Fascinating and informative video on citizen journalism:
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Monday, July 2, 2007
A struggle against silence
I recently read about yet another journalist who died in Iraq. This time the slain journalist is a female, 35, who was shot to death on Sunday as she was coming home from work in Mosul. She is the second female journalist killed in Mosul in the past 30 days. Her name was Zeena Shakir Mahmoud, and she wrote about women's affairs for a newspaper that was associated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 109 journalists have been killed since the Iraq war began in March 2003. Mahmoud, ironically, died on "Journalist's Day."
Upon hearing of Mahmoud's death, I immediately thought of the death of Anna Politkovskaya in October of 2006. Both female, both striving relentlessly to tell the stories that otherwise wouldn't be heard, both troubled by the circumstances facing their countries, and who aimed to use writing to speak for the dead, the silenced, and the powerless. Yet despite these lofty goals, both died violent deaths, shot by cowards who ultimately know the power of words, and who believe that fear will stop those who aim to expose the powerful with blood on their hands.
News is news, and it will ultimately be reported by few, read by some, and forgotten by many. There will always be something new to read and hear about. But I cannot forget these women, even though I read neither of their work before their deaths. I strive to write in the memory of Anna Politkovskaya, Zeena Shakir Mahmoud, and every other writer and journalist who has ever died, or who will die by using their words to spread truth.
As Carlos Fuentes said, "writing is a struggle against silence," and as long as people continue to write in the pursuit of truth, who refuse to let fear cripple and deaden their senses, the voices of slain writers will never be silenced.
Upon hearing of Mahmoud's death, I immediately thought of the death of Anna Politkovskaya in October of 2006. Both female, both striving relentlessly to tell the stories that otherwise wouldn't be heard, both troubled by the circumstances facing their countries, and who aimed to use writing to speak for the dead, the silenced, and the powerless. Yet despite these lofty goals, both died violent deaths, shot by cowards who ultimately know the power of words, and who believe that fear will stop those who aim to expose the powerful with blood on their hands.
News is news, and it will ultimately be reported by few, read by some, and forgotten by many. There will always be something new to read and hear about. But I cannot forget these women, even though I read neither of their work before their deaths. I strive to write in the memory of Anna Politkovskaya, Zeena Shakir Mahmoud, and every other writer and journalist who has ever died, or who will die by using their words to spread truth.
As Carlos Fuentes said, "writing is a struggle against silence," and as long as people continue to write in the pursuit of truth, who refuse to let fear cripple and deaden their senses, the voices of slain writers will never be silenced.
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