THE RED DOOR OF FREEDOM.
In the poem 'Nakbat Dimashq' (The Tragedy of Damascus), poet Ahmed Shawqi presents a poignant line: " And the red freedom has a door, struck by every bloodied hand." This line was echoed by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in one of his last videos before his death. As I reflected on this line and contemplated the wars currently raging in Ukraine, Gaza, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and elsewhere, I realized that it is nearly impossible to separate freedom from struggle. There are three nuances to the concept of freedom: first, "freedom from," which denotes liberation from societal constraints; second, "freedom to," which signifies the ability to do what we wish; and third, "freedom to be," which extends beyond mere actions to encompass the freedom to become who we were meant to be. Yet, in all these nuances, it is evident that historically and conceptually, 'freedom' often involves overcoming obstacles, fighting against ...