Editorial, 'If We Don't Fight', in LAW ANIMATED WORLD, 28 February 2015, Vol. 11, Part 1, No. 4 issueat least let us have the decency to admire those who do. When a person wrote an evasive piece of withdrawal in Frontier recently, this editor was pained and remonstrated in a letter to its editor: “…reference to "Je Suis Charlie? Sorry. No" [Frontier, February 1-7, 2015] It is not the content of the cartoons published in Charlie but the right to publish such cartoons that is at stake. The words of 'Charb' the editor of Charlie Hebdo that "I am already dead if I have no right to speak out" and that "I prefer to die standing on my legs than to live on my knees" are to be the inspiration for journalists but not cowering at the threats and finding excuses to opt out of commitment and support to freedom of speech and expression. … If Biswajit Roy is opting for a totalitarian or bullied society [like ours] which shivers even in publishing cartoons of ostensibly suspicious and fake prophets, then of course his reaction is correct. But I don't think he will shirk to criticize or mock at Hindu [gods and goddesses,] Babas, etc. and perhaps even venture now and then to mock at Christian padiris but he will have no guts to do so to the Islamic brands. The reason is simple – self-censorship due to terror. I confess many of us do engage in such self-censorship for various reasons – 'discretion is the better part of valor' sometimes, it seems. But as Jose Marti spoke out famously: "If you do not fight, at least have the decency to respect those who do"!” This editor stands by it and sadly acknowledges that the ‘virus of faith’ has been claiming innumerable victims all over the world, even in our neighboring Bangladesh, a ticking time-bomb of explosive religious fundamentalist forces. The gory murder of the freethinker and human rights activist Avijit Roy at Dhaka on 27 February is another instance of the ‘brain-death’ and cruelty of such forces and also a pointer to the need for people to zealously and actively fight for the protection and promotion of human rights – including the freedom not to believe and the right to blasphemy. It seems that only a sort of secular socialist humanism can be the real antidote for all this venom spread in the hearts of the people the world over in the name of this or that religion. The ‘virus of faith’ should not be allowed to totally infect and ‘comatize’ humanity and urgent action needed to eliminate it through intelligent education of scientific principles of bio- and human evolution and societal development, combating all myths, superstitions and dogmas spreading hate and intolerance, and courageous campaigns for the promotion of the basic human rights. 

IF WE DON’T FIGHT

at least let us have the decency to admire those who do. When a person wrote an evasive piece of withdrawal in Frontier recently, this editor was pained and remonstrated in a letter to its editor: “…reference to "Je Suis Charlie? Sorry. No" [Frontier, February 1-7, 2015] It is not the content of the cartoons published in Charlie but the right to publish such cartoons that is at stake. The words of 'Charb' the editor of Charlie Hebdo that "I am already dead if I have no right to speak out" and that "I prefer to die standing on my legs than to live on my knees" are to be the inspiration for journalists but not cowering at the threats and finding excuses to opt out of commitment and support to freedom of speech and expression. … If Biswajit Roy is opting for a totalitarian or bullied society [like ours] which shivers even in publishing cartoons of ostensibly suspicious and fake prophets, then of course his reaction is correct. But I don't think he will shirk to criticize or mock at Hindu [gods and goddesses,] Babas, etc. and perhaps even venture now and then to mock at Christian padiris but he will have no guts to do so to the Islamic brands. The reason is simple – self-censorship due to terror. I confess many of us do engage in such self-censorship for various reasons – 'discretion is the better part of valor' sometimes, it seems. But as Jose Marti spoke out famously: "If you do not fight, at least have the decency to respect those who do"!” This editor stands by it and sadly acknowledges that the ‘virus of faith’ has been claiming innumerable victims all over the world, even in our neighboring Bangladesh, a ticking time-bomb of explosive religious fundamentalist forces. The gory murder of the freethinker and human rights activist Avijit Roy at Dhaka on 27 February is another instance of the ‘brain-death’ and cruelty of such forces and also a pointer to the need for people to zealously and actively fight for the protection and promotion of human rights – including the freedom not to believe and the right to blasphemy. It seems that only a sort of secular socialist humanism can be the real antidote for all this venom spread in the hearts of the people the world over in the name of this or that religion. The ‘virus of faith’ should not be allowed to totally infect and ‘comatize’ humanity and urgent action needed to eliminate it through intelligent education of scientific principles of bio- and human evolution and societal development, combating all myths, superstitions and dogmas spreading hate and intolerance, and courageous campaigns for the promotion of the basic human rights. §§§