Jordanian cartoonist Emad Hajjaj is under investigation for “insulting religion” and “inciting sectarian strife” after a private citizen filed a complaint over a cartoon that shows the crucified Jesus denouncing the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem. The…
Tag: blasphemy
Jordanian Writer Charged With Blasphemy for Sharing Cartoon
A Jordanian writer turned himself in over the weekend to face charges of insulting Islam with a cartoon that he shared on Facebook intending to mock the worldview of ISIS fighters. Nahed Hattar, a controversial left-wing Christian columnist and staunch…
Reflecting on Charlie Hebdo One Year Later
Just over a year ago, the cartooning world was shaken by the attack that killed 12 people, including five well-known cartoonists, at the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The ensuing months have been packed with commemorations, commentaries, debates…
The French Contradiction: Free Speech for Some But Not Others?
In the wake of the attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris, many free-speech-loving Americans have been confused to say the least by the French government’s seeming hypocrisy in dealing with controversial expression. How could officials support the right to caricature…
Indian State Allows Pre-Emptive Arrest for Online Obscenity, Copyright Violations
In the state of Karnataka in southern India, Minority Report has come true. Actually, the state’s so-called Goondas Act — an umbrella law covering offenses from bootlegging to gambling — has long allowed police to put habitual offenders in “preventive…