Freedom of Speech For Bloggers

· by · in Miscellaneous. ·

Is blogging as a social medium powerful enough to influence people? The answer is YES in bold. Otherwise, why bloggers from  all over the world are facing such traumatic treatments whenever they’re trying to speak their minds? Why the extremist religious organizations are finding naive blog posts so challenging and threatening?

Recently, two bloggers from Bangladesh, Avijit Roy, and Washiqur Rahman Babu, were hacked to death by some people who were continuously opposing their secular beliefs and writings. Avijit Roy used to live in the US and he was well-known as an activist and blogger. He was one of the founders of the blog forum Mukto-mona; a virtual meeting place for freethinkers, where they can write on all sorts of religious and political diktats. Mr. Roy was a regular contributor to the blog. His abhorrence for blind religious faith made some think, that, he might influence others to believe in his ways through his logical and free thinking process. They were actually afraid of his pen, his thoughts and beliefs. On 26th February, 2015, while attending the Dhaka Book-Fair, he was attacked by some unidentified goons who hacked him down with  their machetes!

Washiqur Rahman Babu, along with millions of others, stood in solidarity with Avijit Roy and immediately became the target. The secular tone of his writings, in a state leery of violence, proved to be fatal. One fine morning, (30th March 2015) he too, was hacked to death by unknown perpetrators. Washiqur Rahman’s blog Somewherein holds proof of his progressive thinking beyond religion.

In February 2013, another blogger cum journalist, Rajib Haider, was killed in the same way. His body was mutilated to the extent that his friends failed to recognize him!

Screenshot 2015-04-09 05.26.53

Blind faith accompanied by religious dogmatism, is like stagnant water. I wonder why the extremists are so afraid of some words weaved together; a culmination of one’s own thoughts and ideas, while they’ve all sorts of nifty weapons under the sun.

Freedom of speech is every person’s right. Why a person needs to be assassinated just for writing a blog? Opposing an idea is a sign of development; it can raise heated arguments, a forceful diatribe- but never a fatal attack. The physical entity of a person can be wiped out from the face of the earth, but never his ideas or words. Words have enormous powers and, ideas are immortal. The serrated edges of brandished knives shall never be able to kill them.

In solidarity with #BangladeshBloggers #IamWashiqur #IAmAvijit

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77 responses to “Freedom of Speech For Bloggers”

  3. Its barbaric!
    to kill and to mutilate the bodies show the demented psyche .. why, of what they become afraid in first place ?
    earlier it was writers now even blogs, tweets and cartoons are enough to shake their ‘beliefs’ … Cowards Morons !!
    Its suffocating ..

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  7. Freedom of speech is everyone’s right in a civilized educated society. It’s sad that bloggers like Roy and Washiqur were killed just because they blogged about what they felt right and the government also fails to protect its people.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Hi Maniparna,

    Indeed, as a blogger I feel anger and pain with such horrifying incidents coming to the fore. I hope and pray that this incident doesnt deter fellow bloggers in expressing their minds and uncovering the truth. They might hurt us but they can’t stop us.

    Keep posting.

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  10. These people only resort to violence because they aren’t intelligent enough to put forward their beliefs in a public forum in a way that would silence an opponent. free speech is something that grows a society, the ability to think and discover the truth of whatever it is we are debating. Silencing opposition to said beliefs is counter productive and is in the end detrimental to society as a whole.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Very aptly written Maniparna. Those wreaking violence r d weakest- c how they are scared to death of somebody’s pen and thoughts. Shame on these weaklings! And big salute 2 all bloggers who write freely…it is each person’s birthright!

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  16. Moni, I echo your anguish and belief. These heinous attacks are in actuality targeted to curb freedom of speech and expression , a fundamental right of democrats and free thinkers. No wonder, such incidents send waves of terror in the blogosphere, otherwise a very harmless and useful activity. What we forget is terrorism is a minority mission. The fundamentalists are constantly aware that they are being marginalized. So, this is their way of forceful assertion. However, it is only the weak who resort to violence. The strong ones die for their cause and conviction.

    Liked by 1 person

    • The extremists know very well that they’ve chosen a wrong way. That’s why terror and violence are their only way to make people aware of their presence. And you’re very right to say that the weak ones only resort to violence… thanks for dropping by and commenting…

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  17. ‘Freedom of speech /(expression)’ is a meaningful term and can be enjoyed only in a broad-minded society. Unfortunately we are living in a society where the number of intolerant people are increasing.

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  18. These aren’t the only people who have suffered, nor is Bangladesh the only country in which this has happened. We like to think that we live in a free world, but we don’t. Not by a long shot.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. It’s sad and depressing. These kinds of acts are highly unacceptable and needs to be punished immediately. The world is going through a bad phase on the whole.

    Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Shocking indeed. Killing innocents in the name of God and religion. And they expect to attain heavenly abode as they feel they are saving their God. They don’t even shy away from the kind of justifications they give. How cruel and evil is that. Seems like we, the human beings are heading backwards.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Blind faith accompanied by religious dogmatism, is like stagnant water. I wonder why the extremists are so afraid of some words weaved together; a culmination of one’s own thoughts and ideas, while they’ve all sorts of nifty weapons under the sun. freedom of speech is our fundamental right but it should be in the limitations of humanities

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  25. Here’s the thing – sometimes I feel bloggers/writers/artists are the only free thinkers and we are a minority standing against a very powerful, regressive foe. Hasn’t the world always seen cases where “radicals” like us must be crushed, poisoned, murdered! What’s behind us is bleak. Makes me wonder what lies ahead.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. I hate to think how intolerant the world is..Sad part is most probably nothing will happen to the people who do this, killing people for propagating ideas different from their own, ideas which are not regressive!

    Liked by 1 person

  29. This is the epitome of evil. To kill in God’s name is true evil. Words are very powerful but we have a right to our opinion. To resort to violence in opposition of someone’s opinion shows pure ignorance on the part of the attackers. A lack of intelligence has led to mob mentality and to the formation of violent groups led by one charismatic person leading a bunch of sheep who do not have enough brains to think for themselves. Then they pull God into their evil plans to justify their heinous acts. I promise you that these butchers will stand before the judgement of God one day and face eternal punishment. Truly sad that this behavior is still going on today.

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Only some people have the freedom of speech to spread hatred in the name of religion and many other things. People who make a good point can’t have the right, it seems 😦

    Liked by 1 person

  31. You’re right about Freedom of Speech. There was a time when a tweet could make someone behind the bars. Any tweet against influential politicians and you got arrested. I’m happy that 66A of IT Act is found against the Freedom of Speech and revoked by Hon’ble Supreme Court.

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  32. It is so shocking that rational and alternative voices are killed. Why kill the bloggers? Somehow I cannot imagine living in a country where you cannot say anything. As per newspaper reports, Pakistan has blocked WordPress.. which is alongwith Youtube, Facebook and what not. Very well-written Maniparna.

    Liked by 1 person

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