[Reader-list] discomfort

Thu Nov 4 04:38:33 IST 2010

Thank you dear Shudda for your kind letter! I agree with you and others
about the need to widen the reach of this list, I feel than many topics you
discuss about India today are the same topics we discussed when I was young
in South America in the 70:s.
Freedom of expression is not only a right but it's also a responsability and
I think we should be careful and remember the words of the German priest
Martin Niemöller.
He wrote:
"When they come for the communists I didn't react
I was not a communist
When they took the tradeunionsleaders I didn't react
I was not a tradeunionist
They come for the catholics I didn't react
I was not a catholic
When they come for me
it was nobody who could speak for me"-

(I quote Niemöller from memory now, I think the poem was much more detailed
:(

I am not for or against what Arundathi Roy say, I don't have any knowledge
in the matter. But I defend her right to express her opinions without
attracting a ,mob who vandalize her house.

Best
Ana
On Wed, Nov 3, 2010 at 6:53 PM, francesca recchia <kiccovich at yahoo.com>wrote:

> Dear Shudda and all
>
> Thank you very much for your messages. I very much appreciated that voices
> who
> are generally quieter felt the need to reply - there is a diversity in the
> list
> that is worth ackonwledging and giving value to.
>
> The question of freedom of expression is an interesting one. It is a
> subject
> very dear to me - last May I tried to organise a public debate on this
> subject
> in Iraqi Kurdistan and was denied the autorisation.
> Still I feel the need of questioning what freedom of speech actually means.
> And
> what is the role of individual responsability in excercising such freedom.
> I am
> not talking about self-censorship, but rather about respect and "good
> manners"
> (however old fashion this might sound).
>
> Thanks
> Francesca
>
>
>
>
>  francesca recchia
> kiccovich at yahoo.com
> it +39 338 166 3648
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: "shuddha at sarai.net" <shuddha at sarai.net>
> To: sarai <reader-list at sarai.net>; francesca recchia <kiccovich at yahoo.com>
> Sent: Wed, 3 November, 2010 17:04:16
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] discomfort
>
> Dear Francesca,
>
> Thank you very much for your message. I feel equally disheartened on seeing
> this list being abused to call for bans, denunciations and character
> assasination of all kinds, particularly by a motivated minority of people
> on
> this list whose 'nationalism' permits them to cross the lines of decency on
> more than one occasion.
>
> I believe that this list is a space for the freedom of speech,
> unfortunately,
> this means that we have to live with this kind of abuse. While I completely
> disagree with the kind of speech that some people practice obsessively on
> this
> list, I believe that it is their right to do what they wish with their
> speech
> acts.The only antidote to it is for everyone else, like you, like me, like
> all
> those committed to an open space to post, with care and with passion, and
> about
> a diversity of issues, to not let any one issue, any one tenor, dominate
> the
> tone and character of the list.
>
> My appeal to you would be to you, and to all the silent readers of the
> list, to
> reclaim the list, to make it their own, to discuss all the diverse and
> strange
> and rich experiences that are a part of our daily lives and thoughts may
> find a
> reflection in this sapce,  so that the efforts of an aggressive minority to
> monopolize the space of discussion is not able to succeed.
>
> If we believe in freedom of speech, then we have to enrich this space, to
> demonstrate that freedom of speech is not ONLY the freedom to hate and
> spread
> poison.
>
> I look forward to reading what you, and what everyone thinks and feels,
>
> best,
>
> Shuddha
>
> On Wed, 3 Nov 2010 00:58:14 -0700 (PDT) francesca recchia <
> kiccovich at yahoo.com>
> wrote
>
> > Dear all
> >
> >
> > I am writing this message as in the past days it often happen to me to
> > discuss
> > about the list with different people from different contexts in different
> > places.
> >
> > I feel that the potentials of exchange and interactions that the list
> offers
> > are
> > immense - an incredible spring of food for thoughts that unfortunately
> often
> > gets lost in personal attacks, petty accusations, aggressive tones and
> > dismissive attitude.
> > I understand that some political matters are close to people's heart, but
> > this
> > does not justify the lowering of the tone of the intellectual exchange.
> >
> > I have often thought of unsubscribing, but the knowledge that every once
> in a
> >
> > while there is the chance of positive engagement  prevented me from doing
> so.
> >
> > My posts have often gone unanswered - i reckon they are not very
> interesting
> > to
> > the other members - i wonder whether this will get any response. :)
> >
> > Warmly
> > francesca
> > francesca recchia
> > kiccovich at yahoo.com
> > it +39 338 166 3648
> >
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________
> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > Critiques & Collaborations
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> subscribe
> > in the subject header.
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>
>
>
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
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