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Here’s some of what the man Khashoggi said … and did … that got him on the “enemies list” of his former repressive government —
these actions used to be — just considered simply “freedom of thought” and “freedom of speech.”
Jamal was no dissident protester, stirring up trouble outside the Royal Palace on a regular basis. Instead the man took a more peaceful, less confrontational path … He choose instead to use the power of words ...
He spent years explaining its policies to outsiders, but made himself unpopular at home, saying the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen “would validate” those who compared the kingdom’s actions to what Russia and Iran were doing in Syria. He also was critical of Riyadh’s diplomatic break with Qatar.
After Khashoggi criticized the kingdom’s celebration of Donald Trump’s election as president in 2016, a royal court official who was close to him advised him to stop tweeting and publishing stories, a sign that his opinion was no longer welcome.
Khashoggi went into a self-imposed exile, moving to Washington in 2017, writing regular columns for the Post and pursuing pro-democracy projects.
www.apnews.com — 10/19/2018
Jamal was no shifty-eyed radical, with ties to terrorists, as some pro-Trumpers have recently portrayed him. In fact he wanted to reform his country of origin, make its system work better — not to tear it down ...
But he told the Economist in May that he did not agree with Saudis who were “calling for regime change and stuff like that. ... I believe in the system. I just want a reform system. Actually, I want the system to give me a voice to allow me to speak.”
While he supported fighting corruption, he described what was happening in Saudi Arabia as “selective justice.” He argued that corruption was so entrenched that royals monopolize land ownership and fewer than 40 percent of Saudis can own their homes.
“The crown prince is engaging in a major economic transformation. And since there is no one to debate it, he will not see the (mistakes) of these transformations,” he told the Economist.
www.apnews.com — 10/19/2018
Jamal Khashoggi was wise enough to know, that no system of government that tolerates and then turns a blind eye to its internal corruption — will ever provide its citizens a secure platform for pursuing a quality life.
Jamal believed this kind of governmental accountability started with an informed citizenry.
"The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events," Khashoggi wrote in his column lamenting the lack of press freedom in the Arab world. "More important, we need to provide a platform for Arab voices."
www.politico.com — 10/18/2018
Because without the freedom of the press, what you end up with is “governments spreading hate through propaganda” ...
"Journalists, academics and the general population were brimming with expectations of a bright and free Arab society within their respective countries," Khashoggi wrote. "These expectations were quickly shattered; these societies either fell back to the old status quo or faced even harsher conditions than before."
Khashoggi spoke about increasing crackdowns on journalists by Arab governments. He called for a "platform for Arab voices."
"Through the creation of an independent international forum, isolated from the influence of nationalist governments spreading hate through propaganda, ordinary people in the Arab world would be able to address the structural problems their societies face," he wrote.
www.npr.org — 10/18/2018
The forces of repression are not always delivered by well-armed steel-booted soldiers; sometimes repression is simply a matter of “extinguishing hope” … because without hope a people dies ...
“The Arab world is facing its own version of an Iron Curtain, imposed not by external actors but through domestic forces vying for power. During the Cold War, Radio Free Europe, which grew over the years into a critical institution, played an important role in fostering and sustaining the hope of freedom. Arabs need something similar.”
www.latimes.com — 10/18/2018
Jamal Khashoggi was a man who died for writing these words, for daring to express his beliefs.
May his death not be in vain. May it not be another news blip … destined to fade away into the rushing river of ‘official sounding statements and trite condolences’ — into just another turning of the page.
May there be a real investigation into the facts of this brave man’s murder.
May that investigation ultimately result in the change, that Jamal spoke his words, to create.
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