Free-dom [free-duhm]
noun
- the state of being free, rather than in confinement or under physical restraint.
- the power to determine action without restraint
- personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery.
The attempt to "define" this word would be a futile attempt to confine the vastness of emotions associated with it. Thinkers, aristocrats, philosophers, artists, political leaders, governments and ordinary people throughout the history of humankind have defined freedom in ways convenient to the time.
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| Golshifteh Farahani |
You can read more about this at 'Iran's "nude revolutionary" Farahani says image is symbolic'. This is not the first time Ms. Farahani is facing a scathing from her government. She was banned from leaving Iran after her debut in Ridley Scott's Body of Lies. And after her symbolic picture in the French magazine she has been banned from her home country.
The Farahani incident just made me think about the meaning of "freedom". The image of "about to be executed" Mel Gibson (playing Sir William Wallace) shouting "Freedom" in the last scene of the movie, Braveheart, poignantly sums up the value attached with this sentiment. Many have lost their lives in the past to protect or attain freedom for themselves, their country or whales.
The Arab Spring that started in the December of 2010 overthrew some of the most powerful rulers in the Arab world. Thousands of protesters gathered in squares in these countries to raise their voices against the current regime. Some souls perished, while others sustained scars that would remain as a sign of freedom.
The right to freedom of speech cherished in democracies around the world is a contentious issue as well. Incidents like, Apartheid, Danish cartoon controversy, Twitter censorship controversy, Liu Xiaobo controversy, Tea Party and other incidents that continuously have their share of limelight before fading into the darkness of injustice and corruption.
Last year I wrote an article on symbolism in life and movies. To quote from the article, "Symbolism plays an important role in our society. A picture is worth a thousand words". Who is on the right side of freedom? Or the word freedom is just a relative term! Perhaps it is alright for freedom to stay loosely defined. So us mortals can take this word and play with it until the day we get the meaning right. Freedom!
The Farahani incident just made me think about the meaning of "freedom". The image of "about to be executed" Mel Gibson (playing Sir William Wallace) shouting "Freedom" in the last scene of the movie, Braveheart, poignantly sums up the value attached with this sentiment. Many have lost their lives in the past to protect or attain freedom for themselves, their country or whales.
The Arab Spring that started in the December of 2010 overthrew some of the most powerful rulers in the Arab world. Thousands of protesters gathered in squares in these countries to raise their voices against the current regime. Some souls perished, while others sustained scars that would remain as a sign of freedom.
The right to freedom of speech cherished in democracies around the world is a contentious issue as well. Incidents like, Apartheid, Danish cartoon controversy, Twitter censorship controversy, Liu Xiaobo controversy, Tea Party and other incidents that continuously have their share of limelight before fading into the darkness of injustice and corruption.
Last year I wrote an article on symbolism in life and movies. To quote from the article, "Symbolism plays an important role in our society. A picture is worth a thousand words". Who is on the right side of freedom? Or the word freedom is just a relative term! Perhaps it is alright for freedom to stay loosely defined. So us mortals can take this word and play with it until the day we get the meaning right. Freedom!
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