Why Azadnegar?

Freedom of expression is one of the most fundamental human rights and a cornerstone of free societies. This right allows individuals to express their opinions without fear of censorship or punishment. Freedom of expression includes not only speech and writing, but also forms such as art, digital and non-digital media, and various kinds of protest.

Today, one of the platforms on which freedom of expression is practiced in an almost absolute form and has been exposed to the test of the world’s public sphere is the platform X, which in the past, before its purchase by Elon Musk, was called Twitter. Many activists on this platform have, in some cases, been able to tangibly experience freedom of expression and deepen their understanding of it, even if they live in closed societies.

According to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “everyone has the right to express their beliefs in any way they wish, without fear or apprehension.” This right is recognized for people around the world and is pursued by both human rights and non-human-rights organizations. It is also a cornerstone for many free civilizations around the world.

First-world countries, or in other words, developed industrial countries according to development indices, are generally among those that grant a very high degree of freedom of expression to their citizens. Or more precisely, the citizens of these countries have acknowledged this right for themselves and for others in the building of their civilization. The more we move toward developing or underdeveloped countries, the lower the indicators of freedom of expression become. It seems that one of the effects of development—and perhaps one of its main causes—is the issue of freedom, with freedom of expression being a subset of freedom itself.

It is this capacity and tolerance of a society to listen to opposing views—not merely to approve of or respect them—that is put to the test. A proper understanding of freedom naturally leads to a proper understanding of freedom of expression as well.

Of course, in different countries, freedom of expression is subject to certain limitations. These limiting criteria generally concern issues such as hate speech and violence, threats to national security and public order, and the dissemination of falsehoods and defamation. It should be noted, however, that it is usually not easy to justify something such as “threats to national security” and then use that as grounds to restrict freedom of expression. For democratic political forces within society will certainly challenge and roll back such restrictions. Democracy is the very tool through which these advanced societies protect freedom as an abstract concept.

Let us now offer a few examples. For instance, the United States pursues freedom of expression in an almost absolute form and even permits hate speech except in cases involving violence. In Germany, this issue is more limited, and racism, Nazi symbols, and hate speech place restrictions on it. In the United Kingdom, a fairly similar approach has been followed. To some extent, freedom of expression is challenged in these countries and may at times fail in certain areas, but these societies nevertheless continue to value it more highly and protect it.

Based on the map below, which shows the Freedom of Expression Index, one can see that countries marked in dark green have a score between 0.9 and 1, which signifies the highest level of freedom of expression. Meanwhile, our country, Iran, due to the presence of the Islamic Republic and its religious culture, has a score of 0.16. That is, on the one hand, the government restricts it, and on the other hand, this religious culture among the people also contributes to limiting this freedom of expression. For in some cases, people themselves impose this lack of freedom due to cultural issues.

In this regard, the situation in the other Persian Gulf countries has not been better. In countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, this index is below 0.1, in which the nature of government, Islamic rule, and Islamic culture are certainly not without influence. Turkey, however, is roughly on par with us in freedom of expression, though not in the other fundamental freedoms. In Turkey, other freedoms are greater than in the Islamic Republic of Iran. For example, freedom of dress is far greater than in the Islamic Republic. Other Middle Eastern countries, however, are in a better situation. Israel is significantly better than the other Middle Eastern countries, with an index close to that of Western European countries and the United States, at around 0.84. This itself is one of the signs of Israel’s level of development. This index for Iraq and Jordan stands at around one-half, which is far better than the state of freedom of expression in the Islamic Republic and in Turkey.

Why was this issue discussed, and what connection does it have to the opening question?

As stated earlier, one of the principal indicators of a country’s development is freedom of expression. Therefore, for a free Iran—without the Islamic Republic—we will practice it through the pen. Even after the Islamic Republic, if we want a developed country, we must attain this positive level on the index. This achievement is not merely a numerical one; rather, it reflects a new system of values for a developed and non-despotic society.

As its name suggests, the periodical Azadnegarhas set out to champion freedom of expression—especially the freedom of writing—so that, without fear, it may commit a range of the problems and concerns of society to writing, while also addressing certain questions and some “whatnesses” from the viewpoint of the Azadnegars.

This periodical refers to its writers, in keeping with its name, as Azadnegars, as you have seen on the cover. An effort is generally made to publish one issue in each season of the year. In the coming seasons, a few more people may join the Azadnegars, or fewer may remain. Every Azadnegar has their own distinctive style of writing and, in their own way and with their own thoughts, expresses society’s troubles and questions—whether those expressions may be right or wrong.

More clearly put, this periodical imposes as little as possible in the way of political or social editorial lines and red lines for the Azadnegar. These boundaries are determined only by the conscience, thought, and freedom-loving spirit of the Azadnegar; yet they are never fixed, and they will certainly be subject to criticism. There is no fear or hesitation in the face of criticism.

Now that Iran has reached a sensitive and decisive moment in time, and given that Iran’s freedom depends on a complete passage beyond the Islamic Republic and the factors and agents that brought it to power, an effort has been made to begin the struggle through the pen in this ancient Nowruz and to contribute ever more to raising awareness. Perhaps, after the passage of centuries and ages, we may finally bring to its knees that which has hindered the progress of this jewel-like land—for surely its time has come.