposed a ban on reporting about the killing (Petra, September 26).
Hattar, who was from Jordan's Christian minority (as well as a supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad), had been attending court to face criminal charges over a cartoon he shared on Facebook that was said to be offensive to Muslims. Hattar's suspected killer, a former prayer leader described by the Jordan Times as a known extremist, later gave himself up to the police (Jordan Times, September 25).
Rights groups say Hattar's killing shows Jordan's disregard for free speech and have called for greater protections for the right to freedom of expression (RefWorld, September 26). Jordan has long been willing, however, to restrict the media in favor of "maintaining stability." More pertinently, the incident highlights concerns over the problem of radicalization in Jordan.
Jordan introduced anti-terror legislation in 2006, following a series of bombings at three hotels across Amman that left more than 60 people dead. It broadened the law in 2014 with the aim of targeting extremists returning home from the conflict in neighboring Syria, but the reforms have also been used to restrict journalists and target members of the opposition with no clear links to terrorism (Memo, August 28, 2015).
Link to original story on Jamestown website
The government maintains the changes to the law were necessary, and Jordan certainly faces a threat from returning fighters and a growing wave of radicalization. In findings this year by the UN's gender equality agency, 85 percent of those surveyed for a report on radicalization and women said radicalization was occurring among communities in Jordan (UN Women, March 2016). More than that, 74 percent said it was taking place in universities. The report highlighted the cities of Zarqa, Maan, Salt, Irbid and Rusaifa as areas where radicalization was a particular problem.
When Hattar posted the cartoon that landed him in court, he was subject to a social media backlash. He quickly took it down and apologized. The government may have hoped that bringing charges against him was a concession of sorts to certain elements within Jordanian society, but it had a very different effect. If Jordan wants to combat radicalization at home, it needs to think carefully about the message its actions on journalists and writers like Hatter send out.
