“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” ~Albert Camus (quoted by Raif Badawi, shortly before arrest)
Just a short thought of the day, that freedom is an on going struggle. On a day when some of the Charlie Hebdo journalists are buried, the struggle continues.
Yesterday I wrote about Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, tomorrow he goes back for more lashes. Reading what he wrote, I would be given the same punishment, if not more, just for blogging. Yet he seems to be taking this in stride and is a true hero for the idea of Liberty. It is chilling to know that I could suffer the same, if I was in that country, would i react thesane wayhe has? Probably not, it makes me thankful we can have an open debate of ideas in the West.
To you Raif, you have become a true hero of mine. I end this with a quote of his.
"As soon as a thinker starts to reveal his ideas, you will find hundreds of fatwas that accused him of being an infidel just because he had the courage to discuss some sacred topics. I’m really worried that Arab thinkers will migrate in search of fresh air and to escape the sword of the religious authorities." ~ Raif Badawi
Douglas F. Langner
January 15, 2015
For more on him, here is a good article on what got him in trouble with the Thought Police in Saudi Arabia.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/14/-sp-saudi-blogger-extracts-raif-badawi
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