A recent newsletter from Amnesty International featured the case of Waleed Abu al-Khair, a human right lawyer in Saudi Arabia. He has been imprisoned several times for his pursuit of the right of all people to have freedom of speech. He is diabetic and in his current imprisonment was being denied the medications he needs. After many people protested at this treatment via Amnesty actions he was allowed medication (and books to read which had also been denied). Then this quote from the current report:
"When he spoke to us he said the public prosecutor assigned to his case had offered on several occasions that the king would release him, with a catch of course - he would have to repent for his so called 'crimes'. His response gave me goosebumps: "I'd rather spend today reading in a prison as Saudi Arabia's freest man." It made me think what I would have done, faced with so much cruel oppression. I can't help but think what an inspiration he is. I can't help but think of the conditions he must be sitting in right now."
What would I have done?
What is true freedom?
