Festival for Freethinkers 28 October 2022

If you are afraid of the darkness, the darkness will devour you. But if you stare at the
darkness and you open your eyes as widely as you can, you will defeat the darkness.’

Those of you who were here last year might remember the Iranian feminist Masih
Alinejad quoting her mother. When Masih was growing up in a small and poor Iranian
village, the toilet was located in an outhouse.
There was no electricity and thus no light.
Masih was afraid to go through the pitch-dark garden at night, until her mother
taught her this lesson.

‘Open our eyes as widely as possible.’ Perhaps this is the secret to the courage of
freethinkers and dissidents from all over the world.

We have seen such courage recently on the streets of Tehran, of Moskou and on the
frontlines in Ukraine.
We see it in theatres, on the internet, in newspapers and in books.
That is why it is wonderful that the Dutch Chapter of the international writers’
organization PEN is involved in tonight’s evening.

Since last year’s Festival for Freethinkers the world, tragically, has become less free.
Putin has made the world less free with his barbaric invasion of Putin’s army in
Ukraine.
And his oppression of the last remnants of freedom in Russia.
The Ayatollah has made the world less free with the murder of Mahsa Amini and his,
hopefully failing, attempts to crush the women-led revolution in Iran.
These events have made the headlines recently. But we know how much more
repression goes on other places.

In camps and prisons Uygur people continue to be tortured.
In Hong Kong publishers of children’s books have been convicted.
In many, many dictatorships even uttering the word freedom is considered a crime.

There is no reason for democratic countries to be triumphant or complacent about
our freedoms here.
In many democratic countries including the Netherlands journalists are harassed on
line and in person.

We have seen in different parts of the world that democracy can’t be taken for
granted.

Meddling in election, or denying the results, canceling free and independent courts,
military coups; these are never the first steps to end freedom.

The first attacks are always directed at the parts of society the autocrats believe to be
vulnerable.
Like women, their right to choose, their right not to be harassed and not to be
humiliated. And at journalists who uncover truth and expose tyranny.
We all know the name Mahsa Amini, but let’s also not forget the name of Niloofar
Hamedi, the journalist that broke the story of Amini’s murder and who is now, I
believe, still in jail.
The first attacks are quite often directed at arts and literature.
Like the closing of the Gogol Theatre in Moscow. Like bookshop keepers and even
publishers of children’s books being prosecuted in Hong Kong.
Like the labeling of writers as ‘foreign agents.’
Sometimes the attack on literature is more subtle like suggesting writers are elitist
and enemies of the people.

We should cherish books. Like the household Salman Rushdie grew up in. He
remembers it like this:
‘Devout households in India often contained and still contain, persons in the habit of
kissing holy books. But we kissed everything. We kissed dictionaries and atlases.
We kissed Enid Blyton novels and Superman comics.
If I’d ever dropped a telephone directory, I’d probably have kissed that too.
All this happened before I had ever kissed a girl.’ End of quote.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Welcome at the second Freethinkers Festival of Amsterdam.
Based on the idea of the Festival of Dissent that De Balie organised in 2019 and a call
to action by the Amsterdam City Council in 2020.
As mentioned, it has only become more important that we have such a festival and I
hope it can grow even bigger over the years leading up to 2025 when Amsterdam
celebrates its 750th birthday.
This festival is a platform for dissidents to be heard.
A podium to speak truth to power.
And also, I must admit, an opportunity for Amsterdam to host some of the most
brilliant people from all over the world.
After last year’s attention for the freedom of thought and religion, this year’s theme
is ‘against power’.
I am honoured to share the stage tonight with three courageous individuals from
Russia.
It is heartbreaking to witness a whole generation of Russian people forced to leave
their country by a cynical dictator just because they write books, direct theater and
opera or tell the truth.
Many people like Maxim Osipov has described grippingly feel ashamed after having
Russia.
I want to say to our guests that they have every reason to feel proud.
Because they, each in their own way, stand up, against power, for truth, humanity
and freedom.
Just like the speakers and artists that we will see and hear the coming days.
Whether they are from Russia, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Iran or the Netherlands.
They inspire all of us to keep our eyes wide open and stare the darkness into defeat.

Thank you and have a wonderful evening.