Egyptian TV Host Hani Nahhas: I Support the Assassination of Jordanian Writer Nahed Hattar

Egyptian TV host Hani Al-Nahhas declared that he supported the assassination of Jordanian writer Nahed Hattar, who was due to have stood trial for blasphemy following his posting of a cartoon online. Al-Nahhas said that blasphemy does not constitute freedom of speech and that Hattar would stand trial in "God's court." He made his statements on the Egyptian Alhadas Elyoum TV on September 26.

Host: "A Jordanian writer, Nahed Hattar, was assassinated yesterday, minutes before he was to stand trial in a Jordanian court. A few days ago [sic], he published a cartoon that some, including myself, considered blasphemous. Minutes before he was due to stand trial in the Jordanian court, he was assassinated, and now he will stand trial in God's court. I hereby declare, live on TV... Yesterday, some people were arguing that publishing blasphemous cartoons constitutes freedom of speech or of thought, and that a person may criticize whoever or whatever he wants. They say that he is martyr, killed for the sake of freedom of speech, but I do not think this way at all. You have the right to criticize a president, a prince, or a king, but you do not have the right to draw, to affront or to humiliate the Lord. I personally declare that I support the killing of Jordanian writer Nahed Hattar. After his assassination, he will stand trial in God's court."/p>

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