Free Speech

Just like fellow blogger Ather Zia, my exuberance in responding to the call to share with readers the story I will be keenly watching in 2011 exceeded space allowances. I take this time, then, to build on my thoughts concerning Wikileaks and Julian Assange, and share the other individuals whom I will be watching this year.

The ongoing hubbub in the United States over the expunging of the word nigger from a new edition of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn draws attention yet again to contentious and long-standing debates relating to race and racism, free speech and censorship,  and education and enculturation, among others.

by Hassan Malik. Originally published by our partner site, World Policy Blog.

Recent events in Pakistan have highlighted the best and worst of the country’s politics and society. News outlets worldwide have been running an all-too-rare story about a rich, powerful man of privilege who risked everything to defend a poor woman on the fringes of society from a public lynching. Sadly, this story was revealed through reports of the man’s murder at the hand of his own security guard.

Last month I had the pleasure of attending Session 3 of The Impossible Music Sessions (TIMS), an organization dedicated to featuring the voices and music of musicians oppressed by their governments. On this goose-bump inducing evening, TIMS featured jailed Cameroonian singer Lapiro de Mbanga.

By the time I got home, my jeans were soaked, my shoes had puddles at the toes, and shivers signaled the onset of a mid-September cold. It was so worth it. Brooklyn Book Festival 2010 may have been drenched, but that didn’t keep me from feasting on literary splendors from near and far, at a veritable buffet of authors, critics, publishers, journalists, comedians and more. And kudos to the crowd for showing up in droves to walk the outdoor bookstalls, settle under umbrellas to hear readings on the steps of Borough Hall, and splash through the rain to get from one great event to another.

An email from the PEN American Center on the plight of recently arrested Liu Xiaobo says, "Recently we learned that Liu is going to be tried on charges that could result in a 15-year prison term. I am now asking you to add your voice to the chorus of Liu’s supporters around the world by sending a letter to Chinese authorities protesting the charges and urging his immediate release." Liu is one of the originators of Charter 08, a document calling for greater openness, democracy, and respect for human rights in China.

What might have been the outcome of the 1979 Iranian Revolution had it been seen on YouTube?

Just take a look at this clip from YouTube contributor houmank of recent demonstrations in the city of Shiraz, Iran. Notice how many video cameras and cell phones are out taking pictures and video! They are everywhere!

On May 21 Big Media and the Internet went bananas over the dueling rhetoric of President Barack Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney. Nevermind the nuances of their respective arguments on whether or not (or how) to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay and keep our country safe from terrorists, news and information outlets were more interested in the heavy weight fight theme than anything.