I have initiated blog http://formyfreedom.wordpress.com/ primarily with two objectives. Firstly to voice for Liberal Values e.g. Rule of Law, Good Governance, Pluralism etc. and secondly to establish a platform to discuss issues of our concern.

I received interesting feedback from friends after uploading few articles on diverse issues. My friend from South Africa Marco and another great friend from Guatemala, Luis, with them I find great deal of understanding on various contemporary issues have made interesting comments. Both of them while encouraging me have also stated their position as “moderate” regarding issues I have raised. Some people labeled me as “liberal extremist”, which in my opinion is an oxymoron.

I have seen “pseudo liberals” around me who think liberalism is just their life style and there are others who are “liberal apologists” who want to have conformity from others while being politically correct and riding with popular sentiments. But when I say a liberal can not be an extremist I have reasons to make this claim. I have yet to encounter a single liberal (even pseudo and apologist) who have ever advocated use of force, violence or any other tool of oppression to achieve the end goals.

The point I want to make is that exercising the right of expressing dissent can not be termed as an extremist viewpoint. When I say that the western multiculturalism and humanistic values are in stark contrast to the some specific religious values, someone can refute my claim with reason and logic and I will never feel offended about it. At the same time, I would like to see my right of disagreement is protected and no body is stabbing me to death, rendering me jobless or using any kind of persecution against me. I think it’s not an irrational or big demand. I show no intolerance towards anyone. In fact I love all humanity irrespective of their true or false beliefs. Hardly can you call a man like me intolerant. On the other hand I encounter countless people who are intolerant towards me. They cannot even tolerate my right to think independently and express myself.

I am against Nazism because it is a doctrine of hate. I am against some specific religious teachings because I find them a doctrine of hate. The former advocated the supremacy of a race the latter promotes the superiority of a religion. They both used violence to advance their objectives and they both had no respect for human lives and their rights. They both believed that since their ideology is right it is okay to kill people and the end justifies the means. My struggle is not against any religion or religious persons. Most of my loved ones, friends and relatives are religious (Devoted Muslims). I fight against the doctrine of hate that has made all of us victims and victimizers for the last so many centuries.

Of course all religious persons are not terrorists. My mother never missed a prayer but I am sure she is a saint. I never met a woman as self-sacrificing, kind and loving as that pure soul. I have met so many wonderful beings among Muslims that I met nowhere. These people are not terrorists just because they are born in a specific country and they think they are belong to a specific religious philosophy. Terrorists are those who follow the teachings of dominance, violence and hatred. The majority of religious people are not even aware of these teachings as they are contended to perform just some rituals.

I believe everybody is free to believe in his/her faith and no one wants to take that right away from them by force. However what they can’t stomach is that others also have the freedom to express their disagreement with their faith. Moreover, those who believe in any specific faith that is dangerous for others, should not be free to do is to practice a great part of their faith. Marriage to minors, beating wives, killing the apostates, chopping hands, maiming, flogging, stoning and other savageries should be banned. In other words you should be allowed to believe in any faith but you should not be allowed to practice it when it’s encroaching on rights of others.

And finally, Marco being a moderate, you can not oppose racism “moderately” nor can you criticize Nazism in a moderate way. South Africans are good people and so are German. It was all about philosophy, which you have been opposing with full vigor and not “moderately”.